

Product Mastery Now for Product Managers, Leaders, and Innovators
Chad McAllister, PhD
Welcome to Product Mastery Now, where you learn the 7 knowledge areas for product mastery. We teach product managers, leaders, and innovators the product management practices that elevate your influence and create products your customers love as you move toward product mastery. To see all seven areas go to https://productmasterynow.com. Hosted by Chad McAllister, PhD, product management professor and practitioner.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 24, 2025 • 41min
567: How AI Is revolutionizing the product innovation process – with MIT Professor David Robertson, PhD
Dr. David Robertson, a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan and co-founder of ProtoBoost.ai, dives into how AI is reshaping product innovation. He discusses AI's role throughout the innovation lifecycle, from enhancing research to driving financial insights. The conversation covers the challenges product managers face, the promise of synthetic customers, and how today's AI can outperform real interviews. Robertson also emphasizes the importance of constraints in fostering creativity, drawing on his experience with LEGO’s successful turnaround.

12 snips
Nov 17, 2025 • 21min
566: Competitive advantage by understanding customers using VOC and AI – with John Mitchell
John Mitchell, President of Applied Marketing Science and a veteran in customer insight, discusses how AI is reshaping Voice of the Customer (VOC) research. He emphasizes the need for better question design and storytelling to truly understand customer needs. Mitchell highlights common pitfalls in VOC practices, such as only consulting top customers. He also explores AI's capabilities to uncover emotional insights and suggests hybrid approaches combining human and machine analysis. Real-world examples illustrate the balance of technology and insight.

Nov 10, 2025 • 42min
565: AI tools to accelerate innovation and capture knowledge – with Katie Trauth Taylor, PhD
How product managers use AI to boost productivity and innovation success Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode...

Oct 27, 2025 • 22min
563: Navigating intellectual property strategy in product management – with David Carstens
What product managers should know about patents, trade secrets, and copyright Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode,...

Oct 20, 2025 • 18min
562: What every product leader should know about communication and relationship building – with Uma Subramanian
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.

Oct 13, 2025 • 37min
561: Navigating the leap to product leadership – with Rebecca Arora
Practical strategies for building influence and confidence from a Product VP coach Watch on YouTube TLDR In this...

Oct 6, 2025 • 37min
560: Unlocking product delight – with Nesrine Changuel, PhD
How product managers can build emotional connections that drive retention, revenue, and referrals Watch on YouTube TLDR Product...

12 snips
Sep 29, 2025 • 19min
559: Building influence as a product leader – with Rich Mironov
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.

Sep 22, 2025 • 21min
558: How sketch comedy makes you a better product manager and developer – with John Krewson
Lessons from Saturday Night Live for improving product team culture Watch on YouTube TLDR John Krewson, who began...

Sep 15, 2025 • 19min
557: How Umbra designs beautiful products that delight customers – with Matt Carr
Winning product portfolios in physical product development Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode, Matt Carr, VP of...


