Founders In LA

Rhys Quirk recalls being inspired to join tech via his Grandfather’s own work in digital transformation. He also describes his journey through the 2008 recession and advice for making it through the Layoffs of 2022 and 2023.

David Subar, Founder and Managing Partner of Interna, describes his early work in ML/AI and how it compares to the new world of ChatGPT. We also discuss the differences between science and technology as well as the evolution from output-based results to outcome-based results. 

Miles Montes discusses his journey into tech, turning a childhood passion into a professional career and enlightens us with one of the pieces of advice that helped him break into Product; if you want a role that is unavailable, "get into the role that you can now and work your way horizontally." He also describes his experience as a founder from leveraging his 401K to bootstrap a startup to partic...

Pam Yoon recounts her experiences working in Product during the Dot-Com era in San Francisco. We also discuss the "Industry" of Product Management; where it is today and where it is headed in the future.

Alec Miller brings over 10 years of experience in renewable energy to the conversation where we discuss the critical importance of data and data management in current and future wind and solar farm deployments. We also chat about the needs-based approach to Product Management and his cameo on the TV show, Silver Spoons!

Matt Goldade provides a first-hand account of the evolution of Streaming TV from being secondary content on websites to premium subscription platforms across devices. He also drops gems of knowledge from his participation in shaping streaming websites through A/B testing and introduces us to the Thursday afternoon innovation sessions that led to patents for some of the popular features we see in a...

Eric Lodge describes his journey from being a Top 40 Billboard musician into Product Management and Executive Coaching. He discusses the power of harnessing the intuitive mind, especially when building pre-launch products. He also provides an amazing tip for avoiding the trap of being so in the weeds that the possibility space becomes obscured.

Chris Brereton discusses how roadmaps differ between large companies and startups and provides handy communication tips for keeping teams and stakeholders apprised of the current plans and changes to them. And there's a solid Wayne Gretzky story!

Natalia Contreras-Brown, SVP of Technology at The Bouqs, discusses how she broke into Product Management from Business Design to run her own org. She also reviews the unique challenges and provides her perspectives on the future of products that are heavily dependent on the supply chain.

Shuo Song describes his journey from Pediatrics to Product Management. He describes how hospital physicians have surprisingly similar roles & responsibilities as PMs and how he built a Product Intern program at GoodRX.

Mark Levy drops key insights into his experiences in Product Management and Product Marketing. Highlights include gems of advice like "If you don't innovate, someone else will." He also leaves us with his view of the future of DevOps (spoiler alert: it involves expansion into Security, Marketing and other considerations when releasing code).

Britney Russ describes her transition from particle physics to Product Management. We also discuss the power of Mentors to accelerate careers and how 1:1 mentorship is one of the most effective tools to foster more diversity and inclusion in the field. For more info on the PMA.LA Mentorship Program that Britney is Chair and Founder of, visit pma.la/mentorship.

David Coleman discusses how he broke into Product Management and ran his own team. He also describes his thoughts on the future of Data Product Management and provides a key insight in how to avoid Analysis Paralysis.

Kevin Sakamoto and I discuss his journey into Product from Hawaii to Zappos. We also discuss A/B testing at Lululemon and how technology may impact our shopping behaviors from buying shirts to picking out prom dresses.