

LaunchPod | Product Management Podcast
LogRocket
LaunchPod is a product management podcast hosted by LogRocket's CEO, Matt Arbesfeld, and VP of Marketing, Jeff Wharton, where they talk to product leaders about the issues they faced in their careers, how they found solutions to those issues, and how you can apply these solutions in your own day-to-day product role.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 31, 2025 • 27min
How Lattice’s PM team built an AI Slack “Intern” | Neha Monga, CPO (Ex-Lattice)
On today’s episode of LaunchPod AI, we’re talking with Neha Monga, former Head of Product at Lattice and has led product teams at Meta, Amazon, Expedia, and more
In this episode, we discuss:
The AI workflows that are table stakes for PMs now—and how to adopt them so you don’t fall behind
How Neha’s team used Figma Make + Claude to spin up high-fidelity prototypes, gather customer feedback fast, and slash validation time with design and engineering
And the PM “intern” they built inside Slack to instantly surface insights from their massive customer feedback library
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nehamo/
Email: mailto:neha.mo@gmail.com/
Website: https://intro.co/NehaMonga
Tools
ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/
NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google.com/
Zoom AI: https://www.zoom.com/en/products/ai-assistant/
Granola: https://www.granola.ai/
Clark: https://www.superblocks.com/clark
Cursor: https://cursor.com/en
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:31 The Rapid Evolution of AI
02:38 Essential AI Tools for Product Managers
04:04 Choosing the Right AI Tool Stack
05:07 Challenges and Solutions in AI Integration
11:09 Prototyping and AI in Product Development
17:00 The Future of AI in Product Management
19:16 Building Custom AI Solutions
27:20 Conclusion
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: Neha Monga.

Jul 29, 2025 • 37min
How Zuora is Betting on Retention-Led Growth | Ken Houseman, VP of Product (Zuora)
Today on LaunchPod, we’re talking with Ken Houseman, VP of Product at Zuora.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why even a 0.1% increase in churn can cause huge losses, and how to turn retention into a growth engine
How Zuora made payments so valuable that customers want to pay more - boosting revenue, margins, and customer retention
And how Ken used AI to slash prototyping time and unlock faster, smarter product development
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-houseman/
Zuora: https://www.zuora.com/
Resources
Subscribed: Why the Subscription Model Will Be Your Company's Future - and What to Do About It, by Tien Tzuo: https://www.amazon.com/Subscribed-Subscription-Model-Companys-Future/dp/0525536469
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:14 Ken Houseman's Experience
02:45 The Role of Retention in Growth
06:38 Zuora's Approach to Subscription Billing and Payments
10:28 Enhancing Payment Processing with AI
30:57 The Future of AI in Product Management
38:03 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: Ken Houseman.

Jul 24, 2025 • 31min
Inside Apartment List’s AI-Powered Product Team | Sierra Hahn-Ventrell, Dir. of PM (Apartment List)
Today on LaunchPod AI, we’re talking with Sierra Hahn-Ventrell, Director of Product Management at Apartment List. In this episode, we discuss how they:
Analyze customer interviews with ChatGPT, even uncovering a missed insight that led to a full product strategy reset
Built an AI Slack bot to flag issues in a new customer-facing tool before they become big problems
And transformed sales enablement and automated documentation using NotebookLM and Claude
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahnventrell/
Apartment List: https://www.apartmentlist.com/
Tools
ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/
Claude: https://claude.ai/
NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google.com/
Storylane: https://www.storylane.io/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:47 AI Slack Bot for Property Management
03:59 Hackathon Project and Implementation
07:20 Challenges and Solutions in AI Integration
10:19 NotebookLM for Sales Enablement
13:10 AI in Product Strategy and Market Fit
16:52 Pushing AI to Its Limits 17:44 Using ChatGPT for Product Strategy
18:36 Guiding AI for Accurate Market Analysis
20:53 Leveraging Gong and AI for Sales Insights
24:40 Automating Documentation with AI
26:41 Balancing Innovation and Control in AI Adoption
31:36 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: Sierra Hahn-Ventrell.

Jul 22, 2025 • 34min
Growing to 42 Million Users: Audiomack's Growth Playbook | Charlie Kaplan, VP of Product (Audiomack)
Today, we’re talking with Charlie Kaplan, VP of Product at Audiomack about Product Market Fit and how to tell if you’ve got it or not
In this episode, we discuss:
How he drove 50x user growth at Cymbal, and why that still didn’t matter because they lacked strong fit
The story of how he launched Audiomack’s product org and scaled to 42M MAUs, on the back of strong product market fit
How he transformed failed features into new revenue streams—helping Audiomack grow into a platform big enough to host Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, and more
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliekaplan/
Audiomack: https://audiomack.com/
Resources
The Lean Startup, by Eric Rise: https://theleanstartup.com/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
05:23 The Rise and Fall of Cymbal
13:12 Lessons Learned and the Birth of Audio Mac
16:54 Finding Product Market Fit at Audio Mac
28:40 Innovative Growth Strategies and Experiments
35:11 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: Charlie Kaplan.

Jul 15, 2025 • 32min
The 4 Essentials of Killer Product Storytelling | Lanie Schenkelberg, VP of Product Marketing (Inovalon) | LaunchPod
Today, we’re talking with Lanie Schenkelberg, former product manager and current VP of Product Marketing at Inovalon.
In this episode, we discuss:
The 4 essential elements of compelling product storytelling
How to spot weak messaging - and what strong positioning really looks like
How Lanie’s team led a storytelling overhaul that contributed to Inovalon’s growth
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laineschenkelberg/
Inovalon: https://www.inovalon.com/
Resources
Make it Punchy, By Emma Stratton: https://punchy.co/make-it-punchy-book/
Obviously Awesome Positioning, April Dunford: https://www.amazon.com/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers/dp/1999023005
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:48 The Importance of Messaging and Storytelling in Product
03:01 How to go from Product Management to Marketing
06:10 Understanding the Customer's Big Win
12:45 The Hero Story Format
15:12 The Role of Positioning and Differentiation in Product Marketing
21:23 How Lanie Scaled Positioning at Inovalon
31:29 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: Lanie Schenkelberg.

Jul 8, 2025 • 33min
Designing AI for the ICP That Doesn’t Trust New Tech | Deepti Mehtani, VP, AI (NextGen) | LaunchPod| Deepti Mehtani, VP, Clinical & AI Solutions (NextGen) | LaunchPod
Today, we’re talking with Dr. Deepti Mehtani, VP of Clinical and AI Solutions at NextGen Healthcare.
In this episode, we discuss:
How Dr. Mehtani’s team proved AI can be trusted with sensitive medical data - So why are you avoiding it in your own product?
The key lessons behind NextGen’s AI that turns doctor-patient conversations into medical-grade, accurate, structured data
And how Deepti and her team won over skeptical doctors and turned them into AI champions - saving them hours per day in the process
Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdeeptimehtani/
NextGen Healthcare: https://www.nextgen.com/
Resources
Spotlight Interview: https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-deepti-mehtani/
How To Say "Not Yet" To Enterprise | Deepti Mendiratta, VP Of Products (HungerRush) | LaunchPod: https://youtu.be/WHapWGbuS0Q
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:04 From Medicine to Tech
03:41 NextGen Healthcare Overview
04:54 AI Solutions for Clinicians
09:17 Patient Summaries and Ambient Assist
18:46 Building Trust in AI
21:12 Data Privacy and Security
27:51 Improving Patient Access
33:10 Cross-Industry Insights
34:56 Conclusion
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: Deepti Mehtani.

Jul 1, 2025 • 44min
How to scale $0 to $25M ARR | Michael Park, VP of PM (Buffini & Co) | LaunchPod (Repeat)
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.

Jun 24, 2025 • 30min
Automating PRDs and Beyond with AI | Roman Gun, VP of Prod. (Zeta Global) | LaunchPod AI
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.

Jun 17, 2025 • 41min
How To Modernize Million-User Products | Kamal Srinivasan, SVP of Product (Alludo) | LaunchPod
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.

Jun 10, 2025 • 35min
Kickstarter's Comeback | Mahesh Guruswamy, CPTO (Kickstarter)
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.