Product with Panash

#30: Ever wondered what it's like to be in the midst of clashing marketing, sales and product departments? Jennifer Montague, with her wealth of experience across these fields, joins me to discuss the unsightly silos that can form and how it's like a game of hot potato nobody wants to play. We dive deep into the heart of these divisions and brainstorm strategies to dismantle these barriers to refocus on what really matters – the customer. From developing an acquisition workforce that truly represents each department to understanding the nuances of customer journeys, our conversation is a treasure trove of insights.

As our conversation progresses, we shift gears to discuss fostering growth and collaboration. We discover together the power of an intriguing term - NetNew MRR, and how it can be harnessed to attract customers by creating a tiering system. Jennifer shares her perspective on how product teams can gauge the impact of their work on the company's overall success. We also touch upon the art of communicating missed opportunities to those in power.

As we near the end, we address the elephant in the room – the fear of trying and failing. We share our experiences and lessons from mistakes we've made, emphasizing on the importance of sharing these stories with others. We talk about the global phenomenon - Fuckup Nights, as a platform to admit mistakes and grow from them. As we wrap up our enlightening conversation, Jennifer and I exchange our favorite books and meals, and I throw in a recommendation for a great spot to get Korean food in Copenhagen. Our conversation is a journey of exploration and growth, and we invite you to join us in breaking down the silos that exist in any organization.

Where to find Jennifer

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermontague/
• Jen's podcast: Marketing Corner

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

Show notes and highlights

(0:00:04) - Breaking Down Silos Between Departments

(0:08:38) - Improving Collaboration Between Marketing and Sales

(0:15:58) - Strategies for Growth and Collaboration

(0:21:00) - Product Led Growth and IoT Expansion

(0:33:37) - Trying, Failing, and Sharing's Power

(0:38:35) - Career Advice and Deserted Island Choices

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For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

#29: How do you measure your growth as a product manager and accelerate your career? Join me and my guest, James Routledge, VP Product at Converge, as we share our insights and experiences in product management, focusing on the importance of execution and learning rates.

James's background in engineering, venture capital, and entrepreneurship has shaped his unique perspectives on product management and career growth.

We also discuss the differences between product management in Europe and the US, diving into aspects such as culture, history, and varying approaches to success and failure.

James highlights the significance of collaboration between product managers and engineers, offering valuable advice on how European product managers can maximize value by focusing on the rate of execution and learning.

Together, we explore the importance of creating safe spaces for product leaders to take meaningful risks, share their failures, and grow from their experiences.

In our conversation, we uncover strategies and practices for continuous learning and career acceleration. Reflecting on his own journey, James emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, seeking feedback from trusted sources, and taking calculated risks.

Where to find James

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesroutledge/
• Website:

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

Show notes and highlights

(00:31) Performance and Intolerance in Product Management (41 Seconds)

(03:05) Product Management in Europe vs. US (65 Seconds)

(07:39) US Entrepreneurial Bias for Action (66 Seconds)

(12:33) US vs European Workplace Cultures (72 Seconds)

(20:26) Product Management Metrics and Growth (61 Seconds)

(24:57) Developing a Goal Setting Framework (94 Seconds)

(29:00) Measuring Success With Metrics and Movement (56 Seconds)

(32:11) Customer Focus in Construction Industry (104 Seconds)

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For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

#28: In this insightful episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Petra Wille, an independent product leadership coach and author of Strong Product People. We discuss the benefits and importance of creating a product community of practice, which can help product leads free up time and focus on people development. Listen in as Petra shares her research on this topic, including interviews and a survey of over 100 people, and learn how such communities can help product people experience mastery, share best practices, and support onboarding.

We also explore the significance of psychological safety in product teams and the role of vulnerability in strong leadership. Petra explains how to encourage reflection and continuous learning in teams, even when budgets are limited, and the importance of contributing to the larger product community.

Don't miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into creating an environment where everyone can feel safe and secure, allowing for diversity and growth in the workplace.

Finally, we discuss the challenges of transitioning from individual contributor to product leader and the essential human skills needed for a successful transition. Petra shares her advice on giving feedback, creating clarity of thought, and mastering the art of non-violent communication.

Tune in to learn more about the components of effective product leadership and how to foster a strong product culture through feedback and communication.

Where to find Petra

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petra-wille-b8b1329/
• Website: https://www.petra-wille.com/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

• Joff Redfern

Show notes and highlights

(0:00:00) Building Successful Product Communities of Practice

(0:11:35) Learning, Contribution, and Psychological Safety

(0:15:24) Product Leadership and Psychological Safety

(0:26:39) Leadership Skills

(0:31:45) Feedback for Strong Product Cultures

(0:43:33) Recommendations, Accelerators, and Product at Heart

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For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

#27: In this episode, Axel chats with fellow product coaches Martin Christensen and Marcus Castenfors, co-authors of Holistic Product Discovery, a book that provides a structured framework for product discovery.

And they caution against relying on a recipe for success – we can't all be Gordon Ramsay, after all.

So, imagine you're the Karate Kid, and Mr. Miyagi is teaching you how to paint the fence. You might not understand it at first, but eventually, you'll become a karate master. Or, in this case, a product management master. Just don't wax on, wax off too hard.

Where to find Marcus

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcastenfors/
• Website: https://www.holisticproductdiscovery.com/

Where to find Martin

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinuxchristensen/
• Website: https://www.holisticproductdiscovery.com/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

• Shu Ha Ri is a Japanese martial art concept that is used to describe the stages of learning on the path to mastery.

Show notes and highlights

(02:08) The authors' respective backgrounds

(04:36) The reality of the PM craft

(06:20) Feedback from readers of Holistic Product Discovery

(08:33) Not a perfect recipe

(09:00) People love a template

(11:45) Shu Ha Ri

(13:47) Do you know about this Karate Kid?

(18:19) 6 pages of feedback from Marty Cagan

(22:09) If you had to take one thing from this book

(26:56) Efficiency & effectiveness in the era of profitability

(32:39) The value behind discovery

(39:38) Martin's & Marcus' treasure chests

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For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

#26: PLG? What's The Fuss?

Axel is back after a break with a refreshing conversation with Leah Tharin, a product leader and influencer who's regularly publishing impactful content on Product-Led Growth (PLG).

In this episode, Leah shares her view on Product-Led Growth, what it means, what it looks like when it's done well and the traps you'll want to avoid when rolling out a PLG playbook.

Where to find Leah

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahtharin/
• Website: https://www.leahtharin.com/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

Show notes and highlights

(02:03) Leah's background

(03:03) Product-Led Growth factions

(06:20) Everybody thinks they're product-centric

(08:19) The problem with existing approaches

(12:22) Thought leadership on PLG

(19:41) How companies win at PLG

(20:30) End-to-end product experience, a new playground

(25:24) Metrics and goal-setting in PLG

(26:22) Identifying success moments and value signals

(31:05) The missing piece

(35:05) PLG won't save you on its own

(36:53) Showing value ASAP

(46:15) Leah's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

#25: Hubert Palan is Founder and CEO of Productboard, a product management system that enables teams to inform their decision-making based on customer insights. Productboard was founded 8 years ago and now counts 400 employees and 6000 clients.

In this episode, Axel dives into Hubert's 8-year journey at Productboard to learn about how product as a function has evolved, what great product teams have in common and how to win in the current economic context.

Where to find Hubert

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hubertpalan/
• Website: https://www.productboard.com/blog

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

• Steve Blank at UC Berkeley
• Mastery by Robert Greene
• Product Makers Summit by Productboard
• Productboard events including roadtrips (Paris, Amsterdam, other locations).

Show notes and highlights

(01:30) Hubert's background

(02:47) How has Hubert's role changed over the last 8 years

(05:30) Differences in product maturity across geographies

(08:45) Is the maturity gap in PM closing between the US and EU

(09:48) Evolution and importance of the PM function

(12:42) The importance of execution

(15:27) What does product management done right look like

(20:10) 2 dimensions of product performance

(26:16) How to win in the current economic context

(32:19) Hubert's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

Elevate your product career

Do you feel stuck, not knowing how to tackle a problem? Are you looking for a solution to help your team members grow in their craft? Either way, check out www.panash.io Panash works with product leaders to bring expert insights and proven frameworks you can use to truly deliver impact in your role. Companies like Atlassian, Contentsquare and Mirakl ALL choose Panash to provide the right level of training and coaching to their product teams, so they can perform at their best. Whether you’re a product leader or an individual contributor: head to www.panash.io, book a seat to one of our many programs and raise your product game today. Check out https://www.panash.io.

Panash

#24: In this episode, Axel has a conversation with Jean Liu, who's currently VP Product at Lyst, the world's largest online fashion catalogue. Jean is a trained neuroscientist and held the role of Head of Machine Learning Services at the BBC, driving the efforts behind content personalisation.

Jean shares her technique about building trust and how to move into a leadership role successfully. She talks about concrete techniques, behaviours and rituals that product leaders should consider as they start a new role.

Where to find Jean

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanliu1/
• Medium: https://medium.com/@portablebrain

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

• Leadership Summit by The Pipeline
• The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins
• Inspired by Marty Cagan
• The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks

Show notes and highlights

(01:42) Jean's background

(05:20) Planning your own onboarding as a product leader

(13:50) Creating safety for the team

(16:36) Positioning your first meetings to get to know your team

(19:02) Learnings from Jean's trust-building technique

(21:06) How to manage expectations and not overpromise

(24:58) Enabling your leadership team

(28:56) What is a user manual for a team member

(34:46) Tips in planning an off-site for your team

(40:38) Jean's Treasure Chest

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For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

#23: For over two decades Itamar Gilad held senior product management and engineering roles at Google, Microsoft and a number of startups. At Google, Itamar led parts of Gmail and was the head of Gmail’s growth team.

Axel sits down with Itamar to discuss some of the frameworks he's been crafting through his journey and how they can help fellow Product Managers improve their practice.

We specifically dive into how frameworks can help PMs boost their confidence based on evidence and clear communication.

Where to find Itamar

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itamargilad/
• Website: https://itamargilad.com/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

• The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
• Inspired by Marty Cagan
• Empowered by Marty Cagan with Chris Jones
• Lean Enterprise by Jez Humble et al.
• Lean Analytics by Alistair Croll
• Running Lean: Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works by Ash Maurya
• Value proposition canvas by Strategyzer
• Assumption Mapping by David J. Bland
• Itamar's resources

Show notes and highlights

(01:35) Itamar's background

(03:32) How does the MUST Framework help

(12:42) Biggest traps people fall into when crafting strategy

(18:04) Deferring the point of commitment

(22:52) GIST: a framework to bridge strategy and execution

(35:23) Using frameworks to boost confidence

(44:26) Itamar's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

Elevate your product career

Do you feel stuck, not knowing how to tackle a problem? Are you looking for a solution to help your team members grow in their craft? Either way, check out www.panash.io Panash works with product leaders to bring expert insights and proven frameworks you can use to truly deliver impact in your role. Companies like Atlassian, Contentsquare and Mirakl ALL choose Panash to provide the right level of training and coaching to their product teams, so they can perform at their best. Whether you’re a product leader or an individual contributor: head to www.panash.io, book a seat to one of our many programs and raise your product game today. Check out https://www.panash.io.

Panash

#22: Georgie Smallwood is Chief Product Officer at TIER and has a lot of experience building successful businesses. In this episode, Georgie and Axel dive into the reality of being an exec in a tech company, what it takes to steer an organisation in the current economic context, and the many learnings Georgie draws from her career.

Where to find Georgie

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georginasmallwood/
• Georgie's Medium: https://georgiesmallwood.medium.com/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

• FYI (For Your Improvement) by Korn Ferry
• When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think by Russ Laraway
• Sarah J. Maas
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
• Auxilia - a LinkedIn Group for women in Tech

Show notes and highlights

(02:00) Georgie's background

(07:10) About TIER

(10:50) Running the core element of a company

(11:35) Importance of optionality in revenue streams

(12:26) Commercial acumen is a must-have skill for PMs

(14:37) PMs have to be experts in something

(16:03) How to ensure the team is learning and growing

(19:23) Steering an organisation in the current economic context

(22:56) How to approach layoffs

(24:04) Opportunities arising from the downturn

(29:08) The power of saying YES

(30:47) Adding depth to your systems thinking

(33:10) CPO: a people-first role

(35:53) Not leaving a company can pay off

(37:30) Nothing is true unless it is writing

(38:14) The intensity of the CPO role

(41:53) The best thing Georgie did for her career

(43:46) Leadership roles can be lonely

(48:12) Everything is connected

(50:49) Georgie's Treasure Chest

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For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

#21: In this episode, Axel sits down with Mark Tsirekas - VP Product @ Zoe, a scientifically advanced nutrition program - and talk about what's involved in building a consumer product while irreversibly changing a category.

We dive into the challenges of setting up a product practice with empowered, autonomous teams. Mark also talks about how the team at Zoe has a singular approach to finding which problems they'll tackle and how they execute to deliver the best experience in addressing that problem.

Where to find Mark

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsirekas/
• Website: https://mtsireud.com/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode

• Models of Opportunity: How Entrepreneurs Design Firms to Achieve the Unexpected
• The Business Model Book by dam J. Bock & Gerard George
• Zero to One by Peter Thiel
• Hackers and Painters by Paul Graham
• Y Combinator Blog
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Show notes and highlights

(01:52) Mark's background

(04:32) What problem is Zoe solving

(06:30) How is Zoe doing things differently

(07:47) How the team at Zoe is organised to solve this problem

(11:52) What are the product frameworks at play

(14:17) The role of autonomy for the product team

(14:48) Fundamentals and principles driving the product team

(16:11) User outcomes first, business impact will follow

(17:58) How can the product work change a whole industry

(21:47) Building your product practice

(25:48) We're not doing MVPs!

(30:42) How are the teams enabled in bringing about change

(35:16) Mark's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

Elevate your product career

Do you feel stuck, not knowing how to tackle a problem? Are you looking for a solution to help your team members grow in their craft? Either way, check out www.panash.io Panash works with product leaders to bring expert insights and proven frameworks you can use to truly deliver impact in your role. Companies like Atlassian, Contentsquare and Mirakl ALL choose Panash to provide the right level of training and coaching to their product teams, so they can perform at their best. Whether you’re a product leader or an individual contributor: head to www.panash.io, book a seat to one of our many programs and raise your product game today. Check out https://www.panash.io.

Panash

#19: Stephanie Leue, CPO at Doodle, joins Axel for a conversation centered about developing high-performing product teams. With more than 30 million MAUs, Doodle is the leading enterprise scheduling technology helping the world's largest brands instantly set meetings with clients, colleagues and teams.

Stephanie has over 20 years of experience in software companies and has been engaged in product management for over 14 years. She formerly worked as Director of Product at Contentful, where she was in charge of growth, pricing and activation. As Paypal's product manager, she oversaw merchant onboarding and client activation as well as shaping Paypal Plus as product owner for the German market.

Where to find Stephanie

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-leue/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode

• 75% of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional: https://hbr.org/2015/06/75-of-cross-functional-teams-are-dysfunctional
• Martin Eriksson's Decision Stack: https://martineriksson.com/the-decision-stack
• Inspired by Marty Cagan:
• Escaping the Build Trap by Melissa Perri:
• Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres:
• Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni:

Show notes and highlights

(01:26) Stephanie's background

(04:20) The 4P Framework for high performing teams

(07:58) Pitfalls of implementing this framework

(10:48) The power of repetition

(15:14) Why companies fail at developing high performing teams

(16:53) Stephanie's favourite topic

(19:58) Setting expectation for high performing teams

(23:28) Freedom through constraints

(27:19) How do you help your team grow

(29:26) Skill metrics for PMs

(31:50) The role of a Principal Product Manager

(34:56) Should Product Leaders spend most of their time coaching?

(37:40) Stephanie's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

#20: In this episode, Axel chats with Ravi Mehta, the Co-Founder and CEO of Outpace, a company that is reinventing the way that people learn and grow.

We cover a range of topics across strategy, leadership and team growth. Axel invites Ravi to dive deeper on goal setting, the challenges posed by OKRs and how to use the NCT framework to set better goals.

Prior to founding Outpace, Ravi was an Executive-in-Residence at Reforge where he helped create the Product Leadership program and helped launch the Product Strategy program.

Ravi was the Chief Product Officer at Tinder, a Product Director at Facebook focused on Gen Z Engagement, and the Head of Consumer Product at TripAdvisor. He started his career at Microsoft, where he was an early member of the Xbox team focused on Xbox Live.

Where to find Ravi

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravimehta/
• Website: https://www.ravi-mehta.com/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode

• TED Talk - Why the secret to success is setting the right goals by John Doerr: https://www.ted.com/talks/john_doerr_why_the_secret_to_success_is_setting_the_right_goals?language=en
• The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6342995-the-score-takes-care-of-itself
• Setting better goals with NCTs: https://www.reforge.com/blog/set-better-goals-with-ncts-not-okrs
• The Creative Act by Tick Rubin: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717356/the-creative-act-by-rick-rubin/
• The S

Show notes and highlights

(01:51) Ravi's background

(05:29) Outpace's ideal customer profile and value proposition

(08:25) Ravi's view on how product leaders can balance their time between management & coaching

(10:50) Overview of Ravi's Product Strategy Stack

(14:32) Don't be too distracted by nailing both Mission and Vision statements

(16:18) Goal setting and challenges OKRs can pose

(19:17) Narratives, Commitments and Tasks - a framework for goal setting

(22:27) How can teams chart a path towards progress with different goal types

(27:14) What traits Ravi hires for

(29:20) What were great candidates lacking when they weren't hired

(31:24) Biggest challenge Ravi had to solve for at Tinder

(34:49) Can leaders get coached too?

(37:28) Biggest challenge Ravi is addressing at Outpace

(39:55) Question from the Panash community

(43:28) Ravi's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

Elevate your product career

Do you feel stuck, not knowing how to tackle a problem? Are you looking for a solution to help your team members grow in their craft? Either way, check out www.panash.io Panash works with product leaders to bring expert insights and proven frameworks you can use to truly deliver impact in your role. Companies like Atlassian, Contentsquare and Mirakl ALL choose Panash to provide the right level of training and coaching to their product teams, so they can perform at their best. Whether you’re a product leader or an individual contributor: head to www.panash.io, book a seat to one of our many programs and raise your product game today. Check out https://www.panash.io.

Panash

#16: In this episode, Airbase's VP Product, Krishna Panicker, sits down with Axel to talk about the importance of focus for product managers and teams. Krish is a seasoned product manager with a career spanning over 20 years. He has a passion for building teams that drive growth and deliver consumer-grade experiences, as well as a deep curiosity for what drives demand.

Previously Krish led the product team at Pipedrive and started his career at Skype before the acquisition by Microsoft. Post acquisition, his role grew to look after Skype and Skype for Business.

Krish is also a prominent speaker at conferences (Mind The Product, ProductCon).

Where to find Krish

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishnapanicker/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

• Krish's talk about Value Stacking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0l9-EGCHm0
• Krish on Know Thy Competition: https://youtu.be/sF6e4n_YkxQ?t=2957
• The 4 big risks framework: https://www.svpg.com/four-big-risks/

Show notes and highlights

(01:21) Krish's background

(05:35) What is value stacking

(06:56) Krish declares PM Bankruptcy

(07:53) Let some fires burn 🔥 🔥 🔥

(09:27) Noise is a function of number of touchpoints

(13:01) How do we focus when 70% of initiatives fail

(15:12) Unfailing your way to success

(16:23) The 4 Risks framework

(20:41) Using Product reviews to front-load the pain

(24:25) Division of labour, accountability and ownership

(27:37) Using product reviews to identify and tackle risks

(35:12) Creating psychological safety

(6:27) Having a lot of jabs instead of the disease

(38:46) Krish's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

Elevate your product career

Do you feel stuck, not knowing how to tackle a problem? Are you looking for a solution to help your team members grow in their craft? Either way, check out www.panash.io Panash works with product leaders to bring expert insights and proven frameworks you can use to truly deliver impact in your role. Companies like Atlassian, Contentsquare and Mirakl ALL choose Panash to provide the right level of training and coaching to their product teams, so they can perform at their best. Whether you’re a product leader or an individual contributor: head to www.panash.io, book a seat to one of our many programs and raise your product game today. Check out https://www.panash.io.

Panash

#17: In this episode, Axel chats with Rhiannon White, who's CPO at Clue, a female-founded, female-led period tracking and reproductive health app for women and people with cycles worldwide.

We cover the topic of driving product based on business and product outcomes, the importance of having a strong understanding of business model and how to leverage financial understanding to drive decision-making for growth.

Rhiannon has a wide range of experience from multiple industries across the globe. After four years working in politics, becoming Director of Communications and Research for former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, she then went on to work in the media field for companies including the BBC in London and Shazam in Silicon Valley, and more recently was the Chief Product Officer for Vend where she was part of the team that led the exit.

Where to find Rhiannon

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhiannon-white-5422a111

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode

• Inspired by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/books/inspired-how-to-create-tech-products-customers-love-2nd-edition/
• Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
• The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto: https://www.barbaraminto.com/concept.html
• Of Strategies, Deliberate and Emergent by Henry Mintzberg: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2486186
• McKinsey's Structure Performance Model: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/enduring-ideas-the-scp-framework
• 7 rules of power by Jeffrey Pfeffer: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/
• Susan Colantuono on Career advice and Leadership: https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_colantuono_the_career_advice_you_probably_didn_t_get/transcript

Show notes and highlights

(01:38) Rhiannon's background

(05:25) Vend's exit from the perspective of product

(07:08) You need to have a BFF in Finance

(10:03) How do you evaluate product folks have the right skills

(12:22) How does clarity on business outcomes help in solving the right problems

(17:43) Do you align squads with product outcomes and if so, how?

(21:13) P&L is revealed strategy

(23:47) Rhiannon's learnings from working at Shazam, in the Valley

(27:40) You're not bringing enough insight

(34:05) Influence = engagement + gravitas

(35:30) The half-life of trust

(43:08) The dirty secret of management

(46:20) Rhiannon's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

#18: Rico is Chief Product & Technology Officer at Which? Ltd, the UK’s consumer champion. Over a fifteen-year career, Rico has worked in Product roles in industries ranging from Media (BBC, ITV, Sky, NewsCorp) to eCommerce (Sainsbury's, Vodafone, Photobox) to Consultancy (Accenture). Collaborating on product and feature launches with Apple, Google and Amazon.

In this episode, we talk about Rico's role across both product and engineering as a CPTO. We cover the topic of transformation and what that means in the context of a 65 year old organisation like Which? Rico shares his recipe for a successful transformation and talks about how he planned for his first 90 days coming into the role.

Where to find Rico

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricosurridge/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode

• Google DeepMind: https://www.deepmind.com/
• Team topologies: https://teamtopologies.com/
• Richard Russell, OKR Coach: https://richardrussell.co/
• Rico's blog on Medium: https://medium.com/@rico.surridge

Show notes and highlights

(01:45) Rico's background

(04:04) Which? The consumer champion

(04:40) The CPTO role

(09:21) The importance of having a strong head of engineering

(12:01) The role Which? plays in the UK and Rico's mandate

(17:56 ) Rico's playbook for the transformation at Which?

(27:30) Rico's plan for his first 90 days at Which?

(32:59) How to keep teams motivated and engaged during a transformation

(39:31) Thin-slicing one's way through transformation

(40:50) Rico's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

Elevate your product career

Do you feel stuck, not knowing how to tackle a problem? Are you looking for a solution to help your team members grow in their craft? Either way, check out www.panash.io Panash works with product leaders to bring expert insights and proven frameworks you can use to truly deliver impact in your role. Companies like Atlassian, Contentsquare and Mirakl ALL choose Panash to provide the right level of training and coaching to their product teams, so they can perform at their best. Whether you’re a product leader or an individual contributor: head to www.panash.io, book a seat to one of our many programs and raise your product game today. Check out https://www.panash.io.

Panash

#14: Tobias Dickmeis, CPO and co-founder at Tandem, sits down with Axel to talk about the journey of building Tandem, a language exchange app with over 20 million registered users.

In this episode, we talk about Founder-Product fit, the challenges of acquisition and network effects in the context of a B2C app. We also touch on the tenets of community building and experimentation opportunities with a large user base.

Where to find Tobias

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dickmeis/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode

• Tandem language learning: https://www.tandem.net/
• Silicon Valley Product Group: https://www.svpg.com/
• Reforge blog: https://www.reforge.com/blog
• Polyglot conference: https://polyglotconference.com/
• Stratechery by Ben Thompson: https://stratechery.com/
• Brighteye VC: https://www.brighteyevc.com/content

Show notes and highlights

(01:27) Tobias' background

(02:28) Tandem's origin story

(05:26) Building a 20M strong community

(06:47) Nailing paid marketing is not easy

(07:30) Founder-Product Fit

(09:22) The flipping moment for Tandem

(12:07) Network effects and growth

(13:17) How does Tandem make money

(14:04) Language learning insights from Tandem

(16:59) Tandem's biggest product challenge

(19:15) How Tandem is planning to address this challenge

(21:17) How to build for a diverse group of users globally

(23:09) Leveraging user base for experimentation

(26:38) How is Tandem organised internally

(27:30) Tobias' Treasure Chest

Mentioned in this episode:

Elevate your product career

Do you feel stuck, not knowing how to tackle a problem? Are you looking for a solution to help your team members grow in their craft? Either way, check out www.panash.io Panash works with product leaders to bring expert insights and proven frameworks you can use to truly deliver impact in your role. Companies like Atlassian, Contentsquare and Mirakl ALL choose Panash to provide the right level of training and coaching to their product teams, so they can perform at their best. Whether you’re a product leader or an individual contributor: head to www.panash.io, book a seat to one of our many programs and raise your product game today. Check out https://www.panash.io.

Panash

#13: In this episode, Axel chats with Francesca Cortesi, the CPO of Hemnet, one of the world’s most popular property portals and one of Sweden’s most beloved products. Through her career, she contributed to building some amazing digital products: from a global community for girls to express their creativity, to e-commerce platforms, a two-sided marketplace in its expansion phase, and a startup in the sustainability space.

Francesca shares the story of how she seized the opportunity of becoming the CPO of Hemnet, what were the levers she used to make that move possible. We cover the foundations of a product transformation and how to create a movement in the organisation. She also shares her experience working with teams and providing clarity on goals, supporting their growth and progression.

Where to find Francesca

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesca-cortesi/
• Website: https://www.francescacortesi.com/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode

• Hemnet: https://www.hemnet.se/
• Inspired by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/books/inspired-how-to-create-tech-products-customers-love-2nd-edition

Show notes and highlights

(01:39) Francesca's background

(04:24) About Hemnet, Sweden's #1 housing marketplace

(10:11) Early transformation post acquisition by Private Equity

(15:45) Importance of getting buy-in from C-Suite

(23:55) Creating an environment for the product team to thrive

(28:23) Supporting the growth and progression of PMs

(33:16) Giving clarity to teams and setting goals

(34:56) Transposing business outcomes into product outcomes

(40:03) The danger in copy/pasting frameworks out of context

(41:37) Francesca's Treasure Chest

#15: In this episode, we're trilled to host Floriane Gramlich who is CPO at Zalando Payments. Floriane is passionate about treating everything as a product, including her own career. She is dedicated to investing in product management and helping others improve in their craft.

Floriane has a keen interest in narratives and writing papers and is trying to get better at it. We touch on the importance of PRFAQs and how they can help product managers in thinking through the problems they're trying to solve. We talk about leading, scaling and building teams.

Besides her role at Zalando, Floriane also mentors product people, mostly women, to help them grow in their career. She sees her role as a product leader as embodying the role of a multiplicator by mentoring and sharing her knowledge. She talks about the hard skills and soft skills involved in product management, and how she helps others to learn and improve in both areas.

Where to find Floriane

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/florianegramlich/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in this episode:

• Working backwards: https://www.workingbackwards.com/
• PRFAQs: https://www.svpg.com/example-prfaq/
• Clifton Strength Test: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/286556/ndys.aspx
• Manager ReadMe: https://managerreadme.com/
• Inspired: https://www.svpg.com/books/inspired-how-to-create-tech-products-customers-love-2nd-edition/
• Empowered: https://www.svpg.com/books/empowered-ordinary-people-extraordinary-products/

Show notes and highlights

(01:59) Floriane's background

(03:10) What does "being a multiplicator" mean?

(04:18) The 2 dimensions of being a multiplicator

(06:17) Floriane's take on what "better" Product Managers look like

(07:44) The importance of writing skills as a product person

(12:40) Should PMs be specialists or swiss knives?

(20:09) Different leadership styles for Product Mangers

(23:43) Craft skills & Human skills (Hard skills & Soft skills)

(25:13) Using data to make sense of the world

(28:20) Becoming best friends with your BI & Analytics team

(34:38) The art (or science) of Prioritization

(37:45) Treat yourself as a product

(39:22) Floriane is a big fan of coaching

(45:10) Floriane's view of how a PM can look for their next job

(51:07) Floriane's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

#12: In this episode, we are joined by Andre, a product and design leader at Kitch.

Andre has a unique experience, starting his career at Google but now focusing on early-stage product management.

He talks about the different profiles of product managers, the skills needed to thrive in each bucket, and how to hire for the early-stage product managers.

Andre also shares his experiences from One Month PM and discusses the concept of the T-shaped person.

With Andre's insights, listeners will gain more clarity on the product management journey and learn valuable tools for succeeding in both zero to one and one to end product management.

Where to find Andre

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-albuquerque/
• Website: https://www.andrealbuquerque.com/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Referenced in the show:

• Product Manager Hats: https://www.productboard.com/blog/the-many-hats-of-product-managers/
• One Month PM: https://onemonthpm.com/

Show notes and highlights

(01:31) Andre's background

(02:45) One Month PM

(05:12) Being a builder

(07:41) 2 categories of PMs / 0-1 and 1-n

(17:05) What is lacking in candidates who are not getting hired

(20:31) Product Managers have to wear the mayor hat

(24:19) How do you use your influence capital as a PM

(28:28) Andre's biggest challenges as a Product Leader

(35:15) Andre's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

Elevate your product career

Do you feel stuck, not knowing how to tackle a problem? Are you looking for a solution to help your team members grow in their craft? Either way, check out www.panash.io Panash works with product leaders to bring expert insights and proven frameworks you can use to truly deliver impact in your role. Companies like Atlassian, Contentsquare and Mirakl ALL choose Panash to provide the right level of training and coaching to their product teams, so they can perform at their best. Whether you’re a product leader or an individual contributor: head to www.panash.io, book a seat to one of our many programs and raise your product game today. Check out https://www.panash.io.

Panash

#11: AnyBill's Chief Product Officer, Alex Lüke, joins Axel to talk about how the Berlin-based startup is transforming the digital receipts landscape with their B2B solution. Axel and Alex talk about what it means to build a SaaS product at an early stage and the implications on how product drives value.

Alex shares her perspective around building knowledge across merchants and customers, using insights for decision-making and prioritising at the intersection of business challenges and customer experience.

Where to find Alex

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-l-41b527138/

Where to find Axel

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axelsooriah/

About Panash

We provide training and coaching programs to help product professionals unlock their true potential and become high performers.

You can learn more about our programs here: https://www.panash.io/

Our blog contains articles and free resources on key topics for product managers and leaders.

Check it out here: https://collection.panash.io/

Show notes and highlights

(01:34) Alex's background

(04:11) AnyBill's origin story

(06:41) How does the team at AnyBill identify opportunities

(09:31) How to inform decision-making with insights across merchants and end-customers

(16:48) Receipt digitization opens up many other opportunities

(20:28) How AnyBill prioritises their initiatives being an early-stage B2B business

(25:04) What's next for AnyBill

(28:02) Why spend time on Q&A and testing at an early stage

(30:33) Alex's Treasure Chest

───

For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, please reach out to [email protected]