Episode 206: Building and Scaling Zero to One Products with Uday Marepalli

In this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, I am joined by Uday Marepalli, Director of Product Management at Upwork, who brings his expertise from leading AI-driven initiatives to our conversation. Uday shares his insights on building zero to one products within large organizations, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs and leveraging AI in product development.

This episode dives into the challenges and strategies for innovating in a way that aligns with both customer expectations and technological capabilities. Want to learn how to effectively launch and scale products in complex environments? Tune in to gain practical insights from Uday's extensive experience in product management.

You'll hear us talk about:

• 06:24 - The Thrills and Challenges of Zero to One Products

Uday delves into the unique excitement and difficulty of creating something from nothing, stressing the importance of balancing speed with thoughtful validation of hypotheses

• 14:37 - Handling Conflicting Information and Making Strategic Pivots

Uday discusses how to manage new, sometimes contradictory, information by aligning it with the overarching vision and deciding whether to iterate or pivot.

• 38:54 - Building AI Zero to One Products

Uday explores the peculiar challenges of AI products, including data collection and ensuring trust and explainability in AI-driven decisions.

Episode Resources:

Uday Marepalli on LinkedIn

💡 If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe to the Product Thinking Podcast to catch all the new episodes.