In this episode of Practical Product Management, Marilyn and Leah interview Jen Bloom, a seasoned product leader and fintech expert with a background in global payments, compliance, and partnerships. Jen shares her journey from accounting to product management at Microsoft, Amazon, and Stripe, and how her curiosity and domain expertise helped her thrive in the fast-paced world of tech.

They discuss real-world examples of launching products in international markets, including payment localization challenges in Turkey, trust-driven design in Germany, and mobile-first experiences across regions. Jen also opens up about the power of mentorship, women supporting women in tech, and the life-long value of learning how to negotiate effectively.

This episode is packed with insights for product managers, fintech professionals, and women navigating leadership in the tech industry.

Key Takeaways

• Product Management Doesn’t Have One Path - Jen’s journey from accounting to tech to product shows that many PMs don’t start out with the title—and that’s okay. What matters is curiosity, learning in context, and growing with mentors (and sometimes, friends).
• Domain Expertise is a Superpower - Jen's deep knowledge of payments has helped her build trust across partnerships, legal, and product teams. T-shaped skills are important—but that deep vertical knowledge can be your differentiator.
• Global Products Need Local Wisdom - What works in one market can backfire in another. The team shares stories from launching payments in Turkey, Germany, and India—where even removing friction can reduce trust.
• Negotiation is a Life Skill, Not Just a Job Skill - From moving countries to vendor contracts, the team discusses how to ask for what you need, build win-win outcomes, and develop a negotiation muscle—especially as women in tech.

Keywords: product management, global payments, fintech, negotiation, women in tech, mentorship, localization, partnerships, tech careers, product leadership

Share questions here or go to our website for more: practicalpmpodcast.com

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.

Leave us comments here or check out our website at practicalpmpodcast.com

In this episode of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn are joined by Rob Monroe, to explore the real-world complexity of product management in high-stakes environments like GovTech.

Rob shares how he has built outcome-driven product practices across defense, finance, and internal systems by shifting the focus from flashy features to mission-critical impact. Together, they discuss the tension between output and outcome, how to lead transformation without ego, and what it means to help users and teams unlearn old patterns in order to adopt better ways of working.

With deep insights into leadership, systems thinking, and practical experimentation, Rob challenges product managers to focus on what really matters. These include behavioral change, continuous delivery, and aligning product work with the actual mission, whether you're building a military system or an internal analytics tool.

Key Takeaways:

1. Start with the first experiment by shipping something safely to production.

In any organization, establishing a working path to production, even for a low-risk "Hello World" app, is essential for building trust and laying the foundation for continuous delivery.

2. Behavior change is the real outcome.

Features alone do not equal success. True impact comes from changing user behavior, team habits, or decision-making processes in ways that align with strategic goals.

3. Context matters more than frameworks.

There is no one-size-fits-all playbook. Effective product managers adapt their language, tools, and measurement to fit the risk profile, industry, and cultural environment they are working within.

Check out the resource guide on practicalpmpodcast.com for a list of all the books Rob mentions.

In this episode of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn sit down with accessibility pioneer Mike Paciello to discuss how accessibility is evolving beyond compliance—and why product managers need to think bigger. For too long, accessibility has been treated as a checkbox, driven by legal requirements rather than user needs. But with the rise of AI, automation, and personalization, the possibilities are expanding.

Mike shares how AI agents could reshape assistive technology, why accessibility should be woven into product strategy rather than treated as a last-minute fix, and how the best user experiences adapt to individuals instead of forcing users to conform.

Throughout the conversation, Leah and Marilyn explore practical steps that product managers can take to make accessibility a competitive advantage rather than just a legal obligation. Key

Takeaways:

1. Accessibility is a Personalization Challenge, Not a Compliance Burden.

The best products don’t just check the boxes—they adapt to the user. AI and automation are making it possible to create truly personalized digital experiences that work for all users, not just those who fit traditional design molds.

2. AI Agents Could Revolutionize Assistive Technology.

We’re on the brink of a shift where AI-powered interfaces will interpret needs in real-time, eliminating the need for users to adapt to rigid digital experiences. Instead, products will adjust themselves to the user’s abilities and preferences.

3. Product Managers Need to Own Accessibility as Part of Strategy.

The industry has been stuck in a compliance-first mindset, but serving a broader audience is a business advantage, not just a legal requirement. PMs who invest in accessibility will unlock new markets and opportunities instead of just avoiding lawsuits.

Leave us comments here or go to our website Ask Us Page for comments, questions or show suggestions. practicalpmpodcast.com

🔍 Episode Summary:

In this episode of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn dive deep into a critical, often overlooked factor in career success: choosing the right boss. Beyond titles, funding rounds, and company prestige, your next leader—and their leader—can shape your growth, learning opportunities, and job satisfaction. They discuss how to evaluate potential managers during interviews, the importance of values and leadership styles, and why fostering a human connection matters more than you think. Whether you're searching for your next role or stepping into leadership yourself, this episode offers practical insights that go beyond the job description.

🚀 3 Key Takeaways:

1. Your Boss Shapes Your Success: The two most important people in your career are your boss and your boss’s boss. They determine not just what you’ll learn, but how much space you’ll have to grow.
2. Look for Leaders Who Elevate, Not Compete: A great boss shares their knowledge without ego, champions your success, and fosters a learning mindset, regardless of hierarchy or seniority.
3. Ask the Right Questions During Interviews: Dig into how potential managers handle disagreement, their leadership style, and their values. Questions like “What does it look like when we disagree?” can reveal how open they are to collaboration and feedback.

💡 2 Questions for PMs to Reflect On:

1. When interviewing for your next role, how will you evaluate whether a manager aligns with your learning and leadership style?
2. How does your current boss support your growth as a product manager—and what could be better?

Reach out to us at PracticalPMPodcast.com with your comments or show ideas.

In this episode of Practical Product Management, hosts Leah Farmer and Marilyn McDonald sit down with Peter Collingridge, a seasoned product leader, to explore the evolving world of fractional product management. Together, they unpack the nuances of fractional roles—how they differ from traditional full-time positions, the balance of ownership and consulting, and the importance of time management.

Peter shares insights from his own fractional CPO experience, discussing the need for clear boundaries, deep focus, and rapid impact in fractional work. The conversation delves into leadership dynamics, the power of data-driven decision-making, and the critical role of diagnosing organizational issues. The trio also highlights the often-overlooked emotional layer of product management—how navigating human dynamics, trust-building, and team alignment can be just as crucial as solving functional challenges.

Throughout the episode, they offer practical advice for Product Managers looking to embrace uncertainty, set boundaries, and optimize their impact—whether in a fractional role or a full-time position.

Key Takeaways:

1. Fractional product roles require laser focus – Unlike traditional full-time roles, fractional product leaders must prioritize impact over politics, making every hour count.

2. Ownership sets fractional work apart from consulting – Fractional PMs aren’t just offering advice; they take accountability for outcomes, often with founder-level intensity.

3. People problems are often bigger than product problems – Diagnosing organizational challenges requires understanding both functional inefficiencies and emotional dynamics.

4. Data, not opinions, should drive decisions – A strong research foundation helps align leadership, reduce bias, and focus teams on what truly matters for customers.

In this kickoff episode of season two of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn dive into New Year’s resolutions and their parallels to product management practices. They tackle the common resolutions people set—like losing weight, spending more time with family, and getting out of debt—and reframe them for PMs as trimming backlogs, improving customer and stakeholder relationships, and managing tech debt. The conversation emphasizes the importance of intentionality in meetings, strategic time management, and learning new skills to grow personally and professionally. Leah and Marilyn reflect on flexibility, experimentation, and the value of creating leaner processes in both life and product management.

Key Takeaways

1. Trimming the Fat: Clean up your backlog by removing unnecessary items and outdated features, and keep MVPs truly minimal.
2. Building Relationships: Spend more time with the “family” of your work—customers, stakeholders, and engineering—by breaking down barriers and improving collaboration.
3. Managing Debt: Address tech and relationship debt by honoring commitments, mending connections, and being strategic with budgeting.
4. Intentionality Matters: Reevaluate meeting cadences and communication habits to improve efficiency and focus on high-value activities.

🎄 A Special Holiday Episode to Wrap Up 2024 🎁

In the final episode of Practical Product Management Season 1, Leah Farmer and Marilyn McDonald celebrate the year with a thought-provoking conversation featuring Toni Dos Santos, a B2B product consultant and AI expert. Toni shares his remarkable journey from economics and the music industry to entrepreneurship, offering insights into how startups can find product-market fit faster and build sustainable business models.

This festive season, we reflect on how AI is transforming the world of product management, why solving real problems matters more than chasing trends, and how visionary leadership can light the path for future innovation. Join us as we unwrap the lessons of 2024 and look ahead to a bright, innovative 2025.

Key Takeaways:

1. AI as the Gift That Keeps Giving: Use AI to streamline your workload and focus on what matters most—creating meaningful, human-centered solutions.
2. MVPs: The Perfect Stocking Stuffer: A well-crafted MVP is like the best holiday gift—thoughtful, practical, and exactly what the recipient needs.
3. Visionary Leadership: The North Star: Just like Santa's sleigh, a strong vision guides teams through challenges and keeps innovation on course.

🎅🎄✨

🍂 In this special Thanksgiving episode of Practical Product Management, hosts Leah and Marilyn dive into how product management skills transcend the workplace and enrich everyday life. From communication and prioritization to empathy and feedback loops, they explore how these principles help navigate challenges and build stronger connections outside of work.

The episode features 7 inspiring stories from the PM community, showcasing real-life applications of product thinking. Whether it’s managing family dynamics, planning a garden with a Kanban board, or organizing a dinner party using MVP principles, these stories illustrate how product management skills create clarity and drive results in personal life.

🎙️ Key Highlights:

➡️ Communication builds stronger relationships.

➡️ Prioritization helps focus on what matters most.

➡️ Feedback loops create growth in personal and professional contexts.

➡️ Gratitude for PM skills fosters intentionality and connection.

This Thanksgiving-themed episode is a celebration of the ways product management transforms lives. Tune in to hear practical insights, heartfelt stories, and inspiration for applying PM principles beyond work.

In this episode of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn sit down with Jil Berning, founder of Femote, to discuss her journey from product manager to entrepreneur in healthcare tech. Jil dives into her motivations for creating a company focused on remote gynecological solutions and shares the challenges she’s encountered along the way. The conversation touches on building a supportive company culture, the role of vulnerability in leadership, and the importance of addressing the gender gap in healthcare. Together, they explore themes of resilience, the power of open communication, and why having a strong “why” is crucial for founders. Jil’s story offers valuable insights for anyone passionate about making a difference in tech and healthcare.

Key Takeaways

• From Product Manager to Purpose-Driven Founder: Jil's transition from product management to founding Femote showcases how PM skills like iteration, MVP thinking, and empathy apply in entrepreneurial roles.
• Vulnerability and Culture-Building: Open, honest conversations are essential in fostering a healthy team environment, particularly when navigating the pressures of a startup.
• Championing Women’s Health: Jil’s focus on femtech highlights the need for women’s health to be prioritized in healthcare and research, given longstanding gender biases.
• Embracing Discomfort as Growth: Jil emphasizes that courage in entrepreneurship means stepping into discomfort and valuing growth, even when outcomes are uncertain.

Feel free to leave comments here or go to our Ask Us page on the website for comments, questions, or show ideas: practicalpmpodcast.com