From Chaos to Clarity: How Top Product Leaders Drive Real Ownership

What does true ownership look like in product management, and why do so many teams miss the mark?

In this episode of The Intentional Product Manager Podcast, I sit down with Kishore Narra, a product executive who's led high-impact teams at TaskRabbit, Coinbase, Meta, and more. We dive deep into what separates busy teams from effective ones, and how top product leaders drive clarity, impact, and alignment across the organization.

We cover:

• Why reducing user friction isn’t always the right move
• How to structure teams for real ownership and accountability
• The anti-patterns that stall progress and how to coach your way out of them
• Lessons from building platform, risk, and marketplace products at scale
• Why clarity on metrics and problem space is the foundation of any great team

Whether you’re managing a small squad or leading a large org, this episode is packed with tactical insights and mindset shifts to help you lead with intention.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

00:23 Guest Introduction: Kishore Narra

01:32 Early Career and First Product

02:53 Lessons from Early Experiences

03:04 Understanding User Friction

04:59 Effective Habits for Product Managers

06:01 Organizing Teams for Success

09:24 Challenges and Anti-Patterns in Team Management

13:43 Product Management Across Different Companies

17:50 Remote Work and Decision-Making at Coinbase

19:14 Differences Between Application and Platform Product Managers

20:29 Skills for Successful Platform Product Management

22:27 Metrics and Promotion for Platform PMs

25:09 Journey into Payments and Risk Management

27:34 Challenges and Strategies in Fraud Prevention

32:11 Lightning Round: Storytelling and Career Growth

34:31 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Follow Shobhit Chugh at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobhitchugh/

Follow Kishore Narra at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kishorenarra/

www.intentionalproductmanager.com