The Product Podcast

Join us for an insightful episode of The Product Podcast with Jon Noronha, Co-founder of Gamma, an AI-first platform revolutionizing how people create presentations, documents, and websites. Starting in 2020 during the height of shelter-in-place, Gamma has achieved remarkable growth, reaching over 50 million users with a lean team of just 30 people. Most impressively, they went from less than a year of runway to cash-flow positive in just 3 months after pivoting to AI, with 80% of their revenue coming from outside the U.S. - all without a sales team. In this episode, Jon breaks down Gamma's unconventional approach to building AI products, challenging traditional notions of team structure and go-to-market strategy. He shares insights on why they prioritize UX designers over PMs, how they achieved rapid international growth without localization, and their strategic decision to focus on the application layer rather than building their own AI models. What you'll learn: - How Gamma evolved from a presentation tool into a full-blown AI content platform - Why they bet on a design-first team structure with 7 UX designers and no traditional PMs - The technology behind their AI implementation and multi-model approach - How they achieved profitability in 3 months through pure product-led growth - Their strategy for reaching 50M+ users with a team of just 30 people Episode Chapters: (00:00) Gamma's Evolution: From Presentations to AI Platform (15:00) Unconventional Team Structure: Why Designers > PMs (20:00) Product-Led Growth: Zero to 50M Users Without Sales (25:00) AI Integration Strategy: Focusing on User Experience (30:00) International Growth: 80% Revenue Outside US Key Takeaways 👇: Design-First Organization Jon challenges traditional tech company structure by prioritizing designers over PMs, demonstrating how a design-led organization can drive rapid product innovation and growth. Pure Product-Led Growth Through extensive A/B testing and a focus on user experience, Gamma achieved profitability in just 3 months after their AI pivot, with a $20/month price point that resonated globally. Strategic AI Implementation Rather than building their own AI models, Gamma focused on the application layer, creating value through superior user experience and interface design while leveraging existing AI infrastructure. This episode is filled with contrarian insights about building AI products, from team structure to go-to-market strategy, making it a must-listen for product leaders looking to challenge conventional wisdom in tech. This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks. Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: https://withpersona.com/productschool 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: Jon Noronha

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Glen Coates, Vice President of Product at Shopify. Shopify is one of the world’s leading commerce platforms, powering millions of businesses and helping entrepreneurs sell online and offline with ease. Since launching in 2006, it has become a global e-commerce giant and the second-largest online retailer in the U.S., with over $8 billion in annual revenue and 8,000+ employees working fully remotely. Glen leads Shopify’s Core Product organization, overseeing the storefront, checkout, back office, marketing, analytics tools, and the core developer platform. He also drives Shopify’s thriving partner ecosystem, which offers merchants access to over 10,000 apps. From video game developer to B2B ecommerce founder to product leader at scale, Glen brings a rare blend of technical depth and entrepreneurial vision. In this episode, he shares how his unconventional path shaped his approach to product leadership, the principles behind Shopify’s fast-moving strategy, and how the company stays ahead with AI and deep product focus. He also explains his org design for scale, why every product leader must “know everything down to the details,” and how the team keeps the experience polished with the “Boring Edition.” What you’ll learn: -Glen’s journey from game development to leading Shopify’s core platform. - How Shopify’s viral “AI memo” raised the bar for PMs and engineers to build faster. - The Outcomes, Assumptions & Principles framework behind better product decisions. - Why focusing on fundamentals keeps Shopify nimble and merchants competitive. Key Takeaways 👇 - Entrepreneurial Product Leadership: How building Handshake prepared Glen to tackle real commerce pain points at Shopify. -Future-Proof Commerce: How Shopify uses its rich data and AI to help millions of merchants grow. -Decision-Making at Scale: Glen’s practical frameworks for aligning thousands of people to deliver seamless, high-quality products. This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks. Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: https://withpersona.com/productschool Social Links: - Follow our Podcast on TikTok 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: Glen Coates

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia sits down with Ariel Ban, President of Technology at Warner Music Group, live from the ProductCon stage. Warner Music Group, home to some of the world’s most iconic artists, is undergoing a bold transformation under Ariel’s leadership. A former Google and YouTube executive, Ariel brings a startup mindset to a 900-person organization within one of the most tradition-rich industries: music. In this conversation, Ariel shares his unfiltered approach to digital transformation—from replacing bloated MVP culture with his “Minimum Proud Product” philosophy to building real-time dashboards that empower artists with actionable data. He also dives into the infamous “3-sh***ts” framework he uses to evaluate product managers, and how he’s instilling a culture of trust, ownership, and creativity across a global tech org. What you’ll learn: - Ariel’s journey from big tech to the music industry and his unique take on what transformation really looks like. - Why MVPs are a “disease” and how to build products artists and fans are proud of. - The strategy behind launching artist-facing tools like real-time revenue dashboards. - How Warner Music is leveraging AI to unlock value in a highly creative, fast-changing space. Key Takeaways👇: - Redefining Digital Transformation: Ariel argues that real change starts with culture, not tech—and shares how to lead with clarity at scale. - Artist-Centric Product Thinking: Empowering creators through data requires more than just tools; it requires trust, transparency, and a proud product experience. - From MVP to MPP: His “Minimum Proud Product” philosophy offers a sharp critique of default startup practices and a new way to drive quality and impact. This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks. Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: https://withpersona.com/productschool 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: Ariel Bardin

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Manuel Bronstein, Chief Product Officer at Roblox. Roblox is not just a video game—it's a platform that enables people to play, create, and build businesses in immersive virtual worlds. With over 85 million daily active users growing at 20% year-over-year, Roblox has paid out more than $923 million to its creator community in 2024 alone. Manuel brings extensive experience from leading roles at major tech platforms including Xbox, Zynga, YouTube, and Google Assistant. As Roblox's CPO, he oversees the platform's product strategy and development, focusing on creating tools and systems that empower creators while maintaining trust and safety at scale. In this episode, we'll explore: - The evolution of Roblox from gaming platform to virtual economy - How Roblox manages its creator marketplace and virtual economy - Manuel's product leadership principles and frameworks - Strategies for maintaining startup culture while scaling - The future of virtual worlds and immersive platforms Chapters: (00:00) 🎮 Introduction and Career Journey (05:25) 🚀 From Gaming to Platforms: Leadership Lessons (15:30) 💰 Building and Managing Virtual Economies (25:45) 🛠️ Product Development at Scale (35:20) 🔮 The Future of Virtual Worlds (45:10) 💡 Leadership Principles and Team Building Key Takeaways 👇: - Virtual Economy Management: Manuel emphasizes the importance of building systems that can scale while maintaining trust and safety, particularly in managing a virtual economy with real monetary value. - Leadership Principles: Focus on building fast and learning faster, using first principles thinking, and implementing radical simplification to solve complex problems. - Platform Dynamics: Understanding the unique challenges of managing a platform that serves both creators and users, requiring different approaches to engagement and monetization. - Scaling Culture: Manuel shares strategies for maintaining startup-like innovation and execution speed while growing into a major platform. - Systems Thinking: The importance of designing scalable systems from the start, particularly when dealing with user-generated content and virtual economies. 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: Manuel Bronstein

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Kiren Sekar, Chief Product Officer at Samsara, a $20+ billion company revolutionizing physical operations technology. Since its founding about 10 years ago, Samsara has become a leader in IoT and AI solutions for industries like transportation, manufacturing, and construction. As CPO, Kiren leads Samsara's product strategy and development, overseeing a team of ~700 people in R&D. Under his leadership, Samsara has successfully built an integrated platform that combines hardware sensors and cameras with sophisticated software solutions, collecting over 10 trillion data points annually to help businesses improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability. we explore how Samsara balances hardware and software development, uses their 70/20/10 framework for product roadmap prioritization, and leverages AI to enhance driver safety and operational efficiency. Kiren also shares insights on building and scaling product teams in a rapidly growing enterprise environment. What you'll learn: - How to implement a 70/20/10 framework for product roadmap prioritization - Strategies for building and scaling R&D teams across hardware and software - Methods for creating effective customer feedback loops combining data and field visits - Approaches to balancing customer requests with innovation initiatives Key Takeaways 👇: - Product Strategy Framework - Uses 70/20/10 model to balance core product development, growth initiatives, and innovation - Focuses on horizontal solutions that work across multiple industries - Emphasizes three main themes: safety, efficiency, and sustainability This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks. Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: https://withpersona.com/productschool 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: Kiren Sekar

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Nicholas Daniel, Chief Product Officer at Etsy — the world's largest marketplace for unique and handmade items. Founded in 2005, Etsy has grown into a global platform connecting over 6 million sellers with 90 million buyers worldwide, featuring more than 130 million unique items. Nicholas leads Etsy's product organization, overseeing 30+ product squads that drive innovation across the marketplace. His 11-year tenure at Etsy has been instrumental in transforming the platform from a web-centric marketplace to a multi-platform powerhouse while staying true to its core mission of "keeping commerce human." We explore how Etsy manages its massive scale of unique inventory, leverages AI for better discovery, and maintains the delicate balance between growth and marketplace identity. Nicholas shares insights on structuring product teams around business challenges, measuring seller success, and fostering innovation through features like "Spaces" that enhance browsing experiences. What you'll learn: How Etsy structures its product organization to tackle marketplace challenges Strategies for managing and categorizing millions of unique items Key metrics for measuring seller success and platform health Approaches to balancing automation with maintaining human connections The role of AI in understanding and surfacing unique inventory (00:00) Intro and Etsy's Evolution (05:00) Managing Scale in a Unique Marketplace (15:00) Product Organization Structure (25:00) Measuring Seller Success (35:00) AI and Innovation in Discovery (45:00) Future Vision and Challenges Key Takeaways👇: - Nicholas reveals how Etsy's 30+ product squads are organized around business challenges rather than traditional product lines, maintaining a ratio of 1 PM to 6 engineers for optimal efficiency. - Managing 130M unique items (expanding to 2B+ with variations) requires sophisticated AI/ML approaches, as traditional e-commerce categorization doesn't work for handmade items. - Focus on seller success as a leading indicator, with key metrics including time to first sale, product assortment updates, and platform tool adoption. - Etsy's approach to innovation, including features like "Spaces," demonstrates how to enhance discovery while maintaining the human element that defines their marketplace. - Strong emphasis on "keeping commerce human" while scaling, showing how to maintain marketplace identity and quality during growth. This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks. Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: https://withpersona.com/productschool 📆 Check out upcoming events: https://prdct.school/4aGyyyw 🚀 Advance your Product Management career: https://prdct.school/3R2W55X 💼 Get customized training for your Product team: https://prdct.school/4bz4WVd 🤝 Partner with Product School to reach an audience of over 2 million Product professionals: https://prdct.school/453ajtt ABOUT US: Product School (https://prdct.school/3DYNwmd) is the global leader in Product training with a community of over two million product professionals. All of our instructors are Product Leaders working at top Silicon Valley companies including Google, Meta, Netflix, Airbnb, Uber, and Amazon. Designed to fit into your work schedule, all certifications are taught live online in small cohorts.

In this episode of The Product Podcast, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Tricia Maia, Head of Product at TED, the 40-year-old nonprofit organization renowned for its influential talks that have garnered billions of views since launching online in 2006. As Head of Product at TED, Tricia leads the product organization overseeing ted.com, mobile apps, events products, and backend platforms. Her team manages a complex ecosystem that delivers TED's mission of spreading ideas across borders and languages, with content translated into over 100 languages and distributed across multiple platforms. We explore how TED balances being both a legacy institution and a startup-like organization, diving deep into their approach to AI implementation, content distribution strategy, and measuring success in a mission-driven environment. We'll discuss how TED leverages technology to make its content more accessible globally while maintaining its high standards and editorial vision. What you'll learn: • What it’s like to be a product leader at a nonprofit with global digital reach • How TED uses AI to improve accessibility—including voice-cloned dubbing and translation workflows • How Tricia balances mission-driven goals with the need for sustainable revenue • How TED is evolving content formats beyond the classic 18-minute talk • How TED maintains high-quality content while scaling across platforms • How data-driven personalization is blended with editorial curation • The key metrics TED focuses on—including engagement, retention, and impact • How Tricia structures her team and prioritizes projects to drive maximum impac Key Takeaways 👇: Tricia emphasizes how being mission-driven shapes every product decision while maintaining business sustainability. The organization's unique hybrid model demonstrates how to balance innovation with established brand value. TED's careful implementation of AI technology, particularly in translation and dubbing, shows how to introduce innovative solutions while preserving valuable human contributions and maintaining quality standards. The combination of traditional KPIs with mission impact metrics provides a comprehensive framework for measuring success in a mission-driven organization, balancing quantitative metrics with qualitative impact assessment. TED's effective use of functional teams combined with squad-based execution demonstrates how to maintain expertise while enabling rapid project delivery and focused business objectives. 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: This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks. Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free: withpersona.com/productschool Credits: Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia Guest: Tricia Maia

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Philipp Kandal, Chief Product Officer at Grab, Southeast Asia's leading super app serving over 40 million monthly active users across eight countries. Originally launched as a taxi-hailing service in Malaysia, Grab has evolved into a comprehensive platform offering ride-hailing, food delivery, financial services, and more. After acquiring Uber's Southeast Asia operations in 2018, Grab went public in 2021 and is now valued at approximately $20 billion, generating $2.8 billion in revenue with 19% year-over-year growth. We explore Grab's transformation from a single-service app to a super app powerhouse, diving into their hyperlocal approach to product development, organizational structure, and how they leverage technology to solve unique challenges in Southeast Asia. What you'll learn: Episode Chapters: (00:00) Introduction and Grab's Evolution (10:00) Building Product Teams at Scale (20:00) Hyperlocal Strategy in Southeast Asia (30:00) Product Development Through User Understanding (40:00) Balancing Growth and Profitability (50:00) Technical Innovation and Challenges Key Takeaways👇: This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks. Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: withpersona.com/productschool 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: Philipp Kandal

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Vrushali Paunikar, Chief Product Officer at Carta—the company revolutionizing how private companies manage equity and capital. Originally starting as a cap table management solution, Carta now manages over $150 billion in assets and positions itself as the "Network ERP for Private Capital," supporting over 50,000 companies from early-stage startups to pre-IPO giants. As CPO at Carta, Vrushali has been instrumental in driving the company's evolution from a single-product focus to a comprehensive platform serving various stakeholders in the private capital ecosystem. Her unique background, including experience at Rocket Lawyer and an interesting hobby as an amateur florist, brings a fresh perspective to product leadership in fintech. In this episode, we'll explore Carta's transformation from a cap table management tool to a comprehensive platform for private capital, diving into organizational structure changes, international expansion strategies, and innovative approaches to product development. What you'll learn: Content: (00:00) Introduction and Personal Background (05:00) Carta's Evolution Story (15:00) Organizational Transformation (25:00) International Expansion Strategy (35:00) Leadership Philosophy & Management Style (45:00) Product Strategy & Market Positioning Key Takeaways👇: This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks. Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: withpersona.com/productschool 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 Villaumbr

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Ashok Bania, Senior Vice President of Product at SoundCloud. SoundCloud is the original open platform that disrupted the music industry alongside Spotify, providing massive distribution to millions of artists, including superstars like Billie Eilish and Post Malone. It's a free music app available on web and mobile that connects DJs and singers with over 150 million fans worldwide. After a period of strategic shifts, SoundCloud became profitable for the first time in 16 years. Ashok oversees product strategy, growth, and monetization at SoundCloud. He has a proven track record of building successful consumer subscription products and marketplaces at companies like Spotify, Lyft, Tumblr, and Headspace. In this episode, we'll explore SoundCloud's turnaround from near collapse to profitability, specific AI use cases that enhance music discovery and community engagement, and Ashok's unique approach to product development and growth strategies. What you'll learn: - Ashok's journey to becoming SVP of Product at SoundCloud and his insights on the platform's transformation. - The challenges and strategies involved in revitalizing a global, open music platform. - How to prioritize features and innovations in a fast-paced, creator-centric environment. - The future of music technology, including AI-powered remixes and personalized discovery. Key Takeaways👇: - Creator-First Approach: Ashok emphasizes the importance of catering to both established and emerging artists through innovative tools and distribution methods. - AI-Driven Music Experiences: SoundCloud is leveraging AI to enhance music discovery and enable community-driven remixes, generating over 1,400 submissions in recent contests. - Mission-Based Team Structure: Ashok highlights the shift towards organizing teams around specific missions rather than traditional product divisions to solve core user needs. Credits: Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia Guest: Ashok Bania

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Chiara McPhee, Chief Product Officer at Postscript, a leader in SMS marketing for e-commerce. Postscript is revolutionizing how e-commerce brands engage with customers. With over $100 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) and more than 20,000 Shopify merchants using their platform, Postscript has become a powerhouse in conversational commerce. Their SMS marketing tools have helped generate over $2 billion in e-commerce revenue for their customers annually, with open rates exceeding 90%, far outpacing traditional email marketing. In this episode, Chiara shares her insights on: * Leveraging generative AI to create personalized, one-to-one conversations that drive revenue. * How AI agents are outperforming human customer support in certain areas. * Key revenue leading indicators in SMS marketing and setting up effective attribution models. * Overcoming challenges in scaling infrastructure to achieve $100M in Annual Recurring Revenue. * The benefits of focusing exclusively on Shopify. * The "Horizon Strategy" approach to building teams tailored for Horizon 1 (cash cow), Horizon 2 (growth), and Horizon 3 (moonshots), balancing short-term wins with long-term ambitious goals in product development. In this episode, we'll explore how Postscript is leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver personalized customer experiences, driving revenue and redefining e-commerce marketing. We'll discuss leveraging generative AI to create personalized, one-to-one conversations that drive revenue, how AI agents are outperforming human customer support in certain areas, overcoming challenges in scaling infrastructure to achieve $100M in Annual Recurring Revenue, and the benefits of focusing exclusively on Shopify. What you'll learn: * Chiara's journey to becoming CPO at Postscript and her insights on the power of SMS marketing. * How generative AI enables personalized, one-to-one conversations that drive revenue. * Key strategies for SMS marketing, including compliance, personalization, and integration with other channels. * How to structure product teams using the "Horizon Strategy" to balance short-term wins with long-term innovation. Key Takeaways: *Personalized Conversations: Chiara emphasizes the importance of leveraging generative AI to create personalized, one-to-one conversations that drive revenue. *Focus on Shopify: Chiara highlights the company's strategic decision to focus exclusively on Shopify, and the impact it had on business outcomes. *Horizon Strategy: Chiara shares the benefits of the "Horizon Strategy" approach to building product teams tailored for different stages of growth and innovation.

In this episode, Carlos González interviews Tanya Cordrey, Chief Product Officer at Motorway, the UK's fastest-growing used car marketplace. Motorway is revolutionizing the used car industry in the UK, with a gross market value of $2.5 billion per year and over half a million people selling their cars through their network. Founded recently, Motorway has quickly become a digital powerhouse, offering both sellers and dealers innovative ways to engage in the used car market. Tanya leads product experience and strategy for Motorway's digital portfolio, including their marketplace platform that connects individual car sellers with professional car dealers. Prior to Motorway, Tanya held leadership positions at Instagram, eBay, and The Guardian, bringing a wealth of experience in scaling digital products and marketplaces. In this episode, we'll explore the challenges of building a C2B marketplace, how Tanya and her team are leveraging technology to deliver excellent experiences for both sellers and dealers, and the future of automotive technology. We'll discuss features such as AI-assisted photo uploads, weather-based reminders, and end-to-end solutions for dealers, all designed to streamline the car selling and buying process. What you'll learn: - Tanya's journey to becoming CPO at Motorway and her insights on building global product teams. - The challenges and strategies involved in creating a C2B marketplace in the used car industry. - How to prioritize features and innovations in a fast-paced, two-sided marketplace environment. - The future of automotive technology, including AI-assisted processes and marketplace efficiencies. Key Takeaways: - Marketplace Efficiency: Tanya emphasizes the importance of understanding and optimizing both sides of the marketplace to create value for sellers and dealers. - Innovative User Experiences: Motorway is pushing boundaries with features like AI Image Assist and weather-based reminders to reduce friction in the car selling process. - Data-Driven Product Development: Tanya highlights the use of specific KPIs and user behavior analysis to guide product decisions and improvements, focusing on key moments in the user journey. 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: Tanya Cordrey

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Karen Ng, Senior Vice President of Product and Partnerships at HubSpot. HubSpot is a leading software platform empowering over 184,000 businesses across 120 countries to manage their sales, marketing, and customer support teams. In 2024, HubSpot generated over $2.5 billion in revenue, driven by significant investments in Artificial Intelligence. Karen oversees critical products like Smart CRM, Operations Hub, and Ecosystem, while driving strategic partnerships and business development. Her technical expertise is notable, with three patents. She has also published research in stress detection, interactive health assessments, and robotic expressivity when she worked as a Machine Learning Researcher at MIT. In this episode, we'll explore Karen's approach to deploying AI Agents across HubSpot's product portfolio, her decision-making process for when to Build, Buy, or Partner, and her innovative approach to product org design. We'll discuss how product teams can leverage AI Agents to augment their impact and automate workflows, and how product leaders can elevate their roles as key drivers of revenue. What you'll learn: Key Takeaways👇: 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: Karen Ng

In this episode, we host Cem Kansu, Vice President of Product at Duolingo, the world’s leading language-learning platform. Duolingo has experienced tremendous growth, transforming from a free translation app in 2011 to a public company valued at over $15 billion, with annual revenues exceeding $700 million. The platform now offers courses in 43 languages, boasts over 113 million monthly active users, and has expanded into math and music education. Cem has been instrumental to Duolingo's success over the past nine years, leading all core product, growth, and monetization efforts. In this episode, we'll explore Duolingo’s product and market expansion strategy, how the company introduces gamification to drive engagement, and the key leading indicators used to increase monetization while staying true to its mission of free education. We'll also delve into how Duolingo runs concurrent experiments at scale and the role of voice AI in personalizing the learning experience, including innovative features like the "Video Call with Lily." What you'll learn: - Cem's journey in leading product at Duolingo and his insights on balancing growth with educational accessibility. - Strategies for building a successful freemium model in the education technology space. - How Duolingo leverages A/B testing and data-driven decision-making. - The role of AI and gamification in creating engaging learning experiences. Key Takeaways 👇: - Freemium Monetization: Duolingo has found a successful balance between offering free education and generating revenue through premium features. - Data-Driven Innovation: The company's commitment to A/B testing and analytics informs its product roadmap and ensures continuous improvement. - Engaging User Experience: Duolingo leverages gamification and AI to make learning fun and effective, competing for user attention in a crowded digital landscape. 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: Cem Kansu

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Ilan Frank, Chief Product Officer at Checkr, the leading background check company serving over 100,000 customers. Checkr has revolutionized the background check industry, processing 85% of checks in 15 minutes or less, compared to the industry standard of 1 to 3 days. This remarkable efficiency is achieved through the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning. With $679 million in funding and a $5 billion valuation, Checkr serves major companies like Uber, Warby Parker, and Instacart. Ilan is spearheading the core business while driving product expansion into larger enterprises and new markets. In this episode, we'll explore Ilan's extensive experience in building SaaS products for large enterprises, including his work at successful companies like Slack, Airtable, and Grammarly. We'll discuss the challenges and strategies involved in transitioning from SMB to enterprise success. What you'll learn: - Ilan's journey to becoming CPO at Checkr and his insights on the background check industry's digital transformation. - The challenges and strategies involved in creating enterprise-ready products and organizations. - How to balance user delight with complex enterprise client needs. - The future of background check technology, including AI-powered innovations and international expansion. Key Takeaways: - Enterprise Readiness: Ilan emphasizes the importance of both product and organizational readiness when transitioning to serve enterprise clients. - Product Management Approach: Ilan shares his "Three Buckets" strategy for prioritizing features: metrics movers, customer asks, and delighters. - Data-Driven Innovation: Ilan highlights the use of AI and machine learning to process vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, revolutionizing the background check industry. - Enterprise Product Development: Ilan discusses the importance of understanding both the "chooser" and the "user" in enterprise software, and how to create value for both. 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: Ilan Frank

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Dave Bottoms, General Manager and Vice President of Product at Upwork. Upwork is the world's largest global talent marketplace, connecting millions of businesses with independent professionals and agencies worldwide. With over 18 million registered freelancers and more than 800,000 active clients, Upwork has become a cornerstone of the gig economy, valued at over $2 billion. Dave leads product strategy and development for Upwork's marketplace, overseeing the implementation of AI technologies and balancing core business growth with emerging initiatives. His diverse background includes roles at tech giants like Meta, Dropbox, and Yahoo, where he led the homepage redesign project under Marissa Mayer's tenure. In this episode, we'll explore Upwork's journey through the remote work revolution, the integration of AI in freelance marketplaces, and the future of work. We'll discuss how Upwork is leveraging technology to enhance both client and freelancer experiences, including the implementation of their AI agent "Uma" and innovative monetization strategies. What you'll learn: - Dave's transition from journalism to product leadership and his insights on Upwork's growth in the evolving landscape of remote work. - The challenges and strategies involved in managing a two-sided marketplace at scale. - How Upwork is using AI to improve matchmaking and productivity for both clients and freelancers. - The potential future of work, including the rise of AI-assisted solopreneurs. Key Takeaways👇: - Marketplace Dynamics: Dave emphasizes the importance of creating value for both freelancers and clients to maintain a healthy ecosystem. - AI Integration: Upwork is leveraging AI to enhance user experiences, from improved matchmaking to productivity tools for freelancers. - Innovation in Work Models: Dave shares his vision of a future where AI and freelance talent enable individuals to build significant businesses without traditional employment structures. 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: Dave Bottoms

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Christina Goldschmidt, VP of Product Design at Warner Music. Warner Music is one of the world's leading music companies, serving artists and songwriters across various labels and publishing divisions. With a rich history in the music industry, Warner Music has evolved to embrace digital transformation, offering innovative ways for fans to engage with artists and music. Christina leads the entire UX team at Warner Music, overseeing product designers, design systems specialists, visual designers, content designers, researchers, and design operations. Her team designs experiences connecting fans to artists, provides services to artists and songwriters, and creates internal tools that power various aspects of the music business, from distribution to sync licensing and royalties reporting. In this episode, we'll explore Christina's unique approach to product design, how she and her team are leveraging unconventional practices to drive innovation, and the future of music technology. We'll discuss strategies for aligning design with business goals, structuring design teams for interconnected ecosystems, and balancing zero-to-one initiatives with product improvements. What you'll learn: - Christina's journey from front-end developer to VP of Product Design at Warner Music and her insights on the company's digital transformation. - The challenges and strategies involved in creating user experiences for a global music company. - How to prioritize design initiatives and innovations in a fast-paced, artist-centric environment. - The future of music technology, including AI-powered tools and immersive fan experiences. Key Takeaways👇: - Design as a Revenue Driver: Christina emphasizes the importance of positioning design as a strategic asset that contributes to business growth. - Unconventional Problem-Solving: Warner Music is pushing boundaries by incorporating mystical practices like tarot readings and shamanic journeying into their design thinking process. - Data-Driven Design: Christina highlights the use of product discovery, UX research, and business metrics to guide design decisions and improvements

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Craig Saldanha, Chief Product Officer at Yelp, a leading local business review and discovery platform. Founded in 2004, Yelp has become a go-to resource for consumers seeking authentic reviews and recommendations for local businesses. With over 300 million user reviews across 35 countries and 42 languages, Yelp has continuously evolved to meet changing consumer needs and technological advancements. Craig joined Yelp almost three years ago, following a decade-long career at Amazon. As CPO, he leads Product Management and oversees the development of Yelp's consumer and business-facing products. His impressive background includes working on groundbreaking products at Amazon, such as Kindle and Prime Video. We explore Yelp's transformation from a simple review platform to an AI-powered local business discovery tool, the evolution of AI in local search and customer reviews, and the challenges of integrating AI into an established platform. What you'll learn: - How Yelp is leveraging AI to enhance user experience and business connections - The impact of AI on product development and organizational structure at Yelp - Yelp's journey in developing AI-powered features like the Yelp Assistant and AI-generated video reviews - Strategies for maintaining trust and authenticity in an AI-enhanced review ecosystem - Challenges and opportunities in integrating AI into an established platform like Yelp Key Takeaways: - AI Integration: Craig discusses Yelp's innovative use of AI in features like the Yelp Assistant and AI-generated video reviews - Organizational Structure: He explains how Yelp organizes its product teams around consumers and local businesses to drive value for both sides of the marketplace - Trust and Authenticity: Craig emphasizes the importance of maintaining trust in reviews while leveraging AI to enhance the user experience - Content Distribution: He introduces Yelp's strategy to distribute its valuable content through partnerships and APIs in the AI era - Product Frameworks: Craig highlights the importance of robust decision-making frameworks and a culture of experimentation in product development As a fun fact, Craig shares his experience using Yelp to plan his first date with his now-wife! 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: Craig Saldanha

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Paul Adams, Chief Product Officer at Intercom, a leading customer communication platform that has experienced both remarkable success and near-catastrophe. Founded in 2011, Intercom revolutionized customer service as a SaaS pioneer, reaching a peak valuation of $1.3 billion. However, by 2022, the company faced potential collapse as AI rapidly disrupted its core business. In a dramatic turnaround, Intercom's original founder returned as CEO, transforming the company into an AI-first powerhouse now serving over 50,000 paying customers globally. Paul's 12-year tenure at Intercom has been pivotal in shaping the company's evolution. As CPO, he leads Product Management, Design, Data Science, and Research. His impressive background includes working on groundbreaking products at Google, such as YouTube and Gmail, during the iPhone's launch era. In this episode, we explore Intercom's transformation from a simple customer support tool to an AI-powered communication platform, the evolution of AI in customer service, and the challenges of building AI-first products as a non-native AI company. What you'll learn: - How Intercom navigated the transition from a traditional SaaS model to an AI-first approach. - The impact of AI on product development and organizational structure. - Intercom's journey in developing AI-powered customer service agents. - Strategies for implementing outcome-based pricing models in the AI era. - Challenges and opportunities in building AI-first products for established companies. Key Takeaways: - AI Transformation: Paul discusses Intercom's bold move to allocate 70% of R&D to AI development. - Organizational Restructuring: He explains how Intercom is reimagining traditional product roles to adapt to AI-driven development. - Customer-Centric AI: Paul emphasizes the importance of building AI products in close partnership with customers. - Pricing Innovation: He introduces Intercom's exploration of outcome-based pricing models aligned with customer success. - Product Judgment: Paul argues for the increasing importance of product intuition and risk-taking in the AI era. 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: Paul Adams

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Karandeep Anand, President and Chief Product Officer at Brex, one of the fastest-growing fintech companies in the world. Founded in 2017, Brex quickly became the go-to financial services partner for most Silicon Valley startups, with 80% of Y Combinator startups using their platform. This rapid growth led to over $1.2 billion in funding and a $12.3 billion valuation. Brex now serves a wide range of companies, from startups to large enterprises, including over 150 public companies with a combined estimated market cap exceeding $2.9 trillion. Karandeep's impressive career includes 6.5 years at Meta, where he led a team of 3,000 people and served 200M+ businesses globally, and 15 years at Microsoft, heading product management for Azure's application and developer platforms. At Brex, he has been instrumental in transforming the company's Product Management culture and expanding its product into a comprehensive financial platform offering corporate cards, treasury solutions, and software for travel and expenses in one place. In this episode, we explore Brex's evolution from a startup-focused company to serving enterprise customers, the integration of AI in financial products within a highly regulated environment, and the restructuring of product teams for efficiency and innovation. We also discuss Karandeep's unique perspective on product-market fit and the importance of continuous innovation in a rapidly changing market. What you'll learn: Key Takeaways: 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: Karandeep Anand