Dave Wascha, CPTO and advisor with a rich background at Microsoft, Moonpig, and Zoopla, addresses a crisis in product management he dubs 'The Reckoning.' He discusses the backlash product professionals face and how to reclaim credibility. With insights into the evolution of European product management, he emphasizes the need for empathy and economic awareness. Dave advocates for flexibility and problem-solving in approaching product challenges and explores the shifting roles of leaders, stressing the importance of adaptability in today's market.

In this engaging conversation, Vincent Jong, CPO at Dealfront, shares insights from his experience navigating product leadership during mergers and acquisitions. He emphasizes the importance of product leaders as key stakeholders in M&A processes. Vincent discusses how to spot red flags and the critical need for clear objectives and cultural alignment. He also offers tactical advice on managing integrations, highlighting the significance of adaptability and strategic communication to ensure success amidst complexity.

Trisha Price, CPO at Pendo, shares her insights on establishing a successful product organization, highlighting her experience in guiding teams through growth. She discusses the shift towards an outcome-driven culture and the importance of aligning product teams with customer insights. Trisha emphasizes measuring success with qualitative metrics like NPS and using AI to understand customer sentiment. She also advocates for integrating OKRs to foster innovation and collaboration, showcasing practices that encourage engagement and quick iterations in product development.

Zan Gilani, Principal Product Manager at Duolingo, shares intriguing insights into the AI avatar, Lily, enhancing language learning through conversation practice. He discusses the challenges of creating engaging conversational AI and emphasizes emotional well-being in the learning process. Zan also reveals Duolingo's innovative approach to gamification and user engagement, and how strategic A/B testing has shaped their product evolution. The conversation wraps up with valuable lessons on measuring success in learning products and scaling effectively.

In this conversation on this week's podcast, Adam Warburton, Co-Founder of Rove, shares his journey from being a Chief Product Officer at large firms like Co-op and Travelex, to co-founding his startup, Rove. He discusses the challenges and learnings from transitioning to a startup environment, the importance of prototyping and user feedback, and the balance between being product-led and sales-led.Featured LinksFollow Adam on LinkedIn  Rove  Co-op Marty Cagan's book 'Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love'Chapters 00:00 Expectation vs. Reality in Happiness05:08 Transitioning from Corporate to Startup Life10:05 The Importance of Prototyping and User Feedback14:58 Navigating Product vs. Sales-Led Strategies20:00 The Value of Co-Founders in Entrepreneurship25:13 Learning from Experience: Shaping Product Practices29:46 Pragmatism Over Theory in Product Management35:08 Coaching and Training: Evolving PerspectivesKey takeawaysHappiness is expectation divided by reality.Transitioning from corporate to startup life brings unexpected challenges.Prototyping and user feedback are crucial in early stages.Navigating product vs. sales led strategies is essential for growth.Co-founders significantly enhance the entrepreneurial experience.Pragmatism often trumps theoretical frameworks in product management.Learning from experience shapes product practices.The importance of being adaptable in product strategies.Building a prototype can lead to significant traction.Coaching should focus on maximizing impact with available resources.Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.

Yorai Gabriel, author of "The Innovator's Drama," dives into the intriguing interplay of conflict and creativity in product management. He discusses how tensions can arise in diverse teams but can also serve as a springboard for innovation. Gabriel emphasizes the power of effective communication in resolving conflicts and highlights the role of 'graph thinking' to visualize issues. He explains how understanding drama can lead to learning opportunities, ultimately transforming workplace challenges into productive forces for growth.

Shannon Scott, SVP and Global Head of Product at Airwallex, delves into the intricacies of product leadership and career navigation. He emphasizes that product understanding drives better outcomes and that career choices in startups are often reversible. Shannon highlights the importance of hiring for adaptability and experience while valuing diverse perspectives. He discusses the critical role of customer relationships and the need to grasp complex customer needs for successful enterprise products. Mistakes in startups, he argues, can be pivotal learning opportunities.

In this engaging discussion, Radhika Dutt, author of 'Radical Product Thinking' and 'Radically Rethinking Metrics,' shares her expertise in navigating product development challenges. She explores 'product diseases' that arise from misalignment with vision, emphasizing the need for a clear, actionable strategy. Radhika highlights the concept of 'vision debt,' urging product managers to balance immediate needs with long-term goals. She critiques traditional goal-setting practices, advocating for innovative frameworks to inspire teams and drive product success.

Karen Beck Stroup, Chief Digital Officer at WEX, shares her wisdom on building effective AI strategies. She emphasizes the importance of aligning AI initiatives with board objectives and engaging employees in the transformation. The discussion covers setting bold goals, fostering a culture of innovation, and implementing robust AI governance in financial services. Stroup highlights how Generative AI can transform product development by streamlining tasks and enhancing customer interactions, urging organizations to embrace creativity and measure outcomes for success.

Aakash Gupta, a PLG expert and VP of Product at Apollo, shares his 15 years of experience in product management. He explains the fundamentals of Product-Led Growth, including seven essential strategies for success. The conversation contrasts growth tactics of Slack and Canva, emphasizing user-centric approaches. Aakash dives into retention strategies with insights from Evernote and Figma, as well as innovative monetization models seen in companies like Trello. He also discusses building trust between product and sales teams to streamline collaboration.