Episode 8: Climbing the Stack: Building Across Product, Cloud, AI, and Life

In this solo episode of The Product Leader’s Edge, KJ reflects on the first half of Season 1 and explores the foundational systems shaping modern technology and product leadership.

From cloud computing and AI to product strategy and personal growth, KJ breaks down the frameworks that have influenced his journey as a product leader, builder, and lifelong learner.

Topics include:

• The Core Four of Cloud: Compute, Storage, Networking, and Security

• The Core Four of Product Leadership: Customer Understanding, Strategy, Execution, and Business Outcomes

• The Core Four of AI: Models, Data, Infrastructure, and Applications

• Why product leaders are being forced to “climb the stack” in the age of AI

• Lessons from training for a Spartan Race and preparing for HYROX

• Reflections on pursuing the AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification

• Serverless vs. traditional cloud architectures and what product leaders should understand about both

• Why security, data, and systems thinking are becoming leadership skills

As AI continues to reshape the technology landscape, understanding how systems connect—from customers to infrastructure—has never been more important.

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