Rocketship.fm

In this unique episode of Rocketship. FM, host Mike Belsito explores the cutting-edge intersection of AI and product management. The show kicks off with an introduction to Google's Notebook LM, a groundbreaking AI research assistant. Then, in a twist, we present an AI-generated summary of the most recent edition of INDUSTRY: The Product Conference, showcasing key takeaways on team structures, cust...

In this episode of Rocketship. FM, host Mike Belsito dives into the common mistakes product managers and leaders make when developing product strategies. Featuring expert insights from Roman Pichler, a renowned product management coach and author, the episode uncovers critical pitfalls to avoid and best practices to embrace in crafting effective product strategies. From the importance of aligning...

In this episode of Rocketship. FM, we dive deep into the world of evidence-based product development with Connor Joyce, author of "Bridging Intention to Impact." Connor challenges the common assumption that high usage metrics automatically equate to product success. Instead, he introduces a comprehensive framework for measuring genuine impact on user outcomes and business goals. Connor shares insi...

In this episode of Rocketship. FM, we dive into an often overlooked but crucial aspect of product management: working effectively with internal partners and stakeholders. Join host Mike Belsito as he interviews John Haggerty, a seasoned product leader and coach, who shares insights on how product managers can build stronger relationships within their organizations. Learn why treating internal coll...

In this episode of Rocketship. FM, we dive deep into the inspiring story of Findaway, a Cleveland-based tech company that went from a small startup to a $123 million acquisition by Spotify. Host Mike Belsito, one of Findaway's early employees, sits down with Mitch Kroll, co-founder and longtime CEO, to discuss the company's 18-year journey through various phases of growth and innovation. Kroll sha...

In this captivating episode of Rocketship. FM, host Mike Belsito sits down with Rahul Vohra, founder and CEO of Superhuman, to explore the company's groundbreaking journey into AI-powered email. Vohra shares insights on how Superhuman recognized the potential of AI early on and made the bold decision to pivot their entire product strategy. He details the challenges of integrating AI features, from...

In this episode of Rocketship.fm, host Mike Belsito dives deep into the challenging world of tech job hunting with Phyl Terry, author of "Never Search Alone: The Job Seeker's Playbook." With nearly half of US tech workers looking for new roles in 2024, this timely discussion offers invaluable insights for navigating the current job market. Phyl shares the three big ideas behind the book and "Never...

In this insightful episode of Rocketship.fm, host Mike Belsito sits down with Bruce McCarthy and Melissa Appel, co-authors of "Aligned: Stakeholder Management for Product Leaders." The conversation delves into the often challenging world of stakeholder management, offering practical advice for product managers and leaders looking to navigate complex organizational dynamics. Throughout the episode,...

In this episode, host Mike Belsito sits down with Elliott Poppel, a product leader who's experienced both sides of the tech world - from managing products at Meta (formerly Facebook) to founding his own startup, General Collaboration. Elliott shares his journey, highlighting the stark contrasts in resources, decision-making processes, and product development approaches between tech giants and star...

In this eye-opening episode, Mike Belsito sits down with Jason Fried, CEO of 37 Signals, to discuss their revolutionary "Once" family of products. Fried explains how 37 Signals is challenging the dominant SaaS model by reviving the concept of paying once to own software forever. The conversation includes the (re-)launch of Campfire, a group chat tool, and Writebook, a simple online book publishing...

In this episode of Rocketship. FM, we dive deep into one of the most monumental tech failures in recent history - the CrowdStrike glitch that brought the world to a standstill. From grounded flights to disrupted emergency services, we explore how a single software update caused chaos on a global scale, affecting millions of people and businesses worldwide. Join host Mike Belsito as he breaks down...

In this episode of Rocketship. FM, host Mike Belsito talks through the crucial skill of leading without authority with guest Jocelyn Davis, author of The Art of Quiet Influence. Drawing from ancient Eastern wisdom and modern leadership research, Davis offers invaluable insights for product managers and leaders who must guide teams and influence stakeholders without formal power. The episode explor...

In this episode of Rocketship. FM, host Mike Belsito explores the rapid evolution of AI in product development through an engaging conversation with Francois, the Chief Product Officer of Amplitude. Francois shares insights into Amplitude's journey of integrating AI features into their analytics suite, including the challenges and unexpected learnings they encountered along the way. The discussion...

In this episode of Rocketship. FM, host Mike Belsito dives into essential career advice for product managers, featuring insights from Jackie Bavaro, co-author of "Cracking the PM Interview" and "Cracking the PM Career." The episode explores strategies for advancing in your product management career, including the importance of finding a balance between being a diligent worker and an overly vocal s...

In this episode of Rocketship. FM, host Mike Belsito takes listeners behind the scenes of Shopify's latest product launch. Featuring an exclusive interview with Glen Coates, Shopify's VP of Product, the episode explores the company's innovative approach to introducing new features and products through their biannual "Editions" events. Coates shares insights into Shopify's product development proce...

In this episode, Mike Belsito sits down with Bob Moesta, one of the early pioneers of the Jobs to Be Done framework, to dive deep into what Jobs to Be Done is all about. Bob shares his wealth of knowledge on how to truly understand your customers by looking at the world through their eyes and examining the progress they are trying to make in their lives when they "hire" a product. From key concept...

In this episode, longtime former Google product leader and current Executive Coach to Product Leaders, Ken Norton, shares his wisdom and insights, offering guidance that is essential for anyone working in tech product management. From navigating the early stages of your journey to making strategic decisions that will shape your professional path, Ken's advice is practical, inspiring, and timeless....

In this episode, we hear the origin story of DoWhatWorks from it's Co-Founder and CEO, Andres Glusman. The conversation unravels the journey from initial struggles to pivotal moments of success, illustrating how the founders' commitment to experimentation and customer feedback led to a groundbreaking product. Discover how DoWhatWorks transitioned from a backyard idea to a company that helps busine...

In November 2014, Brian Crofts prepared for a crucial meeting with two top-level executives at Intuit. One was CeCe Morken, his boss, overseeing Intuit’s Professional Tax (ProTax) business—a $422 million enterprise selling tax preparation software to accountants. The other was Sasan Goodarzi, in charge of Intuit’s $1.8 billion TurboTax division, providing software directly to consumers. Crofts had...

You will be treated to the fascinating beginnings of Pendo, a product experience platform company now valued at over two and a half billion dollars. We'll highlight Pendo's growth from an initial sponsor to a prominent supporter of product conferences. Todd Olson, Pendo's CEO, joins to recount his journey prior to Pendo at Rally Software and the subsequent challenges that inspired the creation of...

In this episode of Rocketship.fm, hosts Michael Sacca and Mike Belsito take listeners through an in-depth examination of the pivotal business concept known as product market fit. They begin by acknowledging that, despite frequently using the term, they haven't fully dissected its meaning in previous episodes. They outline the importance of product market fit, describing it as a critical transition...

Are you keeping up with the TikTok saga? The tides are shifting yet again, and this time the app faces a significant crossroad in the United States. Join us on the latest episode of Rocketship.fm as we delve into the complexities surrounding TikTok's potential ban and what it could mean for the tech industry and beyond. This podcast is brought to you by: Go to http://porkbun.com/RocketshipFM24 to...

In this episode, Michael Sacca and Michael Belsito drop some major news before diving into the latest developments in the AI space. They discuss the tempered expectations surrounding generative AI and its impact on tech giants and consumers alike. Amidst the AI hype, companies are cautious about investing in new AI services due to high costs and questionable productivity gains. Later, they explore...

In this episode, join us as we revisit the predictions made last year and assess their impact on the tech landscape. The forecast of an impending recession, particularly hitting the tech sector first, has proven true, with notable companies facing multiple rounds of layoffs. The unsettling trend of stocks rising amidst job cuts continues to raise eyebrows, painting a complex economic picture. On a...

On todays episdoe we discuss Dagster, a data orchestration platform developed by Dagster Labs, founded by Nick Schrock in 2018. Schrock, known for co-founding GraphQL, envisioned Dagster as a solution to the challenges of managing complex data pipelines reliably and at scale. The discussion centers on exploring Dagster's history, particularly focusing on the journey to finding product-market fit....