Product Team Success

By Ross Webb
  • 5.0 (1)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
Product Team Success

Welcome to "Product Team Success: Real-World Career Advice for Product". I'm your host, Ross Webb, and I'm here to supercharge your journey, whether you're climbing the ladder to the C-suite or already leading from the top. Our content is your secret weapon - offering insights into business metrics, data-driven strategies, and stakeholder navigation, all tailored to propel you forward and keep you excelling in your role. We believe in 'productizing' yourself and your team, leading the charge towards product success with a no-nonsense, no-fluff approach. We're paving the path in an innovative realm we call 'Data-Driven Empathy'. We'll tackle an array of topics, from securing investment for data analytics, to acing product interviews, to presenting product direction with authority. So, subscribe now to "Product Team Success", join our community of pioneers, and let's together redefine the landscape of product leadership! Get ready to be invigorated, inspired, and informed, as we revolutionize product leadership, one episode at a time!

  1. 11H AGO

    Leading Transformation Without Burnout: How AI Handles the Admin

    Too often, product managers work as human middleware between systems and stakeholders, drowning in administrative overhead instead of driving strategic change. Life is short—you need to get your time back. In this episode, Ross Webb (who led product transformations at Amazon and Just Eat) explores how AI transforms leadership effectiveness by handling administrative burden, freeing leaders to focus on strategic thinking and meaningful change management. What You'll Learn: Why compassion alone won't drive lasting transformation in established organisationsHow to standardise platform integrations to unlock 30% year-on-year growthThe balance between rigorous planning and genuine agile principles (not "lean theatre")How to build crucial stakeholder alliances when you're the outsider coming inHow AI can automate status updates, reporting, and process coordination Featured Guests: David Behlich - Transformation specialist who's driven change in 70,000+ person organisationsDominic Le Garsmeur - Platform strategy expert who achieved 30% YoY growth through standardisationKris Jones - Strategic planning advocate who balances preparation with agilityNiko Korner - Organisational politics navigator and stakeholder alliance builder Key Takeaways: Successful transformation requires both inspiration AND enforcement—some people need to be movedFocus on foundation before chasing growth; sometimes slow down to speed upUnderstanding organisational politics is essential for senior product leadershipAI can eliminate the administrative friction that keeps leaders reactive instead of proactive Sponsored by FlowFocus AI - The agentic AI system that connects your entire product stack (Jira, Amplitude, PostHog, roadmapping tools, competitive intelligence) and saves product managers 5-10 hours per week. Because life is too short to be human middleware.

    12 min

  2. JUL 1

    Stop Being Human Middleware: How AI Transforms Go-to-Market Success

    Too often, product managers work as human middleware between tools, teams, and market intelligence. Life is short—you need to get your time back. In this episode, Ross Webb (former Principal PM at Amazon and Just Eat, who took products from 0 to £50M+ revenue) explores how AI agents are transforming go-to-market success by automating research, competitive analysis, and cross-functional alignment workflows. What You'll Learn: Why B2B2B environments require different GTM strategies and how to navigate complex stakeholder layersThe "echo-back approach" that transforms customer problems into quantifiable business valueHow to build genuine harmony between sales and product teams (not just tolerance)Ecosystem design thinking: ensuring every piece needed for market success is alignedHow AI agents can automate competitive intelligence and market validation workflows Featured Guests: João Moreira - Product leadership expert on B2B2B complexity and cross-team collaborationTzvika Shahaf - Strategic consultant on customer problem validation and business value translationDavid Moore - Sales-product alignment specialist and relationship building expertAlba Simon - Ecosystem design thinking pioneer and organisational strategy expert Key Takeaways: Product-market fit requires orchestrating the entire ecosystem, not just building great productsDirect customer engagement beats secondhand feedback from sales teams every timeUnderstanding each team's KPIs and workflows creates win-win collaboration opportunitiesAI can automate the administrative burden of market research, freeing PMs for strategic thinking Sponsored by FlowFocus AI - The agentic AI system that connects your entire product stack (Jira, Amplitude, PostHog, roadmapping tools, competitive intelligence) and saves product managers 5-10 hours per week. Because life is too short to be human middleware.

    10 min

  3. JUN 18

    AI-Powered Product Operations - Episode 2

    Product Team Success: AI-Powered Product Operations - Episode 2 The brutal reality: While product leaders debate whether AI will replace them, the smart ones are already using it to reclaim 5-10 hours per week from soul-crushing manual work. Episode Overview Ross Webb reveals why most product teams are using AI completely wrong and how four product operations pioneers have cracked the code on transforming from overwhelmed operators into strategic powerhouses. This isn't about treating AI like a fancy search engine—it's about weaponising it as the strategic partner it actually is. Key Insight: The product managers winning with AI aren't using it to do their job—they're using it to eliminate the parts of their job that shouldn't exist. Featured Guests 🎯 Chris Compston Why effective AI isn't about speed—it's about decision qualityThe counterintuitive truth about building high-performing teams with AIHow to increase decision-making quality, not just task completion speed 🚀 Anna Prevo How to automate the boring stuff whilst keeping the human magic that mattersThe framework for amplifying product effectiveness without losing customer empathyWhy humans must stay in the loop for what truly counts ⚡ Orla Mears The "alchemy" framework that turns overwhelming complexity into crystal-clear actionHow AI transforms jumbled thoughts into efficient processes in secondsWhy "if you're not using AI, somebody will replace you" 💡 Aliyah Mahomed Why embracing uncertainty is your competitive advantage with AIHow to be comfortable with ambiguity whilst implementing AI workflowsReal example: Automating customer support taxonomy to save 2-3 hours weekly Key Takeaways What Most PMs Are Doing Wrong: Asking ChatGPT to write better user storiesUsing AI for one-off tasks like "summarise this feedback"Treating AI as a personal assistant for ad-hoc requestsFocusing on speed over decision quality What the Top 5% Do Differently: Build systematic AI workflows that run automaticallyUse AI to amplify human empathy, not replace itFocus on decision quality over task completion speedEmbrace uncertainty and iterate rapidly The Starting Point: Automated Competitive Intelligence - the highest-impact, lowest-risk workflow to begin with. No more manual competitor tracking spreadsheets or missing crucial positioning changes. Quotable Moments 💬 Chris Compston: "Product operations should increase the quality of decision-making, not just speed up bad decisions." 💬 Anna Prevo: "We can't get so far away with all of these machines doing the work that we forget what we're doing." 💬 Orla Mears: "AI takes all the jumbled stuff in my brain and brings it into an efficient process." 💬 Aliyah Mahomed: "Be comfortable with ambiguity. The goal isn't perfection—it's continuous learning." Actionable Insights Start with Decision Quality: Don't optimise for speed—optimise for better decision-makingAutomate the Mechanical: Free up human capacity for empathy and strategic thinkingEmbrace Uncertainty: Winners experiment and iterate rather than waiting for perfect strategiesBegin with Competitive Intelligence: Highest-impact, lowest-risk entry point for AI workflows Resources Mentioned FocusFlow AI: The product management AI toolset built based on insights from dozens of product leadersAI Competitor Intelligence Workflow: Fully agentic AI system for automated competitive monitoring

    17 min

  4. JUN 5

    Product Operations Revolution: AI-Agentic Workflows to Save PMs 5-6 Hours Weekly

    In this episode of the Product Team Success podcast, I explore how AI-agentic workflows are transforming product operations teams, saving product managers 5-6 hours per week while delivering deeper strategic insights than ever before. Episode Highlights: After fifteen years leading product teams at Amazon, Just Eat and beyond, I've discovered that the difference between overwhelmed and empowered teams often comes down to one thing: how effectively they can harness agentic AI. Five exceptional product operations leaders share their practical implementations: Graham Reed: Holistic AI Systems Moving beyond point solutions to create integrated AI workflowsThe challenge of multiple disconnected AI tools in the product lifecycleWhy organizations need solutions that tie together the entire product development process Tommy Oakes: AI as the Ultimate Copilot Why we're in the "late early adopter" phase of AI implementationThe importance of keeping AI in the "passenger seat" - enhancing rather than replacing PMsHow AI enables product professionals to focus on high-impact complex problems Lucy Pinticus Rothwell: Revolutionizing Customer Feedback Analysis Implementing an LLM chatbot that analyzes Zendesk support ticketsTransforming hours of manual analysis into minutes of AI-powered insightsThe importance of leading with customer needs, not pursuing "AI for AI's sake" Joe Alim: AI-Powered Competitive Intelligence Using Perplexity for enhanced market researchHow AI dramatically expanded what one person can accomplish in competitive analysisThe surprising results when comparing AI deep research against manual competitive analysis Javier Garcia-Azorriz: Standardizing Feature Requests Creating an automated workflow using Zapier, Google Sheets and ChatGPTStandardizing feature requests for easier digestion at scaleHow automation transformed quarterly planning sessions The Future of Product Operations The future isn't about managing more tools—it's about creating cohesive AI systems where machines handle routine analysis while humans focus on strategic decisions. Whether automating feedback analysis, streamlining competitive research, or generating holistic product insights, agentic AI is transforming how product teams operate. About This Episode This episode is brought to you by Productboard, the leading product management platform trusted by customer-centric organizations like Zoom, Salesforce, and Autodesk. For over a decade, Productboard has helped product leaders build the right products faster by mastering the voice of their customer.

    23 min

  5. MAY 1

    Aligning Product Operations with Business Strategy

    🔥 WATCH NOW: The AI Workflows for Product Ops masterclass with Productboard Graham Reed and I reveal how Product Ops teams can save 5-7 hours weekly using AI automation that actually works. Productboard partnered with us to bring you practical templates, prioritisation frameworks, and implementation strategies you can use immediately. Watch here: https://bit.ly/3EttnIr In this illuminating episode of Product Team Success, host Ross Webb explores the essential connection between product operations and business strategy. Joined by four pioneering product operations leaders, the conversation reveals how strategic alignment transforms not only organizational decision-making but can significantly accelerate your career trajectory in product operations. Guest Highlights The episode features insights from multiple product operations experts: Graham Reed shares why product ops must align with business direction to deliver maximum value and how adopting a strategic mindset can differentiate you as a product ops leaderJustin Woods demonstrates how developing weighted frameworks properly evaluates true business impact—a transferable skill that makes you invaluable across organizationsAlan Arnfeld breaks down product ops' role as an insight enabler rather than a decision maker, a crucial distinction for gaining greater organizational influenceKatie Hudson offers practical wisdom on maintaining consistency and accountability, showcasing leadership skills that get noticed by executives Key Insights Strategic Alignment is Non-Negotiable Product ops has to be aligned to where the business is going. Understanding the direction helps product operations leaders focus their efforts appropriately—whether the organization is prioritizing growth, streamlining development cycles, or improving cross-functional collaboration. Quantify Value in Business Terms When evaluating ideas and priorities, it's essential to translate everything to a common denominator. As Justin notes, "Money speaks" in business contexts. By quantifying impact in financial terms, you normalize requests from customers and internal stakeholders, making prioritization more objective and defensible. Position Product Ops as an Enabler One of product operations' most valuable functions is providing insight into which products and initiatives deserve investment. This involves creating frameworks and processes that enable better decision-making rather than making the decisions themselves—establishing product ops as a strategic partner rather than merely an implementer. Consistency Builds Trust and Credibility Katie emphasizes that consistency in planning frameworks is "key" to success. When people understand the cadence and structure of product processes, they can build good habits and prepare appropriately. Maintaining this consistency and holding the organization accountable to established frameworks builds your reputation as an effective leader. Serve as Connective Tissue Product operations professionals often act as translators between different departments, helping each understand how their priorities and metrics connect to the larger strategic picture. This role requires the ability to speak multiple "languages"—from engineering throughput to revenue projections—and synthesize these perspectives into cohesive action plans. Conclusion Aligning product operations with business strategy isn't just about organizational effectiveness—it's a career accelerator. By understanding business direction, quantifying value, enabling better decisions, maintaining consistent processes, and connecting cross-functional teams, product operations leaders can position themselves as indispensable strategic partners within their organizations.

    22 min

  6. APR 17

    Streamlining Product Ops: Processes and Tooling That Actually Work

    Join me and Graham Reed on April 22nd for an exclusive webinar on "The Future of Product Ops with AI & Automation" where we'll dive deeper into practical strategies for leveraging AI to streamline your product operations processes and elevate your career. https://www.productboard.com/events/the-future-of-product-ops-with-ai-automation/ In this episode of Product Team Success, host Ross Webb brings together six pioneering product operations leaders who reveal their battle-tested approaches to processes and tooling that can transform how product teams work together. Guest Experts: Graham ReedJustin WoodsAnkit KumarCraig McDonaldJerry LimberHolly Holbrook Episode Highlights: Process Isn't a Dirty Word (Graham Reed) Graham explains why effective processes are crucial for product operations success: Businesses fundamentally run on processes – the key is streamlining themProcesses serve as a form of communication across the organizationCentralized tooling helps share information efficientlyWhen done right, processes save time and reduce duplicationConsider all potential audiences when designing processes The People-Process-Tools Hierarchy (Justin Woods) Justin shares his structured approach to balancing people, processes, and tools: Start with people and processes before selecting toolsCreate separate process flows for different inputs (ideas, feedback, requests, defects)Capture information from both customers and internal teamsMaintain good hygiene between processesUse centralized collection toolsEstablish regular review cadences with SLAs Standardization Creates Clarity (Ankit Kumar) Ankit takes a practical approach to creating efficiency through standardization: Define clear handoff processes between teamsCreate a RACI matrix to clarify ownershipStandardize templates for PRDs, user stories, and acceptance criteriaDefine entry/exit criteria for each phase of development Balancing New Technology with Decision Speed (Craig McDonald) Craig provides insights on technology adoption in product operations: Product managers naturally gravitate toward new technologiesConsider how new tools impact decision-making velocityBalance innovation with practical implementationLook for technologies that solve genuine pain points Clear Artifacts Drive Organizational Scale (Jerry Limber) Jerry emphasizes the relationship between process and scale: As organizations grow, standardized processes become essentialFocus on artifacts that create clarity about what's being built and whyBalance standardization with space for team innovationBuild on a foundation of standardized reporting Feedback Loops Between Teams (Holly Holbrook) Holly explains how feedback enhances product operations: Create tight feedback loops between product and engineeringDevelop clear product requirement documentsUse daily standups to address questions quicklyBalance documentation with accessible communication Key Takeaways: Effective processes are communication tools that save time and reduce duplicationStart with defining processes before selecting toolsStandardize templates and handoffs to create clarity and efficiencyBalance new technology adoption with decision-making speedAs organizations scale, clear artifacts become essentialMaintain tight feedback loops between teams regardless of documentation quality Episode Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by ProductBoard, the leading product management platform trusted by customer-centric organizations like Zoom, Salesforce, and Autodesk. For over a decade, ProductBoard has helped product leaders build the right products faster by mastering the voice of customer. Resources Mentioned: ProductBoard Pulse - AI-powered voice of customer solutionUpcoming webinar with Graham Reed and Ross Webb (April 2025)

    23 min

  7. APR 1

    The Secret to Product Ops Success: Communication & Relationships Mastery

    The Secret to Product Ops Success: Communication & Relationships Mastery Upcoming Event Join Ross Webb and Graham Reed for a deeper dive into product ops communication strategies in an exclusive webinar with ProductBoard on April 22nd. Link is here https://www.productboard.com/events/the-future-of-product-ops-with-ai-automation/ Episode Summary In this illuminating episode of Product Team Success, host Ross Webb explores how mastering communication and relationship building transforms product operations effectiveness. Featuring insights from five pioneering product ops leaders, this episode reveals battle-tested approaches to communication that can elevate your product operations to the next level. Key Insights Audience-Led Communication - Graham Reed Communication is fundamentally about imparting or receiving valuable informationProduct managers must focus on what their audience needs to hear, not what they want to sayTechnical accomplishments should be translated into value that sales and other teams can actually useTailoring messages to specific audiences creates enthusiasm that cascades throughout the organization Roadmaps as Communication Tools - Justin Woods Roadmaps should function as communication alignment tools, not static documentsCreate a single source of truth with multiple views tailored to different audiencesImplement regular roadmap briefings and reviews specific to each audience's needsMaintain roadmaps as living documents with proactive updates on progress and changesAlways seek feedback to ensure communication achieved the desired alignment Handling Pushback Effectively - Anna Peterson Resistance to change is inevitable - be prepared for itIdentify recurring themes in feedback to address systemic concernsProduct ops often fails when it focuses on solving the wrong problems or communicating ineffectivelyEven the best processes require clear communication about their purpose and value Building Trust Across Organizations - Ray Carvill Focus on relationships from "the front line engineer to the CIO"Established trust creates the foundation for meaningful improvementsStrong relationships enable the conversations that drive positive organizational changeVertical trust-building is as important as horizontal alignment Creating Authentic Connections - Denielle Booth Genuine interactions form the basis of productive partnershipsBegin new relationships by understanding pain points and daily challengesAsk key questions: "What does your day look like? What does your work look like? Where are the gaps?"Transform transactional interactions into synergistic partnerships that create lasting value Resources Mentioned ProductBoard - Product management platform for capturing customer feedback, prioritizing features, and aligning stakeholders Connect With Us For more insights on building effective product operations, watch our comprehensive Product Ops Playbook episode and subscribe for more product leadership wisdom.

    18 min

  8. FEB 18

    Mastering Voice of Customer: Your Secret Ingredient for Product Career Success

    Upcoming Webinar: Don't miss our live webinar "From Feedback to Features: Building Customer-Centric Product Teams at Scale" on February 25th, 2025. Learn actionable strategies for scaling customer-centric practices across your product organization. Time: 10:00 AM PST / 1:00 PM EST / 12:00 PM CST Register here: https://bit.ly/42SPHon In this episode of Product Team Success, Ross Webb explores how mastering Voice of Customer can transform your product career. Drawing from his experience as a Principal Product Manager at Amazon and Just Eat, Ross brings together five product leaders who share their proven approaches to turning customer understanding into career advancement. Key Highlights: Converting Customer Insights into Executive Influence Phil Hornby reveals how to manage the complexity of customer dataStrategies for combining data, anecdotes, and intuitionUsing Customer Advisory Boards effectivelyLeveraging AI tools to process customer feedback at scale Building Team-Wide Customer Understanding Philipp Katzenstein demonstrates engaging product owners and developersMaking customer interviews a natural team routineCreating shared customer personas across teams Data-Driven Stakeholder Management Justine Salter shares approaches to overcoming opinion-based decisionsUsing customer data to influence challenging stakeholdersBuilding credibility through customer insights Structured VoC Programmes Anna Peterson breaks down comprehensive feedback systemsBuilding customer panels and ride-along programmesCreating sustainable feedback loops Balancing Customer Types Giancarlo Herrera on managing internal and external customer needsBuilding integrated feedback systemsCreating collective understanding across stakeholder groups Key Takeaways: Customer understanding must be systematic and scalableTeam engagement in VoC creates better outcomesData-driven customer insights are crucial for influenceBalanced feedback systems drive career success Connect with our guests on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about turning customer understanding into product career success and sign up for the webinar above with Product Board, it's going to be great.

    17 min
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About

Welcome to "Product Team Success: Real-World Career Advice for Product". I'm your host, Ross Webb, and I'm here to supercharge your journey, whether you're climbing the ladder to the C-suite or already leading from the top. Our content is your secret weapon - offering insights into business metrics, data-driven strategies, and stakeholder navigation, all tailored to propel you forward and keep you excelling in your role. We believe in 'productizing' yourself and your team, leading the charge towards product success with a no-nonsense, no-fluff approach. We're paving the path in an innovative realm we call 'Data-Driven Empathy'. We'll tackle an array of topics, from securing investment for data analytics, to acing product interviews, to presenting product direction with authority. So, subscribe now to "Product Team Success", join our community of pioneers, and let's together redefine the landscape of product leadership! Get ready to be invigorated, inspired, and informed, as we revolutionize product leadership, one episode at a time!

Information

  • Creator
    By Ross Webb
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2025
  • Episodes
    71
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ℗ & © 2021 The Product Coach Podcast
  • Show Website
    Product Team Success

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