LaunchPod | Product Management Podcast

Today, our guest is Michael Park, VP of Product and Project Management at Buffini and Company. In this episode, Jeff talks to Michael about: His six lessons from scaling product from zero to $25M ARR The nuance that comes with the “founder mode” discussion And what a self-imposed sabbatical taught Michael about product leadership. Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gotothepark/ Resources Spotlight Interview: https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-michael-park/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:58 The Burden of Digital Inventory and Tech Debt 06:17 The Importance of Focus and Time Management in Product Development 06:48 Challenges and Realities of Product Management Practices 07:37 Michael Park's Sabbatical and Reflections on Product Leadership 13:37 The Value of Consistency and Fundamentals in Product Management 18:25 Hiring for Cultural Fit and Communicating Company Goals 20:47 Transitioning from Founder to Product Leader 27:22 The Role of a Product Leader in Scaling a Business 28:43 The Importance of Founder Involvement 30:45 Balancing Founder Mode and Professional Management 36:19 The Parent-Child Analogy in Business Leadership 41:53 The Debate on Roadmaps: Rigid vs. Squishy 46:32 Product Evangelism and Cross-Functional Collaboration 50:18 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Michael Park.

We're excited to kick off a new show focusing on the real-world AI applications that product teams are using to become faster, more efficient, and smarter. Jeff has been traveling across the country meeting product leaders, and he keeps having the same conversation: every product person wants to know how their peers are using AI in their teams and their workflows. So we’re bringing you those conversations about how your peers are using AI in their day-to-day to move faster and more efficiently than ever before. In our first episode, we’re welcoming back Roman Gun, VP of Product at Zeta Global. In this episode, we talk about: The prompting and workflow orchestrations Roman created to automate writing PRDs, one of the most disliked tasks of product managers, and how he has made them into living, breathing documents that initiate collaboration The AI communities and platforms he uses, including Reddit and Discord, to stay ahead, learn new tricks, and gain early access to the best new tools And Magic...not actual magic, but we have a little fun with Roman’s side-project centered around Magic: The Gathering, and how he built tools to prototype new decks and beat players with far more experience Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romangun/ Zeta Global: https://zetaglobal.com/ Resources Real-world AI products with Roman Gun, VP of Product: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7syxCetzHU Leader Spotlight: Right-sizing processes, with Roman Gun: https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-roman-gun/ Inside Gemini 2.5 | Logan Kilpatrick | PodRocket: https://youtu.be/2LGKwf2xH7g Tools OpenAI: https://openai.com/ Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/ Claude: https://claude.ai/ Figma: https://www.figma.com/ Coda: https://coda.io/ Notebook LM Discorder: https://support.google.com/notebooklm/answer/16268096?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop Cursor: https://www.cursor.com/ Windsurf: https://windsurf.com/ Loveable: https://lovable.dev/ ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ Chapters 00:25 AI in Action 01:27 Real-World AI Applications 02:41 Community and AI Learning 06:12 Automating PRDs with AI 11:51 Training AI for Better Outputs 14:48 Prototyping with AI Tools 16:03 Generating Baseline Code with AI Tools 16:17 The Power of Prototyping and User Feedback 16:36 Accelerating the Creative Process 18:18 Magic: The Gathering and AI Deck Building 19:28 Challenges and Innovations in AI Deck Building 21:35 Learning and Applying AI in Real Life 25:30 The Future of Junior Roles in Tech 30:21 Final Thoughts and Encouragement Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Roman Gun.

Today on the pod, we’re talking with Kamal Srinivasan, SVP of Product Development at Alludo. In this episode, we discuss: How CorelDraw was modernized from a legacy desktop tool into an AI-enabled, collaborative SaaS product, including: The user research approach that balanced less mature users with the needs of long-time power users And How they utilized AI to power entire workflows, helping all users behave like pros We also discuss Kamal’s navigation of a major roadmap misalignment with senior leadership, including: The real negotiation tactics he used to diffuse the initial conflict And his “squiggly line” framework for balancing near-term revenue with long-term product vision Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamalsrinivasan/ Resources Tell Your CEO They're Wrong (And KEEP Your Career) | Steve Nash, Dir. Product (GumGum) | LaunchPod: https://youtu.be/oeEBy8mJfB0?feature=shared Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:56 From PhD to Product Management 02:47 The Value of a PhD in Product Management 05:26 Challenges in Modernizing Legacy Products 06:11 Understanding Vector Graphics Design 09:47 Democratizing Design Tools 16:23 User Feedback and Product Development 19:49 Incorporating AI in Design Software 21:43 Integrating AI into Design Workflows 22:51 Enhancing Productivity with AI 24:15 Proactive Issue Detection with AI 27:21 Understanding Parallels Virtualization 29:50 Challenges and Strategies in Product Development 38:20 Effective Communication and Leadership 41:52 Conclusion and Future Plans Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Kamal Srinivasan.

Today, we’re talking with Mahesh Guruswamy, CPTO at Kickstarter. In this episode, we discuss: How daily reflection on hard moments helped him grow as a leader—and led to his widely praised book How to Deliver Bad News and Get Away with It. How Kickstarter went from “printing money” and experiencing “insane” PMF to plateauing - and how they created urgency and competition to quickly turn it around The actual process Kickstarter used to activate its creator and backer communities to shape a better UX, build real loyalty, and re-ignite growth Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maheshguruswamy/ Website: https://www.maheshguruswamy.com/ Substack: https://maheshguruswamy.substack.com/ Resources How to Deliver Bad News and Get Away with It: A Manager's Guide, By Mahesh Guruswamy: https://www.amazon.com/How-Deliver-Bad-News-Away/dp/B0D7FHTTNN Tell Your CEO They're Wrong (And KEEP Your Career) | Steve Nash, Dir. Product (GumGum): https://youtu.be/oeEBy8mJfB0 Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:09 Mahesh's Background and Kickstarter Connection 02:08 The Power of Writing and Self-Reflection 04:28 Publishing a Book: How to Deliver Bad News 05:53 Effective Communication and Feedback 06:46 Navigating Tough Conversations 11:03 Kickstarter's Evolution and Challenges 14:16 Listening to Customers and Adapting 19:36 Navigating Market Shifts and Growth 20:34 Prioritizing Customer Feedback 25:59 Building and Engaging the Community 29:54 Competitive Strategies and Organizational Culture 34:05 Leadership and Legacy 37:03 Conclusion and Future Prospects Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Mahesh Guruswamy.

On today’s episode, our guest is Lauren Schuman, VP of Product Growth at Bitly & former Sr. Dir. of Product Growth at MailChimp. In this episode, we discuss: How Lauren created product-led growth (PLG) as a discipline at MailChimp and turned it into a systematic growth engine The turnaround story behind a failed product launch, and how it led to a 183% spike in adoption overnight Why lagging engagement pushed her to lead a ground-up rebuild of MailChimp’s core email editor to improve growth Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenschuman/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Lauren Schumann 03:09 Transition to E-commerce and PLG 07:15 Joining MailChimp and Early Challenges 09:50 Implementing PLG at MailChimp 13:43 Navigating Organizational Politics 19:03 Improving User Experience at MailChimp 19:26 Defining Key Customer Journey Metrics 20:30 Challenges and Solutions in Email Activation 21:40 Balancing Core Competencies and Expansion 22:59 The Role of AI in Product Management 24:50 Human Touch in the Age of Automation 27:48 Future of AI and Personalization 34:50 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Lauren Schuman.

On today’s repeat episode, our guest is Steve Chazin, CEO & Founder of Skytech.io and formerly VP of Products at Alarm.com. In this episode, we discuss: Steve’s experience working at Apple, competing with Final Cut Pro, and his current role at alarm.com The time he said no to Steve Jobs — and how that pushed his career forward The importance of user-centered product design and the impact of AI in home security Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chazin/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 03:05 Reviving Apple: The University Consortium 07:04 The iMac and Think Different Campaign 07:37 Lessons from Steve Jobs 11:35 Competing with Apple: The Avid Story 19:05 Current Role at Alarm.com 21:41 The Future of AI in Home Security 27:15 Advice for Aspiring Technologists 29:49 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Steve Chazin.

On today’s episode, we’re talking with Jeremy Pollock, VP of Product at WP Engine. In this episode, we discuss: Why speed is the new moat — Jeremy is pushing PMs to use AI, ship code, and move fast, because in the AI era, slow teams fall behind for good How WP Engine is enabling product teams to use AI — through access, training, and best practices that turn weeks of work into hours And, How big, aspirational product goals create momentum — giving teams the motivation to “eat their vegetables” and tackle the foundational work required for long-term success Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dane-molter-6b937231/ Navan: https://navan.com/ Resources (Ethically) cheat your way to $250M+ | Mikal Lewis, Product Exec. (Whole Foods, Nordstrom): https://youtu.be/5txeT2U_YQo Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:06 Dane Molter’s Journey From Amex to Grubhub 01:44 The Grubhub Experience: Embracing Imperfection 04:08 The Push for Hypergrowth in Product 05:19 Lessons in Product Risk and Innovation 06:59 The Bigger Picture: Product Beyond Technology 09:30 Focusing on Bravery in Product Innovation 12:12 Applying Product Lessons at Navan 17:50 Enterprise Travel Challenges and AI Solutions 19:53 Business Outcomes and Accountability 20:13 Learning Business Mechanics at Amex 26:15 The Importance of Small Tests in Product Testing 34:27 Navigating AI and Emerging Technologies 37:45 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.

On today’s episode, we’re talking with Rajitha Chaparala, VP of Product at Procore, a construction management solution and one of the most successful examples of vertical SaaS out there today. In this episode, we discuss: How Rajitha and Procore got hesitant construction executives hungry for AI by showing real, immediate value in processing unstructured data, improving efficiency, and taking friction out of core workflows Rajitha’s critical processes to ensure data quality, consistency, and collection in service of AI solutions deliver on their promise How you can leverage 3rd party data to unlock the promises of AI Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajithachaparala/ Procore: www.procore.com Resources Do THIS to Build a $1M+ Product Team (ex Google, Bitly PM) | Product Growth Podcast with Aakash Gupta: https://www.news.aakashg.com/p/matt-lemay-podcast Chapters 00:00 Introduction to LLMs and Data Structuring 01:39 The Importance of Data in Product Management 04:53 Impact-Driven Product Management 08:28 Challenges and Solutions in Data Utilization 13:00 Energy Efficiency and Data Insights 16:33 The Role of AI in Data Normalization 19:56 AI's Role in Construction Efficiency 20:34 Automated Area Takeoff 21:18 Leveraging LLMs in Construction 22:33 Challenges and Adoption in the Construction Industry 25:05 Streamlining Information Dissemination 25:27 Request for Information (RFI) Process 31:26 AI Integration in Procore's Tools 33:57 Future of AI in Construction 39:01 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today.

Today, we’re talking with Jake Hookom, EVP of Product at Perforce. In this episode, we’ll explore: How Jake’s focus on "category carving" at Four51 helped them soar above the sea of headless commerce tools and into a successful exit Why most PMs are wrong to measure success on features shipped - it’s about solving user problems throughout the entire customer journey And, how Sitecore’s enormous practitioner community provided market awareness and a means to drive product adoption beyond anything they could do alone disrupts the world Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobhookom/ Perforce: https://www.perforce.com/ Resources Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets by Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead, Kevin Maney: https://www.harperacademic.com/book/9780062407610/play-bigger/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:17 Joining 451 During COVID 02:24 First 90 Days Strategy 04:21 Defining a New Category 08:07 Focusing on B2B Market 10:16 Product as a Spectrum 15:59 Importance of Compliance 19:37 Success and Acquisition 20:17 Joining the Java Champions Community 21:22 The Acquisition by Sitecore 22:29 Focusing on B2B Product Sales 24:16 Building a Practitioner Community at Sitecore 25:40 Leveraging Community Feedback 30:00 The Role of Product in Solving Problems 33:52 Engaging and Growing the Community 39:27 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today.Special Guest: Jake Hookom.

Today, we’re talking with Sean McLeary, VP of Product Experience at Intapp. In this episode, we’ll explore: How Sean turned Macys.com and Macy’s brick-and-mortar into one cohesive experience, increasing revenue across both sources How the team at DocuSign improved the UX to go from tech darling to mainstream product The current landscape of AI adoption, addressing "empty box syndrome," and how AI’s parallels to the early stages of the internet help us understand how user behavior might evolve Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smcleary/ Intapp: https://www.intapp.com/ Resources How To Say "Not Yet" To Enterprise | Deepti Mendiratta, VP Of Products (HungerRush) | LaunchPod: https://youtu.be/WHapWGbuS0Q How to A/B test your product to millions in ARR | Eric Metelka, Head of Product (Eppo) | LaunchPod: https://youtu.be/3u5vovkAtXc Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:23 Challenges in Bridging Physical and Digital Retail 03:13 Macy's Digital Transformation 06:44 User Research and Implementation 12:30 Impact and Results of Macy's Integration 15:04 Introduction to DocuSign's Evolution 20:42 Challenges in Highly Regulated Industries 21:51 User Research and Common Themes 22:11 DocuSign's Feature-Rich Product 23:40 Sender and Signer Dynamics 28:16 Trust Layer and Proof of Insurance 32:28 AI and Data Ownership 35:42 The Future of AI in Everyday Life 40:37 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today.Special Guest: Sean McLeary.