Jodi Mesa's Journey: From Self-Taught to Tech Leader

In this episode of Taking the Lead, host Christina Brady chats with Jodi Mesa, the Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Luster. Jodi shares her self-taught journey in tech, starting from college where she learned HTML and JavaScript on her own, to leading product teams. She emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs and the strategic handling of tech debt.

Jodi discusses the balance between good and bad tech debt, explaining how some level of tech debt can foster quick experimentation, while excessive tech debt can slow progress and hurt customer experience. She highlights the need for hiring top talent to build robust and scalable products, and the importance of being customer-centric in product development.

Christina and Jodi also dive into leadership challenges, especially for women in tech. Jodi shares insights on overcoming self-limiting beliefs and making tough decisions in product management. She stresses the significance of mentorship and continuous learning in navigating a successful career in tech.