Product Coalition Podcast

Jay Stansell

The Product Coalition’s mission is to make mastery of product management globally accessible. www.productcoalition.com

  1. Aug 7

    EP108 Why Product Teams Slow Down as Companies Scale — And What to Do About It

    Summary In this episode, Jay Stansell interviews Jürgen Dauk about the common pitfalls that slow down product teams as organizations grow, and practical strategies to accelerate decision-making without losing clarity. They explore cultural differences, organizational structures, and mindset shifts necessary for faster, more effective product development. Key topics * Decision bottlenecks in product organizations * Organizational culture and its impact on speed * Practical strategies for redesigning decision-making * Cultural differences between Europe and the US * The role of trust and empowerment in decision speed Chapters * 00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest * 02:14 Main themes: decision bottlenecks, friction, and speed * 07:42 Jürgen’s personal journey and passion for organizational speed * 08:44 Understanding organizational change and cultural mindset * 12:49 The importance of trust and decision autonomy * 13:55 Root causes of organizational slowdown: command and control * 15:12 The impact of market change and outdated systems * 16:23 Shifting mindset: from hierarchy to cross-functional teams * 18:23 Overcoming theater and superficial alignment * 20:00 Strategies for socializing decision-making changes * 22:17 Cultural differences in decision-making and communication * 26:53 Assessing the stakes and reversibility of decisions * 28:59 Guidelines and rules for distributed decision-making * 31:25 Implementing decision guardrails in large organizations * 34:22 Building psychological safety and trust at the grassroots level * 36:12 Small steps for grassroots change and peer alignment * 37:27 Measuring decision speed and effectiveness * 39:11 Employee experience and empowerment metrics * 41:06 Socializing change through informal conversations * 42:42 Opportunities in the current technological landscape * 44:30 Advice for newcomers and early career professionals * 46:51 The future of work and embracing change This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productcoalition.com/subscribe

    EP108 Why Product Teams Slow Down as Companies Scale — And What to Do About It
  2. Jul 24

    EP107 From Founder to VP: What Changes About Product Judgment at Scale

    Summary In this episode, Matt Wensing, VP of Products and Design at Customer.io, shares insights from his two-decade journey from founder to product leader. We explore decision-making, maintaining product standards, integrating AI, and scaling organizational taste. Key topics * Transition from founder to organizational leader * Decision-making and product velocity * Maintaining product standards and taste * Integrating AI into product teams * Scaling organizational culture and mentorship Chapters * 00:00 Introduction to Matt Wensing and his journey * 00:10 Matt’s background and transition from founder to VP * 01:23 Unlearning founder instincts and decision-making * 04:23 Lessons on burnout and resilience * 06:44 Product velocity governed by decision-making * 10:35 Joining Customer.io at scale * 14:11 Suppressing founder habits in a remote organization * 17:53 Prioritization and understanding organizational funnels * 24:40 Calibrating product standards and taste * 29:41 Managing decision-making across a large organization * 33:58 The importance of intangible leadership and mentorship * 35:42 Implementing AI to scale product teams * 39:33 Using AI responsibly in product management * 42:30 The importance of quality checks and modeling * 46:15 Final thoughts on distribution and startup success This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productcoalition.com/subscribe

    EP107 From Founder to VP: What Changes About Product Judgment at Scale
  3. Jul 3

    EP105 What happens when your users become the builders?

    Summary In this episode, Jay Stansell interviews Saurabh Sharma, a product leader with extensive experience at Google and u.com, exploring how enterprise AI products are transforming product management, user engagement, and agent management. Discover insights on building primitives, managing evolving roadmaps, and the future of AI-driven workflows. Key topics * Impact of user-built workflows on product teams * Building and managing primitives in AI platforms * Measuring success with primitives vs features * Evolving product roadmaps based on user signals * Agent management and enterprise AI adoption Chapters * 00:00 Introduction to Product Coalition Podcast * 00:10 Meet Sarab Sharma: A Journey Through Product Management * 02:39 Understanding U.com: AI Web Search Infrastructure * 05:02 Shifting from Consumer to Infrastructure Product Management * 08:20 Defining Primitives in Product Management * 11:23 Recognizing When Features Outgrow Their Relevance * 12:47 The Importance of Using Your Own Product * 15:45 Agent Management in the Age of AI * 19:14 Research Discipline in Product Management * 21:03 Evolving Product Management Skills in the AI Era * 23:25 User Experience in API Products * 25:33 Challenges in Moving from Prototype to Production * 27:31 A Memorable Product Management War Story This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productcoalition.com/subscribe

  4. Mar 20

    EP101 SaaS isn't ready for AI-driven business models

    Brought to you by ExecReps.ai — AI-powered executive presence coaching for teams: go.productcoalition.com/podcast-sponsor In this episode, Griffin Parry, CEO of Madduck, explores the evolving landscape of SaaS pricing, especially in the context of AI-driven features. We discuss the shift from traditional seat-based models to usage and outcome-based pricing, the operational challenges of implementing these models, and how companies can strategically navigate this transformation. Key topics * Shift from seat-based to usage and outcome-based pricing * Operational challenges of implementing new pricing models * Impact of AI on SaaS value and pricing strategies Chapters * 00:00 Introduction to SaaS pricing evolution * 00:12 Griffin Parry’s background and expertise * 01:40 Limitations of legacy billing systems * 02:34 AI’s impact on SaaS valuation and pricing * 05:02 Adoption of usage-based pricing before and after AI * 07:13 Cost modeling for AI-driven features * 08:01 Outcome-based pricing and its challenges * 14:41 Operational bottlenecks in legacy systems * 19:01 Strategies for convincing stakeholders to change pricing * 22:04 Meta’s approach to pricing and monetization * 24:15 When to invest in a pricing strategist * 25:52 How Meta’s pricing enables competitive advantage * 27:28 First principles of pricing experimentation * 29:23 Market trends in B2B and B2C pricing * 32:15 Future of B2C pricing models * 33:32 Closing remarks and resources Got a product story worth telling? Whether you’re an exceptional talent shaping the future of product, or you’ve got a career journey others can learn from — we want to hear from you. Apply to be a guest on the Product Coalition podcast: go.productcoalition.com/become-a-guest This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productcoalition.com/subscribe

    EP101 SaaS isn't ready for AI-driven business models
  5. Feb 12

    EP100 Operational Clarity: How to Make Digital Change Visible, Measurable & Scalable

    Summary In this episode of the Product Coalition podcast, Jay Stansell speaks with Val Coin, a Digital Transformation Specialist at Via Technology. They discuss the importance of systems in driving growth, the principles of effective change management, and how to identify opportunities for process improvement. Val emphasizes the need for curiosity and clarity in systemizing businesses, the significance of managing team emotions during change, and the adaptation of change management strategies for remote work environments. The conversation also covers future-proofing business systems and the role of executive dashboards in driving organizational performance. Takeaways * Tech alone is not enough for growth. * Systems consist of process, people, and technology. * Curiosity helps uncover reasons for tech resistance. * High turnover in key roles indicates systemic issues. * Shadow IT reveals disengagement with provided tools. * Invest in systemizing during critical growth stages. * Change management must be proactive and involve teams. * Involve employees early in the change process. * Focus on the 20% of changes that yield 80% of results. * Executive dashboards should drive behavior and decisions. Chapters * 00:00 Introduction to Product Mastery * 00:55 The Role of Systems in Growth * 02:20 Understanding Change Management * 09:31 Identifying Process Improvement Opportunities * 12:28 Principles of Effective Change Management * 19:15 Managing Team Emotions During Change * 24:02 Adapting Change Management for Remote Work * 26:03 Future-Proofing Business Systems * 31:08 The Importance of Executive Dashboards This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.productcoalition.com/subscribe

    EP100 Operational Clarity: How to Make Digital Change Visible, Measurable & Scalable

Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
3 Ratings

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The Product Coalition’s mission is to make mastery of product management globally accessible. www.productcoalition.com

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