Product Leadership: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly with Janis Bode | The Product People Podcast

In this episode with Janis Bode (Managing Director & VP Product and Technology Operations at N26), we unpack what it takes to lead product at the VP level: adapting communication styles to different stakeholders, using OKRs as alignment tools (not busywork), and why “stating the basics” builds clarity and trust. We explore how a consulting background shapes leadership—structured problem-solving, crisp narratives, and fluency in the executive team’s lingo—and how to quickly map how your org “ticks.” Janis shares his wide experience — from consulting to leadership —and how he solved one of the most difficult projects of his career.

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Product People is the premier destination for Product Management services in Europe. We cover parental leaves, discover/deliver great products, and accelerate transformation by acting as bar-raising pacesetters. Our in-house recruitment process has a 0.5% acceptance rate.

We empower our Product community of 60,000 members to share knowledge generously whilst managing the unglamorous hands-on work of a Product/Program Manager or Product Ops, on an interim/fractional basis (3-12 months). We onboard fast, align teams, and deliver outcomes.

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