Product Pals

In this episode of Product Pals: Beyond the Build , Charlotte and Kiet sit down with Justin Homer , Partner and Co-founder of Be Luminous , to explore what it really means to create meaningful change through collaboration, design and play. Justin shares the journey from social policy and homelessness support to building world-class collaborative design practices across global consultancies and now...

Product Pals is going live! In this special episode, Charlotte and Kiet sit down with Ed Wong, founder of LAST Conference and creator of Signal Not Noise,to announce the very first Product Pals LIVE podcast event happening in Sydney this June. Together, we explore the evolution from LAST to Signal Not Noise, why authentic communities matter more than ever, and how product and tech professionals ar...

In this episode of Product Pals, we sit down with Kurt Yang to explore why every PM needs a stronger commercial mindset. Kurt shares his journey from finance into product, unpacks the difference between commercial and digital product management, and reflects on how AI may reshape the future of the PM role. We also discuss: commercial mindset in product AI and the future of PMs ownership, accountab...

In this episode of Product Pals, Charlotte and Kiet sit down with John Cutler — one of the most distinctive voices in modern product thinking and operating model design. For many in the product community, John needs no introduction. But for those newer to the space, he is a seasoned product leader, educator, and systems thinker with over two decades of experience across product management, user re...

In this heartfelt episode of Product Pals , Charlotte and Kiet sit down with design lead James Riddell and product leader Ines Goluza , the inspiring team behind Rare Journey — an AI-powered health companion app built to support families navigating rare diseases. After the birth of his son Felix and his diagnosis with the ultra-rare Myhre Syndrome, James, along with his partner Ivana and sister-in...

This is the final episode of 2025 — and it’s really just us saying thank you 💛 Just Charlotte and Kiet back where it all started — the two of us on a video call, coffee in hand ☕️, reflecting on a year that flew by faster than we expected. Somewhere between recording episodes, replying to messages, running events, and figuring life out, Product Pals quietly became a community. And this episode i...

In this PM Spotlight episode of Product Pals , Charlotte and Kiet sit down with Dipa Rao , Senior Product Manager at Culture Amp, for a refreshingly honest conversation about what product management really looks like behind the job title. With a career spanning Agile coaching, software delivery, consulting, and product leadership, Dipa shares a grounded view of the PM craft - from the difficult sh...

If you’ve ever transitioned (or wanted to transition) into a Product role, this episode will feel like someone finally saying, “Yes, I get you”This week on PM Spotlight, we sat down with Diane Aung — a Senior B2B SaaS Product Manager whose journey began in customer support and grew into a full end-to-end product career. Diane brings warmth, humour and a refreshingly honest take on what PM life act...

In this episode of Product Pals Podcast , Charlotte and Kiet sit down with Paru Madhavan , Product Coach at the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), wine nerd, and systems thinker. Paru has led teams across travel, fintech, and media, and now focuses on creating environments where people thrive and customers’ problems actually get solved. Together, we unpack the craft and calling of product...

From public transport design to YouTube stardom, engineer-turned-creator Ting Ting Hu has built a one-person company of creativity, strategy, and heart. In this episode, she joins Charlotte and Kiet to unpack what it means to treat your craft like a product — balancing art, analytics and authenticity. 🔑 What you’ll hear: How Ting Ting plays three roles at once: CEO, PM and talent of her own brand...

In this episode of the Product Pals Podcast, Charlotte and Kiet sit down with Cheryl Saw — Fractional Product Growth & GTM Strategist at Revvy, with over a decade of experience across SaaS (Adobe, Audible), FMCG (Kimberly-Clark), Health/Edu-Tech, and digital agencies. Cheryl’s journey into growth wasn’t planned - it found her. Over the years, she’s built a career solving hard problems in consu...

In this episode of the Product Pals Podcast , Charlotte and Kiet sit down with Ryan Huynh — Product Manager and co-organiser of ProductTank Sydney. Ryan’s career has spanned AI research, Big Four consulting, and product management . He shares how consulting gave him a toolkit of frameworks, delivery discipline, and stakeholder skills — and how those translate into product craft today. 🔑 What you’...

Welcome to the very first PM Spotlight — a special series from Product Pals celebrating the real stories behind product management. In this debut episode, we sit down with Larry Lai , whose career spans continents and industries: from game design and livestreaming in China, to product roles at tech giants like Tencent and Huya , and now leading SMB livestream products at TikTok Sydney . Larry shar...

Thank you for tuning into this special bonus episode of Product Pals ! After our original chat with Will during Men’s Health Month, we were overwhelmed by the heartfelt responses from our listeners. In this short follow-up, Will shares the incredible feedback he received, and we dig a little deeper into why these conversations on men’s mental health are so important. We also touch on topics like:...

In this episode of Product Pals, Charlotte and Kiet sit down with their good friend William Ly for a casual chat on mental health—just in time for men’s health month in Australia. This isn’t a professional how-to guide, but rather a vulnerable conversation about recognising our own struggles, knowing when to ask for help, pondering the pros and cons of AI-powered therapy, and practical ways to sup...

In this episode of Product Pals , Charlotte and Kiet return to the heart of product management — product thinking — and unpack how it connects with the broader Influence-Dynamics Map (IDM) . They dive into the real differences between product and systems thinking, demystify how to craft vision without the corporate fluff, and break down why execution and operations deserve their own spotlight (eve...

In this short bonus episode, Charlotte and Kiet reflect on our first-ever Product Pals live event at the Atlassian office in Sydney. From energising conversations to some truly thoughtful feedback, we’re taking it all on board as we evolve the Influence Dynamic Map model and future episodes. It’s a quick debrief filled with gratitude and next steps – tune in!

Product managers are often pressured to make quick decisions—but what if taking a systems thinking approach led to better, more strategic solutions? In this episode of Product Pals , Charlotte and Kiet uncover how systems thinking helps PMs step back, assess the bigger picture, and make smarter decisions. We discuss: 🔹 The importance of System Thinking and how does it different from default menta...

Failure is tough to face, but it’s also one of the most powerful tools for growth. In this episode of Product Pals , Charlotte and Kiet share candid reflections on their biggest failures and how these experiences have shaped their approach to work and collaboration. From early career missteps to hard-earned lessons, they dive into the uncomfortable but necessary practice of embracing failure as a...

In this episode of Product Pals , Charlotte and Kiet tackle the often-overlooked connection between product management and finance. From Charlotte's personal journey of rediscovering her relationship with money to Kiet’s experiences with financial modelling, they dive into how understanding the numbers can transform your product strategy. They share practical tips for building financial knowledge,...

In this episode of Product Pals , we dive into continuous learning and growth as product managers. From structured courses to on-the-job learning, Charlotte and Kiet share their favourite approaches and challenges in keeping their knowledge up to date, including how to seek and keep our motivation, what are the more accessible channels of learning in a budget and time constrained environment and h...

How do you bring your thinking model and skills to life during a case study interview? Feeling a bit overwhelmed while preparing? We've been there. In this episode of Product Pals, we challenge ourselves with a live case study simulation focused on AI-driven job displacement. We walk through our thinking models, share different strategies, and provide practical advice for navigating frameworks and...

In this first episode of Product Pals, we’re diving into the real talk on what it’s like to be a product manager. From balancing customer needs with business goals to navigating roadblocks and celebrating small wins, we share the unfiltered ups and downs of the Product Manager role.  Discover why understanding your customer isn’t just a textbook exercise, the battles worth fighting, and the unexpe...