In this episode, Ashok Sivanand sits down with Aakash Gupta, a former VP of Product at Apollo.io and now the author of the popular newsletter, Product Growth. Aakash shares his journey from being a computer science enthusiast to working at Apollo.io and eventually venturing out on his own. His insights on pricing strategies and the problems facing startups in our current economy are invaluable. Aakash and Ashok also discuss how layoffs in the tech industry have made product jobs harder to get and what you can do in your interview to break through and land your dream job. We also get to learn about his his amazing newsletter, Product Growth and upcoming book, which are geared toward helping product managers and startup founders succeed.

Inside the episode...

• Aakash Gupta’s early interest in computer science and transition to product management. • The growth strategies that propelled Apollo.io’s success. •

The importance of a strong freemium model and viral word-of-mouth growth.

• Insights into the free-to-paid conversion and user activation.

• Aakash’s newsletter and book, aimed at helping product managers and startup founders.

• The evolution of product management roles and navigating career transitions.

• The benefits and challenges of targeting different customer segments (SMB vs. enterprise).

Mentioned in this episode...

1. Apollo.io - A product known for its data services, which acts as a comprehensive database for sales and marketing teams. Apollo offers a robust freemium model and focuses on a viral word-of-mouth growth strategy  .
2. ZoomInfo - An incumbent in the data services space, competing directly with Apollo.io by integrating with large enterprise CRMs to provide extensive contact data .
3. Product Growth Newsletter - A paid newsletter by Aakash Gupta that delivers in-depth research on product management topics, aimed primarily at startup founders and product managers.
4. The Ultimate Guide to Getting a PM Job - Aakash Gupta’s book designed as a comprehensive guide for aspiring product managers, which is updated regularly to provide the most current insights and strategies.
5. ChatPRD by Claire Vo - A SaaS product designed to help product managers advance in their careers, which has inspired Aakash to develop similar tools.
6. Superpeer and Exponent - Platforms offering interview coaching services, particularly for product management roles, featuring experienced PMs from top tech companies .
7. Sony A6400 Camera - A product praised by Aakash for its value and the learning curve associated with its advanced features .
8. La Sportiva Solution Comp Climbing Shoes - High-end climbing shoes that significantly improved Aakash’s climbing performance.
9. Find Aakash on YouTube @growproduct

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