#27: How managing PMs has made me a better IC | Katie Kent (Staff PM @ Semgrep, Ex-Panther, Flexport)

Welcome to another episode of the Supra Insider. This time, Ben and Marc are joined by Katie Kent, who shares her unique experience transitioning from a product leadership role back to an individual contributor (IC) as a staff PM at Semgrep. Katie talks about how her background in leadership has sharpened her skills as an IC, the lessons she’s learned from the security industry, and why she believes in staying hands-on with product work. The conversation explores the value of remote and hybrid work, the evolving role of tools like FigJam in fostering collaboration, and what it means to bring joy and delight into B2B products.

Whether you’re a PM considering a career shift or looking to deepen your strategic thinking, this episode offers a wealth of insights.

All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube (video).

New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox 👇

In this episode, we covered the following topics:

* Katie's decision to move from a leadership role back to being an IC and how it's impacted her approach to product management

* Her journey into the security industry and what makes security a compelling space for product managers

* The benefits of hybrid versus remote work and how the return to office is reshaping PM roles

* How collaboration tools like FigJam are changing the dynamics between product managers, designers, and engineers

* The future of leadership in tech and the potential career paths for PMs

* Insights on staying connected to the craft of product management and maintaining creativity and impact over the long term

* And more!

If you’d like to watch the video of our conversation, you can catch that on YouTube:

Links:

* Katie Kent: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiekent/

* Katie’s X: https://twitter.com/k80kent

* Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/

* Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbaselga/

If you enjoyed this conversation, please share it with a friend or colleague 👇

Also, if you’re a new subscriber, we encourage you to check out some of the recent episodes you might have missed:

And here are some less recent favorites:

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit suprainsider.substack.com