In this episode of Product Coffee, Kevin sits down with Liz Steblay, a two-time entrepreneur, solopreneur advocate, and founder of PICA (Professional Independent Consultants of America) and the ProCo Agency. Liz shares her insights from over 20 years of consulting experience, including her six keys to solopreneur success, advice on pricing, and strategies to build wealth while doing work you love.

🎙 Topics Covered:

📌 Episode Highlights:

💡 Listener Homework:

Try Liz’s “More Of/Less Of” exercise:

📚 Resources & Links:

Liz’s Book: Succeeding as a Solopreneur: Six Keys to Taking the Leap, Winning Clients, and Building Wealth.

Learn More: Visit sixkeys.info for Liz’s courses, book, and more.

Platforms Mentioned: Thinkific, Kajabi, Squarespace.

☕ About the Show:

Product Coffee is your go-to podcast for insights, stories, and advice from product management leaders, served with a side of caffeine.

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Share your thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes at ProductCoffeePodcast.com. Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Discover how Khurram Javed Mir, Co-founder and Chief at Kualitatem, is revolutionizing quality assurance (QA) and software testing with automation and AI. In this insightful episode, Khurram shares his 15+ years of experience building a global QA consulting and product company, achieving TMMI Level 5 certification, and integrating AI into testing workflows. Learn about his journey from software test engineer to entrepreneur, the importance of embedding quality in every stage of product development, and how AI-driven test case generation and reporting can transform QA processes. Perfect for product managers, QA professionals, and aspiring founders, this episode offers actionable insights into problem-solving, team building, and the future of quality assurance.

Connect with Khurram Mir:

Khurram on LinkedIn

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Timeline:

In this episode of Product Coffee, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Bob Ainsbury, Chief Product Officer at Granicus, for an engaging conversation on trust, team dynamics, and navigating complexity in the GovTech space. Bob shares his journey from software engineer to CPO, leading Granicus through remarkable growth—from a small team of 90 to over 2,200 people globally.

Discover how Bob approaches platform strategies, integrates AI/ML to deliver customer outcomes, and fosters trust within government systems and communities. The discussion dives deep into leadership insights, including empowering teams, managing ADHD in high-stakes roles, and balancing long-term vision with short-term priorities.

If you’re curious about scaling organizations, building trust in products and people, or actionable advice for leaders looking to make an impact, this episode is packed with takeaways for product managers at every level.

Takeaways this week:

• Challenge yourself to simplify and focus: What can you remove from your roadmap or scope to create more impact?

• Reflect as a leader: How can your actions better inspire and empower your team?

Tune in, level up, and discover how to lead with intention and adaptability.

Resources:

📍 Visit ProductCoffeePodcast.com for merch, voice messages, and more episodes!

In this exciting episode of Product Coffee, host Kevin Gentry sits down with Brendan Fortune, Director of Product at Customer.io. Brendan shares his unique journey from the music industry to product leadership, how Customer.io scaled from 60 to nearly 300 employees, and the key role OKRs play in aligning teams for success. They also explore the concept of flywheels, managing product roadmaps, and the challenges of remote work.

Brendan was nice enough to share his Annual Planning via Product Flywheel Miro board. Check it out here!

📅 Episode Timeline:

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📩 Got a question or comment? Send it our way, & we might feature it on a future episode!

➡️ Where to Connect with Brendan:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bfortune34

Resources Mentioned:

Enjoyed the episode? Don't forget to rate, review, & subscribe to Product Coffee on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen!

☕ Grab some Product Coffee merch! Visit productcoffeepodcast.com to order your mug or sticker.

This episode is packed with insights from Nick McEvily, who takes us on a journey from his studies in human-centered design to founding and leading multiple startups. 🚀

Nick drops wisdom on how to build customer-focused products, explaining core principles like empathy in design, the Jobs-to-be-Done framework, and how to nail those all-important customer interviews. He also shares stories from his work with Mode Mobile and Relivable, giving us a behind-the-scenes look at both the wins and the lessons learned. 💡

To cap it all off, Nick discusses his current role as a fractional product leader and dishes out practical advice on turning customer insights into actionable strategies. You won’t want to miss his tips on building the right product-market fit muscle or his heartfelt take on balancing fatherhood with leadership. 👨‍👧‍👦

Resources:

🕒 Timeline:

Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy this caffeinated dose of product! ☕

Check out our website @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠productcoffeepodcast.com⁠ ☕️

In this episode, Kevin chats with Rani Al Hajji, a seasoned expert in consumer goods and marketing, about the importance of staying focused on the end user. Rani shares insights from his career at L'Oreal and Colgate, emphasizing the importance of understanding consumer needs and maintaining a balance between product obsession and customer feedback. He also discusses his transition to advising startups, helping them define and articulate their value propositions. The conversation touches on the art and science of innovation, the significance of diverse perspectives, and practical steps for founders and product managers to stay customer-obsessed in their development process.

Resources:

Timeline:

Check out our website @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠productcoffeepodcast.com⁠ ☕️

Kevin chats with the amazing ✨ Jason Fraser ✨, a well-known author and advisor, about his journey from linguistics to product management. Jason shares leadership tips from his popular book 'Farther, Faster, and Far Less Drama,' co-authored with his wife Janice. He talks about team transformation, creating a software lab for the Air Force, and the importance of feeling safe at work. Jason also covers key ideas from his book like being honest, focusing on results, using team skills, and making lasting decisions. The episode ends with advice on staying well in tough times. If you're into leadership and product management, you'll get great tips from this chat.

Episode Resources:

Timeline:

Check out our website @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠productcoffeepodcast.com⁠ ☕️

Kevin Gentry welcomes back David Pereira, who shares insights about his new book Untrapping Product Teams. They delve into David's journey from a software engineer in Brazil to a leadership role in Germany, touching on his experiences and learnings in product management. David discusses the core themes of his book, including facing reality, overcoming dangerous traps, and remaining untrapped. He also shares practical advice on writing, leadership, and team management, offering valuable perspectives for product leaders and managers.

Resources:

Timeline:

Check out our website @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠productcoffeepodcast.com⁠ ☕️

This week on Product Coffee ☕️, Kevin chats with guests Leslie Kee and Paul Ballenger about their journey in building businesses like Auctus Security and Ally Assist. They cover military and business leadership, work-life balance, adaptability, and teamwork in high-stress environments. Leslie and Paul share tips on planning, delegation, and work-life balance for new entrepreneurs and product pros.

Resources:

Timeline:

Check out our website @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠productcoffeepodcast.com⁠ ☕️

This week on Product Coffee, Kevin Gentry talks with Matt LeMay, a product leader, consultant, and author known for his work with Google, Mailchimp, Spotify, and Bitly. Matt shares his journey from musician and music journalist to product management, highlighting how his communication and team-building skills from his music career translated into tech. They discuss the importance of goal clarity, embracing facilitative roles in product management, and balancing creative work with business needs. Matt also previews his upcoming book on 'Impact First Product Teams,' offering advice on setting high impact, high specificity goals to drive team success. The episode ends with Matt reflecting on the challenges and joys of writing his new book and his broader views on maintaining balance between professional and personal creative projects.

Episode Resources:

Timeline:

00:23 Meet Matt LeMay: Product Leader & Author

02:00 Matt's Journey into Product Management

03:25 From Musician to Product Manager

09:20 Career Growth & Key Lessons

12:25 Embracing Facilitative Work in Product Management

21:07 Challenges & Insights in Agile Transformation

28:00 Resource Allocation & Team Collaboration

28:09 High Specificity in Goal Setting

28:51 Consulting Insights on High Impact Goals

30:42 Challenges of Innovation Teams

32:39 The Importance of Specific Goals

34:11 Project-Based vs. Team-Based Approaches

41:58 Writing Process & Creative Work

48:09 Balancing Work & Creativity

51:04 Homework & Plugs

Check out our website @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠productcoffeepodcast.com⁠ ☕️