In this episode of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn sit down with Jil Berning, founder of Femote, to discuss her journey from product manager to entrepreneur in healthcare tech. Jil dives into her motivations for creating a company focused on remote gynecological solutions and shares the challenges she’s encountered along the way. The conversation touches on building a supportive company culture, the role of vulnerability in leadership, and the importance of addressing the gender gap in healthcare. Together, they explore themes of resilience, the power of open communication, and why having a strong “why” is crucial for founders. Jil’s story offers valuable insights for anyone passionate about making a difference in tech and healthcare.

Key Takeaways

• From Product Manager to Purpose-Driven Founder: Jil's transition from product management to founding Femote showcases how PM skills like iteration, MVP thinking, and empathy apply in entrepreneurial roles.
• Vulnerability and Culture-Building: Open, honest conversations are essential in fostering a healthy team environment, particularly when navigating the pressures of a startup.
• Championing Women’s Health: Jil’s focus on femtech highlights the need for women’s health to be prioritized in healthcare and research, given longstanding gender biases.
• Embracing Discomfort as Growth: Jil emphasizes that courage in entrepreneurship means stepping into discomfort and valuing growth, even when outcomes are uncertain.

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In this episode of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn sit down with Mirela Mus, founder of Product People, to unpack the unique world of interim product management. They discuss how interim roles differ from traditional product management, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, tactical execution, and navigating the challenges of temporary engagements. Mirela shares insights on balancing strategy with execution under time constraints and how market trends have reshaped the product management landscape. She offers a candid look at the evolving demands of the industry and her vision for a more resilient, business-integrated future for product management.

Key Takeaways

• Adaptability in Interim Roles: Interim product managers must quickly assess situations, identify priority tasks, and integrate into teams without the long onboarding period of in-house roles.
• Navigating Market Dynamics: As market trends shift, so do the opportunities and expectations for product managers, making resilience and flexibility essential traits in this evolving field.
• Building a Broad Skill Set: Interim roles provide PMs with exposure to diverse industries and challenges, building versatile, adaptable skill sets that are valuable in the changing product landscape.

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In this episode, Leah and Marilyn dive into the nuanced world of product management through the lens of team dynamics, particularly focusing on transitions when employees move on. They discuss the challenges leaders face emotionally and strategically during these transitions, highlighting the need for open communication and empathy. The conversation explores how leaders can balance the transactional nature of employment with a supportive work culture, advocating for a holistic approach that sees employees as whole individuals. Leah and Marilyn share practical strategies for product leaders to enhance team resilience, understand the impacts of performance evaluations, and encourage career growth within and beyond the team.

Key Takeaways

• Transitions as Growth Moments: Employee departures, while challenging, are opportunities for growth and evolution within the team and organization.
• Empathy-Driven Leadership: Empathetic leadership that sees employees as whole individuals fosters stronger team dynamics and open communication.
• Understanding the Employment Transaction: Recognizing the transactional nature of employment helps leaders stay grounded, manage transitions without taking them personally, and build supportive workplace relationships.

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In this episode of Practical Product Management, we sit down with Jay Fluegel, a seasoned product leader with 25 years of experience spanning startups, Microsoft, Expedia, and Axon. Together, we explore the evolving role of product management across different organizational contexts, from big tech giants to traditional, non-digital companies. The conversation underscores the importance of fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and building resilient teams across industries.

Key Takeaways

• Product Management as a Philosophy
• Context Matters
• Overcoming Resistance
• Finding Joy and Support

Feel free to leave your comments/questions here, or to check out our website: practicalPMpodcast.com

In this episode of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn sit down with guest Ekaterina Gabaruk Monnot to dive into the nuances of technical and platform product management. They explore how Ekaterina transitioned into product management, the specific challenges faced by technical product managers, and how understanding both customer needs and system architecture is critical. The discussion touches on managing stakeholders, balancing the complexity of technical products with simplicity, and building a culture of curiosity and continuous learning. They also cover how to stay on top of technology trends and reflect on the evolving nature of product management in today's fast-paced world.

Key Takeaways

• Balancing Complexity and Simplicity: Successful technical product managers must navigate the fine line between managing complex systems and delivering simple, scalable solutions.
• Empowerment Through Platforms: Platforms should enable other teams and drive collaboration, not just be technical constructs.
• Curiosity Fuels Innovation: A culture of learning and curiosity is key to overcoming challenges and embracing new technologies.
• Understanding Customer Needs: At the heart of any product, technical or otherwise, is a deep understanding of the customer and their needs.

Feel free to leave us comments here or on our website: practicalpmpodcast.com

In this episode of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn sit down with Pete Peterson, a seasoned product design leader with a wealth of experience in building design teams and user research practices. They dive deep into the intricacies of product management in large organizations, uncovering how harmonizing design standards can foster a unified user experience. Pete also shares his wisdom on balancing B2B and B2C products, the power of advocating for user research, and why empowering teams to step beyond their core responsibilities leads to greater success. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand the value of user research and the challenges of driving product harmony in complex environments.

Key Takeaways:

1. Influence is everything - Advocating for design and research is crucial in large organizations where multiple teams and stakeholders are involved.

2. B2B needs love too - B2B products often don't get the same attention as B2C, but they benefit greatly from thoughtful user research and design standards.

3. Challenge assumptions - Recognizing and eliminating biases, like confirmation bias, is critical for making better product decisions and truly understanding customer needs.

4. Empower your team - Product leaders who encourage their teams to explore beyond their roles see stronger collaboration and more impactful results.

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Summary

In this episode, Leah and Marilyn dive into the world of fintech and its intersection with product management. They break down what fintech encompasses—everything from payments to lending and wealth management—and discuss their vast experiences in the field. The conversation highlights key elements such as the movement of money, the importance of security, compliance with regulations, and the challenge of creating user-friendly financial products. They explore how product management in fintech mirrors product management in other industries but comes with the added complexity of building customer trust around financial transactions.

Key Takeaways

• Understanding Financial Transactions: Fintech product managers must have a solid grasp of how money moves within systems, along with the layers of security and compliance that accompany it.
• User Experience is Key: Creating a seamless and intuitive user experience is essential, as users expect secure and effortless interactions with their financial transactions.
• Unique Regulatory Challenges: Fintech brings unique regulatory challenges, and product managers must ensure that their products adhere to constantly evolving standards.
• Trust is the Foundation: While product management skills are transferable, building customer trust is more critical in fintech, requiring a deeper understanding of financial systems and regulations.

In this episode, Leah and Marilyn delve into the often-overlooked negative aspects of product management, highlighting how certain practices can harm users. They cover the ethical concerns surrounding manipulative marketing tactics, the pervasive use of cookies for tracking user behavior, and the role of algorithms in fostering echo chambers and amplifying divisive content. Throughout the discussion, they emphasize the need for product managers to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions, advocating for a more responsible approach to product development that prioritizes the well-being of users and society at large.

Key Takeaways

• Long-Term Impact: Product managers must consider the long-term effects of their products on users and focus on creating solutions that enhance, rather than diminish, quality of life.
• Ethical Marketing: Avoid using manipulative marketing tactics, such as fear, guilt, or urgency, which can negatively affect users and erode trust.
• User Privacy: The practice of using cookies to track and collect data without user consent is unethical and needs to be addressed through more transparent and respectful data practices.
• Algorithmic Responsibility: Algorithms that create echo chambers and amplify controversial content contribute to societal polarization and should be reassessed to promote healthier discourse.

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