Product Thinking
Successful product management isn’t just about training the product managers who work side by side with developers everyday to build better products. It’s about taking a step back, approaching the systems within organizations as a whole, and leveling up product leadership to improve these systems. This is the Product Thinking Podcast, where Melissa Perri will connect with industry leading experts in the product management space, AND answer your most pressing questions about everything product. Join us each week to level up your skillset and invest in yourself as a product leader.
51
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Findin...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about working with engineering leadership as a director of product, the idea of moving from a leadership position back to an individual contributor to gain a wider skillset, and whether or not SAFe is the answer for a small product org.
15 min
52
Aligning Product Organizations with Adrian Howard
Adrian Howard joins Melissa to talk about involving engineers in strategy building, the importance of meaningful strategy, aligning teams across large organizations with varying initiatives and goals, and why team vs. team competition can lead to an organization’s downfall.
35 min
53
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Dual T...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about what it looks like when teams are successfully running delivery and discovery in parallel, and the two reasons teams typically struggle with delivery, throwing yourself back in the ring after a disheartening work experience has left you feeling discouraged and frustrated (and asking yourself some hard questions), and where to focus your efforts when starting a new CPO role.
22 min
54
Getting Your Users Hooked with Nir Eyal
Melissa Perri welcomes Nir Eyal to to talk about the Hook model, product ethics, serving “chocolate covered broccoli'' to your users, Wordle, internal vs. external triggers, and what inspired his newest book, Indistractable.
41 min
55
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Three ...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about differentiating between types of product management depending on the growth stage of a company, how to successfully craft strategy documents that communicate your vision, and how P&L responsibilities should be distributed across teams.
21 min
56
Striving For Mindful Leadership with Sam McAfee
Melissa Perri and Sam McAfee, founder of Startup Patterns, discuss how to strengthen emotional intelligence, how to hone your leadership skills as an IC, and what a truly courageous leader looks like.
43 min
57
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Approa...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about how to successfully lead the discovery process at a new company with a strong product culture, how to align product strategies across large corporations, and what questions to ask when your organization doesn’t have a clear vision statement to work from.
19 min
58
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About AI and...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about data, AI, and platform products, transitioning from project management to product operations, and how to navigate a lead engineering role that is intertwined with both product and people management responsibilities.
18 min
59
Facilitating Culture Change with Douglas Ferguson
Douglas Ferguson, President and Founder of Voltage Control, joins Melissa to talk about the realities and challenges of influencing corporate culture, and shares his wisdom on how and where to start your own process of change at your organization.
39 min
60
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Market...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about learning how to sharpen your market research skills, how to escape the Build Trap in highly commoditized B2B enterprise markets, and how to frame your early-stage startup experience as an asset when you’re looking to make your next career move.
15 min
61
Part 2: Digging Deeper into SAFe with Eric Willeke
Melissa Perri welcomes back Eric Willeke for part two of this SAFe conversation on the Product Thinking Podcast.
50 min
62
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Startu...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about how roadmaps fit into an early stage company, the difference between gaining buy-in as a leader and reaching team consensus, delineating ownership as a leadership team, and how to restructure teams when your organization starts operating at scale.
23 min
63
Building a Product Ecosystem with Lisa Schneider
Lisa Schneider, Chief Product Officer at Framework Homeownership, joins Melissa Perri to share her expertise on crafting great vision and mission statements, the role of the product leader, bridging the gap between sales and product, and why being an integrator is powerful.
39 min
64
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Adding...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about building product operations teams, staying in a position you love vs. diversifying your experiences, and how much a CPO actually needs to know about the inner workings of their product.
19 min
65
Marrying Product Management and Engineering wit...
Maura Kelly, VP of Engineering at Mailchimp, joins Melissa Perri to provide engineering’s point of view and to share helpful tips that will improve the way you as a product manager are collaborating with developers.
32 min
66
Reflecting on 2021 and Predictions for 2022
On this episode of The Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri is looking back on 2021.
17 min
67
Our Best Advice on Strategy and Roadmaps
On this week’s Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri shares clips of some of the best insights on roadmap creation and strategic planning at different levels of an organization so that leaders can start off the new year right.
32 min
68
Dissecting the Pluses and Pitfalls of SAFe with...
Eric Willeke, SAFe Principal Contributor, joins Melissa Perri on this week’s Product Thinking Podcast to talk all about the pros and cons of SAFe, and to share their personal experiences with this often polarizing agile framework.
42 min
69
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Public...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about topics across the board.
16 min
70
Testing Your Ideas with David Bland
David Bland, founder of Precoil, joins Melissa Perri on this week’s Product Thinking Podcast to talk about how to identify your assumptions, experimenting within slower feedback cycles, the importance of aligned confidence, and how product leaders have to continuously walk the walk when it comes to experimentation and de-risk.
43 min
71
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Naviga...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about what responsibilities and roles a product manager should take on in various scenarios.
19 min
72
Making the Case for Product Operations with Den...
Denise Tilles, experienced product leader, consultant, and coach, joins Melissa Perri on this week’s episode to argue strongly in favor of the need for Product Operations as organizations start to scale.
27 min
73
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Thinki...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers subscribers’ questions about what domain experts can do to learn more about product, how high of a level product people can achieve in organizations outside of SaaS or software companies, and what the right process is for rebuilding a product.
19 min
74
Identifying Patterns in Product with John Cutler
John Cutler, Head of Product Education at Amplitude, joins Melissa Perri to talk about the importance of product education and getting in your product “reps”, and the types of product patterns he’s discovered after working across industries.
48 min
75
Dear Melissa - Answering Questions About Early ...
In this Dear Melissa segment, Melissa answers questions about approaching your product management career thoughtfully and strategically.
26 min