Product Mastery Now for Product Managers, Leaders, and Innovators

How product managers use AI to boost productivity and innovation success Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode of Product Mastery Now, Katie Trauth Taylor, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Narratize AI, joins me to discuss how AI is transforming product innovation processes. She shares insights from working with Fortune 500 companies like NASA, Boeing, and Comcast, and dives into research showing that product and R&D teams spend up to 70% of their time on documentation and communication rather than true innovation. Katie outlines four best practices for leveraging AI, including the use of knowledge hubs, AI agents, and robust documentation processes, to unlock productivity, capture tribal knowledge, and speed up time to market by as much as 46%. The conversation also highlights the importance of storytelling in gaining buy-in for new ideas and the potential for AI to revolutionize knowledge management and portfolio intelligence. Introduction  Product teams waste a lot of their time doing things that don’t help get to the heart of product innovation. We need to flip the script on that so that we can be more productive with our innovation efforts. In this discussion, you’re going to learn how companies like Boeing, Comcast, and others are accomplishing this. We’re going to talk about four specific approaches for unleashing AI for product innovation. To help us with that is our guest, Dr. Katie Trauth Taylor. She is the CEO and co-founder of Narratize AI, and she helps R&D transform their scattered knowledge into a competitive advantage. She has worked with NASA, Boeing, and other Fortune 500 companies to cut documentation time and speed products to market. Katie discovered that innovators are spending too much of their time just trying to communicate their ideas, and she built an AI platform to improve this. She holds a PhD from Purdue University and has published peer-reviewed research on innovation storytelling that’s reshaping how teams work. Find out more about the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) and next year’s innovation conference. Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers The Problem with Documentation:Product teams spend roughly 70% of their time on documentation, reporting, and knowledge lookup instead of direct innovation. This significantly slows time to market. AI as a Knowledge Capture Tool:Katie turned to large language models to transform how product teams do documentation. AI can systematically prompt and capture insights, store tribal knowledge, and automate documentation customized to roles and project phases. The Power of Storytelling:Successful innovation relies on crafting compelling narratives, not just data. Five drivers for effective storytelling are empathy, engagement, alignment, evidence, and impact. Best Practices for Leveraging AI in Product Teams: Think Outside the Chatbot: AI tools are a knowledge-capture capability, not just a question-and-answer capability. Use AI to prompt and store deep organizational insights, not just answer questions. Narratize AI provides workflows for product innovation processes like Agile and Jobs-To-Be-Done. Embrace AI Agents: Agents can provide proactive, role-specific updates (like regulatory changes or market intelligence) and work in the background. Documentation or It Didn’t Happen: Accurate, human-reviewed documentation is crucial for knowledge management and competitive advantage. Toward Product Portfolio Intelligence: With AI-enabled product knowledge hubs, organizations can now have real-time insights across portfolios, breaking silos and aiding strategic decisions. Knowledge Management Revolution:Capturing lessons learned and even past failures allows organizations to prevent repeating mistakes and leverage prior discoveries, especially as a significant portion of the workforce retires. Actionable Insights for Product Managers: Building cross-functional relationships is vital. Don’t innovate in a silo. Portfolio intelligence can transform decision-making beyond traditional management by surfacing insights on demand. AI enables better onboarding, reduces redundant efforts, and future-proofs organizations as knowledge is no longer lost with employee turnover. Useful Links Learn more about Narratize Check out the Narratize YouTube channel Connect with Katie on LinkedIn Innovation Quote “If it’s a truly disruptive innovation from a company, you can almost guarantee it wasn’t a straight A-to-B path that delivered the results. So as you recognize the success, recognize also the journey that got you there.” – Joel Schall Application Questions How much time does your team currently spend on documentation and communication versus actual product innovation? In what ways could AI help you capture and surface tribal knowledge within your organization? Which of the five storytelling drivers—empathy, engagement, alignment, evidence, impact—do you find hardest to implement in your presentations or pitches? What concerns do you have about accuracy and review in using AI-generated documentation, and how might you address these? How could implementing product knowledge hubs or AI agents change the way your team collaborates and makes decisions across your portfolio? Bio Katie Trauth Taylor is CEO and Cofounder of Narratize AI, a product intelligence and innovation platform empowering teams to bring products and discoveries to market faster, smarter, and with greater impact by eliminating inefficiencies, aligning teams, and preserving institutional knowledge. Katie is a growth-focused entrepreneur executive with 10+ years experience inspiring teams to design and deliver magnetic products, memorable experiences, and groundbreaking impacts. She has led strategic innovation narratives and served as a senior content strategist within fast-growth tech startups and the Fortune 500, including Boeing, NASA, Hershey, Sunoco, AAA, IFF, Dupont, Edgewell, Cincinnati Children’s, Argonne National Lab, Crossover Health, Parsley Health, Omada, Physera, US Dept of Veterans Affairs, Millennium Challenge Corporation, World Food Forum, and the United Nations. She believes that everyone can be an innovator–when empowered to share their bold ideas. Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

What product managers should know about patents, trade secrets, and copyright Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode, I’m joined by David Carstens, a seasoned IP attorney and founding partner at Carstens, Allen & Gourley, who brings over 30 years of legal and technical experience in intellectual property (IP) strategy. Our conversation dives into the importance of IP management for product managers, how to build an IP strategy, when to consider patents versus trade secrets, the complexities of software and AI-generated content, and the rapid pace of change in the IP landscape. The episode is a must-listen for any product manager navigating decisions around invention protection, copyright, and the evolving influence of artificial intelligence. Introduction If you’ve ever wondered whether to patent that new feature, worried about AI training data copyright issues, or struggled to justify IP investment to leadership, you’re not alone. We’re exploring intellectual property strategy for product managers—and what it means to get it right and how expensive it can be when you get it wrong. Most product managers don’t receive training on IP strategy, yet the decisions you make daily have massive IP implications. Our guest is David Carstens, who has a unique combination of technical depth and legal expertise. He’s a founding partner at Carstens, Allen & Gourley. He has dual engineering degrees, an MBA, and over 30 years experience protecting IP for companies building software, medical devices, and telecommunications products. He’s also an entrepreneur who founded multiple companies including a nationally chartered bank and an innovation platform, plus he’s been teaching IP law at SMU for three decades. David is currently investing in and speaking about the Fifth Industrial Revolution, making him well positioned to help us also understand how AI is reshaping IP strategy.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers IP Strategy Framework:David mentions that there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” framework for IP strategy; it starts with assessing a company’s current position, identifying valuable innovations, evaluating what can realistically be protected, and aligning actions with budget constraints. Key steps include identifying strong value propositions, checking for existing patents or IP conflicts, and sometimes considering licensing or redesign if a competitor already owns relevant patents. Timing and Collaboration:Product managers should start thinking about IP early—preferably well before product launch or tooling investment. Collaborating with an IP attorney and creating a culture that values teamwork and knowledge sharing can help spot and protect innovations more effectively. Patents, Trade Secrets, and Value:Patents offer competitive advantages by providing pricing freedom, can act as bargaining assets, and are vital for companies seeking investment. Trade secrets, by contrast, are about keeping valuable information confidential (e.g., formulas or processes not disclosed publicly), but are only effective if the information can’t be easily reverse-engineered from the product. Software & AI Challenges:The fast pace of software development often complicates patent decisions. Patentability is more likely when software enables a genuinely novel technical process rather than automating routine tasks. For AI-generated content, copyright ownership is still unsettled; it usually depends on the degree of human contribution to the creative process. Legal systems are racing to catch up as AI shakes up traditional definitions of authorship and originality. The Fifth Industrial Revolution and Legal Evolution:David argues we’re entering a new industrial age defined by AI, blockchain, quantum computing, and advanced materials. The IP legal framework, largely unchanged for centuries, is struggling to keep pace with these rapid innovations, making adaptability and ongoing awareness essential for product managers. Useful Link Learn more about Carstens, Allen & Gourley Intellectual Property Law Firm Innovation Quote “Pressure is a privilege.” – Billie Jean King Application Questions At what point in your product development process do you typically involve IP considerations, and how might earlier engagement affect outcomes? How do you differentiate between an innovation worth patenting versus keeping as a trade secret in your product or technology stack? What internal processes or culture shifts could help your team better identify and protect intellectual property? How does the uncertainty around AI-generated content and copyright influence your use of AI tools in product development? What steps can you take to ensure your IP strategy remains effective as emerging tech (AI, blockchain, etc.) rapidly changes the innovation landscape? Bio David Carstens distinguishes himself not only through his comprehensive knowledge of legal protection of Intellectual Property (IP) but also through his innovative approaches to IP strategy and valuation. With an educational foundation that is as diverse as it is solid—holding bachelor’s degrees in both Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas and Texas A&M University, respectively, a J.D. and an MBA from Southern Methodist University, along with completing the General Management Program at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania —David offers a distinctively strategic perspective in this specialized legal domain.  His multifaceted expertise demonstrates his capacity to transcend traditional legal strategies, offering his clients not just defense, but a competitive advantage in various industries including technology, medical devices, cosmetics, and telecommunications.  David is a founding partner of Carstens, Allen & Gourley and has been a pivotal figure on multiple boards. His ability to navigate the complexities of IP law, combined with his technical and business acumen, places him at the forefront of the field. Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

In conversation with Uma Subramanian, a seasoned tech leader and executive coach, listeners delve into the essential identity shift required for effective leadership. Uma introduces her SOAR framework, focusing on strategic impact and outstanding communication. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling for conveying your value and building a personal brand that resonates. Key strategies include cultivating genuine relationships and developing niche expertise to enhance authority. With insights drawn from her time at Microsoft, Uma provides a roadmap for future leaders in tech.

Practical strategies for building influence and confidence from a Product VP coach Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode, I talk with Rebecca Arora, founder of Access Alignment, executive coach, and author of Somatic Intelligence, about making the transition from successful product manager or director to VP of Product and beyond. Rebecca shares practical strategies for this professional transition, including the need to shift from domain expertise to people leadership, the importance of relationship mapping, communication skills, and strategic thinking. She offers advice on handling stress, leveraging self-awareness, and using coaching techniques to empower teams. We also explore how to set yourself up for success in the first 90 days of a new leadership role. Introduction Let’s say you’re a product manager, you have done outstanding work, and you’re getting promoted to Product VP. Congratulations! The excitement lasts about 24 hours before reality hits. Suddenly you’re responsible for product strategy, team leadership, board presentations, and influencing executives. The skills that made you successful as an individual contributor won’t be enough to make you successful as a Product VP. How do you make this transition? Many of the Product VPs I have talked with use a professional coach to help them move from doing product management work to leading the people who do the work. Our guest today is one of those coaches who has helped several Product VPs. From this episode, you’ll learn practical steps to take for making a similar transition from individual contributor to leader, setting yourself up for long-term success.  Our guest is Rebecca Arora, founder of Access Alignment and author of Somatic Intelligence. Rebecca has a unique background – she was a Co-Founder and the first Product Leader at Mode Media, which scaled to become the #1 lifestyle digital media company. She also contributed to product strategy at Oracle. For the past 16 years, she’s been coaching C-suite leaders and top execs in all functions (including Product). Rebecca’s clients work at exceptional companies such as Google, Salesforce, IDEO, Pinterest, Blue Shield of California, Accenture, and many more. Her book, Somatic Intelligence, helps leaders align head, heart, and body to lead with awareness, confidence, and clarity.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Transitioning from Individual Contributor to Leader:Rebecca describes the challenges facing newly promoted Product VPs, noting the skills that made you a great product manager may not be sufficient as a senior leader. The key leap is shifting your mindset from being an expert to becoming more of a coach and empowering others. The Company as Your Product:As you move up, your sphere of influence expands. Rebecca encourages leaders to think of the company and entire industry as their “product,” applying product management skills to relationships, organizations, and strategy, not just the features you build. Overcoming the Expert Trap:Product leaders can struggle with letting go of being the domain expert and instead fostering empowerment and growth in others. Rebecca advises asking open-ended coaching questions and making space for your team to experiment—even if they do things differently from how you would. Relationship Mapping and Communication:Building new relationships is a priority. Rebecca suggests creating a relationship map to identify stakeholders and potential influencers, addressing conflicts, and strengthening weak connections. Top product leaders may leverage communication coaching to refine their tone and message delivery. Self-Awareness and Blind Spots:While developing your own self-awareness, simultaneously encourage self-awareness from your team. Rebecca advocates for collecting feedback, self-assessment, and being aware of personality differences within a team. She highlights the value of recognizing your blind spots and understanding that not everyone is motivated or learns the same way you do. You cannot always guide people the way you want to be guided. 360-degree Feedback:Product leaders can get 360-degree feedback by interviewing their boss, direct reports, peers, and other stakeholders and ask them, “What are my strengths?” and “What could I improve upon?” First 90 Days in a Product Leadership Role:Rebecca’s advice is to go on a listening tour—ask lots of questions and be curious. Apply user research principles to understanding the organization. Prioritize relationship-building at all levels. Hone your strategic, long-range industry viewpoint. Managing Stress and Personal Growth:The transition to senior leadership is stressful and can feel isolating. Rebecca shares practical tips: slow down (“Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.”), lean back to get perspective on challenges, smile more, and use humor to reset your mindset. Rebecca recommends that during a stressful time, product leaders can draw on somatic intelligence by engaging their body and not just their mind. Useful Links Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn Check out Rebecca’s YouTube channel, Access Alignment Learn more about Access Alignment Check out Rebecca’s book, Somatic Intelligence Innovation Quote “What got you here won’t get you there.” – Marshall Goldsmith Application Questions How would you apply the idea of viewing your organization as a “product” to your current product management approach? What have been your biggest challenges (or observed challenges) in moving into a leadership role, and how did you address them? Which stakeholders or relationships in your organization could benefit from deliberate mapping and attention, and how would you prioritize them? How do you currently gather feedback on your blind spots? Whom could you interview for 360-degree feedback? What techniques or habits help you manage stress and uncertainty? Bio Rebecca is a former tech co-founder (and Product Manager) who coaches CEOs and executive leaders. She’s a confidential sounding board, seer of blind spots, and leadership expert who enables senior leaders to scale effectively, build strong teams, and lead strategically. Rebecca’s clients work at exceptional companies such as Google, Salesforce, IDEO, Pinterest, Blue Shield of California, and Accenture.  Her book, Somatic Intelligence, helps leaders align head, heart, and body to lead with awareness, confidence, and clarity.  Rebecca experienced a career detour due to burnout and a quarter-life crisis. During that time, she discovered various healing resources foundational to her work as a coach.  Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

How product managers can build emotional connections that drive retention, revenue, and referrals Watch on YouTube TLDR Product delight goes beyond functionality to create emotional connections with users. Dr. Nesrine Changuel, former product leader at Google, Spotify, and Microsoft, presents a four-step framework for systematically building delight into products. The approach involves identifying both functional and emotional motivators, turning them into product opportunities, categorizing solutions using a Delight Grid, and validating through a Delight Excellence Checklist. Research shows emotionally connected users have 2x higher retention and revenue, plus 60% more referrals. The optimal product portfolio balances 50% functional features, 40% deep delight (both functional and emotional), and 10% surface delight (purely emotional). Introduction Why do customers choose your product? Is it faster, does it have the best features, or is it priced better than your competitors? Don’t kid yourself, these are areas where your competitors can easily reach parity. So, what makes a product stand out? What makes it become the product customers genuinely love and can’t imagine living without? Not only will you find out in this episode, but you’ll also learn about the framework to make it happen. Our guest expert is Dr. Nesrine Changuel. She has spent over a decade building products used by millions at Google, Spotify, and Microsoft. She’s the creator of the Delight Framework that helped teams at these companies systematically build emotional connection into products. She now teaches this methodology at business schools, including INSEAD and ESSEC, and her recent book, Product Delight, describes these proven methods. Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers What is Product Delight?Product delight means creating products that connect with users on an emotional level while solving functional problems. It addresses both what users need to accomplish and how they want to feel while using the product. The Four-Step Delight Framework: Identify Motivators: List both functional motivators (what users want to accomplish) and emotional motivators (how they want to feel – productive, secure, connected, etc.). Create Product Opportunities: Transform emotional motivators into concrete product possibilities that can be implemented. Generate Solutions Using the Delight Grid: Categorize features into three types: Low Delight: Purely functional features Surface Delight: Purely emotional features Deep Delight: Features addressing both functional and emotional needs Validate with the Delight Excellence Checklist: Ensure features bring impact, avoid distraction, remain inclusive, and provide continuous rather than one-time delight The 50-40-10 Rule:Nesrine recommends that the optimal product roadmaps should contain: 50% low delight (functional features) 40% deep delight (functional + emotional) 10% surface delight (purely emotional) Examples and Case Studies: Spotify Examples: Low Delight: Search by lyrics functionality Surface Delight: Spotify Wrapped (contributed to 20% app downloads in 2020) Deep Delight: Discover Weekly, collaborative playlists, Spotify Jam Uber Security Features:Uber transformed the emotional motivator of feeling secure into features like location tracking for partners and proactive safety notifications when rides deviate from expected routes. Motivational Segmentation:Users can be segmented by why they use products, not just who they are or what they do. Spotify users might be goal-oriented (knowing exactly what to listen to) or inspiration-seeking (wanting discovery and recommendations). Business Impact:Research from multiple studies (including McKinsey and Harvard Business Review) shows emotionally connected users demonstrate: 2x higher retention compared to merely satisfied users 2x higher revenue through increased purchases 60% higher referral rates through word-of-mouth recommendations Implementation in Organizations: Integration Approaches: Dedicate specific PM roles to delight (rare but effective) Make space for both delight features and functional features in regular backlogs Establish product culture and principles that prioritize emotional connection Allocate a specific cadence (e.g., one deep delight feature per quarter) Jobs-to-be-Done Connection:Nesrine’s Delight Framework builds on Jobs-to-be-Done theory by making the emotional and social job aspects more actionable through specific tools like the Delight Grid and Delight Excellence Checklist. Useful Links Connect with Nesrine on LinkedIn Check out Nesrine’s new book Product Delight Visit Nesrine’s website Check out Nesrine’s Substack Innovation Quotes “Whether B2B or B2C, delight is essential in every B2H (business-to-human) industry.” – Nesrine Changuel  “We don’t want to work only on things that will change over the next 10 years. We want to also work on things that will remain for the next 10 years.” – paraphrase of Jeff Bezos Application Questions Looking at your current product, can you identify the top 3 emotional motivators that drive your users beyond the functional needs? How might you validate these assumptions through user research? If you were to categorize your product’s current features using the delight grid (low/surface/deep delight), what would your current ratio look like? Think about products in your space that users seem genuinely passionate about (not just satisfied with). What emotional connections do these products create that yours might be missing? How could you address this gap? How might you apply motivational segmentation to your user base? Given your current development process and team structure, how would you integrate the delight framework? Bio Nesrine Changuel is a product coach, trainer and author with over a decade of experience at companies like Google, Spotify, and Microsoft. With a background in research and a PhD from Bell Labs in collaboration with UCLA, she brings deep technical expertise to human-centered product design. From pioneering video experiences at Skype to creating emotionally engaging features for Google Meet and Chrome, Nesrine has made it her mission to help teams build products users truly love. Today, she teaches, speaks, and trains companies around the world on how to create delightful, emotionally resonant products. She lives in Paris.   Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Rich Mironov, a product leadership expert with over 40 years of experience, shares invaluable insights for CPOs and product VPs. He highlights the three core challenges these leaders face: effectively communicating product value in financial terms, building trust through strategic wins, and minimizing product waste. Mironov emphasizes that executives prioritize revenue impact, making it crucial to showcase product outcomes. He also discusses the importance of delegation, effective team structures, and establishing rituals to enhance product influence.

Lessons from Saturday Night Live for improving product team culture Watch on YouTube TLDR John Krewson, who began his career in sketch comedy before moving to software product development, explains what product teams can learn from sketch comedy. Like comedy writers, product teams must be able to be vulnerable, throw away unsuccessful ideas, and prioritize delivering valuable products over perfect products. John shares principles and practices adapted from sketch comedy that product managers can use to balance autonomy and accountability, make meetings more engaging, and understand customer problems. Introduction What if the secret to building breakthrough products is less about an innovation framework and more about the chaotic, creative energy of a Saturday Night Live writers’ room? Specifically, can sketch comedy principles revolutionize the way your software teams collaborate, create, and deliver products that customers love? We are about to find out, and I won’t keep you in suspense—lessons from sketch comedy can make you a better product manager and developer. In this episode, you’ll hear specific techniques to transform boring meetings into energizing collaborative sessions, practical methods to help your team improve ideas fast, and a new approach to product ownership that distributes creative control without losing focus. Our guest is John Krewson, who brings a unique perspective as a 25-year software industry veteran and professional sketch comedy performer, including a brush with SNL. He’s the founder of Sketch Development Services, has coached everyone from startups to Fortune 50 companies on agile transformation, and wrote the book on applying sketch comedy principles to product development, titled Pitch, Sketch, Launch. Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers John Krewson’s Journey: John began his career as a professional actor and performed as a background player on Saturday Night Live. He then switched careers to software development and worked his way up to management, leadership, and consulting roles. As a product leader, John found himself relying on his training as an actor and director. How Sketch Comedy Principles Inform Product Development:A software development team builds features without knowing whether they will satisfy the customer, in much the same way as a sketch comedy team has no idea if their sketch will be funny. The sketch comedy team mitigates risk by making their sketch only three and a half minutes long. Similar to software features, the sketch is a tight, independent unit of value, where the risk is mitigated by its independentness. John studied the process of moving from an idea to a product in sketch comedy, particularly at SNL, and, along with a comedy sketch writer, wrote about how that process could be applied to product development in Pitch, Sketch, Launch. Efficiency and Iteration:In sketch comedy, 90% of sketches don’t go on the air. Comedy teams practice their ideas on small audiences to figure out which sketches are funny before bringing them to a big show. In product development, ideas should be iterated upon using customer feedback. Vulnerability and Transparency:Sketch comedy teams have thick skins because they’ve been told they’re not funny 90% of the time. Organization culture can allow teams to be vulnerable enough to put ideas forward that may have a 90% chance of being unsuccessful. Always Be Ready:Lorne Michaels said, “We don’t go on because it’s ready. We go on because it’s 11:30.” Saturday Night Live has never missed a deadline in 50 years, not by aiming to be perfect, but by presenting the best version they can get done by Saturday. Rather than trying to figure out the most efficient way of landing the plane, they figure out the most valuable way of landing the plane. Opportunities to Play:At John’s company, Sketch, the product development teams take dedicated “play days” to play with and react to each others’ ideas, whether good or bad. Autonomy and Accountability:At SNL, sketch writers have 100% autonomy over writing their sketches during the week, but the director has accountability over the final show by choosing which sketches are performed. Similarly, product teams can balance autonomy and accountability by allowing independent units to build features, while having overarching accountability to select which features make it into the final product. Agile and Scrum:In an analogy to Scrum, on SNL, the director Lorne Michaels is the product owner, who articulates the vision for the product. The sketch writers and cast members are the development team, which executes on the vision. State managers and directors facilitate the execution and support the development team. The Role of the Product Owner:The product owner knows more about the customer than anyone else on the team. John suggests that the product owner should spend a third of their time with their customers understanding their problems, a third understanding the product and backlog, and a third with their team understanding engineering constraints and communicating customer insights to the developers. The best product owners help the development team see the customer and their problems as clearly as the product owner does. Lean Coffee:John mixes up the routine by occasionally using a meeting structure called Lean Coffee. Everyone writes what they would like to talk about on a sticky note and puts the notes on a whiteboard. Everyone votes on what they’d like to talk about. The team talks about the topic with the most votes for 5 minutes, then for 2 more minutes if the majority wants to keep talking about it. Then they move on to the next highest voted topic. Topics include a mix of business concerns and fun or random topics. The leader facilitates an environment where play, fun, and lightness are encouraged. Useful Links Check out John’s book, Pitch, Sketch, Launch Connect with John on LinkedIn Learn more about Sketch Development Innovation Quote “We don’t go on because it’s ready. We go on because it’s 11:30.” – Lorne Michaels “Nothing great was ever built by the team that couldn’t wait to clock out.” – John Krewson Application Questions How would expecting up to 90% of your ideas to be rejected change the way your product team currently operates? How can you help foster a resilient, open, vulnerable culture on your product team? What might regular “play” or creative sessions look like for a product or engineering team in your organization? How could distributing creative control (while still maintaining focus) benefit or challenge your current team structure? How does your team balance the tension between waiting to be “ready” and pushing forward to deliver value on a deadline? Bio John Krewson is the founder and CEO of Sketch Development Services, a St. Louis based consultancy that focuses on helping companies simplify the complex process of delivering software.   Founded in 2015, Sketch is a two-time member of the Inc 5000. Sketch has worked with dozens of companies from startups to the Fortune 50 to help them learn, adopt, and apply new ways of working to match an ever-changing work environment.   Prior to establishing Sketch, John’s career path encompassed various roles, including software developer, project manager, technology leader, and consultant. In addition to his professional endeavors, John has a unique past in the entertainment industry. In 1997, he made a brief appearance on Saturday Night Live.   Drawing parallels between knowledge workers and entertainers, John frequently incorporates his acting background into his presentations and training events, offering unique insights and lessons that resonate with audiences.  Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Winning product portfolios in physical product development Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode, Matt Carr, VP of Design at Umbra, joins us to discuss the intersection of design leadership, product strategy, and innovation in physical product development. Matt shares practical frameworks Umbra uses to balance creative vision and business reality, offers insights into managing a global product portfolio, discusses approaches to cross-functional collaboration, and highlights how direct customer interaction (especially via e-commerce and social media) drives rapid product iteration. Product managers will find actionable tactics for portfolio balancing, design decision-making, and fostering a design-led culture. Introduction What does it take to design products that delight consumers while hitting profit targets? We are examining design leadership and product strategy with someone who has mastered both. If you’ve ever struggled to balance creative vision with commercial reality, or wondered how to scale design across global teams, this episode will give you frameworks you can use immediately.  Matt Carr is VP of Design at Umbra, the Canadian-based company that designs products for every room of the home. He’s spent 25 years at Umbra, from junior designer to leading their global design operations. He’s created products that have been featured in The New York Times, Surface Magazine, and Met Home. More importantly, he’s built systems for “balancing business and imagination” that keep Umbra at the front of innovation. Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Umbra’s Global Design DNA:Matt explains how Umbra crafts products “for every room in your home.” Their five core values guide design: modern aesthetic, originality, casual sensibility, accessibility (price), and functionality. Product Portfolio Management:Umbra maintains long-standing lines (the maintenance bucket), continually innovates with blue sky ideas, and expands on successes through thoughtful derivatives, all while staying globally relevant. Case Study: Bellwood Photo Frame:As part of Umbra’s long-standing commitment to picture frames—a core “maintenance” product category—Matt Carr and his team recognized the need to innovate in a saturated market. Unlike traditional frames, the Bellwood features a single, continuous curve around the corners, giving it a modern, sculptural feel. It’s designed to look attractive from all angles, not just the front—a key differentiator from standard frames with plain or unsightly backs. The price-point allows Umbra to deliver premium feel at a price accessible to their global customer base. Practical Design Process:Matt outlines the design journey from early sketch and cardboard prototypes to iterative 3D models and tooling, emphasizing early, low-cost experimentation and the importance of cross-functional team input. The process involves: Identifying the Need or Opportunity Cross-Functional Brainstorming Early Concept Development Iterative Refinement and Prototyping Continuous Cross-Departmental Input Alignment with Brand DNA Customer Feedback and Iteration Final Development and Launch Consumer-Driven Innovation:Umbra’s internal team members often represent the target customer, but rapid feedback loops with end users—especially via e-commerce and social media—now accelerate product refinement, color choices, and new category opportunities. Ensuring Design Consistency at Scale:Matt explains how Umbra collaborates with external designers worldwide while maintaining brand DNA. Matt shares how great ideas are adapted through internal “design massage” to align with company ethos. Useful Links Learn more about Umbra Connect with Umbra on Instagram Connect with Matt on LinkedIn Innovation Quote “Your last impression is your lasting impression.” – Matt Carr Application Questions How can you adopt Umbra’s approach of balancing “blue sky” innovation and “maintenance” portfolio projects in your own product line? What are ways to involve cross-functional teams (manufacturing, sales, marketing) early and meaningfully in your design and development process? In what ways are you soliciting and incorporating direct customer feedback into product iteration, and how might you leverage newer channels like social media more effectively? How do you ensure that new product ideas—whether internal or external—consistently align with and reinforce your brand’s design principles? What prototyping strategies could you use to rapidly test and improve product concepts before significant investment in tooling or development? Bio Matt’s passion for design was first sparked when he interned at Douglas Cardinal Architects. He went on to study at Humber School of Industrial Design, where he received an ‘All-Canadian Academic’ award for scholastic and varsity achievements. An integral part of the Umbra design team since 2001, Matt has contributed countless designs to their product line. His work has been featured multiple times in The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, Surface Magazine, I.D Magazine, Met Home, Monocle, and Living Etc. Matt is compelled to create product that balances business and imagination. Subtle details, an appreciation for imperfection, and the reinvention of traditional objects are distinguishing features of his designs. As VP of Design, Matt oversees a global design department headquartered in Toronto.  Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

In this discussion, Blair LaCorte, a seasoned leader, investor, and former CEO of AEye, shares insights from coaching 50+ CEOs. He highlights how aligning product strategy with company goals is crucial for success. Blair underscores the importance of saying no, making strategic trade-offs, and nurturing team culture. Drawing on his diverse experiences, he reflects on building effective product teams and the psychology of human behavior in business, while offering valuable advice for product managers seeking growth and purpose.

Dr. Joseph Michelli, a renowned speaker and consultant, shares insights on how human-centered product innovation is reshaping healthcare. He discusses One Medical's unique approach to integrating technology in patient care while maintaining a personal touch. The conversation touches on balancing automation with empathy, the importance of employee satisfaction, and how exceptional customer experiences drive loyalty. Michelli also highlights lessons from brands like Ritz-Carlton and Starbucks, emphasizing the need for continuous improvement in service delivery.