In this episode, Melissa Perri is joined by Julia Austin, Author, Lecturer at Harvard Business School, and Founder of Good For Her, to discuss the essentials of building a strong startup foundation. They delve into the importance of understanding your customer and the problem you’re solving, the dynamics of co-founder relationships, and transitioning to outcome-based roadmaps. Julia shares insights on how AI can play a role in product development and gives advice for first-time product managers in startups.

Julia emphasizes the need for founders to focus on financial and legal aspects, often overlooked in the excitement of building a product. The conversation offers valuable advice for product managers and founders aiming to build sustainable and successful startups.

Want to gain insights into building a strong foundation for your startup and the role of product managers? Listen to the full episode for practical tips and strategies from Julia's extensive experience.

You’ll hear us talk about:

• 05:20 - Understanding Foundational Work in Startups

Julia Austin discusses why startups should spend 80% of their time on foundational work and discovery, emphasizing the importance of understanding the problem and target audience before developing solutions.

• 12:45 - Transitioning to Outcome-Based Roadmaps

Melissa Perri explains how product managers can shift from feature-based roadmaps to outcome-based ones, focusing on connecting outputs to outcomes and effectively communicating with stakeholders.

• 24:10 - Advice for First Product Managers in Startups

Julia provides tips for new product managers on building trust with founders by understanding the company's history and aligning with the founders’ vision to help structure the startup's roadmap and priorities.

Episode resources:

Julia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliaaustin/

After the Idea book: https://www.aftertheideabook.com/

Check our new course: https://productinstitute.com/p/mastering-product-strategy-overview

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:08 Dear Melissa

08:34 Understanding Founder Relationships

15:53 Operational Foundations for Startups

26:20 Applying AI Thoughtfully

35:26 Role of PMs in Startups

43:48 Closing Remarks

Join us on this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast as Oji and Ezinne, co-authors of "Building Rocketships: Product Management for High-Growth Companies”, discuss the pivotal role of Product Managers in the AI era. As they share insights from their experiences with innovation and product development, Oji and Ezinne explore how PMs must adapt to the rapidly evolving technological landscape to remain relevant.

In this episode, they delve into the balance between customer focus and business needs, highlighting the significance of people, execution, leadership, and communication. Oji and Ezinne emphasize the need for PMs to lead conversations, advocate for solutions that address customer issues, and stay attuned to industry shifts.

If you're eager to understand how to navigate the challenges and opportunities that AI presents to Product Management, don't miss out on these valuable insights!

You'll hear us talk about:

• 28:55 - Balancing Board Pressure and Long-Term Vision

Oji shares advice on managing the pressure from board members while maintaining the focus on long-term strategy and vision, a perennial challenge for product managers.

• 40:12 - AI at the Core vs. the Edge

Ezinne discusses the difference between companies that integrate AI at their core versus those that only sprinkle AI on top. Learn what it means to truly embed AI in your company's workflow and how to approach it strategically.

• 49:38 - The Evolving Role of Product Managers

Ezinne covers how the role of PMs is changing with AI's capabilities in areas like PRDs and data diagnostics, questioning whether AI will replace product managers or simply change the way they work.

Episode resources:

Oji on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ojiudezue/

Ezinne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezinne/

Building Rocketships: https://shop.damngravity.com/products/building-rocketships-udezue?variant=43588962779312

Check our new course: https://productinstitute.com/p/mastering-product-strategy-overview

In this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri is joined by Lucie Buisson, Chief Product Officer at Contentsquare.

Lucie discusses how AI is transforming digital experiences by combining quantitative and qualitative data to improve customer interactions. She highlights the role of AI in boosting productivity, allowing product managers to focus more on strategic initiatives, and fostering deeper customer connections.

Lucie shares insights into the future of intent-driven and conversational interfaces, stating that understanding customer intent is crucial for creating personalized experiences. She advocates for product managers to view AI as a strategic asset that not only improves efficiency but also provides valuable customer insights.

Listen to the full episode to explore how AI and data integration can revolutionize your product management strategy, making it more adaptive and customer-focused.

You’ll hear us talk about:

- 17:37 - The Importance of Data Collaboration

Lucie explains how marketing, product, design, and engineering should collaborate using shared data to optimize the entire customer journey. She emphasizes the importance of a unified understanding of customer needs to avoid a fragmented experience.

- 28:24 - Future of Conversational Experiences

Lucie highlights the emergence of AI agents in creating hybrid digital experiences. She predicts that future interactions will largely be conversation-driven. This will allow for more personalized customer experiences based on real-time needs.

- 35:49 - Adapting to AI-driven Customer Interactions

Lucie advises brands to begin integrating AI into their customer interaction strategies to avoid becoming obsolete. She warns that failing to do so risks losing emotional connections with customers, as third-party AI agents become more prevalent.

Episode resources:

- Lucie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucie-buisson/

- AI Agents article: https://contentsquare.com/blog/contentsquare-announces-sense-ai-agent/

- Check our new course: https://productinstitute.com/p/mastering-product-strategy-overview

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:39 Dear Melissa

06:49 From startup chaos to global scale

15:28 Defining digital experience analytics

20:52 Unlocking accessibility with AI

28:24 The future is conversational and intent-driven

35:49 Advice for PMs in an AI-driven world

In this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri sits down with Monica Lewis, VP of Product at LinkedIn, to explore how AI is transforming sales solutions.

Monica shares her journey from engineering to leading LinkedIn's billion-dollar Sales Solutions team, focusing on creating powerful AI-driven tools that increase the effectiveness of the sales team.

Monica discusses the integration of AI in sales processes and highlights the importance of understanding customer needs to create solutions that address real-world challenges. She emphasizes the role of AI in streamlining tasks, thereby enabling sales professionals to focus on strategic activities that create value for buyers and sellers.

If you want to learn how AI can reshape your approach to product management and sales strategy, tune in and gain valuable insights from Monica's experience at LinkedIn.

You’ll hear us talk about:

• 00:02:54 - Grounding AI in Customer Needs

Monica explains how LinkedIn ensures their AI solutions are centered around customer problems, emphasizing the need for understanding audience and customer requirements first when developing AI-driven products.

• 00:10:27 - Leveraging AI to Improve Sales Effectiveness

Monica shares how AI is helping salespeople become more efficient by automating non-customer-facing tasks and providing valuable insights for better decision-making.

• 00:30:01 - Embracing Failure and Rapid Testing

Monica shares a pivotal moment at LinkedIn where rapid experimentation and smart risk-taking led to an increase in customer acquisition, highlighting the importance of quick testing, learning, and iteration.

Episode resources:

- Monica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamlewis/

- Check our new course: https://productinstitute.com/p/mastering-product-strategy-overview

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:04 Dear Melissa

07:49 Building Sales Solutions at LinkedIn

13:01 Creating a culture of experimentation

16:12 Trends in AI and the evolving role of salespeople

21:17 Balancing metrics, data, and user value

25:13 Designing user experiences with smart cues

30:59 Monica's career pivotal moments and product strategy insights

36:59 Managing innovation, bets, and experimentation

40:46 The future of sales and advice to younger self

In this episode, I sit down with Christina Wodtke, a professor at Stanford University, for the second time on the show, to explore the intersection of game design and product management. Christina shares her insights on how principles from game design can transform product development processes, making them more engaging and effective. We also dive into the role of AI in shaping the future of product management education and the unique challenges and opportunities it presents.

Christina discusses her approach to integrating AI into her curriculum and how it's helping future product leaders understand the real-world implications of evolving technologies. Together, we uncover the importance of balancing user experience with business objectives and how the two can coexist to create products that are not only functional but also meaningful.

Don't miss this insightful conversation that bridges the gap between creativity and strategy in product management!

You’ll hear us talk about:

• 05:33 - The Power of Engagement in Game Design

Christina explains how game design principles such as engagement and emotional experience can be applied to product design to fulfill user needs and expectations.

• 12:25 - Continuous Feedback Integration

The importance of regular and early user feedback in the design process and how it prevents teams from becoming too attached to their initial ideas.

• 41:08 - The Reality of AI in Product Management

Discussing the gap between AI's potential and its current capabilities, and how product managers can effectively leverage AI while focusing on core product values.

Episode resources:

Christina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinawodtke/

Christina’s blog: https://eleganthack.com/

Check our new course: https://productinstitute.com/p/mastering-product-strategy-overview

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:16 Dear Melissa

06:35 Game design and emotional engagement

13:36 Balancing goals and ethics in product design

18:14 Building habits of testing and scaffolding feedback

22:30 How AI is changing prototyping and team dynamics

28:53 The role of expertise in an AI-powered world

40:15 Getting into product management in the age of AI

Join me in the latest episode of the Product Thinking Podcast as I welcome Dan Balcauski, founder of Product Tranquility.

Dan is an expert in optimizing pricing and packaging for B2B SaaS companies. In our conversation, we discussed strategic nuances of pricing models, the importance of understanding customer value, and the common pitfalls organizations face in their pricing strategies.

In this episode, Dan addresses the intricacies of pricing beyond numbers, emphasizing the need for a strategic approach that aligns with both market demands and customer needs. He shares insights on how effective pricing can transform from a liability into a formidable competitive advantage, thanks to segmentation, value-based pricing, and strategic decision-making.

If you’re looking to refine your pricing strategy and leverage it as a competitive edge, tune in for actionable insights and expert advice.

You’ll hear us talk about:

• 06:38 - The Journey to Pricing Expertise

Dan shares his transition from software engineering into the pricing world. He highlights that companies often neglect how they capture value, resulting in rushed pricing decisions despite the significant impact pricing can have on a company’s success.

• 15:03 - The Mechanics of Pricing and Packaging

Explore the four elements critical to pricing in B2B SaaS: price metric, price model, offer configurations, and price fences. Dan uses the McDonald's menu as a relatable example to illustrate how these elements play out in the real world.

• 39:18 - Lessons for Long-Term Pricing Success

Dan advises treating pricing as a process that evolves with market changes, noting the importance of governance, continuous improvement, and alignment with customer value and business strategy.

Episode resources:

Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/balcauski/

Product Tranquility: https://www.producttranquility.com/

Check our new course: https://productinstitute.com/p/mastering-product-strategy-overview

Timestamps:

00:00 Coming Up

07:47 Pricing Misconceptions and Segmentation

15:03 Pricing Mechanics and Internal Ownership

23:50 Scaling Pricing Metrics and AI-Related Challenges

34:45 Avoiding Bad Pricing Metrics

39:18 Advice for Long-Term Pricing Success

In this episode, Somer Simpson, VP of Product at Customer.io, joins us to discuss the role of empathy in product management. With a wealth of experience in online media and startups, Somer shares how product managers can drive innovation by cultivating empathy for customers and themselves.

She explores how you can have a human-centered approach when crafting products and how self-reflection grows empathy for customers. Somer also highlights the balance between using AI to close knowledge gaps and maintaining a human touch to truly understand user needs.

Are you ready to discover how empathy can improve your product strategy and execution? Don't miss this conversation that offers wisdom for product managers at every career stage.

You’ll hear us talk about:

13:00 - Embracing Chaos in Product Management

Somer discusses the need to be comfortable with chaos as a product manager. Like whitewater rafting, being a PM is about leaning into chaos rather than resisting it. This helps managers better discern patterns and innovate effectively.

16:30 - Developing True Empathy

Somer explains that empathy goes beyond the simple observation or acknowledgment of customer pain. It involves accepting others' perspectives as valid. She relates this concept to personal growth, suggesting that self-acceptance is crucial for developing authentic empathy

37:49 - Human Touch in Innovation

Somer believes that humans play an irreplaceable role in innovation, despite advancements in AI. While AI can increase efficiency, it's the human understanding and care for customer problems that truly drive product success.

Episode resources:

Somer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/somersimpson/

Customer.io website: https://customer.io/

Check our new course: https://productinstitute.com/p/mastering-product-strategy-overview

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:50 Dear Melissa

16:30 Empathy starts with yourself

22:29 Curiosity, failure, and building customer love

28:47 Meaningful discovery and avoiding chaos

33:28 AI can't replace empathy