Scandinavian Product Podcast

In this engaging discussion, Bruce McCarthy, author of 'Product Roadmaps Relaunched' and 'Aligned: Stakeholder Management for Product Leaders', shares his extensive expertise on managing stakeholders. He highlights the vital role of OKRs in fostering alignment and collaboration across teams. Bruce shares real-world examples showcasing the consequences of misalignment. He also provides practical tips for decision-making, emphasizing empathy in conflict resolution and the importance of defining roles within organizations for effective governance.

Petra Wille, author of "Strong Product People" and founder of the Product at Heart conference, shares her expertise as a leading product coach. She discusses the common challenges faced by product leaders, emphasizing the importance of tailored frameworks and time management. Petra highlights the benefits of coaching and creating strong Communities of Practice. Listeners can enjoy a unique role-playing exercise that showcases effective coaching techniques, making this a must-listen for anyone in product leadership.

Manuel Pais, co-author of Team Topologies book and DevOps leader, discusses team interaction modes, stream-aligned teams, Conway's law, infrastructure changes, Shibsted case study, value-stream thinking, product ops teams, and common antipatterns in team structures.

John Cutler, an influential product thinker and author of the popular newsletter The Beautiful Mess, shares invaluable insights about working in high-performing product organizations. He dives into the messy realities behind what it means to be the 'best', stressing the importance of context and culture. John discusses the nuances of team dynamics, the continuous improvement mindset, and effective prioritization strategies. He also highlights the role of collaboration among product, design, and engineering to enhance product strategy.

Bob Moesta, co-creator of the Jobs to Be Done framework and CEO of Re-wired Group, shares insights from his extensive experience in product development. He discusses how understanding a customer's context and desired outcomes can revolutionize product innovation. Moesta emphasizes that just 10-12 interviews can reveal vital patterns and highlights the importance of aligning product, design, and marketing teams through JTBD. He also critiques traditional competitive analysis and showcases the effectiveness of a problem-centric approach in product planning.

Join Niko Noll, a product discovery coach and founder of Juttu, as he shares his insights on continuous discovery and the dynamics of product trios. He discusses how to build trust within teams and shift focus from outputs to outcomes. Niko explores the benefits and challenges of collaboration among product managers, designers, and tech leads. He emphasizes the importance of testing assumptions over features and cultivating a culture of experimentation to streamline product development and foster innovation.

My guest today is my friend Carlo Mahfouz. He's the Vice President of Strategic Technology Partnerships at Laerdal Medical and the author of the book Reality Check. Carlo is such a well-articulated thinker. I love how he breaks things down and I really miss working with him. We talked about:* How to become a better listener* How to let go of your ego, and why this is key in great leadership* How to foster collaboration between Engineering, Product and Design* Why Engineers should be highly involved in Discovery and practical tips to foster that culture* Why intense debate and “fighting” is a healthy sign of strong product teams* Characteristics of great Tech Leads and differences between just a “senior” engineer* Dangerous false assumptions that Product tends to make about engineering* The impact of AI in society* And moreCarlo is writing his new book “The Culture of Why and the Rise of AI” and you can follow his journey here, so you don’t miss out! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit afonsofranco.substack.com

Gabrielle Bufrem, a sought-after product coach known for her contributions in Marty Cagan's book "Transformed," shares her insights on leading product teams. She tackles the four biggest challenges faced by product leaders and how to craft an inspiring product vision. Gabi emphasizes the vital role of collaboration and facilitation in developing product strategies, highlights techniques for achieving strategic alignment, and underscores the importance of coaching teams over merely managing them. It's a must-listen for aspiring product leaders!

Marty Cagan, the Godfather of Product Management, discusses escaping the project trap and Agile theatre with a focus on moving towards product-oriented models, the importance of product leadership, successful transformation cases in Europe, the impact of AI on product development, and the risks of outdated product owner roles.

Product leader and coach, Hope Gurion, discusses the importance of continuous discovery, moving from outputs to outcomes, upskilling teams, and the role of strong product leaders in driving transformation. Topics include different types of outcomes, negotiating with leaders, and sharing outcomes across teams. The conversation highlights the shift towards outcome-driven product management and the challenges faced in embracing continuous discovery.