Product Bakar

Rishikesh Kankal
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Technology
  • Updated weekly

Most product advice tells you what to do. Product Bakar focuses on how to think. Hosted by Rishikesh Kankal, this podcast explores real-world product strategy, AI, stakeholder management, and the decisions that actually move products forward. Real product thinking. Every week.

  1. 2 days ago

    #74 Org Design for Modern Product Teams

    Why do some product teams move with speed and clarity while others get stuck in silos, dependencies, and endless escalation? In the first episode of Building the Modern Product Org, we unpack why org design is product strategy in disguise. Explore the three common product-org archetypes—functional teams, cross-functional squads, and platform-plus-product models—and learn how to choose the structure that fits your company’s stage, strategy, and pace of change. You’ll also get a practical framework for designing teams around user problems, decision boundaries, and feedback loops—because the best org chart isn’t the prettiest one. It’s the one that helps teams ship with conviction. In this episode: Why your organization is the product a Head of Product managesThe trade-offs of functional, squad, and platform-product structuresHow outcome-based teams improve speed and ownershipWhy org design should evolve alongside product strategyA practical approach to building clarity, communication, and accountabilityComing next: The AI-Native Product Org: How to Build Teams That Think and Ship with AI. Tags: Product Management, Org Design, Product Leadership, Product Teams, Team Structure, Startups, AI Product Management

  2. 31 Aug

    End of Season five!

    Thank you for tuning in!

  3. 30 Aug

    #73 The Legacy of a Product Leader — What You Leave Behind

    Every product leader eventually learns a powerful truth: Your real legacy is not the roadmap you owned or the features you shipped. It’s the people you shaped, the principles you reinforced, and the culture you left behind. In this season finale of Product Bakar: The Product Leader’s Playbook, we reflect on what leadership truly means when viewed across years — not quarters. We talk about:• Why leadership legacy is built through influence, not recognition• The difference between building products and building people• The three dimensions of leadership legacy: People, Principles, and Processes• Why rituals and systems outlive org charts• Lessons from Satya Nadella’s transformation of Microsoft• How leaders shape the “mental roadmap” of organizations• Questions every PM leader should ask themselves about impact• Why culture is the greatest long-term product any leader builds Because products evolve. Roadmaps change. But the way you made people think, work, and grow — that stays long after you leave the room. 🔥 Keep the bakar alive. SEO KEYWORDS Leadership Legacy, Product Leadership, Product Management Podcast, Product Bakar, Leadership Culture, Product Team Leadership, Organizational Culture, Mentorship in Product Management, Product Leadership Skills, Satya Nadella Leadership, Product Strategy, Team Building, Product Organization, Leadership Principles, Product Culture SPOTIFY SHORT DESCRIPTION What great product leaders truly leave behind — beyond products, roadmaps, and titles. SUGGESTED EPISODE TAGS Product Management• Product Leadership• Leadership Legacy• Team Culture• Mentorship• Organizational Culture• Leadership• Product Bakar

  4. 23 Aug

    #72 Scaling Yourself — Systems for Focus, Energy, and Leverage

    As product leaders grow, their work changes. It becomes less about shipping tasks — and more about managing attention, energy, and organizational clarity. In this episode of Product Bakar: The Product Leader’s Playbook, we explore one of the most important leadership skills nobody teaches directly: How to scale yourself without burning out. We talk about:• Why many PM leaders become bottlenecks as they scale• The shift from execution to systems thinking• The “3 Engines of Scale” framework: Focus, Energy, and Leverage• How to protect attention in high-noise environments• Why energy management matters more than time management• The power of documentation, templates, and codification• Lessons from Coda CEO Shishir Mehrotra on scalable leadership• Practical systems to reduce chaos and increase clarity Because leadership doesn’t scale through harder work. It scales through better systems. 🔥 Keep the bakar alive. SEO KEYWORDS Leadership Systems, Product Leadership, Product Management Podcast, Product Bakar, Time Management for Leaders, Leadership Productivity, Product Team Management, Product Leadership Skills, Focus Management, Energy Management, Organizational Scaling, Systems Thinking, Coda Leadership, Product Strategy, PM Leadership SPOTIFY SHORT DESCRIPTION How product leaders scale their impact through focus, energy management, and systems instead of burnout. SUGGESTED EPISODE TAGS Product Management• Product Leadership• Leadership Systems• Productivity• Systems Thinking• Team Management• Strategic Leadership• Product Bakar

  5. 16 Aug

    #71 Product Culture — The Invisible Operating System of Great Companies

    Every product organization has a culture. The difference is whether that culture is intentional — or accidental. In this episode of Product Bakar: The Product Leader’s Playbook, we explore the invisible operating system behind great product teams: the beliefs, behaviors, and rituals that shape how products actually get built. We talk about:• What product culture really means beyond perks and slogans• How culture shapes decisions, collaboration, and risk-taking• The difference between intentional and accidental culture• Lessons from Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Canva, and Figma• The three layers of product culture: Beliefs, Behaviors, and Rituals• Why rituals reinforce product values more than presentations• How leaders shape culture through actions, not declarations• Practical ways to build — or reset — a strong product culture Because culture isn’t what’s written on the wall. It’s what people repeat when pressure arrives. 🔥 Keep the bakar alive. SEO KEYWORDS Product Culture, Product Leadership, Product Management Podcast, Product Bakar, Team Culture, Product Strategy, Leadership Culture, Product Team Management, Organizational Culture, Spotify Culture, Figma Collaboration, Canva Product Culture, Amazon Leadership Principles, Product Leadership Skills, Product Organization Design SPOTIFY SHORT DESCRIPTION How great product leaders intentionally design product culture through beliefs, behaviors, and rituals. SUGGESTED EPISODE TAGS Product Management• Product Leadership• Product Culture• Team Culture• Leadership• Product Strategy• Organizational Design• Product Bakar

  6. 9 Aug

    #70 The Product–Business Bridge — Speaking the Language of Impact

    As product leaders grow, one thing becomes clear: Great products alone are not enough. The real influence comes from connecting user value to business value — and translating product thinking into measurable impact. In this episode of Product Bakar: The Product Leader’s Playbook, we explore how strong PM leaders bridge the gap between customer empathy and business strategy. We talk about:• Why many PMs struggle in business conversations• The difference between product metrics and business metrics• How to connect engagement, retention, and revenue• The “3 Cs of Impact” framework: Customer, Company, and Competitive Advantage• Lessons from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Canva• Why product leaders must understand financial thinking• How to translate feature wins into business outcomes• The role of storytelling with data in leadership influence Because the higher you go in product leadership, the more your job shifts from shipping features… to shaping business direction. 🔥 Keep the bakar alive. SEO KEYWORDS Product Leadership, Business Strategy, Product Management Podcast, Product Bakar, Product Metrics, Business Metrics, Product Strategy, Product Leadership Skills, Customer Value, Business Impact, Product Growth, Revenue Strategy, Canva Product Strategy, Product Team Alignment, Strategic Product Management SPOTIFY SHORT DESCRIPTION How great product leaders connect user value with business impact and earn influence at the strategy table. SUGGESTED EPISODE TAGS Product Management• Product Leadership• Business Strategy• Product Strategy• Leadership• Product Metrics• Strategic Thinking• Product Bakar

  7. 2 Aug

    #69 Building High-Trust Product Teams

    Every product team has smart people, processes, and plans. But the teams that consistently build great products — without burning out or breaking apart — operate on something deeper: Trust. In this episode of Product Bakar: The Product Leader’s Playbook, we explore how high-performing product teams create psychological safety, accountability, and alignment at the same time. We talk about:• Why trust is the hidden infrastructure behind velocity• The difference between “being nice” and psychological safety• Amy Edmondson’s framework for high-trust teams• Netflix’s culture of freedom and responsibility• The three pillars of trust: Consistency, Transparency, and Empathy• How Stripe uses open decision-making to build alignment• Lessons from Figma’s “Maker’s Week”• Why autonomy fuels ownership and creativity• Practical ways leaders can build — or rebuild — trust inside teams Because trust isn’t a soft skill in product leadership. It’s the operating system behind every great team. 🔥 Keep the bakar alive. SEO KEYWORDS High Trust Teams, Product Leadership, Psychological Safety, Product Management Podcast, Product Bakar, Team Culture, Product Team Management, Leadership Skills, Product Strategy, Netflix Culture, Figma Team Culture, Stripe Product Culture, Product Leadership Skills, Team Alignment, Product Organization SPOTIFY SHORT DESCRIPTION How great product leaders build high-trust teams that move faster, collaborate better, and think like owners. SUGGESTED EPISODE TAGS Product Management• Product Leadership• Team Culture• Psychological Safety• Leadership• Product Teams• Team Alignment• Product Bakar

  8. 26 Jul

    #68 Decision Hygiene — How Great PMs Make Hard Calls

    Every product leader faces the same reality: You’ll rarely have perfect information — but you’ll still have to make the call. And in fast-moving product teams, delayed decisions are often more dangerous than imperfect ones. In this episode of Product Bakar: The Product Leader’s Playbook, we explore the art of decision hygiene — the systems, frameworks, and habits that help great PMs make tough decisions with clarity, speed, and confidence. We talk about:• Why chasing the “perfect” decision slows teams down• Jeff Bezos’ Type 1 vs Type 2 decision framework• The three ingredients of a strong decision: Clarity, Context, and Closure• How Stripe uses Decision Docs to build trust and alignment• Lessons from Airbnb on avoiding endless experimentation• Why waiting for perfect data is often disguised fear• Practical decision rituals every PM leader can adopt• How decision quality compounds over time Because leadership isn’t about certainty. It’s about making thoughtful calls while the future is still unclear. 🔥 Keep the bakar alive. SEO KEYWORDS Decision Making, Product Leadership, Product Management Podcast, Product Strategy, Product Bakar, Decision Frameworks, Product Leadership Skills, Product Team Alignment, Strategic Thinking, Decision Hygiene, Jeff Bezos Decision Framework, Stripe Product Culture, Airbnb Product Strategy, Product Leadership Podcast, PM Leadership SPOTIFY SHORT DESCRIPTION How great product leaders make hard decisions without slowing down teams or losing trust. SUGGESTED EPISODE TAGS Product Management• Product Leadership• Decision Making• Product Strategy• Leadership• Team Alignment• Strategic Thinking• Product Bakar

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Most product advice tells you what to do. Product Bakar focuses on how to think. Hosted by Rishikesh Kankal, this podcast explores real-world product strategy, AI, stakeholder management, and the decisions that actually move products forward. Real product thinking. Every week.

Information

  • Creator
    Rishikesh Kankal
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 125685
  • Show Website
    Product Bakar