In this episode of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn sit down with Sam Zebarjadi, a product leader with deep experience at the intersection of healthcare, tech, and regulation—including roles at Amazon, Moderna, and multiple startups.

Together, they dig into what it means to drive innovation in highly regulated industries, the power of “dumb” questions, and how to partner with compliance and legal to build great (and safe) products. Sam also shares what makes a great PM today—and why staying practical, curious, and adaptable is more important than ever.

Key Takeaways

1. Regulation Isn’t the Enemy of Innovation - Sam flips the script on the typical tech vs. regulation narrative. Instead of viewing regulation as a blocker, the best product teams use it as a framework that forces better, more sustainable innovation.

2. Ask Better Questions—Especially the Dumb Ones “Help me understand why…” can be the most powerful phrase in a PM’s toolbox. Dumb questions often reveal flawed assumptions or outdated procedures that are ripe for change.

3. Tech Should Fade Into the Background - In healthcare and fintech, user delight isn’t about flash—it's about making tech disappear so patients, providers, and users can do what they need to do. Familiarity and trust matter more than novelty.

4. Great PMs Are Translators and Empaths - Sam reminds us that PMs succeed when they deeply understand their customers, collaborate across domains, and sit in the hard stuff—whether it’s a compliance meeting or a 2am production outage.

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