Product Thinking Episode 229: Navigating Urgency and Strategy in Product Leadership with Oji and Ezinne Udezue
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Jun 25, 2025 Oji Udezue and Ezinne Udezue, co-authors of 'Building Rocketships' and experienced product leaders, dive into the dynamic world of Product Management. They discuss how PMs must adapt to the AI era, balancing immediate pressures with long-term strategy. Oji shares tips on managing board expectations, while Ezinne distinguishes between companies that embed AI at their core versus those merely using it superficially. The duo emphasizes the importance of communication, execution, and maintaining customer focus in a fast-evolving tech landscape.
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Core Systems for Innovation
- Successful innovation requires three core systems: people, strategy, and execution working seamlessly.
- Product leadership must focus on hiring, motivation, clear vision, and efficient delivery to innovate consistently.
Backlog Classification and Prioritization
- Classify backlog items into strategic, customer requests, bugs, and tech debt to maintain focus.
- Use metrics and communicate spending impact to help leaders prioritize and align with product vision.
Three Pillars of Product Success
- Product success lies at the intersection of people, strategy, and execution systems.
- Poor product outcomes often stem from issues in one or more of these fundamental areas.