AI is transforming the way we work, but building great AI products takes more than hype. In this episode of Productly Speaking, Karl Abbott talks with Dina Atia, an AI Product Manager at Microsoft, about how to navigate the noise and focus on what really matters: solving real user problems. Dina shares practical insights on managing expectations, balancing bold visions with incremental progress, and the skills PMs need to thrive in this fast-moving space. From rapid prototyping to aligning metrics with user value, this conversation is your guide to building smarter AI solutions. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

• How to identify real user needs in an era of AI hype 

• Why managing expectations is a PM superpower 

• The role of rapid prototyping in shaping better products 

• How to align evaluation metrics with what truly matters to users 

• What skills will set PMs apart in the next wave of AI 

  
  

Key Quotes: 

• “Not understanding the problem is a huge one… especially in the AI space.” 

• “AI isn’t thinking. It’s predicting the next word.” 

• “Bring back engineers being lazy! What is the minimum we can do to solve this problem?” 

• “Nobody achieves anything significant alone.” 

Resources & References: 

• Gartner Hype Cycle: https://www.gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/gartner-hype-cycle  

• Freytag’s Pyramid: https://writers.com/freytags-pyramid  

• Tools mentioned:  

• GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot  

• Lovable: https://lovable.dev/  

• V0: https://v0.app/  

• Cursor: https://cursor.com/  

Connect with Dina Atia: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinaatia/  

Episode Summary 

In this episode of Productly Speaking, host Karl Abbott speaks with Jake Bowen‑Bate about the realities of building products in fast-moving environments. Jake shares how dogfooding can sharpen your intuition, but also how it can blind you to key market expectations. His reflections illuminate the balance between internal expertise, competitive awareness, emotional design, and the cultural conditions that enable great product decisions. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode 

• Why dogfooding is valuable, but sometimes not enough 

• How using a competitor’s products can uncover hidden blind spots 

• What it means to design for emotion, not just functionality 

• How to maintain alignment in complex organizations 

• Why decision-making speed and clarity matter more than perfection 

• How culture, curiosity, and communication shape product outcomes 

Key Quotes 

• “We as product managers… should probably be trying to use where we can our own products that we're building… But when I started using our biggest competitor… I suddenly realized a lot of things that I had probably just missed.” 

• “When they spoke to me about features, it was very easy for me to dismiss those as nice-to-haves… When actually, I quickly realized once I started using them that I got a very strong emotional attachment to them.” 

• “If the decision is made, communicated, and explained, it can be a pretty mediocre decision because it’s still better than a decision that hasn’t been made, communicated, or explained.” 

Resources Mentioned 

• Inspired — Marty Cagan (https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/dec05575-b75f-4127-b00f-0b44af6f1724) 

• Crossing the Chasm — Geoffrey Moore (https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/db6bfb5d-0747-4576-a487-47989e928167)  

• Jake’s website: https://jakebowen-bate.co.uk/  

• Jake on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakebowenbate/  

Episode Summary: 

In this episode of Productly Speaking, host Karl Abbott talks with Katie Tamblin, consultant, trainer, and author of The Lean Agile Dilemma. Katie explains why lean and agile principles, born in startup environments, often fail in large, mature organizations. 

From the illusion of agility to the harsh realities of replatforming, Katie shares candid stories and practical lessons learned from decades of experience in product management and data strategy. If you’ve ever wondered why MVPs don’t work when replacing legacy systems, or how internal politics and investor pressure distort product strategy, this conversation is for you. 

Featured Quote: 

"Lean and Agile were designed for building software for the first time that no one’s using yet. Chunky corporates are managing decades of existing products and data—that’s a completely different beast." – Katie Tamblin 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

• Why lean and agile principles break down in large organizations 

• The MVP myth in replatforming (and Katie’s “tent in the garden” analogy) 

• How data migration becomes the biggest gremlin in product transformations 

• The illusion of agility and why sprints don’t guarantee success 

• Practical advice for PMs in startups vs. complex enterprises 

Resources & Links: 

• Katie’s Book: The Lean Agile Dilemma (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/979-8-8688-0321-5) 

• Katie’s Website: www.katietamblin.com 

• Subscribe to Productly Speaking: www.productlyspeaking.com 

Episode Summary: 

In this episode of Productly Speaking, host Karl Abbott sits down with Lee Fischman—seasoned developer, product manager, executive, and author of How to Excel at Digital Product Management. Lee shares decades of experience across industries from fintech to healthcare, and dives deep into what makes a great product manager beyond the usual playbook. 

We explore the mindset that drives success, why humility and empathy are non-negotiable, and how overlooked skills like communication and copywriting can make or break your career. Lee also unpacks why so many digital products fail, the hidden costs of customer acquisition, and how strategic pivots can turn failure into a breakthrough. Plus, we talk about the evolving role of AI in product teams and why smaller, faster squads might be the future. 

If you’ve ever wondered how to rise above the chaos, collaborate across silos, and build products that truly resonate, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: 

• Why humility is the cornerstone of effective product management. 

• The real definition of a product manager’s role—and why it varies so widely. 

• Common reasons digital products fail (and how to avoid them). 

• How to pivot when your product isn’t gaining traction. 

• Why design and marketing are critical skills for PMs. 

• Practical advice for navigating challenging team dynamics. 

• How AI is reshaping product teams and what that means for PMs. 

• Strategic thinking tips without relying on rigid frameworks. 

• The importance of communication and storytelling in product work. 

Key Quotes: 

• “A product manager’s job is to move her product forward to best serve the interests of its users and the business. Inside the organization, she represents the product.” 

• “You don’t get paid to manage chaos. You get paid for the skills you bring while facing a chaotic situation.” 

• “Product management is about people—the people who use your product, the folks you work with, the men and women you report to. If you want to excel, double down on all the ways you work with and value people.” 

• “You can build your own market, but then some advancement’s going to come in where all of a sudden that’s no longer a need what you service. If you don’t stay ahead and reinvent yourself over and over, you find yourself in a bad spot.” 

Resources & Links: 

• Lee Fischman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-fischman/  

• Lee’s Book: How to Excel at Digital Product Management (https://www.amazon.com/Excel-Digital-Product-Management-comprehensive/dp/B0DPVNX178/) 

• Lee’s Medium: https://medium.com/@lee.fischman  

Welcome to Season 4 of Productly Speaking! In this short kickoff episode, host Karl Abbott introduces the theme for the season:

Why do products fail and what can we learn from those failures?

We’ll explore the hidden risks, organizational dynamics, and human factors that shape product success or lead to disaster.

If you’re a product manager, founder, or anyone building products, this season will challenge your assumptions and help you think differently about success and failure! Subscribe so that you don't miss an episode!

In this insightful episode, Karl Abbott sits down with Janna Bastow, co-founder of ProdPad and founder of Mind the Product, to explore the evolution of product roadmaps. Janna shares the origin story of the Now-Next-Later Roadmap, a flexible and strategic alternative to traditional date-driven roadmaps. Together, they unpack how this approach empowers product teams to communicate more honestly, prioritize effectively, and adapt to change.

Key Topics Discussed

• The Birth of Now-Next-Later
• Why Traditional Roadmaps Fail
• Strategic Communication
• Balancing Flexibility and Commitment
• The “So What?” Test
• Janna’s Journey from PM to CEO
• AI and the Future of Product Management

Key Quotes

• “Roadmapping is a strategic communication exercise—not a delivery promise.”
• “If everything on your roadmap has a date, you’re not doing product management—you’re doing project delivery.”
• “AI won’t replace product managers, but it will replace the grunt work.”
• “Good product management isn’t just done by a product manager sitting in the corner… it’s their job to surround themselves with people in the team and ask really good questions and be transparent about the direction of the product.”

Learn More

• ProdPad
• Mind the Product

Connect with Janna

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannabastow/

In this episode, Karl Abbott sits down with Reese Gifford to explore the complexities and opportunities of managing products in the open-source ecosystem. Drawing from her experience as VP of Product at Mozilla and her current role at Microsoft, Reese shares insights on community engagement, monetization strategies, and the evolving landscape of open-source software in the age of AI and cloud computing.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Reese’s Journey to Mozilla
• Challenges of Open Source Product Management
• Revenue Models for Open Source
• Community Engagement
• Security & Compliance
• The Role of AI
• Future of Open Source

Key Quotes:

• “Open source has gone from a niche grassroots movement to the foundation of modern software development.”
• “Product management in open source is harder—your stakeholder base is vast and deeply involved.”
• “The community has a massive influence… decisions have to be driven from a consensus of multiple stakeholders, including external contributors.”

Advice for Aspiring Open Source PMs:

• Embrace the complexity of community-driven development.
• Communicate clearly with both internal teams and external contributors.
• Understand that prioritization decisions require diplomacy and transparency.

Connect with Reese:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissaponikvar/

In this insightful and entertaining episode, Karl Abbott sits down with Ali Rakhimov, author of Make Pigs Fly: Product Manager’s Bathroom Book. Ali shares his unconventional journey into product management, his philosophy of “blue-collar product management,” and how storytelling, curiosity, and resilience shape great product leaders.

Key Topics Discussed

• Ali’s Origin Story
• Blue-Collar Product Management
• Communication & Storytelling
• The Power of Idioms
• Features vs. Outcomes
• Building Confidence
• The Role of Humor
• Product Management Beyond Tech

About the Book

• Title: Make Pigs Fly: Product Manager’s Bathroom Book
• Where to Buy:
• Ali’s Website
• Amazon
• IngramSpark

Key Quotes

• “I didn’t stumble into product management—I tripped, fell, and landed face-first into it.”
• “You don’t need to speak louder—you just need to translate better.”
• “Good PMs ship features. Great PMs ship belief.”
• “You have to be fearless. You have to be hungry. That’s how you grow.”

Connect with Ali

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arakhimov/

In this insightful episode, Karl Abbott sits down with Flora Taagen, a product manager on the Azure Linux team at Microsoft. Flora shares her unconventional journey into product management, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and her perspective on the evolving nature of work and technology in 2025.

Topics Covered

• Flora’s Path to Product Management
• Transferable Skills from Unexpected Places
• Advice for Aspiring PMs
• Remote Work vs. Distributed Teams
• AI’s Impact on Product Management
• Looking Ahead

Key Quotes

• “I think that empathy and creative problem solving and satisfying customer needs are all deeply transferable skills.”
• “I found it very valuable to spend the first few minutes of my one-on-ones with my fully remote colleagues, just chatting and catching up and not jumping straight into work.”
• “Even if some team members are physically in person in a conference room together, I really appreciate when everyone still joins the Teams call individually and turns on their camera.”

Resources Mentioned

• Cracking the PM Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell & Jackie Bavaro
• Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) for open source contributions
• Microsoft Teams, GitHub Copilot, and other AI productivity tools

Connect with Flora

LinkedIn – Flora Taagen -- https://www.linkedin.com/in/florataagen/

In this episode of Productly Speaking, Karl Abbott chats with Adil Hussain, a product manager at the Financial Times, about his unconventional path into product management, the lessons he's learned from working across public and private sectors, and his passion for mentoring aspiring PMs. They explore how AI is reshaping the role, the importance of community and real-world learning, and how the UK’s Government Digital Service (GDS) offers a global model for accessible, user-centered design.

Topics Covered

• Adil’s Journey into Product Management
• Public vs. Private Sector Product Work
• Mentorship and Community Building
• The Evolving Role of the Product Manager
• AI in Product Management

Resources Mentioned

• GOV.UK Design System
• UK Government Digital Service (GDS)
• GDS Service Standard
• GDS Product Management Capability Framework

Key Quotes

• “Product management for me is about solving those problems in the right way and also making sure that we're building really good user experiences.”
• “I come across people that I mentor, that I teach or just have normal conversations with who aspire to break into product… and don’t realize they’re already doing product-style thinking.”
• “Being able to tell good stories as a product manager and being able to tell a narrative… it’s very, very important.”

Connect with Adil

Interested in Adil’s bootcamp or mentorship?

Reach out to him on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adilh1/