Product Talk

Every entrepreneur dreams of turning their big idea into a real business. That said, 85 percent of startups end up failing to get off the ground. What should future leaders of "the next big thing" focus on to build success? Product Guru Bruce Cleveland talks about bridging the "Traction Gap" - providing a prescriptive how-to guide focused on market engineering techniques to enable startup success....

Now more than ever, it's critical for products to connect with their customers on a personal level. That said, marketing tactics have shifted toward impersonal and intrusive ways of building rapport with target users. How can businesses stay rooted in their customers' values while scaling for success at the same time? HYP3R CEO Carlos Garcia shares the secret to building successful products at sca...

To produce meaningful solutions, product managers must be user-focused. That said, they must also keep their business at the forefront of the decision-making process. How can product managers connect with customers in ways that also benefit the bottom line? GetUpside CEO Alex Kinnier discusses the Business of Product - from building value for users and businesses on equal terms, to the importance...

The tech world may be flourishing with new innovation every day - but it is behind in the times when it comes to equal opportunity for under-represented groups. How can we increase opportunities for everyone to get into tech? As part of our Diverse Voices series, Pivotal Labs fmr Product Lead Michael Fisher talks about what it means to be a black man in tech and how to truly break barriers to enha...

Product managers often focus on reimagining a tool or solution from scratch. However, there's plenty of disruptive innovation that comes from incremental changes over time. What is the best way to make an impact with subtle tweaks to a solution? As part of our Product Lifecycle series, Instagram Product Lead Alex Plutzer on how to make your mark with gradual product enhancements. Plus, he talks ab...

It's easy to look at a simple product and think that it can't be hard to make. However, the simplest interfaces often require the most demanding development. What does it take to bring simplicity to life when facing complexities? As part of our Diverse Voices series, SpotHero Product Lead Jenny Wanger talks about lessons learned as a line cook, optimizing simple interfaces and what it takes to get...

In product management, we hear about the importance of data all the time. That said, not every product manager understands what to make of every data set they review. What does it take to make informed product decisions using data? As part of our Product Lifecycle series, Google Product Lead  Dacheng  Zhao talks about moving from retail management consulting into big data products, why data produc...

Every product manager's journey takes them on a different path to find the perfect role. Often, this involves using skills from other industries to influence their product decisions. What are the best ways for "product outsiders" to apply these learnings to building great products? As part of our Diverse Voices series, Venmo Product Lead Ashley Phillips talks about how her journalism career ultima...

Every product manager starts out in a variety of entry points. What does it take to build a long-term career - and most importantly, how do you create value for customers and your business? BioDigital CPO Vivian Chang talks about going from project manager to CPO - along with the importance of being user-focused throughout the product lifecycle and how to scale with revenue-driven products. Click...

Dating apps have completely turned social interaction upside down - re-engineering how people meet and how we open up to others. How do product managers continue to enhance opportunities for people to find "the one?" Hinge CPO Tim MacGougan talks about the evolution of his product career - leading into the current state of dating apps and what we can expect in the near future. Click here to read m...

With more choices than ever before, it's easy to get lost in the app store. How do you build products that stand out? Ovia Co-Founder Gina Nebesar talks about building customer empathy, creating successful prototypes and how to stay ahead of the competition with growth products.

Every product manager thinks about leadership opportunities - and the first question is, "how do I get there?" Acorns Product Director Paige Conrad talks about how to sell yourself, promoting inclusion in the workplace and what it takes to make great products.

studiored Founder Philip Bourgeois is my guest on this week's podcast episode. Learn about his processes for developing digital and physical interactions throughout the development process, that have made his firm the leading producer of wearables and bio-tech hardware in Silicon Valley. Learn more at  ProductsThatCount.com . 

My guest on this episode is Michael Katz, CEO & Co-Founder of mParticle. He talks about the culture and practices that have allowed him to build product-focused teams that continually execute, deliver value, and leave a legacy.  About the Guest: Michael Katz is Co-Founder of mParticle and serves as its Chief Executive Officer and Director. He is responsible for creating and overseeing the executio...

In this podcast interview, I sit down with  security guru Rene Kolga for a chat about building security products. He talks about how it's different from building for any product, yet how it's similar. Learn more at ProductsThatCount.com . 

"Today, our phones and camera are trying to take us into another reality"...and that reality is AR/VR/MR. On this episode, I interviewed Wevr Head of Product Sami Ramly to share with us why and how to build for this new paradigm. Learn the thought-processes Sami uses at Wevr to tackle the world of augmented and virtual reality. 

In order to be nimble, you need to have a great team that grows with your organization's technology and culture. Join Patty Mccord and I on this podcast epsiode about how you should tackle team development and management as a Product Manager.  Patty headed up HR at Netflix for 14 years and helped develop the Netflix Culture Deck, which is still a staple onboarding document for companies today. Her...

Building "products that count" involves more than just developing a great product, it's about creating a memorable user experience from beginning to end. Sure, making sure your infrastructure is technically solid and functioning is integral, but how do you make this process inspiring? How do you create a process that encourages the user to integrate your product into their daily life? and share it...

Why would anyone want to hire a middleman, like someone to get your groceries, especially if you have time to take care of the planning and shopping yourself? On today's episode, my guest Marina Krakovsky discusses her book The Middleman Economy . Marina shatters old stigmas about middlemen of yesteryear, explaining why some middlemen have disappeared while many others have gained in importance. S...

How is technology making a difference in your life today? On today's episode, my guest Selina Tobaccowala discusses her newest startup Gixo and how she plans to help consumers lead healthier lives. You'll hear Selina compare and contrast her experiences with Evite, the company she co-founded; SurveyMonkey, the company she helped grow and scale to 200 million users; and Gixo, her current-day startu...

What are the qualities you look for in a great product manager? Today, my guest David Fradin shares his thoughts on what makes a successful, innovative product leader. David is a classically trained Product Manager, now coach, that worked with Steve Jobs at Apple and worked for David Packard at HP—all in all, he's been in the product management industry for over 47 years across 27 different organi...

How can "game thinking" help strengthen long-term engagement with your users? Today, on this episode, my guest Amy Jo Kim discusses how she helps entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life with game thinking to help accelerate early product design.

What are three words you would use to describe yourself to help build your personal brand? On today's podcast, you'll hear Dorie Clark discuss her books, what keeps her committed to helping people get their ideas heard, how she uses the 3-word exercise to start the branding process, and much, much more.

Are you telling the big-picture story that'll influence change? What is the structure of belonging in the digital age? These are just a few questions the CEO and Founder of Get Storied , Michael Margolis, asks on today's episode. Michael has a background in cultural anthropology, and he works with people who are changing history; people who are doing things that have never been done before. On thi...

Founder and CEO of Product School, Carlos González de Villaumbrosia, talks about his insights into what makes a great product manager in this episode. Carlos started his career in software development in Spain—but he knew he always wanted to be in Silicon Valley because he was very excited about technology. Carlos mentions to me that in addition to engineering, he also went to business school. Bot...