Product Chats Podcast

"Everything boils down to a pain point and how you’re solving it. It’s our job to intimately understand our customer’s pain points." – Lindsay Sutula, Founder & CEO of Top Fox Marketing   In this episode, Lindsay Sutula of Top Fox Marketing shares essential tactics for understanding and outsmarting your competition through stealthy marketing strategies.   Key Takeaways: Keyword Planning: Find out how to use Google's keyword tools to figure out what your competitors are up to and spot trends before they take off. Ad Insights: Discover how to see every ad your competitor has run using tools like Google's Ads Transparency Center and similar features on Meta and LinkedIn. Staying Alert: Learn to set up Google Alerts in a way that most businesses miss, keeping you informed about your competitors and industry shifts. Tech Scouting: Use builtwith.com to learn what tech your competitors are using and how it can give you an edge, whether you're competing or looking for potential clients. Tune in and learn how to gain the competitive intelligence you need to make smarter marketing decisions and keep your business ahead of the curve. Want to learn how to get to know your market and build the product marketing strategies that deliver results? Our Market course will teach you how to build buyer expertise and how to measure impact on the bottom line.

This episode is from our latest Product Chat webinar >> watch the webinar In a world where customer expectations are ever-evolving, delivering personalized experiences isn't just nice to have, it's imperative.” – David Tang, Product Leader (fmr. Dropbox)In this episode, Product Leader David Tang talks about the transformative power of personalization in today's competitive market landscape, and how your company can learn from the players that do it best.Key Takeaways: Personalization and Customer Data: Learn how personalization shapes buying decisions and why customer data is key to understanding different customer groups. Customer Segmentation: Discover various methods of categorizing customers based on their behaviors and attitudes, and the importance of regular evaluation. AI-Driven Personalization: Explore practical examples of how AI and machine learning contribute to personalization, like reducing customer churn and recommending products. Evaluating Model Success: Understand the need for measuring the performance of personalization models using different metrics and KPIs to align with business goals. Building a Strong Personalization Engine: Get actionable advice for creating a data-driven personalization engine that improves customer satisfaction and business growth.   Dive into this insightful discussion to enhance your personalization strategies, better engage with your customers, and stay ahead in the competitive market. Want to learn more about using data in product practices and decisions? Take our Insight course to turn your data into product strategies.

“I don't care if you have the best creative in the world. I don't care if you have the best concepts in the world, but if you're reaching out screaming at the top of your lungs to the wrong audience, you’re not going to get any results” - Sarah Saffari   In this episode of Pragmatic Product Chat, host Rebecca Kalogeris interviews Sarah Saffari, Founder of InfluencerNexus, about best practices for influencer marketing. Sarah provides valuable insights from both sides of influencer partnerships.   They discuss: How influencer marketing is “word-of-mouth at scale” due to loyal niche audiences Vetting influencers carefully to avoid fraud and ensure an authentic audience Developing genuine relationships and allowing creative freedom for best results Measuring influencer impact through trackable links and other metrics Case studies of successful influencer campaigns and partnerships Why micro-influencers can sometimes outperform celebrity influencers Keep Learning How to Market Your Product Effectively   Want to learn how to build effective product marketing strategies that resonate with buyers? Register for our Market course.   Course Overview: Gain a thorough understanding of your buyers and how they like to buy so you can build product marketing strategies that deliver results. Align across go-to-market teams by effectively sharing and leveraging your buyer knowledge to prioritize the right product marketing strategies. Measure your strategies against the metrics that matter most to your organizations, focusing on outcomes and impact, not vanity. Market is taught by leading experts with decades of real-world product marketing experience. And you can take it live online, in-person, or through private corporate training.   Learn More & Register

“Being nice is about making the other person feel better, which may involve avoiding the truth or actions that could benefit them in the long run. Being kind can sometimes be hard,” - Jenny Martin   In this episode of Product Chats, host Rebecca Kalogeris and Agile Coach Jenny Martin delve into the heart of creating a nurturing and collaborative team environment.   Jenny, with her rich background in psychology and extensive experience in the tech sector, brings a fresh perspective on blending kindness, compassion, and collaboration to foster high-performing and psychologically safe teams.   They discuss The role of collaboration in maximizing the benefits of collective effort, and how inviting diverse strengths in a team can lead to better problem-solving and innovation. The difference between “nice” and “kind” Why genuine listening and giving others the benefit of the doubt are steps towards understanding and practicing kindness. Exploring new tools to measure kindness to offer a glimpse into assessing and enhancing the compassionate culture within teams. Follow and connect with Jenny: Website: thecollaborationcoach.net YouTube: The Collaboration Coach LinkedIn: Jenny Martin (Look for the profile picture with Jenny hiding behind Lego bricks)

We are excited to have Alex Rainford, an experienced Senior Product Marketing Manager from Hubspot, on this episode. Alex will share insightful strategies to boost growth by aligning marketing efforts with your target market's needs to drive real results.   This episode is from a recent webinar, and you can watch the replay.   In this episode, Alex explains: How to gain alignment in an organization for marketing efforts Leveraging the 30, 60, 90 feedback rule What it means to use agile marketing plans Key components of positioning to communicate value Finding growth areas During this conversation, Alex recommends two resources: Tools for Seeing Competitor Ads Alex’s Favorite Book for Marketing Wisdom   Learn More with Market   If you're passionate about aligning marketing strategies with business goals like Alex, then our Market course is your next step! In this course, you’ll learn how to align across go-to-market teams by effectively sharing and leveraging your buyer knowledge to prioritize the right product marketing strategies.   Check out the course

“Establishing psychological safety needs to be an explicit goal. It is something that you need to do continuously. ” – Dan Corbin   In this episode, our host, Rebecca Kalogeris, is joined by Pragmatic Instructor, Dan Corbin, to dissect the concepts of psychological safety and inclusivity within a team setting.   Psychological safety is more than just a buzzword; it's the foundation for open dialogue, creativity, and mutual respect within teams.   Dan explains, "If you can show where you are vulnerable, where you admit you don't know everything, and where you even admit a mistake, that sort of lowers the barriers for other people to be able to open up themselves."   They discuss: Strategies for creating inclusive and secure environments The importance of modeling vulnerability and admitting mistakes Practical ways to assess and measure psychological safety The role of working agreements in establishing behavioral norms The impact of psychological safety on team productivity and individual well-being Check out Dan's recent presentation on psychological safety here. Foundations: Building a Market-Driven Product Team In the realm of product management, understanding the market is the key to success. The Foundations course by Pragmatic Institute is designed to instill the essence of being market-driven, enabling you to comprehend the market and its complexities and utilize this knowledge to create products people desire.   What You Will Learn Mastering the Pragmatic Framework Building and sharing market expertise Uncovering strategic opportunities Implementation of market-driven strategies Learn More

“If you look at the pragmatic framework, most of this applies to an internal product manager, just a different mindset, who you're targeting, and perhaps your approach to getting the information you need.” - Cindy Cruzado   In this episode, our hosts Rebecca Kalogeris and Pragmatic Instructor Cindy Cruzado delve deep into the nuances of applying the Pragmatic Framework to internal product management.   Titles are a mess when it comes to internal product management, but Cindy explains, “A product is a solution that you’re offering to many customers.” For many internal product teams, they might be product managers, project managers, operations, etc., but the work is the same.   They discuss: The myths of internal product management The difference between internal and external product management How leaders can empower internal product managers Are You An Internal Product Manager? Foundations Can Help You Elevate Your Strategy. You’ll learn how to master the Pragmatic Framework, identify new opportunities, and develop criteria to determine if a problem is worth solving. Learn More & Enroll

“We have to introduce a product with the idea that it's not going to live forever” - Paul Young   In today's episode, host Rebecca Kalogeris and Pragmatic instructor, Paul Young, dive deep into a topic that often gets overshadowed by the glitz of product launches: the "sunset" or "end-of-life" phase of a product.   They explore how understanding when to retire a product is as vital as knowing when to introduce one.   Paul explains that every product has a lifecycle and will eventually need to be phased out. The speed of innovation in the technology industry is compressing these lifecycles, making it more critical than ever to have a plan for sunsetting products.   There is no one-size-fits-all indicator for when to sunset a product, but Paul suggests several metrics to monitor. These can range from revenue and cash flow to the efficiencies a product creates or its alignment with a company's mission.   Key Conversations: Sunsetting a product is not passive; it requires investment and must be prioritized against other business activities. Just like a product launch process, there must be a process for its end-of-life. Metrics to monitor to know when sunsetting is the best next step. End-of-life phases: "end of sale," "end of support," and "end of life.” Start Your Pragmatic Training with Foundations If today's podcast on understanding when to 'sunset' or 'end-of-life' a product resonated with you, then it's time to go deeper. Pragmatic Institute's Foundations course is designed to make you a market-driven expert.   What You'll Learn: How to uncover strategic opportunities in your market. Ways to define your product team roles and responsibilities effectively. How to prioritize actual vs. desired business goals. Techniques to engage with the market for win/loss analysis. Understanding buyer and user personas for a human-centered approach. Enroll Today

“At best, you can be slightly better than your competitor if you're using the same exact tools and data to segmentize your audience,” Rod Griffith   You likely know the power of segmentation, but many organizations really get stuck in the “how” of segmentation.   Join host Rebecca Kalogeris and industry veterans Neil Baron and Rod Griffith as they discuss rethinking market segmentation strategies.   During this episode, they discuss: Why identifying a prospect urgency is a powerful approach to segmentation The four levels of urgency: urgent, non-urgent, currently met, and none  The role of core competencies when prioritizing segments What whales & fire extinguishers can teach us about segmentation Read Rod & Niel’s Latest Articles: Let the Urgency of Your Customers’ Needs Guide Your Sales Strategy Is Your Product Channel Ready?   Enroll in Our Product Marketing Course to Learn More About Segmentation In Pragmatic’s Market course, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of your buyers and how they like to buy so you can build the product marketing strategies that deliver results. And Align across go-to-market teams by effectively sharing and leveraging your buyer knowledge to prioritize the right product marketing strategies. Learn More

Steve Goodyear, the founder of Realizer Services, is the first person to earn a PMC VIII certification. Rebecca Kalogeris, VP of marketing for Pragmatic Institute, and Steve discuss the variety of courses offered through Pragmatic Institute, and how each plays a role in elevating the work he does at his company. They discuss How the courses help Steve answer the question: "How do I turn professional services into more of a product." His lessons from the Design course How he uses the Pragmatic Alumni Community to build his network and talk through ideas. Additional Resources Foundations on Demand Begin your product training experience with the course Foundations. Even better, this course is both live and on-demand. You’ll also gain your membership to the growing and active Pragmatic Alumni Community. Course Overview: Understand the market and the problems it faces Use market knowledge to build and sell products people want to buy Master the Pragmatic Framework and the activities needed to bring a successful product to market Learn to listen to the market, prioritize projects and drive result Learn More