Product Pals

Charlotte Bian, Kiet Truong
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Welcome to Product Pals. This is a space where product people come together to talk honestly about the work, the challenges, and everything in between. We share stories from our own journeys and from others in the product world. The moments that felt uncertain, the lessons that stuck, and the shifts that changed how we think and build. Product Pals is also a community. A place to feel supported, to learn from each other, and to remember that you are not navigating this alone. Whether you are experienced, just getting started, or somewhere in the middle, you are very welcome here. ☕️🍵🧋

  1. Commercial Mindset, AI and the Future of PM with Kurt Yang [Beyond the Build]

    MAR 25

    Commercial Mindset, AI and the Future of PM with Kurt Yang [Beyond the Build]

    In this episode of Product Pals, we sit down with Kurt Yang to explore why every PM needs a stronger commercial mindset. Kurt shares his journey from finance into product, unpacks the difference between commercial and digital product management, and reflects on how AI may reshape the future of the PM role. We also discuss: commercial mindset in product AI and the future of PMs ownership, accountability, and product leadership startup lessons and common mistakes frameworks, substance, and career growth A thoughtful conversation for product managers navigating change, ambiguity, and what comes next. About Product Pals Product Pals is where product people get real — exploring product craft, career growth, and the human side of building in tech.  Follow and leave a review for more honest conversations with product leaders, builders, and operators navigating the real world of product management. Contact ProductPalsPodcast@gmail.com if you’d like to be part of the show. Guest enquiries, sponsorship opportunities, and feedback are always welcome.

    1h 3m
  2. Product Pals: Rethinking Operating Models with John Cutler

    MAR 4

    Product Pals: Rethinking Operating Models with John Cutler

    In this episode of Product Pals, Charlotte and Kiet sit down with John Cutler — one of the most distinctive voices in modern product thinking and operating model design. For many in the product community, John needs no introduction. But for those newer to the space, he is a seasoned product leader, educator, and systems thinker with over two decades of experience across product management, user research, enablement, and frontline roles. He is currently Head of Product at Dotwork, where he explores how operating systems and decision frameworks can help teams build better products with greater clarity and intent. John is widely respected for his thoughtful writing, practical mental models, and ability to surface the messy realities of product work — challenging cargo-cult agile and simplistic takes on what “good” looks like. In this rich and energising conversation, we explore: • John’s career journey into product • How he writes so consistently (without over-optimising for algorithms) • What operating models actually do inside organisations • How product thinking translates beyond tech and “pure” product companies • AI’s real impact and use cases • The future of product management Along the way, John shares many insightful stories and powerful mental models in product.  This episode is thoughtful, sharp, inspiring — and weirdly comforting. If you’re navigating product, leadership, or operating change in this evolving world, this conversation will leave you thinking differently. If this conversation sparked new thinking for you, here are a few deeper dives we recommend: 1. John Cutler – What does it means to be Product Led?  (LinkedIn) https://www.linkedin.com/posts/johnpcutler_i-have-been-thinking-a-lot-about-what-it-activity-7405101035184128002--e5K/ 2. TBM #406 – Seeing Everything, Understanding Nothing (The Beautiful Mess) John’s Substack piece exploring AI’s use cases across different contexts https://cutlefish.substack.com/p/tbm-406-seeing-everything-understanding 3. Product Operating System – Jobs To Be Done  Our interpretation of John’s Operating System Jobs framework discussed in this episode - breaking down what a product operating system must actually do. https://medium.com/productpals 4. Leadership Personality Persona Spectrum (Product Pals) Our interpretation of John’s 2 by 2 framework to illustration how leadership personality shapes operating design. https://medium.com/productpals 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube — search Product Pals Podcast. 🥨 Knowledge Snacks

    51 min
  3. Beyond the Build – A Rare Journey with Ines and James

    FEB 4

    Beyond the Build – A Rare Journey with Ines and James

    In this heartfelt episode of Product Pals, Charlotte and Kiet sit down with design lead James Riddell and product leader Ines Goluza, the inspiring team behind Rare Journey — an AI-powered health companion app built to support families navigating rare diseases. After the birth of his son Felix and his diagnosis with the ultra-rare Myhre Syndrome, James, along with his partner Ivana and sister-in-law Ines, channelled their personal experience into building Rare Journey and co-founding the Myhre Syndrome Foundation Australia. What began as a family crisis quickly became a bold mission to support others through empathy-driven tech. 💡 What you’ll hear: Felix’s diagnosis and the origin of Rare Journey Why community knowledge is a superpower in healthcare Building under pressure: hospital rooms to MVP in 6 months Applying product and design thinking in the real world Reflections on scaling, funding, and staying mission-led To find out more about their stories visit: Myhre Syndrome Foundation Website: ⁠https://myhresyndromeaus.org/⁠  Rare Journey: ⁠https://www.therarejourney.com/⁠ Other Resources: Ronald McDonald House Foundation https://rmhc.org.au/

    1h 22m
  4. Product Pals 2025 Wrapped: The Conversations That Stayed With Us

    12/26/2025

    Product Pals 2025 Wrapped: The Conversations That Stayed With Us

    This is the final episode of 2025 — and it’s really just us saying thank you 💛 Just Charlotte and Kiet back where it all started — the two of us on a video call, coffee in hand ☕️, reflecting on a year that flew by faster than we expected. Somewhere between recording episodes, replying to messages, running events, and figuring life out, Product Pals quietly became a community. And this episode is our little pause to acknowledge that. In this conversation, we chat about: The stories, people, and moments from 2025 that stayed with usConversations that went beyond “product” and into being humanA few things we’re learning to let go of as the year closesAnd what we’re gently hoping for in 2026 — for the podcast, and for ourselvesIf Product Pals has been something you’ve listened to on a walk, during a commute, while cooking dinner, or in a quiet moment — this episode is for you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for listening, sharing, and supporting in big and small ways. 💛 Product Pals Podcast works best when you’re part of it. We hope you’re getting some real rest, spending time with people you love, and stepping into 2026 feeling a little lighter and hopeful — just as we are! We’ll be back in the new year with more stories, more connection, and the same heart. Enjoy the last few days of 2025, see you in 2026 💛 👋 Quick heads-up! You might notice a small Descript watermark on this video. We’re experimenting with a few new podcast tools at the moment and are currently on the free trial while we evaluate whether this platform is right for us (and whether we’ll move from our existing setup). It shouldn’t affect the listening experience — but if it’s distracting or gets in the way, please let us know. Your feedback really helps us improve 💛 Thanks so much, and we hope you enjoy the episode!

    27 min

  5. 12/14/2025

    PM Spotlight: Dipa Rao — From Delivery to Strategic Product Thinking

    In this PM Spotlight episode of Product Pals, Charlotte and Kiet sit down with Dipa Rao, Senior Product Manager at Culture Amp, for a refreshingly honest conversation about what product management really looks like behind the job title. With a career spanning Agile coaching, software delivery, consulting, and product leadership, Dipa shares a grounded view of the PM craft - from the difficult shift between delivery and strategy, to how great PMs build trust, create space for deep thinking, and stay genuinely close to customer needs. She also brings a thoughtful perspective on how context shapes product work, including the differences between B2B and B2C environments, team dynamics, and the growing expectations placed on PMs as the role continues to expand. This is a candid and reflective episode for PMs at any stage — especially those navigating senior roles, complexity, and the future of the product craft. 🎧 Listen to the full episode of Product Pals — available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. 🍪 Knowledge Snacks (Mentioned in the Episode) 🎙 Nikhil Suresh — AI Skeptic & Writer🔗 Substack: https://nihils.substack.com 📚 John Cutler — Product Evanglist and thought leader🔗 CutleFish Newsletter: https://cutlefish.substack.com 🧠 Richard Feynman — Physicist & Educator🔗 Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman 🎬Geeta (Documentary) — Co-produced by Dipa RaoAn award-winning documentary exploring gender and social justice. 🔗 https://www.geetafilm.com/ 🤖 AI Tool Glean — Internal search and knowledge tool connected to Slack, Confluence, and GitHub, used to quickly answer product and organisational questions.🔗 https://www.glean.com/

    1h 2m
  6. PM Spotlight: Diane Aung — From Support to SaaS PM, and the Power of Seeing the Whole System

    11/23/2025

    PM Spotlight: Diane Aung — From Support to SaaS PM, and the Power of Seeing the Whole System

    If you’ve ever transitioned (or wanted to transition) into a Product role, this episode will feel like someone finally saying, “Yes, I get you”This week on PM Spotlight, we sat down with Diane Aung — a Senior B2B SaaS Product Manager whose journey began in customer support and grew into a full end-to-end product career. Diane brings warmth, humour and a refreshingly honest take on what PM life actually looks like behind the job title.In this episode, we explore:✨ Why moving from customer support into Product is an underrated superpower✨ What servant leadership really looks like in fast-moving SaaS teams✨ How Diane navigates alignment, disagreements, and “too many opinions in the room”✨ The mindset shifts and unlearning that helped her level up as a PM✨ How she thinks about the future of product, learning, and designing a career that grows with youWhether you’re new to Product or deep in the craft, Diane’s reflections hit home in all the right ways.🎧 Listen now and follow the Product Pals Podcast for more real stories, messy moments, and bright ideas from PMs who are figuring it out as they go. 🍪 Knowledge Bites (from the episode) Jobs to Be Done: Theory to Practice — Anthony Ulwick What You Do Is Who You Are — Ben Horowitz Amazon Leadership Principles — Jeff Bezos Quick Note ❤️You may notice a couple of small video and audio bumps in this episode - we had some internet drops and background noise during recording (the joys of remote podcasting 😅).Huge thanks for your patience, and an even bigger thanks to Diane for rolling with it. The conversation was too good not to share.

    56 min
  7. PM Spotlight: Paru Madhavan — Coaching with Curiosity in a World of Certainty

    11/02/2025

    PM Spotlight: Paru Madhavan — Coaching with Curiosity in a World of Certainty

    In this episode of Product Pals Podcast, Charlotte and Kiet sit down with Paru Madhavan, Product Coach at the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), wine nerd, and systems thinker. Paru has led teams across travel, fintech, and media, and now focuses on creating environments where people thrive and customers’ problems actually get solved. Together, we unpack the craft and calling of product coaching — what it means, how it differs from managing, and why curiosity might be the most underrated skill in modern product teams. 🔑 What you’ll hear: 1️⃣ Curiosity beats certainty. If you only remember one question, make it “Why though?” It’s the fastest route to clarity and the cheapest form of user research. 2️⃣ Coaching and managing have a lot of similarities. Her MotoGP analogy nails it — a great coach is the crew chief, not the rider. They don’t steer the bike; they tune the system so others can win the race. 3️⃣ Balance the doing and the being. There’s no “perfect role.” If your day job doesn’t feed every part of you, side projects and creative hobbies can restore the spark. ( Love this advices!)And ,Why coaching can be a fulfilling path for PMs who want impact without people management 💭 A thoughtful, human conversation that reminds us good coaching isn’t about answers — it’s about asking better questions. 🍪 Knowledge Snacks (from the episode) John Cutler – reflections on organisational learning and systems thinking (The Beautiful Mess) Marty Cagan – writing on leadership and the role of product managers as coaches (svpg.com) Lisa Adkins –Book> and the “four stances” framework Karen Hao – The Empire of AI (book) and Youtube interview Akash Gupta – newsletter The Neuron (daily AI + PM updates) 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube — search Product Pals Podcast.

    1h 4m
  8. PM Spotlight: Ting Ting Hu — Finding Product-Market Fit in the Creator Economy

    10/13/2025

    PM Spotlight: Ting Ting Hu — Finding Product-Market Fit in the Creator Economy

    From public transport design to YouTube stardom, engineer-turned-creator Ting Ting Hu has built a one-person company of creativity, strategy, and heart. In this episode, she joins Charlotte and Kiet to unpack what it means to treat your craft like a product — balancing art, analytics and authenticity. 🔑 What you’ll hear: How Ting Ting plays three roles at once: CEO, PM and talent of her own brand Her viral learning loop — what creators can teach PMs about feedback and product-market fit Why she left “safe” public service to follow joy and meaning The lesson behind huo ren gan (活人感) — the feeling of being alive — and why every product needs it How AI quietly powers her reflection, resilience and creativity 💭 “You only create half of a product — the other half belongs to your audience.”

    48 min
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About

Welcome to Product Pals. This is a space where product people come together to talk honestly about the work, the challenges, and everything in between. We share stories from our own journeys and from others in the product world. The moments that felt uncertain, the lessons that stuck, and the shifts that changed how we think and build. Product Pals is also a community. A place to feel supported, to learn from each other, and to remember that you are not navigating this alone. Whether you are experienced, just getting started, or somewhere in the middle, you are very welcome here. ☕️🍵🧋

Information

  • Creator
    Charlotte Bian, Kiet Truong
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Charlotte Bian, Kiet Truong
  • Show Website
    Product Pals