Product Thinking

Latest Episodes:

Episode 236: Real Career Advice From Product Leaders Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

Join Melissa Perri as she dives into some of the best advice about career growth in product management from an incredible group of industry leaders. Monica Lewis from LinkedIn, Kristin Dorsett from Viator, Dheerja Kaur from Robinhood, Lucie Buisson from Contentsquare, Ben Hafele from the Lean Startup Co., Marco De Freitas and Amber Brestowski from Vanguard, Oliver Seil from Belkin International, David Myszewski from Wealthfront, and Eilon Reshef from Gong share their insights on developing strategic judgment, embracing learning, and leveraging AI for productivity.

Discover how focusing on impact over scope, obsessing over problems, and starting small can accelerate your growth in product management. Our guests also discuss the importance of market fit strategy, learning from missteps, and being open to unexpected opportunities.

Want to accelerate your product management career with practical advice from industry leaders? Tune in to this episode for actionable insights and strategies to help you grow and succeed.

You’ll hear us talk about:

07:45 - Embracing Learning on the Job

Kristin Dorsett talks about not sweating the small stuff and embracing learning on the job, emphasizing that nobody has it all figured out and the value of continuous growth in product management.

15:22 - Leveraging AI for Productivity

Lucie Buisson explains how using AI can enhance productivity, allowing product managers to focus on strategic thinking and customer engagement by freeing up valuable time.

23:10 - Starting Small to Prove Concepts

Ben Hafele introduces the "Convinced Do Loop," highlighting the importance of starting small to prove concepts instead of trying to convince everyone at once, thereby enabling more effective product management strategies.

Episode resources:

Monica Lewis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicamlewis/
Kristin Dorsett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristindorsett/
Dheerja Kaur: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dheerja/
Lucie Buisson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucie-buisson/
David Myszewski: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmyszewski/
Amber Brestowski: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-brestowski-019b56ab/
Marco De Freitas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-de-freitas-80416714/
Oliver Seil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliver-seil/
Eilon Reshef: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/
Ben Hafele: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hafele/
Check our new course: https://productinstitute.com/p/mastering-product-strategy-overview

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:03 Monica Lewis: Grow where you are

04:28 Kristin Dorsett: Don’t sweat the small stuff

07:36 Lucie Buisson: Use AI to reclaim time for strategy

11:12 David Myszewski: Lean into what’s working

13:30 Amber & Marco: Obsess over problems, be ruthless with priorities

18:50 Oliver Seil: Learn with intention

21:20 Ben Hafele: Start small and let doing drive buy-in

Episode 235: Inside Product Ops: How Teams Scale Strategy Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Quincy Hunte, Mark Rosenberg, Vivian Finney, Jessica Soroky and Hugo Froes join Melissa Perri to delve into the evolving world of Product Operations (ProdOps) and its impact on scaling product management within organizations.

They explore how structuring product operations can enhance efficiency, align business and technology goals, and transform how product teams function. The conversation also touches on the integration of AI in prod ops, aiming to elevate strategic involvement while minimizing administrative tasks.

Join us to discover how these leaders are pioneering scalable planning, OKR systems, and treating internal teams as customers to improve decision-making and reduce friction.

Want to learn how to optimize product operations for better strategic insights and decision-making? Tune in to this episode to gain practical insights and strategies for enhancing your product management functions.

You’ll hear us talk about:

08:45 - Structuring Product Operations for Efficiency

Quincy Hunt discusses the significance of structuring product operations to boost efficiency and align technology with business goals. He emphasizes the need for agile teams and clear decision-making roles, which are crucial for product managers to understand.

18:20 - AI's Role in Shifting from Admin to Strategy

The conversation shifts to how AI can transform product operations by reducing the focus on administrative tasks, allowing product managers to engage more in strategic roles and decision-making processes.

31:50 - Treating Internal Teams as Customers

Mark Rosenberg and Vivian Finney share insights on how treating internal product teams as customers can streamline processes, reduce friction, and improve overall decision-making, which is essential for product managers looking to enhance team dynamics and outcomes.

Episode resources:

Quincy Hunte: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quincyhunte/

Mark Rosenberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-rosenberg-724653/

Vivian Phinney: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivian-phinney/

Jessica Soroky: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicasoroky/

Hugo Froes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugofroes/

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

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:42 Prod Ops fundamentals

07:45 Bridging tech and business through prod ops

09:42 Driving visibility and standardization at scale

16:11 Balancing autonomy and structure

17:39 Integrating AI and evolving product ops tools

21:35 Creating scalable planning and OKR systems

24:39 Enabling faster decisions through insight curation

Episode 234: What Product Leaders Are Saying About AI Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, we delve into the transformative role of AI in product management through conversations with some of the best Product leaders. You’ll hear from Anthony Maggio (VP Product Management at Airtable), Jessica Hall (CPO at Just Eat Takeaway), Karthik Suri (CPO at Cornerston OnDemand), Mario Rodriguez (CPO at Github), Steve Wilson (CPO at Exabeam), Darren Wilson (CPO at Soul Machines), and Tamar Yehoshua (Former Glean President of Product and Technology).

We explore how AI tools are reshaping strategy and efficiency, while personalizing customer experiences. Join us as we discuss the impact of AI, and the future of product strategy. Are you curious about how AI can revolutionize your product management approach? Tune in to discover insights and practical applications that could redefine your strategies and customer interactions.

You’ll hear us talk about:

10:05 - AI's Role in Product Strategy

Explore how product leaders are integrating AI into their strategic planning, focusing on addressing significant business and customer problems. The discussion highlights the experimental applications of AI in enhancing customer journeys and optimizing backend processes.

18:45 - Enhancing Customer Interaction with Digital Avatars

We dive into the world of digital avatars and their role in creating empathetic and personalized customer interactions. This section covers how avatars can be used for language learning and practicing difficult conversations in a non-judgmental setting.

27:30 - Cybersecurity in the Age of AI

Understand the evolving landscape of cybersecurity with AI's influence. Learn about the dual nature of AI in enhancing defenses and creating new threat vectors, emphasizing the importance of rapid AI adoption to stay competitive in the cybersecurity arena.

Episode Resources:

Anthony Maggio (VP Product Management at Airtable): https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonymaggio/
Jessica Hall (CPO at Just Eat Takeaway): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicalrhall/
Karthik Suri (CPO at Cornerston OnDemand): http://linkedin.com/in/surikarthik/
Mario Rodriguez (CPO at Github): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariorodriguez3/
Steve Wilson (CPO at Exabeam): https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilsonsd/
Darren Wilson (CPO at Soul Machines): https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpjwilson/
Tamar Yehoshua (Former President of Product): https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamar-yehoshua-886217/
Check our new course: https://productinstitute.com/p/mastering-product-strategy-overview

Timestamps:

00:00 Coming Up

01:37 Intro

02:57 AI raising the bar for PMs

06:57 Using AI to improve personalization

10:52 Reimagining products with emerging AI

14:55 AI behind GitHub Copilot

20:21 AI’s risks and impact on cybersecurity

24:22 AI avatars and emotional interaction

30:42 How PMs can stay relevant in the AI age

Episode 233: How Linear Builds Tools Developers Actually Want with Nan Yu Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

Join Melissa Perri as she sits down with Nan Yu, Head of Product at Linear, to explore how Linear is reshaping project management tools for software development. This episode delves into creating seamless user experiences, the evolving role of AI in product management, and the importance of aligning product strategy with company goals.

In this engaging conversation, Nan shares insights on how Linear is designed to enhance software development, the strategies for balancing feature requests with strategic development, and the role of AI in reducing administrative burdens for product managers. If you're looking to understand how to align product strategy with real-world customer needs while leveraging cutting-edge technology, this episode is a must-listen.

Don't miss out on this insightful discussion! Tune in to learn how to elevate your product management skills and strategies.

You’ll hear us talk about:

08:00 - Restoring the Joy in Software Development

Nan Yu explains how Linear aims to bring back the fun in software development by minimizing friction and enhancing user experience, allowing developers to focus on creating.

21:00 - Rethinking Estimation and Capacity

Discussing the challenges of scope and estimation in Agile environments, Nan provides insights on how Linear encourages milestone-based development rather than fixed scopes.

40:00 - AI's Role in Streamlining Workflows

Nan talks about the impact of AI on product management, highlighting how AI can take over routine tasks, allowing PMs to focus on strategic and customer-focused activities.

Episode resources:

Nan on X: https://x.com/thenanyu

Linear: https://linear.app/

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

Timestamps:

00:00 Coming Up

02:38 Dear Melissa

06:57 Getting into Linear

14:54 Making Linear engaging for developers and PMs

22:58 Capacity, estimation, and internal collaboration

29:58 AI’s role in streamlining PM workflows

36:07 Linking strategy to execution and future trends

40:45 Advice to younger self

Episode 232: The Art and Science of Product Decisions with Jameson Troutman Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

Join Melissa Perri as she sits down with Jameson Troutman, Head of Product for Small Business at JP Morgan Chase, to explore the dynamic world of product management. In this episode, Jameson shares his insights on balancing the art and science of product management, emphasizing the need for product managers to trust their judgment alongside leveraging data and research.

Jameson delves into the importance of maintaining a customer-centric approach, ensuring that every product decision aligns with customer feedback and business goals. He also touches on the integration of AI in product management, which automates routine tasks, allowing product managers more time for strategic thinking.

If you're interested in how to harness the power of curiosity within your product team, align strategies in large organizations, and utilize data insights to enhance customer experience, this episode is a must-listen.

Want to gain a deeper understanding of successful product management strategies? Tune in to hear Jameson's expert advice on how to navigate the challenges of product management in a corporate setting.

You’ll hear us talk about:

15:40 - Empowering Product Managers with AI

Jameson discusses how AI can be used to automate mundane tasks in product management, freeing up time for more strategic activities. He highlights the importance of leveraging AI tools to improve efficiency and decision-making processes within product teams.

28:15 - The Role of Curiosity in Product Teams

In this section, Jameson emphasizes the need for product managers to cultivate curiosity within their teams. He explains how asking the right questions and understanding the "why" behind products can lead to more impactful solutions and innovations.

42:05 - Strategic Alignment and Flexibility in Large Organizations

Jameson addresses the challenges of aligning product strategy with budget constraints in large companies. He highlights the importance of maintaining flexibility and open communication to successfully navigate these challenges and achieve organizational goals.

Episode Resources:

Jameson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameson-troutman/

Chase for Business: https://www.chase.com/business

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

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:44 Dear Melissa

07:05 Evolving into product leadership

12:27 Building judgment in product teams

15:50 Discovering customer insights and adapting strategy

21:32 Building with data and platform readiness

28:18 Aligning strategy and budget

35:13 Collaborative prioritization and ownership

38:26 AI’s real value in product management

43:07 Future trends and advice for PMs

Episode 231: Laying the Groundwork for Startup Success with Julia Austin Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

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

Episode 230: Structuring Product Teams Around Outcomes with Jose Quesada Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

Join us this week on the Product Thinking Podcast as we explore the intersection of digital innovation and product management with Jose Quesada, VP of Product Management for Mobile and Web at American Express. With over 15 years of experience, Jose provides valuable insights into transforming digital experiences within the financial industry and the pivotal role of experimentation in fostering innovation.

Jose shares his approach to creating a culture of safe experimentation, the seamless integration of digital and physical financial products, and the importance of developing soft skills in product management. He offers a compelling perspective on how digital transformation is reshaping customer interactions and product strategies at American Express.

You'll hear us talk about:

- 11:25 - Embracing Experimentation

Jose discusses the importance of using experimentation as a tool to reduce uncertainty, encouraging his team to innovate and learn from mistakes without fear.

- 25:31 - Data-Driven Product Strategy

Jose emphasizes the significance of a dual-track approach in product development, balancing immediate business outcomes with future-focused discovery.

- 33:24 - Building Psychological Safety for Innovation

Jose shares strategies for fostering a team environment where making mistakes is part of the learning process, thereby driving innovation and growth.

Episode resources:

Jose on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josequesadamedina/

Careers at AMEX: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/careers/

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

Timestamps:

00:00 Coming Up

01:23 Intro

03:00 Dear Melissa

08:38 Entering product

14:53 Outcome-Driven Teams

25:41 Making Data Work

34:28 Embracing Change

41:44 Future Of Digital Products

Episode 229: Navigating Urgency and Strategy in Product Leadership with Oji and Ezinne Udezue Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

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

Episode 228: Shaping the Future of Intent-Based Digital Journeys with Lucie Buisson Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

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

Episode 227: Inside LinkedIn’s Product Strategy Culture with Monica Lewis Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

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