In this insightful episode of Future Forward, we dive deep into one of the most critical questions in product management today:
What does it truly mean to build products that matter?
Using the iconic Coca-Cola vs Pepsi story as a starting point, this conversation goes beyond features, roadmaps, and technology to explore the real essence of product value—solving meaningful human problems at scale while driving sustainable business impact.
This episode unpacks how Product Managers must move from execution to orchestration, from building fast to building right. From asking the hard “why” questions to balancing user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility—this discussion is packed with real-world insights every PM can relate to.
Our guest Payal Shah, a seasoned Senior Product Manager with 15+ years of experience across hedge funds, investment banking, SaaS, and fintech, shares her journey into product management, her philosophy on value creation, and powerful examples from her career— including trust-first product design, saying “no” to the wrong features, and measuring outcomes over outputs.
Through relatable stories like the rise of UPI, fintech credit journeys, and enterprise product decisions, Payal explains how data, UX, trust, storytelling, and strategic thinking come together to create products users depend on—and businesses grow from.
⏰ Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Future Forward & episode introduction
01:10 – Coca-Cola vs Pepsi: Why products fail even with great tech
03:30 – Introducing the guest: Payal Shah & her product journey
06:00 – What does a Product Manager really do?
09:00 – Defining a “product”: Beyond apps, features, and screens
12:40 – What does it mean to build a product that matters?
17:10 – Real-world example: Why UPI changed everything
23:00 – Discovering the real problem: Asking the right “WHY”
29:30 – Balancing user needs, business goals & tech feasibility
36:10 – MVP vs “Minimum Lovable Product” thinking
41:00 – When user insights completely change product direction
48:30 – Why trust matters more than speed in product design
54:10 – Handling feature pressure & saying no with confidence
1:01:30 – Measuring outcomes, not outputs
1:08:00 – Is a Product Manager the CEO of the product?
1:12:30 – Prioritization: UX, performance vs features
1:18:40 – Rapid fire round: Tools, mistakes & proud moments
1:24:00 – One powerful advice for aspiring Product Managers
1:27:00 – Episode wrap-up & key takeaways
🎙️ Hosted by
Abhishek Srivastava
Founder & CEO, Techcanvass
🌟 About Our Guest
Payal Shah
Senior Product Manager | SaaS, FinTech & Investment Banking
15+ years of experience building and scaling enterprise and fintech products with a strong focus on value creation, trust, UX, and business outcomes.
🔗 Connect with Payal on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/payal-shah-b56b3816b/
🎧 Also available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
Apple Podcasts → https://tnvs.in/y8zndc9z
If you’re a Product Manager, Business Analyst, Consultant, or aspiring product leader, this episode will challenge how you think about features, speed, and success—and help you refocus on building products that truly matter in the age of AI and digital transformation.
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For more conversations on Product Management, AI, Business Analysis, and Tech Careers, stay tuned to Future Forward by Techcanvass.
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