Product Chats Podcast

“If you don’t own your pricing strategy, you’re leaving money – and customers – on the table.” In this episode, host Rebecca Kalogeris sits down with Marcos Rivera, founder of Pricing IO and author of Street Pricing, to unpack one of the most overlooked opportunities in SaaS: building a pricing strategy that matches the value your product delivers. A former product leader turned pricing expert, Marcos shares the most common pricing mistakes SaaS companies make, from lazy segmentation and low-value framing to treating pricing as an afterthought. He outlines a better path forward: one rooted in deep customer understanding, thoughtful packaging, and continuous alignment between price and perceived value. If you’ve ever launched a great product only to watch it struggle to sell, or you’ve relied on guesswork when it came time to price, it’s time to stop winging it. This episode will show you how. For show notes and more resources, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.    

“AI agents aren’t replacing humans—they’re freeing us to do more human work.” In this episode, host Rebecca Kalogeris sits down with Dan Corbin, longtime Pragmatic instructor and AI course creator, to demystify one of the fastest-emerging technologies in product management: AI agents. Dan explains what makes agents different from other tools like ChatGPT, why they matter, and how product and marketing teams can begin using them today. Together, they explore practical use cases across the product lifecycle, including how AI agents can automate repetitive work, analyze support tickets, and even assist in discovery and prioritization. Dan also shares advice on how to structure your AI efforts: starting small, centralizing development, and always keeping humans in the loop. If you’re curious about where AI agents fit into your strategy (and how to avoid the hype), this episode is your roadmap. For show notes and more resources, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

“Value isn’t what you do. It’s what the customer gets.” In this episode, host Rebecca Kalogeris speaks with Mike Wilkinson, Value Sales Expert and Director at Axia Value Solutions, about what it really means to understand and communicate value in sales and why it’s essential for product managers, marketers, and sales teams to align around a customer-first mindset. Mike introduces the “value triad”—revenue gain, cost reduction, and emotional connection—as a practical framework for crafting value propositions that resonate. He also explores the cost of inaction, the role of curiosity in sales conversations, and how product teams can support sales with more relevant, outcome-driven tools and messaging. Whether you're building the next great product or trying to get it sold, this episode delivers insights on defining value from the buyer’s perspective and why that makes all the difference. For show notes and more resources, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

“Value only exists in the customer’s mind.” In this episode we speak with Mark Boundy, founder of Boundy Consulting and author of Radical Value, about the single most important, but often misunderstood, concept in business: perceived customer value. Mark lays out a compelling argument that businesses must deliver outcomes customers care about and that true pricing power comes from helping customers quantify the results they’ll achieve. They explore how most companies still struggle to align internally around a clear definition of value, why nearly all B2B marketing still centers on the vendor (instead of the customer), and how product teams can use value conversations to guide innovation, pricing, and positioning. If you’ve ever wondered how to justify price premiums, this episode is the one. For show notes and more resources, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

What if the key to great product management wasn’t certainty but your ability to navigate without it? In this episode we sit down with Anuj Jhunjhunwala, Director of Product Management at Merge, to explore the often-overlooked realities of product leadership. From his early days in finance to shaping integration strategies at a fast-growing B2B startup, Anuj shares insights on thriving amid ambiguity, aligning roadmaps with reality, and making your “no” just as powerful as your “yes.” Anuj explains why product managers must go beyond data dashboards and embrace storytelling, stakeholder empathy, and rapid learning. He also offers candid reflections on how to design meetings, docs, and team communication to actually work in fast-paced environments. For detailed takeaways, show notes, and more, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

How do you set the right price when AI is changing everything, except your customer’s expectations of value? In this episode we are joined by Mark Stiving, pricing strategist, host of the Impact Pricing podcast, and original designer of Pragmatic Institute’s Price course. Mark shares how understanding customer value and willingness to pay can guide smarter product decisions and unlock revenue, whether you’re pricing traditional software or AI-powered innovations. Mark explains why pricing isn't just a number. It’s a reflection of how well you understand your customer. He also unpacks how product teams can use AI to uncover buyer insights, refine segmentation, and align pricing with outcomes, not just features. And for those building AI products, he dives into emerging best practices, from outcome-based pricing models to choosing the right metrics that reflect delivered value. Whether you own pricing or just influence it, this episode is a masterclass in connecting what you build to what people will pay for. For detailed takeaways, show notes, and more, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

What does it take to build AI-powered products that scale? In this episode, we are joined by Jonathan Evens, Product Lead at Google DeepMind, to explore the evolving role of product management in the AI era. Jonathan draws from experience across startups and Big Tech, ranging from smart grid systems to LLM-powered search, to reveal how high-impact AI products come to life. He breaks down DeepMind’s journey launching “AI Overviews” in Search, from beta testing in May 2023 to worldwide rollout just six months later. Jonathan also shares frameworks for balancing problem-led versus technology-led thinking, future-proofing AI roadmaps, and making intelligent experiences (not just features) the north star. He’s here to help product teams demystify LLMs and launch bold AI functionality with nimble development cycles. Tune in to gain practical advice for integrating AI thoughtfully, iterating quickly, and delivering real value.

How have product teams transformed over the past 15 years and where are they headed next? In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Saxe, VP of Product at Smartling, to explore the evolution of product leadership, AI integration, and the growing expectations of today’s enterprise customers. With three decades of experience, Andrew shares practical lessons from building smarter teams, scaling development, and making AI actually work for users. You’ll hear how Smartling reimagined the translation experience using AI, how product now touches every part of the customer journey, and what it takes to stay competitive in a faster, more complex market. For detailed takeaways, show notes, and more, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

What if your meetings could go from frustrating to high-functioning? In this episode, we sit down with Douglas Ferguson, president of Voltage Control and author of The Magical Meeting, to explore why facilitation is an essential, and often underdeveloped, skill for product managers. Douglas shares how intentional meeting design, inclusive practices, and purpose-driven structure can turn routine meetings into game-changing moments of alignment and insight. You’ll learn key facilitation techniques like “work alone together,” how to navigate the dual role of product manager and facilitator, and ways to measure meeting success. Whether you’re running sprints or cross-functional check-ins, this episode will help you stop dreading meetings and start leading them better. For additional resources, visit: www.voltagecontrol.com and www.facilitationlab.com More at: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts

What happens when a great engineer becomes the boss? In this episode, we sit down with Pete Steege, B2B growth strategist and founder of B2B Clarity, about the unique challenges faced by “accidental CEOs” – technical experts who find themselves in leadership roles without a roadmap. Drawing parallels to product managers (many of whom also come from technical backgrounds), Pete explores how engineering minds can shift from designing systems to building businesses. You’ll learn how to define your “true story,” align around a bullseye market, and foster a culture of clarity and accountability. Plus, Pete shares tools you can use to eliminate friction and scale smart. For takeaways, tools, and a free assessment, visit: b2b-clarity.com/chat Learn more at: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts