#35: Unpacking the Current Job Market for Product Leaders | Sunil Chaudhary (Director @ Riviera Partners)

Welcome to another episode of Supra Insider. This time, Marc and Ben sat down with Sunil (Sunny) Chaudhary, a former product leader turned recruitment director at Riviera Partners, one of the top recruiting firms in tech.

Sunny shares his journey from leading product teams to helping companies hire the right product leaders, offering a unique perspective from both sides of the hiring table.

In this episode, Sunny also dives deep into how the product leadership market is evolving, from the rising demand for AI expertise to the increasing focus on doers over managers. He shares actionable advice for candidates on standing out in competitive hiring processes, breaking into AI roles, and navigating compensation trends for super senior ICs and managers.

Whether you’re a product leader looking to land your next role or a founder hiring for a critical product position, Sunny’s insights into market trends, recruiter dynamics, and interview best practices are invaluable.

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In this episode, we covered the following topics:

* How hiring priorities are changing and the rise of specialized product roles

* What companies are looking for in AI product leaders and how candidates without AI experience can position themselves

* Key strategies and traits of the top 1% of candidates in product leadership

* How senior IC roles are catching up with or surpassing managerial positions in pay and equity

* The current state of workplace flexibility and its impact on hiring

* And more!

If you’d like to watch the video of our conversation, you can catch that on YouTube:

Links:

* Sunil (Sunny) Chaudhary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunilchaudhary/

* Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/

* Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbaselga/

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