This episode features a recording of our fireside chat at ProdCon with Jeffrey Chan, Senior Manager at TD Invent.

The conversation dives into Jeff’s strategies for driving industry-first innovations, balancing vision with execution, and cultivating an intrapreneurial mindset. From launching Canada’s first mobile commerce store at Dell to pioneering groundbreaking customer service advancements at TD, Jeff shares actionable insights for aspiring PMs and innovators looking to make a lasting impact in corporate environments.

In this episode, we dive into the contradictions of product management with Prashanth Rajendran, Senior Manager of Product Management at Samsung Research. From balancing technical expertise with business knowledge to navigating data-driven decisions and intuition, we discuss what it takes to succeed in this challenging and ambiguous role. Drawing from his 14+ years of experience, Prashanth shares practical insights for aspiring product managers on how to build the skills needed to lead with confidence in these 'grey areas' in the future.

We dive deep into Product with Curtis from how he got his break into Product to advice to his younger self.

Today we’re here with a very special guest, Iris, who is a Waterloo alumni and has previously worked in product management roles across both Canadian and American landscapes at companies like Google X, Microsoft, Neo, and Scale AI. Currently she is working with Arteria AI. On the side, she is also completing a Masters degree in Analytics and AI. Iris formerly founded an impact-driven non-profit called OpenMeal and led a team of 50 at her own startup, Neutrify.

In this podcast, Frank, a recent graduate and currently a PM at Microsoft, shares his journey into product management. Despite his initial lack of technical expertise, Frank's determination and strategic approach enabled him to gain valuable experiences through various internships and leadership roles in college. He found his passion for product management early on and leveraged his experiences to secure a PM role at Microsoft, showcasing a blend of leadership and technical skills in his career progression.

Frank's highlights his proactive approach in pursuing his passion for product management from high school to college. His early exposure to the field through a podcast and interviews with industry professionals sparked his interest, leading him to establish a product management club in his senior year to help others navigate this career path. His insights into the differences between working as a PM in traditional and technology-centric industries, along with his diverse experiences, showcase the multifaceted nature of product management and the importance of adaptability and continuous learning.

Frank's Blog: https://frankthoughts.substack.com/

In this podcast episode, we meet Justin Ford, the co-founder of Javelin Sports, a company on a mission to combat social isolation through sports. They initially set out to create a platform for adults to connect through sports but had to pivot when the pandemic hit.

[00:00:02]: Introduction and Welcome

[00:00:33]: Introducing Justin Ford, co-founder of Jafflin Sports

[00:00:44]: Javlin Sports' mission to tackle social isolation crisis

[00:02:05]: Choosing volleyball as the focus for Javlin Sports

[00:02:40]: Initial challenges and the pivot during the pandemic

[00:05:32]: Success with COVID screening app and relaunch into sports

[00:06:57]: Importance of timing and execution for startups

[00:08:08]: Identifying timing trends and executing on them

[00:08:57]: The importance of having one great idea in a startup

[00:09:10]: The opportunity for improvement in skill level at games

Discover the captivating journey of Manon Modi, a product management expert with a diverse background in government and big tech. Join him as he explores the dynamic world of startups, fintech, and the profound power of making a positive impact. Tune in to the UWPM podcast for an inspiring and insightful episode you won't want to miss!

Timestamps

00:00-Introduction and Background

3:15-Work before PM

5:15-Skills for PM

6:30-Role at Big Tech vs Startups

8:05-Projects worked on

10:10-About his book

13:30-Problem identification as a PM

15:43-Developing product sense

18:00-Side projects in school

18:55-School things that led his career progression

21:25-Thoughts on hustle culture

24:00-Things you do in free time

25:20-Why PM is so entrepreneurial

28:50-Side projects Manan is working on 28:50

31:45-General advice

Hey UW PM listeners! 

We are switching it up a bit for our design folks by welcoming UW PM alumni Catherine Hoang! Soon to graduate from the GBDA program Catherine currently works as a Program and UX Strategist at Adobe. She also used to create gaming content on Youtube and worked previously as a Go-to-Market Manager Intern for Microsoft’s Minecraft for Education.

In this episode, Matthew talks with Catherine about her journey transitioning from business to design and the key learnings she grasped in the industry from numerous informal chats and external internships. This episode functions well as a starting point for students to understand the field of program management as well as career development in the business and design space.

Timestamps

0:00-Who is Catherine Hoang?

2:34-Business & Design Roles

4:19-Product vs Program Management 

7:20-Tips for External Recruiting

10:50-Transitioning into UX & Marketing Yourself

13:23-Design Specific Resources

15:05-PM Related Resources

15:34-Soft Skills to Highlight during Interviews

19:03-Life Near Post-Grad & Work as a Contractor 

21:04-Studying Abroad

23:19-Final Advice From Catherine

Welcome back UW PM listeners! It’s been a few years and we’re super excited to start the podcast back up again!

What better way to kick off the podcast than to talk with previous UW PM podcast host Kasey Fu! Kasey is a Waterloo and UW PM Alumni currently working at Microsoft as a Search and AI Product Manager. Kasey is also an avid writer, publishing medium articles related to AI and Product Management. He has a passion for creative writing, publishing 2 books!

In this episode Josh talks with Kasey about his journey navigating the PM industry, the clubs he’s been part of at Waterloo and the internships he’s experienced along the way. Kasey talks about his current role at Microsoft, the challenges he faces as a PM, and the AI industry. We also talk about writing and his contributions to the Product Coalition, the world’s largest independent Product community. We talk about Kasey’s passion for creative writing and his view on the future of writing with the advancements of Generative AI. 

Learn more about Kasey: https://seykafu.com/

Check out Kasey’s Medium Articles: https://seykafu.medium.com/

Product Coalition Medium Articles: https://productcoalition.com/

Timestamps

00:00-We're Back!

1:23-Breaking into PM

4:20-Clubs & Community at UW

7:50-Internship Experiences

14:40-Working at Microsoft

18:30-Navigating the AI Industry 

23:40-Writing & Product Coalition

30:00-Creative Writing vs Generative AI 

Meet Helen, the co-founder of Co.Lab - a program providing aspiring technical folks with real-world experience launching products. Today, Gogilan sits down with Helen to discuss her unique and untraditional pathway into PM as a Earth Sciences major, her lessons and advice from on the job at Microsoft, and her new life building a business and its relationship to building products. 

Check out the program at Co.Lab: https://www.joincolab.io/