LaunchPod | Product Management Podcast

LogRocket
  • 5.0 (5)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

LaunchPod is a product management podcast hosted by LogRocket's CEO, Matt Arbesfeld, and VP of Marketing, Jeff Wharton, where they talk to product leaders about the issues they faced in their careers, how they found solutions to those issues, and how you can apply these solutions in your own day-to-day product role.

  1. FEB 4

    Using AI to Preserve 140 Years of History at the LA Times | Deepika Manglani, VP Product (LA Times)

    In this episode, we’re joined by Deepika Manglani, VP of Product and Program Management at the LA Times. Deepika’s career in media spans over 15 years, culminating in her current role, where she’s bringing the 140-year-old institution into the future. In this episode, Deepika shares: How her team is using AI to preserve a unique trove of historical data, over 12 million pages of news archives from as far back as the 1800s What this digital archive and maturation of AI enables for future storytelling, media innovation, and news personalization Why combining product and program management was critical to navigating massive transformation at the LA Times through a period of heavy M&A activity Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepikamanglani/ LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:15 Deepika's career journey in media and product leadership 01:25 Building from scratch at LA Times 05:06 Digitizing historical archives 08:40 Challenges and innovations in AI and OCR 19:54 Future prospects and personalization in news 24:33 Conclusion Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Special Guest: Deepika Manglani.

    25 min

  2. JAN 27

    Designing for Attention: How CrossFit Builds Product for Community-Led Growth | Ben McAllister, CPTO

    In this episode, we’re joined by Ben McAllister, the Chief Product and Technology Officer at CrossFit, and one of the most thoughtful product leaders I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with. Ben’s path is anything but linear: with a degree in physics, a short stint in consulting, and time spent as a creative director at a design agency before moving into senior product roles at Under Armour. Now he’s shaping one of the world’s most iconic fitness ecosystems. In this episode, Ben shares: Why attention is the ultimate currency in product design, and how to design for the “spotlight” versus the periphery. The “Infovore” Advantage: Why the best product leaders borrow ideas from outside the tech world; and How to build a cohesive product strategy for a complex, decentralized network like CrossFit’s global community of affiliates and athletes. Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcallister/ X: https://x.com/benmcallister?lang=en CrossFit: https://www.crossfit.com/ Resources The Age of the Infovore: Succeeding in the Information Economy (https://tylercowen.com/dd-product/the-age-of-the-infovore-succeeding-in-the-information-economy/) On the Origin of Stories (https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674057111) Chapters 00:00: Introduction 00:41: Ben's non-linear career path: From physicist to product leader 03:23: The "infovore" mindset in product management 06:00: Storytelling, juxtaposition, and the science of learning 08:48: Designing product for attention 12:00: Why product leaders shouldn't ignore marketing 15:10: CrossFit's origins as an internet-native brand 19:44: What is the CrossFit Open? 24:37: Conclusion Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.

    26 min

  3. JAN 20

    How AI Can Eliminate the “Chaos Tax” in Enterprise Software | Karthik Viswanathan (TalAiro)

    In this episode, we’re joined by Karthik Viswanathan. Formerly a product leader at AT&T, Macy’s, and Optum, he’s now the founder of TalAiro, an HR tech startup that is rethinking the operating system for recruiting. Karthik argues that the hidden failure of the modern tech stack is forcing the user to serve as a “manual integration layer. He explains how the push to "unbundle" features results in a “Chaos Tax”— consuming 40-60% of the workday with fighting disconnected tools rather than doing their jobs. Beyond that, Karthik also discusses: How AI can make work more human: Why the true value isn't in replacing jobs, but automating the "devil's cut" of administrative work. The journey from enterprise leader to founder: What building TalAiro from scratch taught Karthik about prioritization after years of leading enterprise product orgs, such as focusing on the 20% of workflows that drive 80% of the value Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karthikvish/ TalAiro: https://www.talairo.ai/ Chapters 00:00: Introduction 00:54: Karthik's product background 02:58: The "chaos tax" and how tool sprawl negatively impacts product efficiency 04:25: Challenges in HR tech 09:26: Working backwards from customer problems to build your digital solution 11:53: How TalAiro differentiates itself as an HR tool 15:03: The role of AI in enhancing human potential 20:59: Karthik's transition from enterprise to startup leader 27:14: Conclusion Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Special Guest: Karthik Viswanathan.

    28 min

  4. JAN 13

    April Dunford’s 1 Killer Question to Expose Weak AI Product Positioning

    This week, we’re joined by the undisputed queen of B2B positioning, April Dunford. April is the best-selling author of the seminal book "Obviously Awesome" and the new hit "Sales Pitch." She has spent 25 years as a startup executive and consultant helping companies stop guessing and start winning. If you have ever struggled to explain exactly why customers should pick you over the other guy, this episode is a masterclass. In this episode, April talks about: Why Positioning is a Product Problem: How undefined positioning leads to wasted roadmaps, "not good enough" feedback from Sales, and engineering teams burning out on features that don't win deals. The "AI Washing" Trap: Why saying "We have AI" is no longer a strategy—and how to articulate the specific value your tech unlocks that the competition can’t. Why she loves when competitors lie: How to ethically trap competitors who over-promise features (and the one question sales should tell your prospects to ask them). And finally, Vision vs. Reality: How to sell the "glorious future" without losing the deal you need to close today. Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/ April's website: https://www.aprildunford.com/ April's books: https://www.aprildunford.com/books Chapters 00:00: Introduction 01:45: April's journey from engineering to marketing to product positioning expert 05:00: The shifting lansscape: Position from COVID to the AI era 10:45: Moving beyond "AI washing" to find differentiated value 15:30: Defining your true competitive landscape 20:30: How to be worth your customers' migration risk 23:45: Why April likes when competitors "lie" about their capabilities and features 32:00: Why positioning is critical for product and engineering alignment 35:00: April's new book details Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Special Guest: April Dunford.

    36 min

  5. JAN 6

    Is Dashboarding Dead? How AI Is Changing Analytics UX | Robert Henkhaus, VP of Product (Enverus)

    From U.S. Army sniper to VP of Product, Robert Henkhaus knows a thing or two about high-stakes decision-making. Today, he’s a product leader at Enverus, the software platform guiding billions of dollars in global energy capital. Fresh off Enverus’ acquisition by Blackstone, Robert joins us to discuss how to innovate when the pressure is on. In this episode, we cover: Why "Black Box" AI Fails: How Enverus builds trust with investment stakeholders by forcing AI to "show its work" on multi-million dollar recommendations. The Death of the Dashboard: Robert’s hot take on why AI will soon make traditional charts obsolete. Surviving Acquisition: The "60-Day Horizon" strategy Robert uses to keep team velocity high amidst Private Equity uncertainty. Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-henkhaus/ Enverus: https://www.enverus.com/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 03:39: Product innovations at Enverus 4:03: AI in the energy sector: How Enverus is implementing AI in oil and gas operations 6:47: Progressive disclosure and using AI to improve the user experience 9:56: Product engagement scores: How Enverus tracks success metrics 15:39: How internal teams are engaging with AI at Enverus 17:53: Are dashboards dead? How AI is transforming analytics 19:36: Enverus' recent acquisition by Blackstone 28:00: Conclusion Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Special Guest: Robert Henkhaus.

    27 min

  6. 12/30/2025

    Why AI Agents Are the Future of ERP | Bret Tushaus, VP Product (DelTek) - Repeat

    In this repeat episode of LaunchPod, originally published on Aug 12, 2025, we’re talking with Bret Tushaus, VP of Product at Deltek. In this episode, we discuss: How Deltek built Dela — an AI agent framework powering everything from smart summaries to autonomous accounting Why AI is rewriting the role of Product Management, and what leaders need to know now How Bret’s team leveled up their AI skills fast — with short, high-impact sprints focused on real tools and real problems Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bret-tushaus-b959b56/ Deltek: https://www.deltek.com/en Chapters 00:00 Introduction to AI in Product Management 01:06 Building AI-Powered Solutions at DelteK 03:05 Smart Summaries and Predictive Analytics 08:24 Intelligent Exploration and Conversational Interfaces 17:39 The Future of AI Agents 22:14 Getting Started with AI in Your Team 26:52 Final Thoughts Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Special Guest: Bret Tushaus.

    28 min

  7. 12/23/2025

    Lessons from the Launch that Became a Silicon Valley Punchline | Berni Fisher, VP Product (Appcues)

    This week, we sat down with Berni Fisher, VP of Product at Appcues and a self-described "first principles goddess." Berni goes deep on what it was really like behind the scenes during the notorious 2012 Apple Maps launch, the triple threat problem at ButcherBox where they exist at the intersection of grocery, eCommerce, AND SaaS, and more. In our conversation, Berni discusses: Surviving the "2012 Apple Maps Debacle" and the intense backlash post-launch, as well as how the team used a "triage mindset" to prioritize fixes based on customer usage and risk. Her Black Friday Gamble: Why she pushed for a risky site overhaul at ButcherBox right before their busiest season, resulting in double-digit conversion gains And Customer-Led AI Innovation: how Appcues used their own product to poll users on AI trust, leading to a roadmap driven by actual customer needs rather than industry hype. Links Berni's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernadettefisher/ Accues: https://www.appcues.com/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:43 Berni Fisher's product journey 04:44 Challenges and Lessons from Apple Maps 15:26 Transition to ButcherBox 17:27 Innovations and Customer Focus at ButcherBox 24:35 AI Innovations at Appcues 27:34 Conclusion Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Special Guest: Berni Fisher.

    25 min

  8. 12/17/2025

    Why Top-of-Funnel Traffic is Dead (& How TED is Replacing It ) | Tricia Maia, Head of Product (TED)

    Today, we’re joined by Tricia Maia, Head of Product at TED. We all know TED Talks — but behind the scenes, TED is undergoing a massive product transformation to adapt to a post-AI media landscape. In this episode, Tricia Maia, Head of Product at TED, pulls back the curtain on how they’re solving the “discovery” crisis facing digital media today. Tricia shares: Why “views” are dead: Explaining why TED is abandoning top-of-funnel traffic as their North Star metric and shifting focus to “depth,” completion rates, and account signups to combat volatile search algorithms AI that actually scales: How TED is using advanced AI auto-dubbing — not just subtitles — to clone speakers’ voices into other languages, driving 2-3x better performance The “gap” strategy: The challenge of connecting a decentralized ecosystem of free users and volunteers at TEDx with an ultra-premium live experience that can cost up to $12,500 per ticket Links Tricia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/triciamaia/ TED.com: https://www.ted.com/ Chapters 00:00: Introduction 01:51: TED's Media Landscape in an AI World 02:17: What does "Product" mean at TED? 04:24: How TED is Dealing with Challenges and Strategies in Media Discovery 14:59: Evolving Metrics and Goals Beyond Vanity Metrics Like Views 24:24: How TED is Connecting Digital and Event Audiences 32:22: TED's New AI Auto-Dubbing Initiative 37:14: Conclusion Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Special Guest: Tricia Maia.

    34 min
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About

LaunchPod is a product management podcast hosted by LogRocket's CEO, Matt Arbesfeld, and VP of Marketing, Jeff Wharton, where they talk to product leaders about the issues they faced in their careers, how they found solutions to those issues, and how you can apply these solutions in your own day-to-day product role.

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