In this episode of the Intentional Product Manager Podcast, Shobhit Chugh sits down with Ajit Thupil, a seasoned product leader whose journey spans Amazon, McKinsey, and several high-growth startups—most recently as Chief Product Officer.

Ajit shares a refreshingly honest look into what it really takes to scale product with precision, whether you’re operating inside a tech giant or leading growth at a startup. He unpacks the frameworks, mindset shifts, and hard-won lessons that helped him evolve from an engineer to a product executive—and what aspiring PM leaders often get wrong when chasing their next role.

You’ll learn:

• What Amazon taught Ajit about focus, metrics, and decision-making
• How to align product, go-to-market, and revenue in fast-paced environments
• Why storytelling and strategic communication matter more as you grow
• How to navigate the leap from IC to product executive—and avoid common traps
• Advice for PMs who want to stand out and lead with impact

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 – Introduction to Ajit Thupil 
00:59 – Thoughts on remote vs. in-office work in a post-pandemic world
02:48 – Lessons from stepping into the CPO role for the first time
03:57 – Ajit’s winding career path and the inflection points that shaped it
05:53 – Moving from business development to product management
11:17 – Key takeaways from working at Amazon
15:41 – How to connect product strategy with go-to-market and revenue
19:13 – Advice for aspiring product leaders: what to build, how to grow
27:21 – Rapid-fire questions and wrap-up

Connect with Shobhit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobhitchugh/

Connect with Ajit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajitthupil/

www.intentionalproductmanager.com