Can I Speak to Your (Product) Manager?

This episode features an interview with Dave Lankford, Former VP of Product of Advanced Innovation at Disney Streaming.

In this episode, Dave shares with us:

• How innovation sets platforms a part
• Reaching underserved audiences
• Considering global markets
• The importance of creating diverse teams

And so much more!

Segment Timestamps: 

*(00:28) - Ship it or Skip it

*(04:33) - PM Power Moves

*(28:18) - Host Takeaways

>> Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich 

>> Learn more about Zuora

This episode features an interview with Anna Fine, Principal Product Manager at Peacock TV.

In this episode, Anna shares with us:

• Focusing on user interests
• How to maintain customer engagement
• What it takes to stay relevant in the streaming market
• Creating loyalty offers
• Providing seamless in-app experiences

Segment Timestamps:

*(00:28) - Ship it or Skip it

*(05:20) - PM Power Moves

*(27:22) - Host Takeaways

>> Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich 

>> Learn more about Zuora

This episode features an interview with Ryan Johnson, Chief Product Officer at CallRail. 

In this episode, Ryan shares with us:

• A good vs not so good agile transformation.
• Navigating the current pace of change.
• How CallRail is making call tracking better.
• The importance of developing alphas.

And so much more!

Segment Timestamps: 

*(00:22) - Ship it or Skip it: In-car microwaves and more

*(05:44) - PM Power Moves: Meet Ryan, Chief Product Officer at CallRail

*(35:18) - Host Takeaways

>> Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich 

>> Learn more about Zuora

This episode features an interview with Anand Narayanan, Chief Product Officer at Simplilearn.

In this episode, Anand shares with us:

• The landscape of modern education online (AI instructors included)
• Getting the model right for student success
• Pain points = problem statements
• The major problem ed-tech has to solve
• How to force the right decisions within teams

And so much more!

Segment Timestamps:

*(00:25) - Ship it or Skip it

*(05:04) - PM Power Moves

*(34:06) - Host Takeaways

>> Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich 

>> Learn more about Zuora

This episode features an interview with Natalie Barnes, VP of Product Management and Product Design at Zumba Fitness. 

In this episode, Natalie shares with us:

• A behind-the-scenes look at the Zumba app’s development
• How instructors AND students benefit from the app
• Why the product team and technology team are one team
• The path of incentivizing users through curated programs for specific goals

And so much more!

Segment Timestamps:

*(00:32) - Ship it or Skip it

*(04:03) - PM Power Moves

*(30:58) - Host Takeaways

>> Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich 

>> Learn more about Zuora

This episode features an interview with Blanca Foncillas, Head of Product at Breathwrk.

In this episode, Blanca shares with us:

• How Breathwrk stepped up to combat the effects on mental health post-COVID.
• Blanca’s vision of expanding their offerings to B2B.
• The effectiveness of innate curiosity and an interest in building a new offer.
• Specific use cases for the Breakwrk app.
• The catch-22 of gamification
• And so much more!

Segment Timestamps: 

*(00:29) - Ship it or Skip it

*(05:13) - PM Power Moves

*(34:12) - Host Takeaways

>> Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich 

>> Learn more about Zuora

This episode features an interview with David H. Miller, Product Coach and Adjunct Professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

In this episode, David shares with us: how assessments play a crucial role in understanding the perspective of product managers and the dynamics within organizations, and how these assessments help make better decisions and strategic changes based on solid information.

Segment Timestamps:

*(00:25) - Ship it or Skip it

*(06:45) - PM Power Moves

*(35:48) - Host Takeaways

Links:

• Sign your company up for Product Org DNA

>> Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich 

>> Learn more about Zuora

This episode features an interview with Noah Manger, the Group Product Manager at Zapier. 

In this episode, Noah shares with us: collaborative operating practices aimed at boosting productivity, insights on multi-product management, and how to foster continuous improvement while avoiding delays caused by waiting for other teams to complete their tasks.

Segment Timestamps:

*(00:24) - Ship it or Skip it

*(04:22) - PM Power Moves

*(36:26) - Host Takeaways

>> Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich 

>> Learn more about Zuora

This episode features an interview with Rupali Jain, the Chief Product Officer at Optimizely. In this episode, Rupali dives into the pivotal role of a CPO in driving and adapting to cultural shifts within organizations undergoing transformative changes. With a focus on leadership effectiveness, she shares advice on navigating acquisitions and leveraging the product perspective to foster a seamless integration.

Host takeaways:

Kyle: 

• Embracing Cultural Shifts in Mergers and Acquisitions: It's important to be aware of and adapt to cultural changes during mergers and acquisitions. This is how you ensure a smooth integration of companies and harness the best of both worlds.
• Encouraging Innovation through Role Shifting: I loved Rupali’s lack of hesitation to reassign employees to new roles to stimulate innovation. Providing individuals with fresh opportunities can unlock creativity and yield innovative solutions.
• Iterative Approach to Innovation with AI: Rupali adopted a strategy of shipping small and shipping often, coupled with continuous learning cycles, and found it fuels innovation.

Segment Timestamps:

*(00:48) - Ship it or Skip it

*(04:35) - PM Power Moves

*(31:37) - Host Takeaways

Links:

• Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich on LinkedIn
• Connect with Rupali Jain on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Zuora

>> Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich 

>> Learn more about Zuora

This episode features an interview with Mikey Chang, Group Product Manager at Niantic. 

In this episode, Mikey reflects with us on the vast user base and feedback he deals with at Niantic, emphasizing a data-driven approach, A/B testing, and the delicate balance of making incremental changes. Mikey provides insights into the unique dynamics of the gaming industry's business-to-consumer model, where users are both entertained and motivated to exercise, highlighting the challenges he faces in achieving this balance.

Host takeaways:

Kyle: 

• Ready Up Feature Success Metrics: Mikey emphasized the importance of focusing on measurable outcomes such as retention, revenue, and real-world social impact when evaluating the success of the Ready Up feature. Clear metrics helped mitigate concerns about potential misuse and provided a basis to demonstrate the feature's effectiveness.
• Managing User Input Noise: Mikey highlighted the challenge of filtering out noise from extensive user input in product development. Utilizing measurable outputs and data-driven approaches helped Mikey stay focused on important aspects without compromising core values or altering the product's vision.
• Incremental Product Adjustments: Mikey's approach involved making incremental tweaks to the game based on data-driven insights rather than implementing significant changes. Balancing the need for innovation with user satisfaction was crucial to avoid upsetting the user base.

Lukasz:

• Differences in User Scale: It’s hard to not highlight the vast difference in the number of users and feedback between Mikey's gaming world and Zuora's business model. Despite fewer users, Zuora remains data-driven, but the dynamics of user feedback and testing strategies differ significantly from Mikey's context.
• Context-Aware A/B Testing: I noted the necessity for context-aware A/B testing in Mikey's environment, where understanding the specific context is crucial for effective testing. Achieving a delicate balance in tweaking elements and minimizing negative consequences was crucial for long-standing success.
• Monitoring User Feedback: I’m curious about Mikey's validation process for hypotheses and speculate that monitoring user feedback on message boards might be an organic validation method. Our conversation highlighted the challenge of ensuring that data-backed hypotheses align with the actual user experience and how user feedback plays a role in this validation process.

Segment Timestamps:

*(00:26) - Ship it or Skip it

*(06:38) - PM Power Moves

*(37:57) - Host Takeaways

Links:

• Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Zuora

>> Connect with Lukasz Weber & Kyle Kolich 

>> Learn more about Zuora