Reinvented innovation sprints for lasting culture change on product management teams



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TLDR



This episode of Product Mastery Now features a conversation with Sarah Stabelfeldt, VP of Innovation, and Melissa Pierson, Innovation Programs Manager at Schreiber Foods, about building high-impact innovation processes within large organizations. The discussion centers on Schreiber Foods’ journey to revitalize their innovation culture, launch The Hatchery coaching and innovation program, and successfully integrate AI tools to accelerate value creation. Key takeaways include how to foster cross-functional collaboration, strategies for maintaining innovation momentum after sprints, and practical ways to leverage AI to free teams for more meaningful, creative work.



Introduction



Product innovation processes are quickly improving. While this is great news, most organizations don’t even have a well-defined process. In this discussion, we’re exploring how to build an innovation engine that works, delivering value to customers and to the organization, with real AI integration that cuts development time from months to weeks or even days. If you’ve ever felt like your innovation sprints lose momentum, your stakeholders resist change, or you’re not sure how to practically use AI beyond the hype, you’re not alone. These are the challenges that led a $7 billion food company to reimagine how they innovate. And, we’ll learn about the innovation approach they created, called The Hatchery, including the AI tools they use.



Our guests are both with Schreiber Foods. Sara Stabelfeldt is the VP of Innovation and was previously an Innovation Leader at Kimberly-Clark. Melissa Pierson, is the Innovation Programs Manager, who previously worked in quality systems and also held quality positions at Eli Lilly. 



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



Schreiber Foods’ Innovation TransformationSchreiber Foods is a $7 billion customer-branded food company that manufactures cheese, yogurt, cream cheese, and aseptic beverages for retailers and food service. When CEO Ron Dunford took over in 2019, he initiated a transformation to accelerate growth by amplifying innovation capability. This led to a comprehensive innovation ecosystem including core innovation (supporting existing business), adjacent innovation (new revenue streams), digital labs, corporate venture capital, and The Hatchery—an innovation approach that helps companies build practical innovation cultures and programs.



Building Culture Through the Snowball EffectSarah describes building culture as akin to building a snowball, an analogy coined by her colleague Erin Faulk. You can’t force culture by pushing too hard or it crumbles. Instead, you form it and let it roll, responding to the organizational climate, context, and people. Culture is built through repeated actions that demonstrate what’s valued, not just through messaging. This approach recognizes that innovation culture must adapt to its environment rather than being imposed from above.



The Hatchery Innovation FrameworkSara explains that The Hatchery is an innovation approach developed at Schreiber Foods to equip product managers and innovators with the tools, structure, and approach to maximize culture and impact. The program alternates between learning and doing to help teams develop, practice and embed mindsets, behaviors, and technical skills in the organization to reignite innovation journeys.



Practically implementing the Hatchery involves strategic coaching and mentoring, creating a culture of innovation, using an innovation toolbox,

Accelerate, expand, and simplify your product management workflow



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TLDR



Product managers struggle with using AI effectively despite the hype around its potential. Valerio Zanini, author of AI for Product Managers, shares practical frameworks for leveraging AI tools in customer discovery, hypothesis validation, and feature selection. Key insights include using AI as a discovery assistant to analyze customer interview transcripts, synthesizing market research across multiple sources, and creating rapid prototypes with AI coding tools. Our conversation addresses real barriers product managers face—from corporate restrictions to lack of expertise—and provides actionable approaches to accelerate time-to-insight from months to weeks or days.



Introduction



Product managers know that discovery and validation can make or break a new product or a new version of a product. But, how can AI help us have more success in these areas while also accelerating our work from months to weeks or even days? Many product teams are drowning in customer data while simultaneously starving for actionable insights—it is a challenge I encounter often when I train product managers in companies. AI brings emerging tools to gain value from this data and improve our work. You’re probably already using AI in your work, but I also bet you want to know how to get more from it—how to unlock it’s real potential. Today, you’ll learn specific approaches for using AI to conduct customer discovery, validate hypotheses faster, and select features.  



Our guest, Valerio Zanini, brings 20 years of product experience, from founding startups to leading digital transformation at Capital One. He’s trained thousands of product managers worldwide and literally wrote the book on AI for Product Managers. His frameworks aren’t theoretical—they’re tested across industries and proven to accelerate time-to-insight. 



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



Valerio’s Book, AI for Product ManagersValerio wrote AI for Product Managers after discovering a gap between AI hype and reality. While social media showcases impressive AI use cases, his research revealed most product managers don’t use AI due to corporate restrictions, lack knowledge about implementation, or struggle with basic application. The book addresses the practical barriers preventing product teams from capturing AI’s benefits, moving beyond theoretical possibilities to tested frameworks that work across industries. When used correctly, AI tools expand, simplify, and accelerate product managers’ work.



The Gap in AI Adoption by Product ManagersMany product managers face significant obstacles to AI adoption that don’t appear in success stories. Corporate environments often restrict AI tool access due to privacy concerns, leaving teams with sandboxed systems inferior to consumer tools like ChatGPT. Product managers frequently lack permission to use AI, don’t understand how to apply it effectively, or face organizational inertia. This creates a disconnect between the potential demonstrated in workshops and conferences versus day-to-day practice where teams remain starved for actionable insights despite drowning in customer data.



AI as a Discovery AssistantAI excels at analyzing customer interview transcripts to find patterns and insights that humans might miss. After conducting customer interviews, product managers can feed transcripts into AI tools to identify recurring themes, pain points, and unmet needs across conversations. The AI can also act as a synthetized user, helping to expand thinking into areas not initially conside...

How top industry leaders are breaking down barriers in product management and innovation



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TLDR



Three innovation consultants—Matt Phillips, Mike Hyzy, and Will Evans—share insights from facilitating the executive innovation track at PDMA’s Ignite Innovation Conference. The session brought together 25 senior directors and VPs from Fortune 100 companies to discuss their most pressing innovation challenges. They discussed key challenges to innovation, including managing capacity to carve out space for innovation work, driving AI adoption across the workforce, and building innovation cultures that spread beyond dedicated innovation teams. Solutions discussed include celebrating effort over success, creating visible recognition systems for innovators, and developing innovation models that train innovation champions across different parts of organizations.



Introduction



What happens when innovation executives from across industries gather in one room to surface their most urgent challenges? In this discussion, we’re going behind the scenes of the Executive Innovation Track at PDMA’s Ignite Innovation conference—a rare opportunity where leaders dropped their guard and revealed the real innovation challenges keeping them up at night. We’ll discuss the actual challenges executives are facing right now, discover which constraints matter most, and learn how leaders are breaking through their biggest innovation barriers. 



Our guests facilitated this executive session. Matt Phillips founded Phillips & Co., advising companies like Paramount Pictures and Pepsi on accelerating innovation. Mike Hyzy leads CGI’s Product Studio, helping organizations turn AI and emerging tech into market-winning products. Will Evans from Fugue Strategy brings strategic foresight and Theory of Constraints expertise to help companies build adaptive organizations. 



Find out more about the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) and next year’s innovation conference.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



Challenges in Innovation



Managing Capacity for InnovationWill Evans highlighted that executives struggle to carve out capacity—both internal and external resources—to do innovation work while managing existing operations. Organizations face the tension between day-to-day operational demands and the need to invest in future innovation.



AI Adoption and ROIMike Hyzy identified low adoption rates as a major challenge. Even after selecting AI platforms (Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, GitHub Copilot, etc.), only 15% of employees typically use these tools. Without widespread adoption, organizations can’t achieve the promised ROI from AI investments. The challenge extends across different personas and roles, from knowledge workers to engineers.



Culture and Spreading Innovation Beyond the FewMatt Phillips found that culture is a barrier to innovation. Executives are facing challenges trying to spread innovation beyond dedicated NPD or innovation groups. Leadership attitudes and organizational culture often prevent employees from suggesting ideas or taking innovation risks.



Solutions and Approaches



Celebrating Effort, Not Just SuccessOrganizations should recognize teams and individuals who attempt innovation, even when efforts don’t result in products. One manufacturing company created an “innovation wall” that celebrates anyone who suggests an idea or launches a product,

How Pella revolutionized the window industry by solving installers’ overlooked pain points



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TLDR



This episode explores how Pella Corporation transformed window installation by shifting their innovation focus from buyers to installers—the often-overlooked specialists whose work makes or breaks the customer experience. Director of Innovation, Design, and Brand Experience Jenn Tuetken shares the journey behind developing Pella’s award-winning Steady Set Interior Installation System, which slashes install time by 72% and enables a single person to complete what once required two. Learn about deeply immersive market research, uncovering hidden pain points, and the strategic moves that made industry-wide change possible—all without lowering prices.



Introduction







What if your biggest innovation opportunity isn’t with the people who buy your product, but with the people who install it? We’re exploring how Pella Corporation revolutionized the window industry by obsessing over installers—the critical users who don’t purchase windows but determine whether every installation succeeds or fails. You’ll discover a framework for researching non-buyer stakeholders, specific techniques for uncovering hidden pain points people have accepted as normal, and strategies for driving market adoption without lowering prices—all through the story of an innovation that cuts installation time by 72% and can transform a two-person job into a one-person task.



Joining us is Jenn Tuetken, Director of Innovation, Design, and Brand Experience at Pella Corporation, where she’s led the development of award-winning innovations including the Steady Set Interior Installation System and Hidden Screen. With experience from Michael Graves Design Group to founding her own design consultancy, she brings over 15 years of expertise in translating user insights into breakthrough products.



Find out more about the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) and next year’s innovation conference.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



New Product Ideas from Customer Visits:Jenn recommends visiting customers as a method to better understand their needs and generate ideas for new products. At Pella, a window company, product managers can easily visit customers or potential customers, since nearly everyone owns windows, but the large amount of information available can make distilling meaningful insights a challenge.



The Strategic Shift:After 90 years of focusing innovation on homeowners, Pella recognized they had a critical blind spot. Their products were designed for building systems and codes, not for the installer experience. Pella’s innovation team discovered that poor installations were driving customer callbacks, damaging brand reputation, and creating market inefficiency. This realization led them to target installers as an innovation opportunity, even though installers don’t purchase the product.



Ethnographic Research Methodology:Pella conducted ethnographic field research with installers across different skill levels and markets, shadowing them for 8-10 hour days to observe their workflows and pain points. Two innovation team members—an engineer and a designer—observed installers and distilled insights full-time for three months. The team focused on watching what people do rather than just listening to what they say. This approach proved essential for uncovering normalized inefficiencies that users had accepted as standard practice and no long...

Tools, data, and process for product ops – lessons for product managers from Pendo



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TLDR



This episode dives into the increasingly impactful world of product operations, with insights from Robert Marten, Senior Manager of Product Operations at Pendo. We discuss what product operations is, how it streamlines efficiency for product teams, its key pillars (tools, data, process), cultural shifts toward focusing on customer problems over requirements, and practical examples of tool use and benefits at Pendo. You’ll learn how product operations makes product management less chaotic, accelerates onboarding, and fosters a collaborative, efficient culture.



Introduction



Today’s topic is product operations. A lot of product teams are drowning in documentation, don’t have a clear focus, and might not really know what their North Star is. Groups that have adopted product operations have found success, but a lot of organizations don’t know about product operations yet. We’re going to dive into details about what product operations is.



I am joined by Robert Marten. He is the Senior Manager of Product Operations at Pendo. You may recognize Pendo as the software tool that helps people writing software products themselves augment them with instrumentation to get better insights. Robert is revolutionizing how Pendo does operations themselves. He has a unique background spanning military operations as an Air Force commander to leading Agile transformations at Johnson & Johnson. Robert brings a systems thinking approach to produce development and product management.



Find out more about the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) and next year’s innovation conference.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



What is Product Operations?Robert shares that product operations is about maximizing efficiency in executing a product’s mission. At Pendo, it focuses on tools, data, and process, aiming to empower product managers to do deep work rather than get bogged down in administrative chaos.



Reducing Process & Enhancing EfficiencyProcess isn’t about bureaucracy—it’s about streamlining activities and ruthlessly removing unnecessary steps. Robert emphasizes that the goal is efficiency, not standardization for its own sake. Product ops should remove process whenever the cost of the process in time or money outweighs its benefits.



Solving Communication ChallengesDisjointed communication and documentation practices slow teams down. Standardized reporting and tool use help with transparency, giving everyone access to current information and helping align teams on customer-centric objectives.



Focus on Solving Customer ProblemsRobert has observed product teams focusing on the product’s scope or requirement document instead of solving the customer problem. This leads to inefficiencies like not killing a feature soon enough or killing it too soon. Simply changing your language in conversations to reference the customer problem rather than the scope of the product can help the team maintain the right focus.



Tooling at PendoRobert describes how Pendo itself, Airtable, and the Atlassian Suite (JIRA, Confluence) are used to drive product ops. Tools are chosen for flexibility, enabling tailored views and efficient status reporting.



From Chaos to ClarityOne of the most tangible benefits of product ops is the reduction in “fires”—less confusion, fewer last-minute emergencies,

Transforming customer insight with AI – for product managers



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TLDR



In this episode, I sit down with Dr. David Robertson, senior lecturer at MIT Sloan and co-founder of ProtoBoost AI, to explore the transformative impact of AI on the innovation process. Drawing on decades of experience in product management and innovation, David Robertson discusses how product managers can leverage AI at every stage of the innovation lifecycle—from customer research and need-finding to prototyping, business case development, and cross-functional coordination. The episode covers practical challenges product managers face, ways AI can augment key skills, and the future potential and risks of AI-driven innovation.



Introduction



 Our guest is Dr. David Robertson, a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management. We are talking about the impact of AI on the innovation process. David is the author of Brick by Brick, the book on LEGO’s rebound from near bankruptcy around 2003, and the author of The Power of Little Ideas on complementary innovation. David spent five years at McKinsey leading the product development practice and has served as CEO of multiple tech companies. He recently co-founded his own tech company, ProtoBoost.ai to accelerate AI driven innovation. He has also taught at Wharton and IMD Switzerland and now runs MIT’s largest executive ed program.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



AI’s Transformation of Innovation: AI can now be applied at nearly every step in the traditional innovation process—design sprints, customer insight, prototyping, business modeling, and more.



A Brief History of AI: David Robertson reflects on the evolution from 1980s rule-based AI to today’s data-driven, generative models capable of natural language processing and complex tasks.



Challenges for Product Managers: Many product managers have strengths in some areas (e.g. customer understanding, engineering dialogue) but lack expertise in others (e.g. financial modeling, stakeholder communication). AI is emerging as a tool to fill these skill gaps. David highlights the use of AI in helping product managers communicate with other stakeholders, understand the effect of a new feature on P&L, and talk to customers.



Synthetic Customers: Recent advances show AI can act as synthetic customers, simulating human responses for interviews and market research, sometimes even more reliably than real users.



AI Agents for Every Stage: David anticipates specialized AI agents for building business cases, segmenting markets, or validating user needs—PMs shift from juggling every detail to orchestrating and validating agent outputs.



Useful Links




* Connect with David on LinkedIn



* Listen to the episode about LEGO’s transformation: 537: Step-by-step community engagement for your product – with Jake McKee




Innovation Quote



 “Play all the keys on the innovation piano. “Date your customer. Don’t fight your competitor. “Innovation flourishes when the space for it is limited.” – David Robertson



Application Questions




* Which stages of your innovation process could most benefit from AI-driven support or au...

How product managers can leverage AI to analyze and act on customer feedback



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TLDR



In this episode, I’m interviewing John Mitchell, President of Applied Marketing Science (AMS), on the evolving role of AI in Voice of the Customer (VOC) research. We discuss how AI is transforming the way companies capture customer needs, the importance of thoughtful customer research design, common pitfalls, and the critical balance between leveraging human insight and machine learning. John gives practical advice on asking better questions, the value of storytelling, and real-world examples demonstrate both the power and current limitations of AI-driven VOC.



Introduction



 Today we’re talking about how we understand customers’ unmet needs and problems. There’s a lot of information these days in reviews, social media posts, and other online mechanisms, and we’re probably missing a lot of it. There are some tools out there that could help us do a better job understanding what’s going on. We’ll dive into just what some of the options are for us and also how AI is impacting this.



Our guest is John Mitchell. He is the president of Applied Marketing Science (AMS). John has spent over 20 years helping Fortune 500 companies and startups alike understand their customers better. He has trained over a thousand people on Voice of the Customer (VOC) approaches and led customer-insight workshops at McKinsey, Innosight, and Vistaprint before coming back to lead AMS. Whether you’re pioneering VOC research in your organization or just getting into how AI can help us with this, AMS has a deep history with this that John has been part of.



This episode was recorded live at the Ignite Innovation Conference, the Product Development and Management Association’s annual conference. To find out more about PDMA and how it can help your career, go to PDMA.org.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



The Evolution of VOC & AI’s Role:John Mitchell traces VOC from face-to-face interviews and observational research to today’s use of AI and machine learning, highlighting how AI accelerates insights, uncovers overlooked data, and helps companies extract more value from existing information.



Common VOC Mistakes:Many teams underprepare for VOC research, talk only to “A-list” or friendly customers, or simply ask customers what they want (which often leads to generic answers). Deep customer understanding and competitive advantage come from well-structured research and targeting a broader audience.



Asking Better Questions:Instead of generic questions, John Mitchell recommends getting customers to tell detailed stories about their experiences, which reveal both functional and emotional needs.



AI Tools in VOC:There are three main AI approaches for VOC work: open tools (with noted security risks), secure commercial data analysis platforms, and purpose-built tools trained to articulate customer needs from large data sources. AI extends and enhances human analysis, often finding emotional unmet needs that people might miss.



Synthetic Customers:While not yet widely adopted by AMS, synthetic personas have potential for rapid concept evaluation—though John Mitchell cautions against over-reliance, emphasizing that real human feedback remains irreplaceable.



Real-World Example:In the paint and stains category, AMS compared traditional human VOC analysis to an AI model, finding that a combined approach surfaced the most compreh...

How product managers use AI to boost productivity and innovation success



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TLDR



In this episode of Product Mastery Now, Katie Trauth Taylor, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Narratize AI, joins me to discuss how AI is transforming product innovation processes. She shares insights from working with Fortune 500 companies like NASA, Boeing, and Comcast, and dives into research showing that product and R&D teams spend up to 70% of their time on documentation and communication rather than true innovation. Katie outlines four best practices for leveraging AI, including the use of knowledge hubs, AI agents, and robust documentation processes, to unlock productivity, capture tribal knowledge, and speed up time to market by as much as 46%. The conversation also highlights the importance of storytelling in gaining buy-in for new ideas and the potential for AI to revolutionize knowledge management and portfolio intelligence.



Introduction



 Product teams waste a lot of their time doing things that don’t help get to the heart of product innovation. We need to flip the script on that so that we can be more productive with our innovation efforts. In this discussion, you’re going to learn how companies like Boeing, Comcast, and others are accomplishing this. We’re going to talk about four specific approaches for unleashing AI for product innovation.



To help us with that is our guest, Dr. Katie Trauth Taylor. She is the CEO and co-founder of Narratize AI, and she helps R&D transform their scattered knowledge into a competitive advantage. She has worked with NASA, Boeing, and other Fortune 500 companies to cut documentation time and speed products to market. Katie discovered that innovators are spending too much of their time just trying to communicate their ideas, and she built an AI platform to improve this. She holds a PhD from Purdue University and has published peer-reviewed research on innovation storytelling that’s reshaping how teams work.



Find out more about the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) and next year’s innovation conference.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



The Problem with Documentation:Product teams spend roughly 70% of their time on documentation, reporting, and knowledge lookup instead of direct innovation. This significantly slows time to market.



AI as a Knowledge Capture Tool:Katie turned to large language models to transform how product teams do documentation. AI can systematically prompt and capture insights, store tribal knowledge, and automate documentation customized to roles and project phases.



The Power of Storytelling:Successful innovation relies on crafting compelling narratives, not just data. Five drivers for effective storytelling are empathy, engagement, alignment, evidence, and impact.



Best Practices for Leveraging AI in Product Teams:




* Think Outside the Chatbot: AI tools are a knowledge-capture capability, not just a question-and-answer capability. Use AI to prompt and store deep organizational insights, not just answer questions. Narratize AI provides workflows for product innovation processes like Agile and Jobs-To-Be-Done.



* Embrace AI Agents: Agents can provide proactive, role-specific updates (like regulatory changes or market intelligence) and work in the background.



* Documentation or It Didn’t Happen: Accurate, human-reviewed documentation is crucial for knowledge management and competitive advanta...

What product managers should know about patents, trade secrets, and copyright



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TLDR



In this episode, I’m joined by David Carstens, a seasoned IP attorney and founding partner at Carstens, Allen & Gourley, who brings over 30 years of legal and technical experience in intellectual property (IP) strategy. Our conversation dives into the importance of IP management for product managers, how to build an IP strategy, when to consider patents versus trade secrets, the complexities of software and AI-generated content, and the rapid pace of change in the IP landscape. The episode is a must-listen for any product manager navigating decisions around invention protection, copyright, and the evolving influence of artificial intelligence.



Introduction



If you’ve ever wondered whether to patent that new feature, worried about AI training data copyright issues, or struggled to justify IP investment to leadership, you’re not alone. We’re exploring intellectual property strategy for product managers—and what it means to get it right and how expensive it can be when you get it wrong. Most product managers don’t receive training on IP strategy, yet the decisions you make daily have massive IP implications.



Our guest is David Carstens, who has a unique combination of technical depth and legal expertise. He’s a founding partner at Carstens, Allen & Gourley. He has dual engineering degrees, an MBA, and over 30 years experience protecting IP for companies building software, medical devices, and telecommunications products. He’s also an entrepreneur who founded multiple companies including a nationally chartered bank and an innovation platform, plus he’s been teaching IP law at SMU for three decades. David is currently investing in and speaking about the Fifth Industrial Revolution, making him well positioned to help us also understand how AI is reshaping IP strategy. 



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



IP Strategy Framework:David mentions that there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” framework for IP strategy; it starts with assessing a company’s current position, identifying valuable innovations, evaluating what can realistically be protected, and aligning actions with budget constraints. Key steps include identifying strong value propositions, checking for existing patents or IP conflicts, and sometimes considering licensing or redesign if a competitor already owns relevant patents.



Timing and Collaboration:Product managers should start thinking about IP early—preferably well before product launch or tooling investment. Collaborating with an IP attorney and creating a culture that values teamwork and knowledge sharing can help spot and protect innovations more effectively.



Patents, Trade Secrets, and Value:Patents offer competitive advantages by providing pricing freedom, can act as bargaining assets, and are vital for companies seeking investment. Trade secrets, by contrast, are about keeping valuable information confidential (e.g., formulas or processes not disclosed publicly), but are only effective if the information can’t be easily reverse-engineered from the product.



Software & AI Challenges:The fast pace of software development often complicates patent decisions. Patentability is more likely when software enables a genuinely novel technical process rather than automating routine tasks. For AI-generated content, copyright ownership is still unsettled; it usually depends on the degree of human contribution to the creative process. Legal systems are racing to catch up as AI shakes up traditional definitions of authorship and origina...

A leadership framework that gives product managers influence



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TLDR



In this episode, Uma Subramanian shares her insights and proven framework for transitioning from individual contributor to effective leader in tech and product management roles. Drawing from her extensive experience at Microsoft and Turing, Uma explains the identity shift required for leadership, introduces her SOAR framework (Strategic Impact, Outstanding Communication, Authority/Personal Brand, Relationship Mastery), and provides actionable tips for developing each pillar. Listeners will learn how to think beyond their immediate role, communicate their impact, build a compelling personal brand, and master the art of building relationships—all key to becoming sought-after leaders.



Introduction



Today we’re exploring a challenging transition in product management —the shift from individual contributor to someone who multiplies the success of others. I know the first time I became responsible for a team, I was a fish out of water. I knew what made me successful in my previous role, but I didn’t know how to be successful leading others. I had not learned that yet. How do you lead when no one actually taught you how to lead? In this discussion, we’re going to give you a proven framework and helpful tools for successfully making this transition.



Our guest is Uma Subramanian, and she understands this transformation very well. She spent 20 years at Microsoft evolving from programmer to leading global teams. Then she became Head of Developer Success at Turing, where she built a developer community from zero to 37,000 members in just five months while driving NPS scores to world-class levels of 92. She’s a certified executive coach with Maxwell Leadership, trained in positive psychology, and now helps tech professionals worldwide make this same leadership leap through her company, Limitless Leaders. Uma understands both the technical and human sides of this challenge.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



The Leadership Identity Shift:Uma and host Chad discuss how moving into leadership isn’t just a role change but an identity change. Success as an individual often doesn’t translate directly; leaders must learn to orchestrate success with others.



Uma’s SOAR Framework for Leadership:




* S – Strategic Impact: Thinking beyond your job description to create greater value for your organization, being proactive, and bringing others along.



* O – Outstanding Communication: Communicating your value effectively, using storytelling to persuade, and making sure your impact is recognized.



* A – Authority & Personal Brand: Defining what you want to be known for, aligning others’ perceptions with your authentic self, and standing out in your niche.



* R – Relationship Mastery: Building genuine relationships at all levels, creating an ecosystem of support, and focusing on people as much as tasks.




Encouraging Teams to Rally Around Strategic Goals:Product leaders elevate impact company-wide, often going beyond their assigned responsibilities. This approach can lead to friction, such as when Uma developed engineering tools without first looping in the appropriate teams. Through these experiences, Uma learned that encouraging teams to align with strategic goals requires proactive communication and collaboration. She highlights the value of involving the appropriate teams early on as well as partnering across teams to solve problems together.

Practical strategies for building influence and confidence from a Product VP coach



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TLDR



In this episode, I talk with Rebecca Arora, founder of Access Alignment, executive coach, and author of Somatic Intelligence, about making the transition from successful product manager or director to VP of Product and beyond. Rebecca shares practical strategies for this professional transition, including the need to shift from domain expertise to people leadership, the importance of relationship mapping, communication skills, and strategic thinking. She offers advice on handling stress, leveraging self-awareness, and using coaching techniques to empower teams. We also explore how to set yourself up for success in the first 90 days of a new leadership role.



Introduction



Let’s say you’re a product manager, you have done outstanding work, and you’re getting promoted to Product VP. Congratulations! The excitement lasts about 24 hours before reality hits. Suddenly you’re responsible for product strategy, team leadership, board presentations, and influencing executives. The skills that made you successful as an individual contributor won’t be enough to make you successful as a Product VP. How do you make this transition?



Many of the Product VPs I have talked with use a professional coach to help them move from doing product management work to leading the people who do the work. Our guest today is one of those coaches who has helped several Product VPs. From this episode, you’ll learn practical steps to take for making a similar transition from individual contributor to leader, setting yourself up for long-term success. 



Our guest is Rebecca Arora, founder of Access Alignment and author of Somatic Intelligence. Rebecca has a unique background – she was a Co-Founder and the first Product Leader at Mode Media, which scaled to become the #1 lifestyle digital media company. She also contributed to product strategy at Oracle. For the past 16 years, she’s been coaching C-suite leaders and top execs in all functions (including Product). Rebecca’s clients work at exceptional companies such as Google, Salesforce, IDEO, Pinterest, Blue Shield of California, Accenture, and many more. Her book, Somatic Intelligence, helps leaders align head, heart, and body to lead with awareness, confidence, and clarity. 



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



Transitioning from Individual Contributor to Leader:Rebecca describes the challenges facing newly promoted Product VPs, noting the skills that made you a great product manager may not be sufficient as a senior leader. The key leap is shifting your mindset from being an expert to becoming more of a coach and empowering others.



The Company as Your Product:As you move up, your sphere of influence expands. Rebecca encourages leaders to think of the company and entire industry as their “product,” applying product management skills to relationships, organizations, and strategy, not just the features you build.



Overcoming the Expert Trap:Product leaders can struggle with letting go of being the domain expert and instead fostering empowerment and growth in others. Rebecca advises asking open-ended coaching questions and making space for your team to experiment—even if they do things differently from how you would.



Relationship Mapping and Communication:Building new relationships is a priority. Rebecca suggests creating a relationship map to identify stakeholders and potential influencers, addressing conflicts, and strengthening weak connections.

How product managers can build emotional connections that drive retention, revenue, and referrals



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TLDR



Product delight goes beyond functionality to create emotional connections with users. Dr. Nesrine Changuel, former product leader at Google, Spotify, and Microsoft, presents a four-step framework for systematically building delight into products. The approach involves identifying both functional and emotional motivators, turning them into product opportunities, categorizing solutions using a Delight Grid, and validating through a Delight Excellence Checklist. Research shows emotionally connected users have 2x higher retention and revenue, plus 60% more referrals. The optimal product portfolio balances 50% functional features, 40% deep delight (both functional and emotional), and 10% surface delight (purely emotional).



Introduction



Why do customers choose your product? Is it faster, does it have the best features, or is it priced better than your competitors? Don’t kid yourself, these are areas where your competitors can easily reach parity. So, what makes a product stand out? What makes it become the product customers genuinely love and can’t imagine living without? Not only will you find out in this episode, but you’ll also learn about the framework to make it happen.



Our guest expert is Dr. Nesrine Changuel. She has spent over a decade building products used by millions at Google, Spotify, and Microsoft. She’s the creator of the Delight Framework that helped teams at these companies systematically build emotional connection into products. She now teaches this methodology at business schools, including INSEAD and ESSEC, and her recent book, Product Delight, describes these proven methods.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



What is Product Delight?Product delight means creating products that connect with users on an emotional level while solving functional problems. It addresses both what users need to accomplish and how they want to feel while using the product.



The Four-Step Delight Framework:




* Identify Motivators: List both functional motivators (what users want to accomplish) and emotional motivators (how they want to feel – productive, secure, connected, etc.).



* Create Product Opportunities: Transform emotional motivators into concrete product possibilities that can be implemented.



* Generate Solutions Using the Delight Grid: Categorize features into three types:

* Low Delight: Purely functional features



* Surface Delight: Purely emotional features



* Deep Delight: Features addressing both functional and emotional needs





* Validate with the Delight Excellence Checklist: Ensure features bring impact, avoid distraction, remain inclusive, and provide continuous rather than one-time delight




The 50-40-10 Rule:Nesrine recommends that the optimal product roadmaps should contain:




* 50% low delight (functional features)



* 40% deep delight (functional + emotional)



* 10% surface delight (purely emotional)




Examples and Case Studies:



Spotify Examples:




* Low Delight: Search by lyrics functionality



* Surface Delight: Spotify Wrapped (contributed to 20% app downloads in 2020)



* Deep Delight: Discover Weekly, collaborative playlists,

Top challenges product leaders face and how to overcome them



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TLDR



Product leadership expert Rich Mironov discusses three core challenges CPOs and product VPs face: effectively communicating value in business terms rather than process terminology, building trust through merchandising wins before gaining decision-making authority, and reducing product waste by making better decisions about what to build. Executives don’t care how product gets made; they care about revenue impact. Success requires translating product outcomes into financial language and proving value through small wins before requesting broader organizational changes.



Introduction



We’re talking about the top challenges CPOs and Product VPs face. Navigating them well can cause your career to excel and result in valuable products. Navigating them poorly has career-limiting consequences. This discussion will help you avoid the latter by giving you approaches to address common product leadership challenges.



Our guest has mentored more product leaders and executives than anyone else I know over his 40-year career in product roles. He has served as interim CPO for 15 companies, founded the first Product Camp, consulted to hundreds of tech companies, and wrote the book The Art of Product Management. His blog, “Product Bytes,” is widely read by product leaders. From that description, you likely already know who our guest is—Rich Mironov. 



Rich has seen every product leadership disaster imaginable and knows how to fix them. Let’s learn how to address and even avoid such challenges.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



First Principles for Product Leaders:Rich outlines three areas product leaders must champion:




* Real end users



* Extended teams (product managers, designers, engineers, DevOps, technical writers)



* Overall business health (long-term value)




Speaking the Executive Language:




* Executives are not interested in hearing you talk about product processes and methodologies



* They want to know when money will arrive and how much



* Product leaders must translate improvements into financial impact



* Example: “Reducing churn by 2% equals $45-50 million more revenue and IPO one year earlier”




Reducing Product Waste:Rich distinguishes between two types of waste:




* Engineering waste (late delivery, quality issues) – the minority



* Product waste (building the wrong things) – the majority of failures



* Focus on reducing products that “land like a dead thud in the market”




The Trust-Building Problem:




* Moving to product-led decision making requires taking authority away from sales and marketing



* This creates resistance unless product teams prove they make better decisions



* Solution: Build trust through showing value before requesting organizational changes




The Merchandising Strategy:Weekly practices for building influence by recording and communicating added value:




* Document and communicate product team wins in financial terms



* Ask your team members for names of people outside product management who did something good in the last week and ...

Lessons from Saturday Night Live for improving product team culture



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TLDR



John Krewson, who began his career in sketch comedy before moving to software product development, explains what product teams can learn from sketch comedy. Like comedy writers, product teams must be able to be vulnerable, throw away unsuccessful ideas, and prioritize delivering valuable products over perfect products. John shares principles and practices adapted from sketch comedy that product managers can use to balance autonomy and accountability, make meetings more engaging, and understand customer problems.



Introduction



What if the secret to building breakthrough products is less about an innovation framework and more about the chaotic, creative energy of a Saturday Night Live writers’ room? Specifically, can sketch comedy principles revolutionize the way your software teams collaborate, create, and deliver products that customers love? We are about to find out, and I won’t keep you in suspense—lessons from sketch comedy can make you a better product manager and developer. In this episode, you’ll hear specific techniques to transform boring meetings into energizing collaborative sessions, practical methods to help your team improve ideas fast, and a new approach to product ownership that distributes creative control without losing focus.



Our guest is John Krewson, who brings a unique perspective as a 25-year software industry veteran and professional sketch comedy performer, including a brush with SNL. He’s the founder of Sketch Development Services, has coached everyone from startups to Fortune 50 companies on agile transformation, and wrote the book on applying sketch comedy principles to product development, titled Pitch, Sketch, Launch.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



John Krewson’s Journey: John began his career as a professional actor and performed as a background player on Saturday Night Live. He then switched careers to software development and worked his way up to management, leadership, and consulting roles. As a product leader, John found himself relying on his training as an actor and director.



How Sketch Comedy Principles Inform Product Development:A software development team builds features without knowing whether they will satisfy the customer, in much the same way as a sketch comedy team has no idea if their sketch will be funny. The sketch comedy team mitigates risk by making their sketch only three and a half minutes long. Similar to software features, the sketch is a tight, independent unit of value, where the risk is mitigated by its independentness.



John studied the process of moving from an idea to a product in sketch comedy, particularly at SNL, and, along with a comedy sketch writer, wrote about how that process could be applied to product development in Pitch, Sketch, Launch.



Efficiency and Iteration:In sketch comedy, 90% of sketches don’t go on the air. Comedy teams practice their ideas on small audiences to figure out which sketches are funny before bringing them to a big show. In product development, ideas should be iterated upon using customer feedback.



Vulnerability and Transparency:Sketch comedy teams have thick skins because they’ve been told they’re not funny 90% of the time. Organization culture can allow teams to be vulnerable enough to put ideas forward that may have a 90% chance of being unsuccessful.



Always Be Ready:Lorne Michaels said, “We don’t go on because it’s ready. We go on because it’s 11:30.

Winning product portfolios in physical product development



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TLDR



In this episode, Matt Carr, VP of Design at Umbra, joins us to discuss the intersection of design leadership, product strategy, and innovation in physical product development. Matt shares practical frameworks Umbra uses to balance creative vision and business reality, offers insights into managing a global product portfolio, discusses approaches to cross-functional collaboration, and highlights how direct customer interaction (especially via e-commerce and social media) drives rapid product iteration. Product managers will find actionable tactics for portfolio balancing, design decision-making, and fostering a design-led culture.



Introduction



What does it take to design products that delight consumers while hitting profit targets? We are examining design leadership and product strategy with someone who has mastered both. If you’ve ever struggled to balance creative vision with commercial reality, or wondered how to scale design across global teams, this episode will give you frameworks you can use immediately. 



Matt Carr is VP of Design at Umbra, the Canadian-based company that designs products for every room of the home. He’s spent 25 years at Umbra, from junior designer to leading their global design operations. He’s created products that have been featured in The New York Times, Surface Magazine, and Met Home. More importantly, he’s built systems for “balancing business and imagination” that keep Umbra at the front of innovation.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



Umbra’s Global Design DNA:Matt explains how Umbra crafts products “for every room in your home.” Their five core values guide design: modern aesthetic, originality, casual sensibility, accessibility (price), and functionality.



Product Portfolio Management:Umbra maintains long-standing lines (the maintenance bucket), continually innovates with blue sky ideas, and expands on successes through thoughtful derivatives, all while staying globally relevant.



Case Study: Bellwood Photo Frame:As part of Umbra’s long-standing commitment to picture frames—a core “maintenance” product category—Matt Carr and his team recognized the need to innovate in a saturated market. Unlike traditional frames, the Bellwood features a single, continuous curve around the corners, giving it a modern, sculptural feel. It’s designed to look attractive from all angles, not just the front—a key differentiator from standard frames with plain or unsightly backs. The price-point allows Umbra to deliver premium feel at a price accessible to their global customer base.



Practical Design Process:Matt outlines the design journey from early sketch and cardboard prototypes to iterative 3D models and tooling, emphasizing early, low-cost experimentation and the importance of cross-functional team input. The process involves:




* Identifying the Need or Opportunity



* Cross-Functional Brainstorming



* Early Concept Development



* Iterative Refinement and Prototyping



* Continuous Cross-Departmental Input



* Alignment with Brand DNA



* Customer Feedback and Iteration



* Final Development and Launch




Consumer-Driven Innovation:Umbra’s internal team members often represent the target customer, but rapid feedback loops with end users—especially via e-commerce and social media—now accelerat...

Focused product strategy and teams



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TLDR



In this episode, Blair LaCorte—seasoned leader, investor, former CEO of AEye, and coach to 50+ CEOs— breaks down the keys to building product teams that win. Blair shares insights on aligning product strategy with company goals, the importance of saying no and making trade-offs, and why team culture and people patterns matter more than anything. He draws on experiences across tech, aviation, private equity, and defense, offering memorable lessons on scaling organizations, product leadership, and the human side of performance (including when and how to part ways with team members). The episode closes with advice for product managers seeking purpose, growth, and ways to elevate themselves and their teams.



Introduction



Whether you’re a product manager trying to get your team aligned, or a product leader striving to translate executive vision into actionable roadmaps, this episode addresses the real challenges you face every day.



You’ll hear from a leader who has built high-performing product teams and grown organizations across different industries, from taking autonomous vehicle tech company AEye through a $1.8 billion IPO while launching products across automotive and defense markets, to scaling XOJET into one of the fastest-growing companies in aviation history. He’s worked with over 40 companies as a private equity  Operating Partner at TPG and now coaches 50+ CEOs through his Pinnacle Performance Elite mastermind. His career started in tech at Sun Microsystems and Autodesk and has spanned hardware, software, and services. If anyone knows what separates high-performing product teams from the rest, it’s our guest, Blair LaCorte.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



Focused Product Strategy & Team Alignment:Success starts with product managers who grasp both internal operations and external market realities, aligning product decisions tightly to company strategy. Focus is critical—great leaders say no more than yes.



Scaling & Market Fit:Blair details how autonomous vehicle tech company AEye shifted from pure autonomous vehicles to ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems), aligning their tech roadmap with realistic market cycles and cash flow needs.



Team Dynamics & Culture: For a product team, the type of culture is less important than the consistency of the culture and the consistency of the team. Teams with alignment and clear expectations outperform more talented but chaotic groups. Winning builds healthy cultures; the feeling of progress is essential.



Hard Choices & Leadership:Removing the wrong team members is tough but essential. Blair emphasizes the importance of honest feedback, quick decision-making, and quickly firing weaker performers to allow the rest of the team to move forward.



Personal Growth & Knowing Yourself:Blair dives into psychology, personality frameworks, and patterns—urging product leaders to understand themselves, seek feedback, show vulnerability, and continually develop their Johari Window (the intersection of self-perception and how others see you).



Technology vs. Humanity:As technology advances rapidly, keeping humanity at the center becomes more important than ever. Product managers must weigh the impact of their products, striving for both business value and societal good.



Useful Links




* Connect with Blair on LinkedIn

Product management lessons from Amazon’s $4 billion acquisition of One Medical



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TLDR



Dr. Joseph Michelli—speaker, consultant, and bestselling author—joins me to explore how product innovation and exceptional customer experiences can transform industries, with a deep dive into One Medical, the patient-centered healthcare startup recently acquired by Amazon for $4 billion. The conversation sheds light on designing human-centric experiences, the strategic use of technology and AI, and the importance of empowering both employees and customers in service delivery. Practical takeaways for product managers include blending automation with empathy, continuous improvement through design thinking, and fostering workplace environments where innovation thrives.



Introduction



If you’ve ever struggled with whether to automate a customer touchpoint or keep it human, if you’ve wondered how to measure the “personal” side of your product experience, or if your team debates where AI helps versus where it hurts customer relationships—this discussion is for you. We’ll examine how companies dominate their markets through product innovation and customer experience that creates loyal fans, with a focus on One Medical, a start-up that Amazon acquired for $4 billion. 



Our guest is Dr. Joseph Michelli, an internationally sought-after speaker and organizational consultant. He is a New York Times #1 bestselling author who has spent his career inside the world’s most customer-obsessed companies—from Starbucks and Ritz-Carlton to Mercedes-Benz and Zappos. His latest book, All Business Is Personal, examines the human-centered approach that made One Medical stand out in healthcare.  



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



The One Medical Story:Founded by innovator Tom Lee, One Medical reimagined primary healthcare by leveraging technology for convenience, accessibility, and eliminating pain points (like waiting in both the waiting room and exam room). Their membership model allows customers to view providers’ schedules directly and schedule appointments online. Ninety-seven percent of their patients wait for less than three minutes to be seen by their provider. One Medical’s model integrates with existing health insurance, while streamlining scheduling, communication, and clinical experiences.



Designing for People:One Medical designs not only for customers but also for employees. Especially in healthcare, where burn-out and lack of talent are serious challenges, a humane experience for employees is essential. One Medical leverages user experience (UX) research, streamlines workflows, and uses AI to handle administrative burdens and enhance face-to-face interactions.



Practical Innovation:With influences from design thinking and Lean methodologies, One Medical empowers all team members as “spotters and solvers.” Practices like job rounding, customer walks, huddle boards, and cross-functional problem-solving are part of their DNA.



Amazon’s Influence:Joseph discusses Amazon’s acquisition, culture clashes (and blends), and the unique challenge of integrating a highly human service business into Amazon’s tech-forward ecosystem.



Healthcare of the Future:The integrated experience—app-based triage, same-day appointments, telehealth, and even Amazon Pharmacy delivery—showcases the potential of digital-centric, consumer-driven healthcare.



Useful Links




* Check out All Business i...

The biggest challenges when moving from individual contributor to product VP



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TLDR



In this episode, I welcome Piers Fallowfield Cooper—executive coach and author of Are You Still the Future?—to explore one of the most critical career transitions in product management: moving from individual contributor to product leader. We discuss why success as a product manager doesn’t guarantee success in leadership, the mindset and skills required to thrive as a product VP, the importance of personal strengths and adaptability, and practical advice for building a successful, energized team.



Introduction



Let me paint a picture of a common occurrence. Product VPs and leaders start out as individual contributors, i.e., product managers. Because of their outstanding work, delivering value for the organization and delighting customers, the product manager’s responsibilities and influence quickly increases, resulting in a promotion to Product VP. Sounds great, right? Maybe not—a couple months after the promotion they are struggling and their teams are frustrated. If you were that newly promoted VP, you would be wondering if you made a terrible mistake. 



Let’s turn that around. This discussion will help to equip you for the most critical transition in product management careers—the leap from individual contributor to product leader. This isn’t just about getting promoted; it’s about fundamentally shifting how you think, act, and add value. And, if you are already a product leader, this discussion will also help you improve and how you mentor your ICs. 



Our guest is Piers Fallowfield-Cooper, who has coached over 130 C-suite executives through major leadership transitions. He’s spent 30 years in senior executive roles himself scaling companies across finance, technology, and e-publishing. His book Are You Still The Future? was a Business Book of the Year finalist in 2024. He knows how to effectively navigate the journey from individual contributor to executive leader. 



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



The Challenge of the Transition:Many product VPs begin as outstanding product managers, but leadership requires a shift from “I” to “we.” The skills and knowledge that led to promotion often don’t translate to success at the next level—leadership is less about specific expertise and more about asking the right questions, fostering a broader perspective, and leading through others.



T-Shaped Leadership:Piers explains the necessity of moving from being a deep specialist to developing broad horizontal skills—an essential shift in most careers, including product management.



Find Your Sweet Spot:Ambition doesn’t always mean you want or would be happier in a leadership role. Ask yourself why you want to get promoted and consider what trade-offs come with increased responsibility.



Key Shifts for Aspiring Leaders:




* The move from “doing” to “thinking and leading.”



* Creating regular thinking time with diverse stimuli.



* Observing and reflecting on effective leadership styles, then building a personal leadership approach authentic to you.



* Focusing on helping the team succeed, rather than being everyone’s friend.




Strengths, Energy & Environment:




* Use tools like Strengths Finder to identify what energizes you, not just what you’re competent at.



* Play to your energizing strengths, focus on what the business needs,

How product managers can make their own futures



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TLDR



In this episode of Product Mastery Now, we’re joined by Robin Champ, VP of Strategic Foresight at LBL Strategies and Harvard Extension School instructor. Robin shares practical approaches for product managers and leaders to anticipate, rather than merely react to, disruptions in the market and competitive landscape. Through the Strategic Foresight Framework, scenario planning, and trend scanning, Robin explains how to create agile strategies that help organizations deliver value in uncertain futures.



Introduction



Any product manager with some experience knows the frustration of being blindsided—competitor launches that catch you off-guard, market shifts that kill your roadmap, or customer behaviors that seemingly emerge overnight. Many product teams are in a cycle of reacting to change and putting out fires. Instead, what if you could anticipate change? By the end of this episode, you’ll have the strategic foresight framework that is taught at Harvard and applied in organizations.



Our guest is Robin Champ, Vice President of Strategic Foresight at LBL Strategies and Harvard Extension School instructor. Robin spent 33 years applying foresight in the highest-stakes environments—the U.S. Secret Service and Department of Defense. She trains executives on the strategic planning methodologies that equips them to stay ahead of competitive threats and create opportunities.



Also, Robin is speaking on Tuesday, September 16th, 2025, at my favorite product innovation conference, the Product Development and Management Association’s Ignite Innovation Conference. Learn more about the conference at www.PDMAsummit.com.



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



What is Strategic Foresight?




* Foresight vs. Forecasting: Foresight embraces uncertainty and explores multiple possible futures rather than making a single prediction.



* Scenario Planning: Organizations develop strategies by considering different directions the future could take, enabling agility and preparedness for disruption.




Why Product Managers Need Foresight




* Competitive Advantage: With foresight, product managers are better equipped to stay ahead of market changes, competitor launches, and evolving customer behavior.



* Case Example: Robin describes applying scenario planning with a senior living community to anticipate shifting senior preferences and invent innovative solutions.




Foresight Methodologies




* Environmental Scanning: Deliberately monitoring signals and trends in the market and society via tools like LinkedIn, futurist publications, and AI-powered analytics.



* Futures Wheel: Mapping out potential first-, second-, and third-order impacts of proposed changes or emerging trends.



* Bringing in Creativity: Leveraging both human creativity (e.g., involving science fiction writers) and AI tools to generate diverse and imaginative future scenarios.




Practical Application




* Use scenario planning and futures wheels to consider the implications of market shifts, like changing education delivery models with AI and shorter attention spans.



* Scanning can be both manual and AI-assisted; following futurists can keep PMs ahead of upcoming trends.

How product managers can build customer-centric AI products



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TLDR



Juanjo Duran, Chief Product Officer & Chief Marketing Officer at Exoticca, joins Product Mastery Now to share how to create AI-powered product features customers actually love, not just features that sound impressive. Drawing on 25+ years in diverse leadership roles, Juanjo discusses leveraging customer obsession, data-driven decisions, and practical frameworks to balance innovation with execution. Learn how to embed AI across teams, structure innovation projects, and use the customer journey—from inspiration through to objection handling—as your roadmap for building differentiated products that deliver real value.



Introduction



Picture this: You’re a product leader trying to build AI features that customers actually use, not just technology that sounds impressive in board meetings. You’re scaling your product organization while maintaining innovation momentum. And you’re doing all this in an industry where the stakes for getting it wrong are high. We are discussing building smarter products that integrate AI that customers actually want. We’ll also explore practical frameworks for balancing innovation with execution in rapidly scaling organizations. 



Our guest is Juanjo Duran, Chief Product Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Exoticca, a leading travel tech platform that provides multi-day travel packages. Juanjo brings a unique perspective—25+ years in consumer goods at P&G and Mars, operations leadership at easyJet, marketing at eDreams, and now product leadership at Exoticca.  



Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers



Key Topics & Takeaways




* From FMCG to Travel Tech: The Leadership Thread

* Juanjo describes his journey from Procter & Gamble and Mars, to travel and product leadership at Exoticca.



* The unifying principle? Putting the customer at the center, leveraging data-driven decisions, and focusing on how brands create value.







* The Travel Customer Journey Redefined

* In travel, the journey starts the moment a customer begins browsing for trips, not just when booking or traveling.



* Product pages are transformed to make users fall in love with destinations, describe the experience simply, and address objections upfront.







* Structuring Innovation: Purpose-Driven Evaluation

* Initiatives at Exoticca are filtered by their fit with company purpose: making dream trips accessible, creating extraordinary experiences, and serving customers end-to-end.



* Innovation efforts are prioritized by value to customers, strategic fit, feasibility, and business impact.







* The AI Journey: From Efficiency to Customer Value

* Early AI efforts focused on automating repetitive tasks for efficiency. The real shift came from asking: “How can AI deliver better value for customers?”



* AI is embedded across every team, used in personalizing customer experiences, managing dynamic trip pricing, addressing customer queries (pre/post booking), and predicting pricing far in advance.







* Innovation Project Structure

* Cross-functional discovery and alignment at the outset saves time later.



* Prototyping, rapid iteration, and A/B testing form the foundation of execution.