The Product Podcast

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Andrew Davidson, Senior Vice President of Product at MongoDB.

MongoDB is the most used modern database, powering some of the largest companies across industries like financial services, healthcare, and manufacturing. Originally launched as a free open-source project in 2009, MongoDB went public in 2017 and has grown into a $20Billion dollar enterprise data platform. 

In this episode, we’ll discuss how to incentivize team members to grow within the same company for a long period of time, the key product milestones in MongoDB’s transformation, nurturing a developer ecosystem, using AI to accelerate code deployment and scaling in the cloud, building 3rd-party integrations with over 100 partners, and allowing companies to integrate with MongoDB as they create their own data stack.

Key Takeaways👇:
- Empowering Developers with AI: Andrew emphasizes that leveraging AI can significantly enhance developers' productivity, enabling them to manage complexity more effectively and build applications faster.
- The Importance of Open Core Models: He advocates for maintaining an open-source version of MongoDB, ensuring accessibility for developers while adding value through premium features.
- Continuous Learning Culture: Andrew highlights the necessity of fostering a growth mindset within teams, encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing to drive innovation.

Social Links:
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- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:
Sprig, a product experience platform that generates AI-powered opportunities to continuously improve your product at scale. Sprig AI captures your product experience in real-time through Heatmaps, Replays, Surveys, and Feedback studies, instantly analyzing all your product experience data to generate actionable insights. Join product teams at Figma and Notion by uncovering AI-powered product opportunities at scale. Visit sprig.com/productschool to book a demo and get a $75 gift card.

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Andrew Davidson

In this episode, Stephen Hsu, Chief Product Officer at Calendly, shares his insights on navigating the AI landscape and transforming Calendly into a comprehensive meeting lifecycle platform. He discusses the challenges of evolving from a simple scheduling tool to a robust solution that meets diverse customer needs and the importance of maintaining a customer-centric approach in a competitive market.
Stephen elaborates on his strategic vision for integrating AI across various functions within Calendly, emphasizing the need for a modular product design that can adapt to emerging technologies. He also highlights key trends in the AI space, such as enhancing user experiences and fostering deeper integrations with existing tools.

What you'll learn:
- Stephen's journey to becoming CPO at Calendly and his vision for the company's growth.
- Strategies for transitioning from a basic scheduling feature to a comprehensive product suite.
- The significance of understanding customer needs in product development.
- Insights into the competitive landscape of AI and scheduling solutions.

Key Takeaways👇:
Customer-Centric Innovation: Stephen stresses that aligning product development with customer needs is crucial for success. Leveraging AI can significantly enhance user experiences and streamline workflows.
Modular Product Design: He advocates for flexible architectures that allow rapid adaptation to new capabilities, ensuring products remain relevant as technology evolves.
Focus on Activation Metrics: Understanding what constitutes user activation is vital. Stephen emphasizes the importance of defining clear activation metrics to foster long-term user retention.

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:
Sprig, a product experience platform that generates AI-powered opportunities to continuously improve your product at scale. Sprig AI captures your product experience in real time through Heatmaps, Replays, Surveys, and Feedback studies and instantly analyzes all of your product experience data to generate real-time insights.
Join product teams at Figma and Notion by uncovering AI-powered product opportunities at scale. Visit sprig.com/productschool to book a demo and get a $75 gift card.

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Stephen Hsu

In this episode, Stephen Hsu, Chief Technology Officer at Calendly, shares his insights on navigating the AI landscape and transforming Calendly into a comprehensive meeting lifecycle platform. He discusses the challenges of evolving from a simple scheduling tool to a robust solution that meets diverse customer needs and the importance of maintaining a customer-centric approach in a competitive market.
Stephen elaborates on his strategic vision for integrating AI across various functions within Calendly, emphasizing the need for a modular product design that can adapt to emerging technologies. He also highlights key trends in the AI space, such as enhancing user experiences and fostering deeper integrations with existing tools.

What you'll learn:
- Stephen's journey to becoming CTO at Calendly and his vision for the company's growth.
- Strategies for transitioning from a basic scheduling feature to a comprehensive product suite.
- The significance of understanding customer needs in product development.
- Insights into the competitive landscape of AI and scheduling solutions.

Key Takeaways👇:
Customer-Centric Innovation: Stephen stresses that aligning product development with customer needs is crucial for success. Leveraging AI can significantly enhance user experiences and streamline workflows.
Modular Product Design: He advocates for flexible architectures that allow rapid adaptation to new capabilities, ensuring products remain relevant as technology evolves.
Focus on Activation Metrics: Understanding what constitutes user activation is vital. Stephen emphasizes the importance of defining clear activation metrics to foster long-term user retention.

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:
Sprig, a product experience platform that generates AI-powered opportunities to continuously improve your product at scale. Sprig AI captures your product experience in real time through Heatmaps, Replays, Surveys, and Feedback studies and instantly analyzes all of your product experience data to generate real-time insights.
Join product teams at Figma and Notion by uncovering AI-powered product opportunities at scale. Visit sprig.com/productschool to book a demo and get a $50 gift card.

Credits:

Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Stephen Hsu

In this episode, Frank te Pas, Head of Enterprise Product at Perplexity AI shares his journey in the AI landscape, detailing his role in transforming Perplexity into an innovative answer engine that challenges traditional search paradigms. He discusses the complexities of integrating AI into products, the importance of a modular approach to product design, and how to maintain a customer-centric focus in a rapidly evolving tech environment.

Frank dives into his strategic framework for becoming an AI-first company, emphasizing how to prioritize AI integration across various functions. He also addresses the future of AI in product management, highlighting trends such as modular systems, and enhanced user experiences.

What you'll learn:
- Frank's journey to becoming Head of Enterprise Product at Perplexity AI and his vision for the company's future.
- The challenges and strategies involved in integrating AI into existing product ecosystems.
- How to effectively transition from a traditional model to an AI-first approach.
- The AI landscape and its key players.

Key Takeaways👇:
- Customer-Centric Innovation: Frank emphasizes that understanding customer needs is vital for successful product development. Leveraging AI can significantly enhance user experiences and streamline operations.
- Modular Product Design: He advocates for creating flexible backends that allow companies to adapt quickly to new AI capabilities, ensuring products remain relevant as technology evolves.
- Embracing Lifelong Learning: Frank highlights the importance of networking and engaging with experts to deepen understanding of AI, suggesting that curiosity and proactive learning are key to mastering new skills.

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:
Sprig, a product experience platform that generates AI-powered opportunities to continuously improve your product at scale. Sprig AI captures your product experience in real time through Heatmaps, Replays, Surveys, and Feedback studies and instantly analyzes all of your product experience data to generate real-time insights.
Join product teams at Figma and Notion by uncovering AI-powered product opportunities at scale. Visit sprig.com/productschool to book a demo and get a $50 gift card.

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Frank te Pas

In this episode of #TheProductPodcast we chat with Jessica Hall, Chief Product Officer at Just Eat Takeaway. Jessica shares her journey in the food delivery industry, detailing her role in transforming Just Eat Takeaway into a global leader that serves over 81 million customers across 19 countries. She discusses the complexities of re-platforming a product, integrating diverse team cultures after multiple acquisitions, and simplifying the user experience of a multi-feature platform.

In this episode, Jessica dives into her strategic framework for product expansion, focusing on how she prioritizes new markets, users, and use cases. She also addresses the future of food delivery, highlighting trends such as AI, self-driving cars, and virtual kitchens. Jessica emphasizes the importance of maintaining a customer-centric approach while navigating the challenges of a rapidly evolving industry.

Key Takeaways👇:
- Customer-Centric Innovation: Jessica highlights that understanding customer needs is vital for driving successful product development. Just Eat Takeaway's expansion into non-food items reflects their commitment to convenience.
- Culture Integration Post-Acquisition: She shares insights on creating a unified culture within a diverse workforce, emphasizing that engagement and communication are crucial for overcoming challenges.
- Simplicity Before Automation: Jessica advocates for simplifying processes before automating them, ensuring that businesses can operate more efficiently and effectively while reducing costs.

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:
Sprig, a product experience platform that generates AI-powered opportunities to continuously improve your product at scale. Sprig AI captures your product experience in real time through Heatmaps, Replays, Surveys, and Feedback studies and instantly analyzes all of your product experience data to generate real-time insights.
Join product teams at Figma and Notion by uncovering AI-powered product opportunities at scale. Visit sprig.com/productschool to book a demo and get a $50 gift card.

Credits:

Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Jessica Hall

In this episode of The Product Podcast, we chat with Mario Queiroz, VP of Product at Hinge Health and former VP at Google, where he co-invented the Google Chromecast.

Mario takes us on a captivating journey through his diverse career, from building revolutionary hardware products at Google to transforming healthcare with digital physical therapy at Hinge Health. He opens up about the challenges of moving from software to hardware, the complexities of scaling a global product, and the role of AI in personalizing healthcare solutions.

In this episode, Mario dives into the development of Google Chromecast, how Hinge Health is redefining healthcare with AI, and the importance of combining product management expertise with domain knowledge. He also shares his experience in leading cross-functional teams to drive innovation in both the tech and healthcare industries.

CONTENT
(00:25) 🌎 From Brazil to the US: Mario’s Journey to Stanford and HP
(03:10) 📡 Building Chromecast: Lessons in Hardware and Software
(05:38) 🎮 Innovating at Google: Revolutionizing Streaming with Chromecast
(16:22) 💡 Leading at Hinge Health: Digital Solutions for Chronic Pain
(21:04) ⚕️ Aligning Product Success with Health Outcomes
(24:36) 🤖 Leveraging AI for Personalized Healthcare
(36:37) 🚀 Navigating Regulatory Challenges and Scaling in Healthcare

KEY TAKEAWAYS👇:

• Hardware Meets Software: Mario shares the groundbreaking journey behind Google Chromecast and how integrating software into hardware can create game-changing products.
• AI in Healthcare: Learn how AI is reshaping healthcare through personalized treatment at Hinge Health, blending technology with human care for better outcomes.
• Cross-Industry Expertise: Mario reflects on navigating product management in multiple industries, emphasizing the importance of blending product expertise with deep domain knowledge.
• Building Cross-Functional Teams: Insights into how Mario led cross-functional teams to drive innovation, focusing on both business needs and user experiences.

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Mario Queiroz

In this episode of The Product Podcast, we sit down with Vinod Suresh, US Chief Product Officer at GoDaddy, to dive deep into his journey from moving across 13 schools as a child to leading major product teams at GoDaddy. Vinod shares his passion for lifelong learning, explaining how this constant evolution has shaped his leadership approach, enabling him to embrace and drive change effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Vinod discusses GoDaddy’s Entrepreneur's Wheel, which covers identity, presence, and commerce, and how it helps small businesses and entrepreneurs build their digital presence. He explains how the company ensures its products work seamlessly together to create a fully connected ecosystem, providing customers with the tools they need to succeed.

In this episode, Vinod also breaks down his unique approach to time management and prioritization—skills that have allowed him to successfully lead a large, dynamic team while maintaining a strong personal and professional balance.

CONTENT
(00:00) 🎒 Vinod’s Journey: From 13 Schools to Leading GoDaddy’s Product Team
(07:25) 📚 Lifelong Learning: How Continuous Education Fuels Success
(18:51) 🌐 The GoDaddy Ecosystem: Building for Entrepreneurs Around the World
(24:14) 🛠️ Structuring a Product Team for Maximum Impact
(32:54) 🌍 Expanding Beyond Domains: GoDaddy’s End-to-End Entrepreneur Support
(44:09) 🔗 Creating a Connected Product Experience at GoDaddy

KEY TAKEAWAYS👇:
1. Embracing Change: Vinod’s ability to adapt quickly has become his strength, helping him lead GoDaddy’s transformation into a product-driven ecosystem for entrepreneurs.
2. Lifelong Learning: His belief in continuous education keeps him ahead of industry trends and better prepared for future challenges.
3. Process Efficiency: Vinod dives into how he has built efficient, self-sustaining processes at GoDaddy to streamline operations, from weekly reviews to monthly business evaluations, allowing his team to focus on innovation.
4. Structuring Product Teams: Vinod wraps up by discussing how his product teams are structured to focus on customer outcomes, rotating across products and leveraging AI for a connected and hyper-personalized customer experience.

SOCIAL LINKS
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

CREDITS:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Vinod Suresh

In this episode of The Product Podcast, we chat with Tom Wang, Chief Product Officer at Turo, the world’s largest peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace.

Tom shares his journey of scaling Turo from a small team to a leading car-sharing platform that allows entrepreneurs to monetize their idle cars while providing customers with a unique and convenient rental experience. He opens up about his experience in building a high-quality marketplace, the evolution of Turo’s product team, and the importance of staying close to customers to drive innovation.

In this episode, Tom dives into how Turo uses AI to prototype customer-focused solutions, why creating a high-quality marketplace is crucial for long-term success, and the lessons he has learned from Turo's entrepreneurial hosts. He also touches on how Turo’s unique selection of vehicles creates emotional connections with customers and how staying customer-centric drives product development at every stage.

CONTENT
(00:00) 🚗 Turo’s Journey: Scaling a Peer-to-Peer Car-Sharing Marketplace
(01:52) 🚀 From RelayRides to Turo: The Evolution of the Product Team
(04:49) 🌟 The Importance of High-Quality Hosts in Marketplace Success
(07:41) 📈 Building a Data-Informed, Customer-Driven Culture
(13:22) 🛠️ Enhancing Host and Guest Experiences Through Product Innovations
(18:06) 💼 Positioning Turo in a Competitive Market
(23:56) 🤖 How Turo is Using AI to Solve Real Customer Problems
(32:07) 🚙 Looking to the Future: What’s Next for Turo

KEY TAKEAWAYS👇:
1. Customer-Centric Product Development: Tom emphasizes the power of listening to customer feedback—both hosts and guests—ensuring the product meets real-world needs while uncovering new opportunities for innovation.
2. Balancing Data and Insights: While Turo values data, Tom believes that customer interactions and real-world use cases are key to driving product development. It's about blending data with human insights.
3. Leveraging AI for Innovation: Turo uses AI prototypes to solve specific customer problems, ensuring technology aligns with practical, real-world use rather than creating novelty features without value.

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Tom Wang

In this episode, of The Product Podcast, we chat with Tomer London,Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gusto, the leading HR platform for small and medium-sized businesses in the US.

Tomer shares his journey from coding his first inventory management system for his dad’s clothing store as a teenager to building Gusto into a comprehensive payroll and HR platform serving over 300,000 small businesses. He opens up about the challenges of evolving his role as CPO, transitioning from hands-on coding to building product teams, and scaling the company while staying deeply customer-focused.

In this episode, Tomer dives into the importance of embedding compliance into the core of Gusto’s product, why he believes product management should be data-aware but not data-dependent, and how he fosters a culture of intuition-driven decision-making. He also shares how Gusto integrates AI to streamline processes, from payroll automation to enhancing customer support, all while maintaining the human touch that defines their success.

CONTENT
(00:19) 🌱 Early Beginnings: Building Software for a Small Business
(03:33) 💪🏽 From Engineer to Product Leader
(04:45) 👨🏽‍⚖️ The Importance of Compliance in Small Business Solutions
(11:00) ⚖️ Balancing Data and Intuition in Product Management
(20:26) 💥 Gusto's Product Expansion Strategy
(35:51) 🤖 AI and Human Touch in Customer Experience

KEY TAKEAWAYS👇:
Customer-Centric Product Development: Tomer emphasizes that listening to customers and addressing their pain points is the foundation for building successful products. Gusto's focus on helping small businesses manage compliance and payroll seamlessly has driven its product-market fit.

Data-Aware, Not Data-Dependent: Tomer believes that while data is important, product managers should balance it with intuition built from direct customer interactions. This approach ensures that products are not just functional but deeply aligned with user needs.

Scaling with AI & Human Touch: Gusto’s innovative use of AI enhances internal efficiency and customer service. Tomer shares how AI-driven features like automated data entry make life easier for users, while maintaining personal connections through exceptional customer support.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Eppo, the next-generation A/B testing and feature management platform built for modern growth teams by alums of Airbnb and Stitch Fix. Visit their website https://www.geteppo.com/, and 10x your experiment velocity.

CREDITS:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Tomer London

In this episode of the Product Podcast we chat with Karri Saarinen, the CEO at Linear. It's the fastest-growing and most beloved project management tool in the world. The company is valued at $400 million, and has raised $52 million in funding from Accel, Sequoia, and some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs including the founders of Slack.

Before Linear, Karri led product design at Airbnb and Coinbase.

In our conversation, we'll discuss how his design background is helping him a product users love, his strong Product-Led Growth (PLG) approach to reach decision-makers, how to not always rely on data for product decisions, and his stance against incorporating AI-specific features into his product at this time.
 
Discover how Linear is building the tool that PMs love with a innovative and human approach that allows them to be growing so fast and having the sense of belonging of clients. This episode is packed with lessons on how coming from a different background can be a positive perspective when building a product that turns into the most enjoyable and efficient way to manage development.

(00:00) 🎬 Intro
(03:16) 🚀Design Background & Starting Linear
(06:41) 👨🏽‍💻 Role and Focus as a Founder
(09:19) 🛒 Competing in a Crowded Market
(12:45) 📈 Maintaining Long-Term Success
(14:48) 📚 Conclusion

KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. Design-Centric Approach: As a designer, Karri's approach to starting Linear focuses on user experience and brand. He emphasizes the importance of creating a great experience for users, especially in a collaboration tool like Linear.
2. Role as a Founder: Karri handles non-technical aspects of the company, including design and product vision. He believes in focusing on areas where he can make the most impact, like maintaining high standards in design and brand.
3. Unlike competitors who expand to generalize their tools, Linear stays focused on providing an excellent user experience for its target audience. Differentiating in a crowded market by building the best product specifically for software teams.


SOCIAL LINKS:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Pendo, the only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application. With all the tools you need, in one simple-to-use platform, Pendo makes it easy to answer critical questions about how users are engaging with your product—then turn those insights into action—all so you can get your users to do what you actually want them to do. Visit their website to create your free Pendo account today

Eppo, the next-generation A/B testing and feature management platform built for modern growth teams by alums of Airbnb and Stitch Fix. Visit their website and 10x your experiment velocity.


CREDITS:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Karri Saarinen