We, in product management, live in complex worlds. We are often solving complicated problems. We are often using sophisticated, complex technologies or engineering solutions to solve those problems. We have various audiences to which we must communicate.  Effectively communicating to these various audiences and especially making complex situations understandable and relevant to each is one of the most important skills a product manager has in their professional toolbox. Deepti Tadala, Senior Product Manager for Paypal, joins us on this episode to share her experiences in how to best communicate complex issues with various stakeholders. Deepti Tadala is Senior Product Manager for Paypal.

Masters of Product Management

Getting Us All on the Same Page: Telling Complex Stories to Various Audiences, with Deepti Tadala, Senior Product Manager, Paypal

Anyone who has been in product management knows that a timeline is part of everyday life. Frankly, it’s hard for a lot of people to imagine not living in this timeline-driven world. But why are timelines so important? More often than not, they are arbitrary and not tied to any real customer or market need. It’s not to say we should just take our sweet time and be lackadaisical, we still need to meet customer needs in a timely manner and beat the competition in providing value. But are timelines in their traditional sense the proper means to that end?  In this episode, Janna Bastow, co-founder of Mind the Product and CEO of ProdPad, shares her wisdom on how organizations can move away from timeline driven focus and create more value along the way.  

What’s Wrong with Being Timeline Focused? Everything! Now, Let’s Fix It. - a conversation with Janna Bastow

In this episode, JJ Rorie, VP of Sequent Learning Networks and Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia, CEO and Founder of Product School, discuss how product managers can move from *bad* - to good - to great!, and how the product community can help us all on this lifelong learning journey.

How Product Managers Can Go From Good to Great, a conversation with Carlos Gonazalez de Villaumbrosia

Regardless of industry, type of product, educational background, or development methodology, there are five commonalities among great product managers. In this episode, we discuss these common traits and how you can build your skillset around these 5 "truths".

The Five Immutable Truths of Great Product Managers(TM)

The bedrock of successful product development is a deep understanding of what customers really need. In this episode, I speak with internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and coach Teresa Torres about Continuous Discovery Habits.

Continuous Discovery Habits with Teresa Torres

The Chief Product Officer (CPO) role is still a fairly new role. I get asked quite often where product management should sit within an organization. Historically, it has typically reported up through either marketing or technology, but more and more, organizations are realizing the value of having a product leader at the executive level, having a seat at the c-suite table when all important decisions are being made. The CPO is often that executive.  In this episode, Navya Rehani Gupta, Chief Product Officer at Peek.com, shares her experiences in and insights about the important CPO role.

A Seat at the Table: The Chief Product Officer Role, with Navya Rehani Gupta, CPO at Peek.com

There is a lot of discussion about whether co-location / in-person work is best for product management and innovation or if remote work can be just as effective. Maybe there is no one right answer there, and certainly there are pros and cons to both. This episode is a conversation about being successful in product management with remote teams.

Product Management with Remote Teams, with Kevin Urrutia, co-founder of Voy Media

There are few things that can make a bigger impact on the ultimate success of a product than a true, deep understanding of customer needs. Without this understanding of customers, their problems, situations, environments, needs, it is really just a matter of luck if we end up with a successful product. This episode features Keerthi Hoback, Senior Director of Product Management at Major League Baseball, discussing the importance of user interviews and customer research in order to set that foundation of customer awareness.

The Importance of User Interviews and Customer Research, with Keerthi Hoback, Senior Director of Product Management, Major League Baseball

For those of us who build products for a living, how do we ensure that our products are equitable, inclusive, and are leaving a positive impact on customers and the world around us? This episode discusses how can organizations - and product people - can build equitable products.

Building More Equitable Products | A Conversation with Carey Jenkins and Amanda Di Dio of Substantial

Product-Market Fit essentially means having the right product to meet a market demand. Here’s the deal… if you don’t first understand what customers need and will buy AND the dynamics and attractiveness of the market in which your customers live and/or work, then it’s really quite difficult to build something that will achieve product-market fit. 

The SIX Tips for Finding Product-Market Fit, with Kandis O’Brien, Co-Founder of The SIX

Having an “entrepreneurial mindset” is a very beneficial trait for product managers. It will help them think and act in a way that drives ownership, accountability, leadership, strategic thinking, and other aspects of “owning the business of their product”.  This episode is is all about what product managers can learn from entrepreneurs and startup founders… regardless of what type or size of company a product manager works in, there are insights to be gleaned from entrepreneurs.

What Product Managers Can Learn from Entrepreneurs and Startup Founders, with Ryan Frederick, CEO of AWH and Author of The Founder’s Manual

Design, of course, is a critical part of product development. It’s where the ideas in our heads start to take shape in the real world. These days, there are still the proverbial - and literal - ideas sketched on napkins, but technology is making it so that even the non-designers can express ideas in effective mockups and prototypes. While the expertise of designer and UX professionals is still paramount, everyone in the product management ecosystem can and should be a part of the critical function of design. In this episode, we discuss the democratization of design with Florian van Schreven, co-founder and COO of Uizard. 

The Democratization of Design, with Florian van Schreven, co-Founder and COO of Uizard

All products have a lifespan. Some products live for a year or so. Some products - especially those attached to iconic brands - can live for decades or longer! Legacy products and brands - those that have stood the test of time and carved a place for themselves in their marketplaces -  often have a built-in credibility and can even have a sort of product folklore about them, but just like every product, these legacy products still must from time to time reinvent themselves to ensure they are continuously meeting ever-changing market dynamics and customer needs.

The Importance of Innovation for Legacy Products and Brands, with Ebony Shears, Vice President of Product, Forbes

Many experiences can help product managers hone their skills... including stand-up comedy! In this episode, Deepak Paramanand shares how learning how to find jokes that will land with his audience helped him become a better product manager.

How Being a Standup Comedian Taught Me How to Be a Great Product Manager, with Deepak Paramanand, Product Lead at Hitachi Europe

Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) has become one of the most discussed frameworks among product people. Yet while it's simple in nature, JTBD is often misunderstood, making it difficult for some to begin applying it. In this episode, we'll discuss what JTBD is and how to get started.

Getting Started with Jobs to be Done, with Mike Belsito, co-Founder of Product Collective

Masters of Product Management captures the ideas, commentary, and lessons learned from product management thought leaders across the globe. Each episode is filled with real-world insights from practicing product managers and leaders, allowing you to learn, apply, and succeed in your product management career. Hosted by Steven Haines of Sequent Learning Networks.

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Masters of Product Management

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