LaunchPod | Product Management Podcast

On today's repeat episode, our guest is Jason Penkethman, Chief Product Officer at Simpro Group, business software for trade professionals. Prior to working at Simpro group, Jason worked in product management, engineering, and leadership roles through a range of industries, including mobile devices, data services, SaaS, and automotive IoT. On today's episode, LogRocket's VP of Marketing, Jeff Wharton, talks to Jason about emphasizing the importance of a go-to-market perspective, customer interaction, the importance of accountability, and leadership challenges like team alignment and data-driven decisions. Links https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-jason-penkethman/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jpenkethman/ Follow LogRocket on TikTok! Love LaunchPod and the rest of LogRocket's great content? Follow us on TikTok for interview clips, UX tutorials, and more! 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: Jason Penkethman.

Today, our guest is Nan Yu, Head of Product at Linear, a purpose-built tool for planning and building products. Prior to working at Linear, Nan worked at Mode, Abstract, Everlane, and Bank of America. On today’s episode, Nan talks to LogRocket’s VP of Marketing, Jeff Wharton, about being intentional with organizational design, prioritizing tasks that make product special while minimizing unnecessary complexity, and what is so important about heirloom tomatoes Links and references https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-anovick-a837053/ Product Operations: How successful companies build better products at scale by Melissa Perri Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:25 Essential tools for product managers 02:07 Career highlights and organizational design 05:27 Everlane's growth strategy 08:03 Focus and prioritization in startups 11:10 Challenges in organizational setup 15:23 Team dynamics and management 20:30 The importance of hiring based on need 20:52 High output management principles 22:46 Team structure and communication 26:31 Balancing core and non-core tasks 29:13 The Linear approach to project management 33:48 Challenges with legacy project management tools 35:45 The philosophy behind Linear's design 37:40 Work trials at Linear 40:44 Outro What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it free at LogRocket.com.

Today, our guest is Justin Anovick, experienced product leader who has served in senior product roles at Episerver, Optimizely, Syndigo, and many more. On today’s episode, Justin talks to LogRocket’s VP of Marketing, Jeff Wharton, about the importance of bridging the gaps between sales and product teams; adopting data-driven methodologies to optimize product development; and why constant communication is imperative to aligning with sales. So, here it is, our conversation with Justin Anovick. Links and references https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-anovick-a837053/ Product Operations: How successful companies build better products at scale by Melissa Perri Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:13 The story behind the suits 02:17 Diving into product operations 10:34 Running Product like Sales 16:48 The future of AI in product management 20:55 The importance of hypothesis testing 21:33 Balancing experience and data 22:00 Complexities of experimentation 25:47 Transitioning from sales to product 28:55 Prioritization in product management 32:13 Navigating sales and product tensions 36:10 Lessons from pre-sales challenges 40:22 Outro What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Justin Anovick.

Today, our guest is Shira Gershoni, seasoned product management executive, with 15 years of experience in eCommerce and SaaS product development across North America and Europe. Shira started her career in web development and later transitioned to technical product management while at Eternity-IT, followed by leadership positions at NeoGames, Soluto, and Asurion. On today’s episode, Jennifer talks to LogRocket’s CEO and Head of Product, Matt Arbesfeld, about the significance of focusing on creating omnichannel experiences, why using AI enhances user experiences and making data-driven decisions, and how a culture of iteration in product is more impactful than aiming for perfection. Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/shira-gershoni-vp-product/ https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-shira-gershoni/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:05 Omnichannel in practice 01:51 Understanding personas 02:56 Challenges in omnichannel transition 04:22 Managing digital and physical products 06:24 The role of product managers 13:00 Kickoff meetings and iteration 22:04 Leveraging AI in product management 26:27 Outro What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Shira Gershoni.

Today, our guest is Jennifer Moore, a seasoned product executive who has built and launched customer-centric, data-inspired solutions for over 20 years within B2B SaaS and financial services. She currently currently runs a comprehensive consulting services firm, Strategies that Spark, and serves as the Chief Product & Growth Officer for her clients. Jennifer began her career as a technical writer at a Series A startup, Oakley Networks. She then transitioned to project management at Wells Fargo and Zions Bancorporation before moving into product management and the B2B SaaS industry. Most recently, she led product and design teams at companies such as Workfront (acquired by Adobe), Pluralsight, and various startups. On today’s episode, Jennifer talks to LogRocket’s CEO and Head of Product, Matt Arbesfeld, about what she learned about product moving between different industries like finance and SaaS; the significance of domain expertise; focusing on team dynamics and incremental process improvements; and how she uses consulting to help companies grow their product initiatives. Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynemoran/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-r-moore/ https://calendly.com/jennifer-r-moore https://productplusbyjennifer.substack.com/ https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-jennifer-moore/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:09 Journey from technical writing to product management 02:27 Transition to financial services and first exit 03:48 Challenges and innovations in financial services 05:50 Shift to software as a service (SaaS) 09:38 Consulting and fractional leadership 20:12 Impact of AI on product management 25:41 Outro What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Jennifer Moore.

Today, our guest is Carolyne Moran, VP of Product Management and UX at OneSpan, a digital identity and anti-fraud solutions company. Carolyne began her career in logistics and product management at Airborne Entertainment, where she managed direct-to-consumer mobile promotions. Carolyne then transitioned to managing mobile apps and UX at Yellow Pages/Pages Jaunes – Canada, a digital media and marketing company. She later joined eSignLive by VASCO, which was acquired by OneSpan in 2015. On today’s episode, Carolyne talks to LogRocket’s CEO and Head of Product, Matt Arbesfeld, about the importance of collaborating across product and UX teams; why being customer-obsessed and incorporating customer feedback is crucial; and the challenges of developing product in a highly regulated industry. Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynemoran/ What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Carolyne Moran.

Today, our guest is Susan Stavitzski, Principal Product Manager at CarMax, and was previously the director of product at Hatch, a small software startup. Susan's career didn't follow a straight trajectory in product management, however — she originally started in marketing, where she developed an obsession with talking to customers. On today's episode, Susan talks to LogRocket's VP of Marketing, Jeff Wharton, about the importance of creating an iconic customer experience, both online and in-store; engaging in continuous customer feedback and field research, including practical examples and strategies her team employs, such as self-service appraisal models and rapid prototyping; and the significance of product marketing. Links https://linkedin.com/in/susan-stavitzski/ https://medium.com/@susan_ski https://blog.logrocket.com/product-management/leader-spotlight-susan-stavitzski/ What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Susan Stavitzski.

Today, our guest is Josh Schoonmaker, Global Vice President, Product Management, Commerce at Optimizely. Josh started his career at HP, where he worked for just over a decade, and then transitioned to working at eBay as a program manager. He served in product leadership roles at Tozny and Consolidated Supply Co. before joining Optimizely in 2020. On today’s episode, Josh discusses Optimizely’s recent achievements, including their recognition by leading analysts and their $400 million ARR milestone; the importance of composability in their products; the integration of B2B sales experience into product excellence; and the significance of a holistic customer experience. Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshschoonmaker/ Leader Spotlight: The balance between assertive and kind leadership, with Josh Schoonmaker What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Josh Schoonmaker.

Today, our guest is Charles Battle, Head of Product at Ibotta, a Denver-based performance marketing platform known for its cash-back offers and digital coupons. Charles leads a 50-person product organization that oversees various disciplines, including product management, product design, product analytics, and UX research. Charles started his product management career at TouchTunes Interactive Networks and has since worked for several financial technology companies, such as American Express, LendingTree, and Guaranteed Rate. On today’s episode, Charles shares his experience with Ibotta's recent IPO and their strategic pivot from a direct-to-consumer cashback app to a performance marketing company. He discusses the impact of the IPO on the team, the importance of prioritization and focusing on problem-solving in product development, and how the company validated and executed their new strategy. Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/cnbattle/ Leader Spotlight: Letting the customer decide, with Charles Battle What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Charles Battle.

While those of us in the US are taking time this week away from work, we're bringing you some of our favorite snippets from LaunchPod. On today's episode, you'll hear from Kristin Dorsett about prioritizing big bets, Steve Chazin about how working at Apple in the 90s with Steve Jobs transformed how he managed product, and Roman Gun about workback plans focused on a design North star. Links Kristin Dorsett https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristindorsett/ Leader Spotlight: Matching talent to problems, with Kristin Dorsett Steve Chazin Leader Spotlight: Helping turn Apple’s business around, with Steve Chazin https://www.linkedin.com/in/chazin https://twitter.com/stevechazin Roman Gun https://www.linkedin.com/in/romangun/ Leader Spotlight: Right-sizing processes, with Roman Gun 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 Guests: Kristin Dorsett, Roman Gun, and Steve Chazin.