Product Talk

How can PMs build scalable product businesses? In this episode of Product Talk hosted by Sid Shaik, Hazelcast Fmr. CPO Manish Devgan shares lessons on scaling product businesses, including the importance of establishing a clear product vision and worldview. He discusses growth engines like technology advantages and insights into customer workloads. Manish also describes tactics such as establishing a product strategy board to gather customer feedback. Tune in for valuable perspectives on building scalable product businesses.

What does it take to lead product in the startup ecosystem? In this episode of the Product Leaders to Watch series hosted by Cognizant Product Director Chenny Solaiyappan, Stay 22 Head of Product Laura Di Costanzo shares insights from her experiences in Montreal's startup ecosystem. She speaks on her journey in product management, from marketing to leading a team of 10 across product and design. She discusses her work optimizing operations with workflow management platforms and enhancing collaboration. Laura is also passionate about giving back to the Montreal product community through organizing events and launching a training program for aspiring product managers. The interview explores topics including product management skills, AI trends, and how to best support senior citizens through technology.

What do product leaders need to consider when building products for the SMB space? In this episode of Product Talk hosted by Kaboo Founder Neha Shah, Altice USA Product & Tech SVP Rachel Owens shares insights from her diverse career journey in product management, from engineering school to roles at startups and Fortune 500 companies. She discusses how she applies lessons from different industries and experiences to build great products. Rachel emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and having an interdisciplinary skillset, and shares advice on how to create a culture of open feedback and iteration on teams.

How can product leaders balance focus and innovation to sustain high-growth trajectories as their businesses scale to new heights? In this episode of Product Talk hosted by Sid Shaik, Vonage Product VP Amitha Pulijala speaks on her experience scaling B2B product businesses. She shares how Vonage's suite of products help businesses personalize customer conversations across touchpoints. Amitha discusses inheriting a business with 5,200 customers and prioritizing success metrics and experimentation. She led growth efforts post-acquisition that increased revenue 10x through disciplined focus. Amitha emphasizes the importance of product-led growth driving sales leads. She also stresses sustaining growth through alignment with vision and adapting strategies to growth stages.

How can product leaders drive business reinvention? In this episode of Capgemini's Leaders in Innovation series with Capgemini Americas Portfolio Lead Lisa Mitnick, Altria CPO & CIO Olivier Houpert shares insights from his 31 years of experience at Procter & Gamble and his decision to take on a new challenge at Altria. He speaks on Altria's transformation journey to launch reduced-risk smoke-free products through a focus on consumer needs, partnerships, and a test-and-learn approach to innovation. Olivier emphasizes the importance of remaining consumer-centric and optimistic about driving change in the tobacco industry to transition consumers to safer alternatives.

How can product leaders build trust and psychological safety within their teams to foster innovation and excellence? In this episode of the Product Divergence series with Ubiety Technologies Fmr. CPO Nacho Andrade, LinkSquares SVP of Product & Engineering Andrew Leverone discusses strategies for team building and leadership through vulnerability, empathy, and collaboration. Andrew shares insights on balancing product and engineering perspectives, understanding customer needs, and scaling teams through transparency and a bottoms-up approach. He also emphasizes the importance of embracing an agile mindset, frequent communication, and empowering team members to drive the business forward together through open dialogue.

How can product leaders pioneer innovation in the automotive industry? In this episode of Capgemini's Leaders in Innovation series hosted by Capgemini Americas Portfolio Lead Lisa Mitnick, Ford Director of Digital Experience Platforms Zafar Razzacki discusses his career journey from biotech and medical devices to Google and now Ford. He provides an overview of Ford's focus on digital experiences, electric vehicles, connectivity, and new business models. He also speaks on how Ford is working with partners in the ecosystem to create seamless experiences and considers the challenges of organizational change as the automotive industry transforms.

What are the key considerations for AI platform development? In this episode of the Product Leaders to Watch series with Cognizant Product Director Chenny Solaiyappan, Bank of America VP of AI/ML and Automation Platform Hira Dangol shares strategies for AI product development, highlighting the importance of diversity and leveraging AI, ML, and data insights to solve business challenges. The conversation also explores frameworks for building solutions that deliver total experience value and the pathways for community involvement, continuous learning, and responsible growth in AI.

What do product leaders need to consider when building a differentiated decarbonization platform? The scale and urgency of the transformation required to fight climate change has never been more clear. Building hardware and software products, acquiring the funding and creating a diverse community to enhance talent capacity and to drive innovation, is essential to tackling this global environmental crisis. In this podcast, host and Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank, Climate Tech & Sustainability SVP Maggie Wong will be interviewing Gravity Climate Founder & CEO Saleh ElHattab to discuss combining software and physical solution in decarbonization, positioning their product to provide sustainable value and how diversity impacts understanding customer needs and product go-to-market.

How can product leaders tackle the challenge of producing sustainable and impactful products? In this episode of the Capgemini Leaders in Innovation series with Synapse - Capgemini Invent VP Dylan Garrett, Shellworks CEO and Founder Insiya Jafferjee speaks on the role Shellworks plays in reimagining sustainable alternatives to plastic use cases. They delve into unique and environmentally beneficial product concepts and designs used by Shellworks to address the issue of plastic waste holistically and contextually. The beauty industry is likely one of the leading offenders of plastic pollution. Tune in to learn how Shellworks aims to provide sustainable packaging solutions that are petroleum-free, truly compostable, and "perform like plastic."