Untrapping Product Teams Podcast

Too many PMs are drowning in meetings, metrics, and meaningless updates. We’ve got to stop this madness.In this no-nonsense conversation with Aakash Gupta, we unpack what it takes to become an AI-powered product manager, not by playing with random tools but by radically changing your work. If you're serious about impact, speed, and leveling up your craft, these 45 minutes will honor your time.Launching features at AI speed, but adoption crawls behind?Turn feature walkthroughs into adoption engines with Chameleon.Record yourself explaining any feature → AI creates interactive demos, in-app announcements, help docs, and launch assets. Better yet: see which demo viewers become actual feature users.Finally, prove your launches drive real usage on repeat.See how it worksHere are seven takes from this episode:1. $300K Salary Isn’t FreedomWho would quit a mid-six-figure salary as a VP of Product? Many people set that as a goal. Yet, it isn’t risky when you trust yourself and transform a side gig into a growing business.“It was a no-brainer. I was making the same from both, but one gave me control.”2. Every PM Will Be an AI PM, or become an Ex-PMWhether you’re in banking or SaaS, you'll be outpaced if you’re not AI-powered.“Within five years, if you're not using AI regularly as a PM, you'll be irrelevant.”3. Your Prototype > Your PRDDocs don’t drive alignment. Prototypes do. And you can build one that’s worth sharing in 11 minutes.“A picture is worth a thousand words. A prototype is 10,000.”4. Don’t Just Prompt. Context-Load Like a ProBetter prompts aren’t clever. They’re informed. Your output quality is as good as your input. The GIGO principle applies everywhere: Garbage In, Garbage Out.“Add your PRD template, writing style, and even past reviews to Claude Projects. It levels up your output.”5. Designers Work Better When You Prototype FirstIt's easier to edit something real than to imagine from scratch.“You're not replacing your designer. You're accelerating their impact.”6. Still Don’t Have a License? You’re Already BehindYour next 1:1 with your VP should be about enterprise AI access. Every PM now deserves an enterprise license for one of the LLMs.“Ask for ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Grok. No license, no progress.”7. AI Is the Fast Track. But You Still Need to DriveTools don’t replace potential. They amplify it. Remember that you’re the driver, not the passenger.“The output’s only as good as your feedback. Great PMs shape the result.”Shall We Reshape the Product World Together?Join me to break free from outdated product management!Let’s foster the 100x PM movement! No more feature factory.Untrapping Product Teams Book: Practical insights to give hope to teams.Anti-BS Product Management: Escape the noise. Deliver value.How to Craft a Product Strategy that Works: Craft something that lasts.Product Discovery Done Right: Break free from the feature factory.f This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dpereira.substack.com/subscribe

James Hawkins, Co-CEO of PostHog, dives into the power of empowering product engineers rather than just following traditional software engineering roles. He discusses how their chaotic, roadmap-free approach allows for rapid innovation and flexibility. PMs provide context instead of managing tasks, fostering trust and autonomy within small teams. This strategy leads to faster shipping and aligned goals focused on customer needs. James also reveals plans for future growth, including product expansion and AI integration, showcasing a visionary approach to software development.

What’s disturbing you now?Maybe you don’t like how you play the product game. What’s something you could do differently?In 2018, road mapping annoyed Malte Scholz so much that he couldn’t take it anymore. He had to do something about it. Instead of complaining, he created a spreadsheet that helped people prioritize better, stopping the nonsense of long meetings and consensus decisions.Yet, Malte didn’t stop there; here went on to build a platform that today is used worldwide, streamlining roadmaping and the product game.This episode is 40 minutes, and you get real stories and humble lessons that can inspire you to take action and act today for a better tomorrow. Not convinced yet?Here are 7 nuggets of knowledge from this podcast.1. Validate the problem before the pitch.Don’t start with a pitch deck. Start with something real people need.“We had a product, users, and feedback — all before anyone could even pay for it.”2. If no tool fits, build the one you wish existed.Scratching your own itch is a strong signal, as long as the pain is real.“I tried every tool under the sun and nothing worked. That’s when we started building our own.”3. Speed matters more than perfection.The slower you validate, the more you risk wasting time on the wrong idea.“We probably lost a year doing agency work. In hindsight, I would’ve gone all in sooner.”4. Treat gut feelings like hypotheses.Your intuition might be right, but it still needs to be challenged.“It was a gut decision, but one we debated for three months before acting on it.”5. Modularity wins in messy organizations.Flexibility is the only way to serve complex companies with shifting needs.“Most companies are just messy. You can’t force them into rigid tools.”6. Distribution is half the product.A great product without reach is a silent failure.“You need to think about distribution half your day or more.”7. Build relationships before you need them.Acquisitions often start years before the first offer.“When Lucid approached us, it wasn’t random. We’d built trust for years.”Shall We Reshape the Product World Together?Join me to break free from outdated product management!Let’s foster the 100x PM movement! No more feature factory.Untrapping Product Teams Book: Practical insights to give hope to teams.Anti-BS Product Management: Escape the noise. Deliver value.How to Craft a Product Strategy that Works: Craft something that lasts.Product Discovery Done Right: Break free from the feature factory. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dpereira.substack.com/subscribe

If you’re tired of the AI noise, this episode will help you understand how to leverage AI. It’s straight to the point, hands-on content. This podcast is different because we had a live interaction on how to use AI. You can expect real examples.Mustafa Kapadia has been in this game for 25 years, including leading innovation at Google and products at IBM. Currently, he’s helping organizations become more effective at product development. Honestly, we can learn a lot from him. Before jumping into the content, I have a no-brainer offer to you. I’m running a free lightning session with Maven. We will cover how to avoid deadly mistakes with product discovery (most teams face them). Back to today’s episode.Here are 10 key takeaways from this podcast.1. PMs fall into three AI adoption buckets"Most PMs kind of fall into three buckets. There's one bucket that is in denial. There's a second bucket on the other side where they're all in on AI... And then there's the middle bucket... more of a surface-level use."2. The top 1% use AI as a second brain"The other bucket that we just talked about, the one that's all in—the top 1%—they use it for so much more. They literally use it as a second brain."3. AI can do days of work in minutes"David, I have been able to condense work that used to take my PMs days to do. Right. And it is a high-quality response."4. The best AI users have playbooks and structured prompts"The top PMs also have this playbook. And the playbook is basically their top most popular tasks."5. AI enables better decision-making, not just automation"AI can actually make them better PMs. And so you can actually use AI to make better decisions, be more creative, be more innovative, create documents that are much better quality."6. Micro-tasking with AI yields better results than a “magic prompt”"Instead of having AI asked to do a complete PRD, it's much easier when you ask AI to just do segments of your PRD, because the output quality is much better."7. Prototyping with AI accelerates iteration"We've been talking for the last, what, 10-15 minutes, right? And we went through four tasks that usually take PMs weeks to do."8. AI will not replace PMs—it amplifies their strengths"AI lets you be more you."9. The key to great AI results is asking the right questions"It is more around how much you can get out of AI, how much value you can squeeze out of AI, and it all comes down to the first fundamental skill: how you ask questions."10. Bias and hallucinations can be mitigated with multiple models"There's nothing stopping you from creating and opening up a second tab and firing up the same question and having the two LLMs compete with each other."Whenever you’re ready, I can help you boost your career* Mastering Product Discovery: Cohort-based course for you to learn what most product people miss about product discovery. It’s hands-on and straight to the point. It had attendants from 30+ countries. Join us now to level up your product game.* Untrapping Product Teams Book: A book about hope for product folks. It gives you multiple perspectives on how to face reality and act today for a better tomorrow. Read by thousands of people in 70+ countries.* Anti-BS Product Management: Self-paced course to help drive value when almost everybody distracts you. You will learn the most common - and avoidable - mistakes made by product people and how to overcome them. You can expect lessons based on reality, not fantasy.* How to Craft a Product Strategy that Works: If you’re confused by what a product strategy is and how to craft one that works, this course helps you solve that. You will get all you need to create a sound strategy.* Product Discovery Done Right: How can you break free from the feature factory madness? Applying mindful product discovery will equip you to gradually move from outputs to outcomes. This self-paced course is dedicated to helping you learn what most product people miss out on. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dpereira.substack.com/subscribe

Is Agile dead? Former Agile Alliance Co-Founder Mike Cohn drops provocative insights on Agile, the collaboration with PMI, and how AI could transform product development. Mike Cohn owns Mountain Goat Software and is the Best-Selling Author of many books, including User Stories Applied. I have read his books and learned a lot from them. What makes him stand out is the applicability of his content rather than a dogmatic approach. He focuses on accelerating value creation.This conversation is a lesson for those who want to focus on what truly matters to create value faster—50 minutes of actionable insights.Here are 7 Key Takeaways you will get from it:1. What Really Matters“If I come back in a year and you’re still doing Agile ‘by the book,’ I’ll be pissed off.Agile isn’t about strict adherence to frameworks; it’s about adapting practices to your context.2. Context over Dogma“Anyone who quotes the Scrum Guide at me, I disengage.”Understanding your context needs beats blindly following rules.3. Embrace Uncertainty“The key is knowing what to do next—not having a five-year plan.”Agility thrives on acknowledging the unknown and iterating toward the best outcomes.4. Fallibility Fuels Growth“No matter how strongly I believe something, I might be wrong.”Teams should validate assumptions and embrace mistakes as opportunities to improve. Yet, they should always challenge if the validation wasn’t a false positive.5. AI Expands Product Opportunities“Projects that weren’t viable in 2022 might be possible in 2025, thanks to AI.”AI won’t replace teams, but it will unlock new possibilities for innovation and supercharge those who embrace it.6. Mixing and Matching Practices“Don’t get locked into a method prison—free the practices.”Combining the best practices from multiple frameworks leads to better outcomes. It doesn’t matter where the idea came from. It matters how it helps you reach your goals.7. PMI and Agile Alliance Merger“It’s a strategic partnership, not a takeover—an opportunity for Agile to reach broader audiences.”When focused on enabling collaboration and fostering faster ways of creating value, the partnership could benefit both Agile and PMI.Listen to the full episode to learn more about it.Whenever you’re ready, I can help you boost your career* Mastering Product Discovery: Cohort-based course for you to learn what most product people miss about product discovery. It’s hands-on and straight to the point. It had attendants from 30+ countries. Join us now to level up your product game.* Untrapping Product Teams Book: A book about hope for product folks. It gives you multiple perspectives on how to face reality and act today for a better tomorrow. Read by thousands of people in 70+ countries.* Anti-BS Product Management: Self-paced course to help drive value when almost everybody distracts you. You will learn the most common - and avoidable - mistakes made by product people and how to overcome them. You can expect lessons based on reality, not fantasy.* How to Craft a Product Strategy that Works: If you’re confused by what a product strategy is and how to craft one that works, this course helps you solve that. You will get all you need to create a sound strategy.* Product Discovery Done Right: How can you break free from the feature factory madness? Applying mindful product discovery will equip you to gradually move from outputs to outcomes. This self-paced course is dedicated to helping you learn what most product people miss out on. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dpereira.substack.com/subscribe

Kareem Mayan, Co-founder of Savio and a startup veteran, dives into the pitfalls of traditional product roadmaps. He shares insights on transforming roadmaps from feature factories into tools that reflect customer needs. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding real problems, collaborating with developers, and leveraging data for decision-making. Kareem emphasizes the necessity of empathetic, evidence-based approaches in product development to enhance user engagement and satisfaction.

Jeff’s story is a true example of bringing Agile to life. As a software engineer, he lost the use of his hands, which took a strong emotional toll on him. Yet, resilience, courage, and agility enabled him to thrive.This podcast is honest and sincere. Listen to it to gain life and agile insights. It lasts 36 minutes. Here are the 5 key takeaways for those skeptical about investing this time.1. Forget Agile TransformationsWhen companies start with Agile transformations, they will probably fail because this misses the mark. Start with the ultimate objective and use Agile practices to get there.Agile isn’t the goal but the means to it.2. It’s Not About the TeamToo many “Agile” implementations focus on teams, which inevitably leads companies to do more of the same with different labels.Start with the organizational structure, like objectives, roadmaps, and accountabilities. After that, the teams will follow naturally.3. Leadership MisconceptionsLeadership cannot outsource “Agile implementation” because nothing will change without their genuine commitment. Leadership can benefit from support. Yet, they’re the central part of enabling agility.4. From Fired to Unforeseen OpportunitiesAfter years in the consultancy world, Jeff got fired. Yet, that was the push he needed to found his company, which is a successful Agile boutique with 30+ contributors.5. Organizational Agility Agile requires adaptability, which means teams should relate to desired outcomes instead of defining strict teams that will remain unchangeable.Without flexibility, teams will end up coordinating tasks instead of collaborating.—Curious how these insights can transform your approach to product management and agility? Listen to the full story on our latest episode. * Connect with Jeff* Get the Lean Change Method* Get the Organizing Toward AgilityUnlock Premium Access 🎁* Product Strategy course* 350+ archive posts* Strategy Guide* Discovery Guide* Delivery GuidePremium LinksAs a premium subscriber, I invite you to join the private Slack community of Untrapping Product Teams.You’re also invited to join my Product Strategy Course, which will equip you to craft strategies that work in practice, not only in theory.Here are some helpful links for you:* Untrapping Product Teams Book* PM Survival Kit* PM Templates * PM Wiki* Untrapping Product Teams NotionHere are exclusive links for Premium Subscribers:* PM Open Templates * Archive * Most read the content This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dpereira.substack.com/subscribe

Can B2B product teams deliver value beyond features?Reality is hard.It takes a long time to ship features so they should be right, why bother measuring when you have a bloated backlog?The challenge is that too many features fail to deliver value. The sooner you learn what doesn’t work, the quicker you make figure out how to make it work.This episode addresses how to close the gap between outputs and outcomes. Our guest is Rasmus Makwarth, Founder & CEO of Bucket, he shares hands-on tips on measuring what matters before it’s too late.Listen to the episode for more insights. For those busy to invest 45 minutes, here are the 7 key takeaways:1. High Standards, Low Initial SuccessThe bar is high. Customers don't want crappy products. Yet, the first version of your new features will probably miss the mark, iterating it fast is necessary to drive value.2. Whole Team EngagementPMs often become a bottleneck to measure outcomes. That's suboptimal as it removes accountability and creates invisible walls. Everyone in a product team should continuously measure results beyond shipping features.3. Feedback Cycle ShortcomingsDeploying a feature doesn't mean getting the job done. It means making it available to customers. That's when the challenges start with adoption, engagement, and value creation. Yet, this short feedback cycle isn't always present, distracting teams from what truly matters.4. What Bucket SolvesRasmus founded Bucket out of personal pain. In the B2B world, it's hard to measure value beyond features. Bucket captures and analyzes user feedback immediately after feature deployment, facilitating rapid iterations and improvements based on user responses.5. Continuous Learning CurveYou won't know whether a feature drives value in a few days—it's continuous. Rasmus highlights the importance of ongoing interaction between the product team and its users. This interaction enables continuous improvement and adaptation of features based on real-world usage and feedback.6. Encouraging Full Team CollaborationNo more proxy communication with users :)It's time to encourage entire teams (including engineers and designers) to receive direct feedback. This approach will reduce translation loss and allow for more accurate improvement targeting.7. Breaking Down SilosCollaboration beats processes.Creating products is about understanding problems and exploring solutions. That can only fly when silos are gone. The team should have end-to-end responsibility to ensure they drive value. For that, they need proper tooling to measure outcomes, not just outputs.--Here are a few ways I can help you even more:* Get my Book, Untrapping Product Teams* Upgrade your subscription to Premium and get one deeply thought newsletter per month (20+ minutes reading) plus access to 300+ episodes* Learn How to Craft a Product Strategy that Works* Develop the Necessary Skills to Beat B******t ManagementHave a lovely day,David This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dpereira.substack.com/subscribe

It’s time to shake things up! Listen to an insightful chat with Gil BrozaHow to break silos, foster creativity, and enhance value delivery.This conversation is GOLD!It was outstanding—roughly 50 minutes of a valuable lesson - Link in the comments.A few key links: * Follow Gil * Get this book's first chapterHere are the main takeaways1. Embrace FlexibilityAvoid prescriptive rules that limit creativity and flexibility in getting things done. That will cripple your chances of driving REAL value.2. Simplify Complex ProcessesWhen everyone tries to complicate things, come in and kick things out!You will benefit from simplifying what gets unintentionally too complicated.3. Foster Cross-Department CollaborationEncourage seamless integration between product, engineering, and business teams to improve communication and execution.When you collaborate, everyone wins.4. Value People Over ProcessesFocus on leveraging your team member’s strengths and skills rather than sticking to nonsense processes.Don’t ever call people RESOURCES!That’s not how we want to treat each other.5. Develop a Holistic Value Delivery SystemUnderstand the big picture. Know how the organization collaborates to create value and how decisions impact different teams.6. Lead Proactively for Continuous ImprovementShift from reacting to problems to proactively improving how you work in anticipation of future needs.Act today for a better tomorrow!7. Customize Processes to Fit Team NeedsDon’t let frameworks limit how you work. You may start with them, but don’t let them block you. Do what is necessary, not what’s easy.--My final thought, a rather obvious one:To get where most teams don't get, you need to do what most teams don't do!You will benefit a lot from stepping back, understanding your situation, and acting to make it better. Wanna know more about it? Get my book, Untrapping Product TeamsLet's rock the product world together!Here are a few ways I can help you even more:* Get my Book, Untrapping Product Teams* Upgrade your subscription to Premium and get one deeply thought newsletter per month (20+ minutes reading) plus access to 300+ episodes* Learn How to Craft a Product Strategy that Works* Develop the Necessary Skills to Beat B******t Management* Join my cohort, Product Discovery Done RightHave a lovely day,David This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dpereira.substack.com/subscribe

Are your Scrum practices silently sabotaging your team's success?It shocks me how some teams get bugged with Scrum and fall prey to a process instead of using it to create value. I’m not claiming Scrum is bad, but limiting it to a process is definitely a bad choice.Untrapping Product Teams is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.A few weeks ago, I chatted with Stefan Wolpers, author of "The Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide" book. We explored what gets in the way of driving value with Scrum. My favorite part of our talk:Our job isn't to do Scrum well. It's to create value for customers and the business.The whole conversation lasted roughly 50 minutes. You can watch the recordings here. However, you may be busy, so let’s break it down into 7 key points.Here are 7 takeaways from our conversation:1 . Scrutinize Established ProcessesRegularly evaluate and potentially eliminate processes that block progress. If something hasn't been useful for months, it's likely no longer relevant.Don't be afraid of removing processes.Be afraid of being limited by outdated processes.2. Understanding the Big PictureEffective teams understand the complete path from product vision to delivery. Ensure everyone knows key business metrics and how their work contributes to the larger goal.Give teams a reason to come to work.Without purpose, people will limit their creativity.3. Involving Developers in Product DiscoveryInvolve software engineers early in the product discovery process for feasible and innovative solutions.Let those who create the solution be part of understanding the problem space.4. Cultivating a Failure-Friendly CultureEncourage a culture that values learning from failures. This approach fosters innovation and risk-taking, which are crucial for navigating complex environments.The question isn't if we will fail; it's when.Make failures smaller and digestible, treating them as learning opportunities.5. Stakeholder EngagementBe different. Introduce regular stakeholder retrospectives and get them actively involved in product development. That fosters collaboration and builds trust.Business stakeholders aren't your enemies.They are your partners.6. Prioritizing Technical HealthContinuous attention to technical standards ensures the team can efficiently adapt and implement new ideas.Teams need to find a sustainable balance between new ideas and keeping the product maintainable. Either extreme won't work.Start small, learn what's worth investing further, and ditch what's proven useless.7. Effective Backlog ManagementMaintain a concise and actionable product backlog. Overloaded backlogs with outdated items can significantly impede progress.Your trash bin is your friend.If you haven't touched something in the last three months, throw it away.Whatever matters will come back anyway.--Watch the whole interview for more insights.Let's rock the product world together!Here are a few ways I can help you even more:* Get my Book, Untrapping Product Teams* Upgrade your subscription to Premium and get one deeply thought newsletter per month (20+ minutes reading) plus access to 300+ episodes* Learn How to Craft a Product Strategy that Works* Develop the Necessary Skills to Beat B******t Management* Join my cohort, Product Discovery Done Right* Pre-order my Book, Untrapping Product TeamsHave a lovely day,DavidUntrapping Product Teams is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dpereira.substack.com/subscribe