Product Confidential: The reality of PM life!

Have you ever tried to use a Now, Next, Later roadmap - but your stakeholders still want exact dates? Do you find yourself spending far too long planning, and want to spend more time delivering value? If this sounds like you, we can relate. We've all been on the journey to get our stakeholders brought into a better way of doing things. & we all want to spend less time planning, and more time thinking about the best thing to build. If that sounds like you, you will love this chat. We're joined by Janna Bastow, the creator of the Now, Next, Later roadmap. Janna shares all of her insights: ⚡️ Should you use timelines in a Now, Next, Later roadmap? ⚡️ How can you bring stakeholders on board? ⚡️ Why roadmaps should be a strategic planning tool, not a project management tool ⚡️ How they can help you to cross-collaborate ⚡️ & the exciting part - how AI is saving PMs so much time, and optimising their thinking You won't want to miss this one. See more from Janna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannabastow/  Find out more about Prodpad: ProdPad sandbox Ultimate Guide to Product Roadmaps How to Move from Timeline to Agile Roadmapping Course Why Now-Next-Later is best If you want to see more from us: ⁠⁠⁠Follow the show on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Michael⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Evie⁠ Do subscribe & leave a review if you love this episode, Evie & Michael

In this discussion, Matt LeMay, a seasoned product leader and author known for his insights into product management, shares invaluable wisdom on driving impact in product organizations. He emphasizes the role of soft skills for product managers and the importance of aligning work with clear goals. Matt also reveals strategies for detaching from work to maintain sanity and addresses the necessity of confronting uncomfortable truths within teams. His expertise provides a roadmap for fostering impactful product practices in an evolving landscape.

This episode features veteran CPO and Hustle Badger founder, Ed Biden. Ed discusses strategies for product managers and leaders for thinking, speaking and acting in more commercial terms by understanding product team costs, and focusing on commercial impact to secure organisational confidence.  Ed highlights the importance of meeting customer needs while ensuring commercial viability, suggests tools for forecasting ROI, and stresses the importance of hypothesis-based development. He emphasises the need for clear strategies from leadership and suggests ways for teams to navigate uncertainty proactively.  The conversation also covers Ed's project, Hustle Badger, aimed at providing practical advice for product professionals. 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:15 Navigating Product Management in Tough Times 00:30 The Importance of Commercial Impact in Product Management 02:36 Balancing User Needs with Commercial Goals 05:18 Strategies for Product Teams to Prove Value 09:01 Forecasting ROI and Making Impactful Decisions 18:36 Leveraging Hypotheses and Feedback for Product Development 29:27 Advice for Product Leaders and Teams 34:50 Introducing Hustle Badger Links Hustle Badger

In this episode, we speak with Holly Donohue - a fractional CPO, consultant, coach and ProductTank organiser to talk about moving from a feature factory into being value-led. This episode is packed with hot takes including 🌶️ How to identify if you're in a feature factory 🌶️ How to convince stakeholders to adopt an outcome-led approach.  🌶️ How to implement the move away from being a feature factory 🌶️ The common pitfalls when making this journey o overcome them. Understand the importance of clarity, teamwork, and experimentation in driving successful outcomes. Links for the show notes Holly's LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollydonohue/⁠  7 Rules for Positive, Productive Change - ⁠https://amzn.eu/d/790S5gw⁠ Value stream mapping and lean waste - ⁠https://www.atlassian.com/continuous-delivery/principles/value-stream-mapping⁠

This episode is an International Women’s Day special. We’re joined by the incredible Namrata Sarmah, who is a 2x CPO and the Founder of Women in Product UK and CPO Track amongst other things! In this episode we cover off everything from: Advice on how to grow your Product career in the early stages What it really takes to become a CPO What still needs to be done for Women in Product to grow The realities of returning to work after Maternity leave, and how to make the transition smoother & How to find the time to do it all! Nam also talks about the incredible communities she started: Women in Product UK Women in Product UK instagram The CPO track Find out everything that Nam is up to and stay in touch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/namratasarmah/ https://www.namratasarmah.co.uk/

Overcoming Redundancy and Moving Forward Sadly, lots of PMs have experienced redunancy in recent times. With so many affected, we wanted to chat to Andrew as he discusses his how he navigated through his personal redundancy experience. He explains how reshaping his perspective and focusing on his values helped him move forward. Andrew shares practical tips for recognizing and dealing with the emotional impact of redundancy, conducting job searches, and getting prepared for job interviews. He also emphasizes the importance of being authentic, vulnerable, and honest during the job seeking phase. Andrew explains how he stayed positive and found a new role that aligns with his values, while advising others going through a similar experience to be patient, absorb the impact and remain true to their values. 00:00 Introduction to Navigating Redundancy 00:22 Personal Experience with Redundancy 01:08 Coping Strategies and Lessons Learned 02:57 The Emotional Impact of Redundancy 06:08 The Power of Networking and Support 07:17 Transitioning and Regrouping After Redundancy 07:42 The Importance of Values in Job Search 09:34 The Role of Authenticity and Vulnerability 11:18 The Job Interview Experience 30:26 Finding the Right Fit: The New Role 33:56 Reflections and Final Thoughts

Empowering First-Time Product Managers, with Susana Lopes In this podcast episode, Susana Lopes, a product manager with an impressive career journey, discusses how to successfully onboard and develop first-time product managers. She talks in-depth about her own unique experiences The discussion also involves the detrimental effects of bad onboarding on both the individual and the organisation, while proposing practical methods for improvement. Moreover, Susana offers prospective product managers and leaders advice on interview strategies and the significance of a supportive work environment. Links Minimum Viable Product Manager article Susana's coaching 00:00 Introduction 00:00 Susana's Background and Kickboxing Experience 00:11 Onboarding and Developing First Time Product Managers 02:11 Susana's Entry into Product Management 04:08 The Importance of Early Exposure in Product Management 08:13 Common Traits of Bad Onboarding 13:02 Advice for Aspiring Product Managers 20:03 Advice for Product Leaders 25:42 Susana's Coaching Experience 29:52 Conclusion

In the discussion, Adam Warbuton, Vypr's Chief Product Officer, shares his experiences transitioning from CPO at a large corporation to leading product at a scale-up company. Adam discusses the crucial differences and challenges between the two roles the importance of mindset in driving success in a startup environment his insights on building a strong product culture in a fast-growing company. He explains that high performance, impact-orientation, humility, and the ability to cope with risk are some of the key traits required in a start-up context. The conversation also explores issues of diversity in startups and the role that leaders play in modeling work-life balance. Evie & Michael Show notes ⁠Follow the show on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠Follow Michael⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Follow Evie Adam's Links Vacancies at Vypr

We're back with a brand new season! Today we're joined by Alex Rechevskiy, a former Google Group PM, and now coach to hundreds of PMs that want to get into Big Tech. In this episode Alex tells us everything about: 💥 The reality of working in Big Tech (and it is not what you would expect!) 💥 How to actually land a role in Big Tech 💥 The importance of focussing on your career goals and getting clarity on what you want It's a great episode for anyone looking to get into Big Tech. & if you don't want to get into Big Tech, you'll learn so much about assessing different companies in this episode still. We hope you love it! & please do leave a review, and subscribe to join us for the rest of this season! 🎙️ Evie & Michael Show notes Follow the show on LinkedIn ⁠Follow Michael ⁠⁠Follow Evie Alex's links: Practical Product Newsletter for real-world insights to help folks develop their product management skills and career Substack LinkedIn YouTube

It's the last episode of our first podcast season! Thank you to everyone that has listened, subscribed and rated the podcast so far. It has been amazing to have you on this journey with us. To close off the season, Michael & Evie catch up to share: Our reflections on the podcast and how we found the experience. Our life updates and why we're taking a break from recording. & we answer your questions on: - How to adapt to the first 30-90 days in a new role - Risks and rewards in Product Strategy - Where do we see ourselves professionally in 5 years time Enjoy all of the insights, and we can't wait to see you back in the New Year! Thanks for joining us and sharing the last 12 episodes with us, Michael & Evie