So far on the Product Growth Podcast, you’ve heard from founders, big tech PMs, and unicorn product minds on what it takes to build a great product.

Today, we’re bringing you a fresh perspective — from an operator who’s deep in the trenches, building products for multiple companies and startups as a Fractional CTO.

But that’s not all; he’s also a founder, offering us the unique opportunity to hear different perspectives from the same person.

What makes this episode even more exciting?

He’s been honing his craft for 15 years, working across industries, collaborating with diverse teams, and doing it all at the same time.

We're covering:

Preview – 00:00:00

How Much Time Should a CTO Spend on Product? – 00:01:10

Profile of a Good Early-Stage Startup PM – 00:03:08

Compensation of an Early-Stage Startup PM – 00:10:00

Best Way to Hire Early-Stage PMs – 00:15:30

Challenges with the "Trial-Based Work" Approach – 00:18:38

Stanford Study: "10% of Engineers Are Ghost Engineers" – 00:22:43

Rule of Thumb Behind Product Hires – 00:25:07

Who Should PMs Report to in Startups? – 00:28:55

Mental Model for Scaling the Product Team – 00:34:44

Mistakes Early-Stage PMs Make – 00:37:46

Minimum Viable Process for Developing Features – 00:41:40

Believing in a "Cutting Down Scope" Philosophy – 00:46:18

Why You Should Launch Early – 00:49:24

Honest Opinions on Scrum – 01:00:11

Managing in a Global Workforce – 01:07:35

Hidden Incentives for Big Companies – 01:15:32

Aakash’s Experience Before and After COVID – 01:17:15

Are AI Tools Worth the Hype? – 01:19:53

How Should PMs Use AI Tools? – 01:26:31

What’s Going on in Sergio’s Professional Life – 01:36:12

How He Manages Time to Do It All – 01:42:01

Brought to you by:

Vanta: Automate compliance, manage risk, and prove trust

Attio: The next generation CRM

Where to find Sergio:

LinkedIn

Twitter

Startup

Newsletter

Website

Email [email protected] to discuss advertising or guest opportunities.

We have some great podcasts coming from Pierre Herubel ( B2B Content Expert, 122K+ on LinkedIn), Mario Gabriele (Founder, The Generalist; Former VC), and Marily Nika (AI PM at Google, Former Meta).

I’m so excited to share them with all of you.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe