Sam Greenwood, an emotional resilience coach for product managers, offers a candid view on the looming societal collapse and the urgent need for a mindset shift in tech. He argues that product managers are too focused on AI while ignoring broader societal challenges. Greenwood emphasizes the importance of emotional resilience and leadership skills to navigate today’s uncertainties. He stresses that product professionals must transform their fears into innovative solutions, adapting designs to meet evolving market needs amid environmental and political instability.

Olha Yohansen-Veselova, a product growth and optimization advisor and startup mentor, shares her insights on the evolving role of product managers. She argues they should transition to growth managers, emphasizing a focus on financial impact and performance. Olha highlights the necessity for product managers to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, embracing proactive decision-making. Networking and continuous learning also emerge as vital components for success in this evolving landscape, pushing product managers to reach their full potential.

Elena Verna, a growth consultant with a rich background in tech and a flair for meme-making, dives into solopreneurship and its benefits. She highlights how this career path allows for optionality and personal passion. Elena shares her belief that humor, especially through memes, can address serious workplace issues and build empathy. The conversation also touches on product-led growth in B2B, emphasizing the need for authenticity in personal branding and the shifting dynamics of sales strategies. It’s a lively blend of insights and humor!

Zoe Laycock, Product Marketing Lead at Diffblue, is a passionate advocate for ethical AI development. She emphasizes the urgent need for product managers to shift from a 'move fast and break things' mentality to a focus on quality and accountability. Zoe discusses the ethical landscape of AI, stressing the importance of transparency and user data protection. She also highlights the challenges startups face in ensuring ethical AI oversight, urging for a proactive approach in addressing bias and fostering diversity in tech.

Myles Sutholt is a Germany-based product leader working for an Africa-based startup where he's helping to digitise the health supply chain across the continent, with a "laser focus" on creating user value alongside business value and fostering motivated, dynamic teams. His hot take? That leaders too often rely on gut feel and recency bias when performing performance reviews, relying on point-in-time assessments and trying to be nice rather than supporting the career growth of their teams. Find Myles on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myles-sutholt/. If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time: https://www.oneknightinproduct.com/hot!

Martin Eriksson, co-founder of Mind the Product and author of "Product Leadership," discusses the common pitfalls in company strategies and emphasizes the need for clarity and alignment. He reveals that many companies lack coherent strategies, which hampers product development. The decision stack framework is introduced as a solution for strategic alignment. Eriksson also critiques vague company values, advocating for more specific principles that support decisive actions, and stresses the importance of compelling vision statements to inspire teams.

Martijn Versteeg is the founder of Group Effort, an organisation that fosters connections & facilitates the growth of scale-up leaders through peer groups, offsites and workshops. His hot take? That product people should stop looking for the "golden nugget" of knowledge. Martijn argues that instead of seeking a single breakthrough insight, product managers should focus on consistent iteration and learning through small, incremental steps. Find Martijn on LinkedIn or check out Group Effort. Also, remember to check out the conference that he's organising, and we'll both be speaking at: Product Mastery Conference If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time!

Martijn Moret is the founder of DataSquirrel.ai, a company focused on leveraging AI to humanise and simplify data analysis for product managers and non-tech managers. His hot take? Most product managers neglect data—not because they dislike it, but due to a lack of time and skills, which can lead to wrong priorities and poor decision-making. He also highlights the current limitations of AI in data analysis, emphasising that while AI accelerates workflows, it still requires human oversight for reliable outcomes. Find Martijn on LinkedIn or check out DataSquirrel.ai. If you'd like to appear on Hot Takes, please grab a time!

Maja Voje, founder of Growth Lab and author of "Go-To-Market Strategist," joins for a festive chat. They explore 2024 reflections and predictions for 2025, discussing the evolving role of AI and its impact on product management. Key strategies for leveraging LinkedIn for growth are shared, alongside insights on managing opportunities and the art of saying no. The importance of community building and user feedback in product strategies is emphasized, making this a merry mix of holiday cheer and professional wisdom!

In this conversation, Adam Dille, SVP of Product Engineering at Quantum Metric, shares his insights on modern product development. He challenges the outdated product trio of PM, design, and engineering, proposing a 'product square' that includes a customer-facing team member. This addition can enhance customer insights and promote faster iteration. Adam also discusses the balance between catering to individual customer needs and broader goals while emphasizing the importance of team alignment for successful product outcomes.