The Product Podcast

In a captivating discussion, Glen Coates, the VP of Product at Shopify, shares his unique journey from game development to leading a major e-commerce platform. He dives into the revolutionary impact of AI on product management, highlighting Shopify's innovative approach to building AI-first products. Glen emphasizes the importance of clarity in communication between engineers and product managers, and he advocates for a user-centered design that prioritizes simplicity. He also introduces the concept of the "Boring Edition," underscoring the necessity of refining existing features over constantly releasing new ones.

Ariel Bardin, President of Technology at Warner Music Group and former Google executive, shares insights on digital transformation in the music industry. He challenges the traditional MVP mindset, promoting his 'Minimum Proud Product' philosophy to build better artist-facing tools. Ariel reveals his unique '3-sh***ts' framework for evaluating product managers and emphasizes the importance of culture in driving change. He also discusses leveraging AI to boost artist revenues while fostering a culture of trust and creativity within the organization.

Manuel Bronstein, the Chief Product Officer at Roblox, shares insights from his impressive journey through tech giants like Xbox and YouTube. He discusses the evolution of Roblox from a gaming platform to a thriving virtual economy with over 85 million users. Manuel emphasizes the importance of rapid execution in product development and the need for clarity and swift decision-making. He also explores the challenges of managing virtual economies and the significance of preserving a startup culture amidst scaling, all while ensuring trust and safety.

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Kiren Sekar, Chief Product Officer at Samsara, a $20+ billion company revolutionizing physical operations technology. Since its founding about 10 years ago, Samsara has become a leader in IoT and AI solutions for industries like transportation, manufacturing, and construction.As CPO, Kiren leads Samsara's product strategy and development, overseeing a team of ~700 people in R&D. Under his leadership, Samsara has successfully built an integrated platform that combines hardware sensors and cameras with sophisticated software solutions, collecting over 10 trillion data points annually to help businesses improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability.we explore how Samsara balances hardware and software development, uses their 70/20/10 framework for product roadmap prioritization, and leverages AI to enhance driver safety and operational efficiency. Kiren also shares insights on building and scaling product teams in a rapidly growing enterprise environment.What you'll learn:- How to implement a 70/20/10 framework for product roadmap prioritization- Strategies for building and scaling R&D teams across hardware and software- Methods for creating effective customer feedback loops combining data and field visits- Approaches to balancing customer requests with innovation initiativesKey Takeaways 👇:- Product Strategy Framework- Uses 70/20/10 model to balance core product development, growth initiatives, and innovation- Focuses on horizontal solutions that work across multiple industries- Emphasizes three main themes: safety, efficiency, and sustainabilityThis episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks.Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here:  https://withpersona.com/productschoolSocial Links:- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here- Join Product School's free events here - Find out more about Product School hereCredits:Host: Carlos Gonzalez de VillaumbrosiaGuest: Kiren Sekar

Nicholas Daniel, Chief Product Officer at Etsy, leads the charge in transforming the marketplace into an AI-driven platform while staying true to its core values. He shares insights on managing the scale of unique inventory and the importance of balancing growth with human connection. Daniel discusses the innovative 'Spaces' feature that enhances the browsing experience and how AI plays a critical role in discovering unique items. He also highlights metrics for measuring seller success and the collaboration with ecosystem players to support independent businesses.

Tricia Maia, the Head of Product at TED, discusses her role in bridging traditional values and innovative practices at the renowned nonprofit. She shares insights on leveraging AI for content accessibility, including voice-cloned dubbing in multiple languages. Tricia explains how TED navigates its mission-driven goals while pursuing sustainable revenue. The conversation touches on evolving content formats beyond the classic talk, enhancing engagement through strategic distribution, and the importance of data-driven personalization in amplifying TED's reach and impact.

In an engaging conversation with Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia, Philipp Kandal, the Chief Product Officer at Grab, shares insights into the evolution of this Southeast Asian super app, now valued at $20 billion. Philipp discusses Grab's hyperlocal strategies in product development, emphasizing the importance of understanding diverse consumer behaviors. He also explores the structural organization of product teams and how they balance growth with profitability. Innovative technologies and user immersion practices are highlighted as key to enhancing both driver and consumer experiences.

Vrushali Paunikar, Chief Product Officer at Carta, has played a key role in scaling the company from $20M to $500M ARR by broadening its product offerings. She shares insights on transforming Carta from a cap table management tool to a comprehensive platform for private capital. Vrushali discusses the importance of understanding customer needs for successful product development and explores different strategies for international expansion. Additionally, she highlights the balancing act of empowering teams while maintaining effective leadership.

In this engaging discussion, Ashok Bania, SVP of Product at SoundCloud, shares his journey through notable tech giants like Spotify and Lyft. He reveals the challenges SoundCloud faced on its way to profitability after years of struggle. The conversation dives into innovative AI applications for music discovery and how they enhance community engagement. Ashok emphasizes prioritizing creator needs while developing product strategies, highlighting the delicate balance between profitability and artist growth in the competitive streaming landscape.

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Chiara McPhee, Chief Product Officer at Postscript, a leader in SMS marketing for e-commerce. Postscript is revolutionizing how e-commerce brands engage with customers. With over $100 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) and more than 20,000 Shopify merchants using their platform, Postscript has become a powerhouse in conversational commerce. Their SMS marketing tools have helped generate over $2 billion in e-commerce revenue for their customers annually, with open rates exceeding 90%, far outpacing traditional email marketing.In this episode, Chiara shares her insights on:* Leveraging generative AI to create personalized, one-to-one conversations that drive revenue.* How AI agents are outperforming human customer support in certain areas.* Key revenue leading indicators in SMS marketing and setting up effective attribution models.* Overcoming challenges in scaling infrastructure to achieve $100M in Annual Recurring Revenue.* The benefits of focusing exclusively on Shopify.* The "Horizon Strategy" approach to building teams tailored for Horizon 1 (cash cow), Horizon 2 (growth), and Horizon 3 (moonshots), balancing short-term wins with long-term ambitious goals in product development.In this episode, we'll explore how Postscript is leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver personalized customer experiences, driving revenue and redefining e-commerce marketing. We'll discuss leveraging generative AI to create personalized, one-to-one conversations that drive revenue, how AI agents are outperforming human customer support in certain areas, overcoming challenges in scaling infrastructure to achieve $100M in Annual Recurring Revenue, and the benefits of focusing exclusively on Shopify. What you'll learn:* Chiara's journey to becoming CPO at Postscript and her insights on the power of SMS marketing.* How generative AI enables personalized, one-to-one conversations that drive revenue.* Key strategies for SMS marketing, including compliance, personalization, and integration with other channels.* How to structure product teams using the "Horizon Strategy" to balance short-term wins with long-term innovation. Key Takeaways:*Personalized Conversations: Chiara emphasizes the importance of leveraging generative AI to create personalized, one-to-one conversations that drive revenue.*Focus on Shopify: Chiara highlights the company's strategic decision to focus exclusively on Shopify, and the impact it had on business outcomes.*Horizon Strategy: Chiara shares the benefits of the "Horizon Strategy" approach to building product teams tailored for different stages of growth and innovation.Credits:Host: Carlos Gonzalez de VillaumbrosiaGuest: Chiara McPhee