PRODUCTEA with Leah, Growth & Senior Leadership

Leah Tharin

Honest, unfiltered conversations with the best from tech - spilling the tea about product, growth, and senior leadership topics.www.leahtharin.com

  1. 113: Vincent Pierri - How to deal with Stage Fright before important talks

    07/21/2025

    113: Vincent Pierri - How to deal with Stage Fright before important talks

    Vincent Pierri, Public speaking coach and LinkedIn’s "PowerPoint ninja" with 25K+ followers, dismantles stage fright myths and reveals how to craft unforgettable talks. He shares practical frameworks like the "3Ps" (Pain Point-Problem-Promise) and the "ingredient spectrum" for engaging content. Perfect for founders and leaders tired of boring presentations, this episode is full with actionable tweaks. Timestamped Segments 00:02:54 - 00:05:10 "The Pastor’s Secret: Non-Tech Origins" Vince reveals his background as a full-time pastor—weekly sermons forged his speaking chops and frameworks.00:08:00 - 00:09:16 "Stage Fright? Nope, You Just Suck at Prep" Vince argues 90% of "nerves" stem from poor talk-writing, not fear. Key fix: Structure talks for memorability.00:15:00 - 00:17:09 "Talk Ingredients: Why Ideas Alone Bomb" Breaks down the content spectrum (ideas → stories → tactics) and the "2-min rule" for pacing engagement.00:39:00 - 00:42:58 "Open Strong: The 3Ps Hook Framework" Vince’s Pain Point → Problem → Promise method hooks audiences fast. Leah adds mnemonics for sticky concepts.Hot Takes “Stage Fright is a Cop-Out—Your Prep is the Real Problem” Vince insists most “nerves” vanish when talks are well-structured, pretested, and packed with analogies (not just ideas).“Polished Performance is Overrated—Be a Lawyer, Not an Actor” Ditching theatrics for persuasion (e.g., “argue like you’re in court”) beats forced energy shifts for early-stage speakers.Send us a text Leah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

    51 min
  2. 112: Anna-Karina Schmitt: Resilience Strategies from a World-Record Athlete

    07/14/2025

    112: Anna-Karina Schmitt: Resilience Strategies from a World-Record Athlete

    Anna Karina Schmitt, a world-record free diver and former tech executive, shares her journey managing multiple sclerosis through lifestyle changes, mindfulness, and freediving. She talks about reclaiming control by prioritizing self-responsibility, structured habits, and mental resilience. Her approach blends practical health strategies with lessons from extreme sports, insights for founders and leaders overwhelmed by burnout. Timestamped Segments 00:01:04 - 00:02:06 "From Burnout to World Records" Anna’s background as a freediving athlete, multiple sclerosis survivor, and mentor to athletes and executives.00:02:54 - 00:05:10 "Diagnosis & Denial: Early MS Struggles" Anna recounts her initial diagnosis at 20, early denial, and how MS symptoms worsened before she adopted lifestyle changes.00:08:00 - 00:09:16 "The Turning Point: 2013 Crisis & Recovery" Anna Describes her health crisis, the realization of needing drastic changes, and how freediving became a tool for mental clarity.00:15:00 - 00:17:09 "Practical Tools: Breathing, Boundaries, and Structure" Shares actionable strategies: 8-8-8 breathwork, daily habit structuring, and balancing work/rest priorities.00:39:00 - 00:42:58 "Mental Mastery: Freediving Lessons for Leadership" Explains how freediving’s mental discipline (e.g., managing panic, trusting training) applies to high-pressure work environments.Hot Takes "Hustle Culture is a Lie – Your Body Knows Better" Anna critiques the "16-hour workday" myth, arguing that burnout stems from ignoring physical/mental limits. True productivity requires self-awareness and rest."Accountability ≠ Shame – It’s About Self-Compassion" Challenging the stigma around seeking help. Success isn’t about perfection but consistent, kind adjustments to habits and mindset.Send us a text Leah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

    50 min
  3. 107: Andres Glusman: Why Your A/B Tests Are Lying (and How to Fix Them)

    05/20/2025

    107: Andres Glusman: Why Your A/B Tests Are Lying (and How to Fix Them)

    Andres Glusman, experimentation expert and former Meetup product leader, unpacks why 89% of experiments fail - and why that’s a good thing. From redesign pitfalls to balancing data with intuition, he shares hard-earned lessons on turning failure into explosive growth. It’s not about running more tests, but smarter ones. Timestamps & Segments00:01:02 – 00:10:00 The Experimentation Conundrum Andres breaks down why most experiments fail, the "VC mindset" for testing, and why a 65% loss rate is better than industry standards. 00:10:05 – 00:20:00 Low Traffic, Big Swings Strategies for companies with limited traffic: why timid tweaks waste time and how to bundle changes for measurable impact. 00:20:05 – 00:30:00 Redesigns: When to Rip the Band-Aid Why most redesigns backfire, how to test without tanking metrics, and the political minefield of shipping "VP-approved" flops. 00:30:05 – 00:40:00 Storing (and Ignoring) Experiment Data The lifecycle of experiment insights, why social proof is overrated, and how to avoid repeating past mistakes (hint: spreadsheets). 00:40:05 – 00:49:00 Hot Takes & Must-Reads Andres’ controversial read on stale A/B testing dogma + book recs to overhaul your product playbook. Hot Takes 🔥 “89% failure rate? You’re doing it right.” – Andres 🔥 “If stats aren’t significant after 4 months, ship it anyway—your samples are probably garbage.” – Leah Send us a text Leah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

    49 min
  4. 106: Evie Brockwell - Burnout, Boundaries & Breaking the Hustle Cycle

    05/11/2025

    106: Evie Brockwell - Burnout, Boundaries & Breaking the Hustle Cycle

    Evie Brockwell unpacks why 92% of PMs are crispy-fried – and why "just meditate more" isn't the answer. We dissect toxic sprint culture, ADHD-friendly boundary hacks, and why treating burnout like a product churn problem might save your sanity (and your career). 🕒 Timestamps 00:02:28 - The Burnout Recipe High-driven PMs + chaotic orgs = guaranteed burnout. It’s not your fault – it’s the cult of "ASAP" as a personality trait. 00:11:38 - Boundaries Aren’t B.S. Why "I’ll just answer this Slack at 10 PM" destroys teams – and how to weaponize app blockers, second phones, and "No." as a full sentence. 00:18:46 - Leah’s ADHD Warfare "Losing parking tickets is my superpower." Tactical tips for neurospicy PMs: rigid routines, external accountability partners. 00:27:28 - Leaders: Stop the Overwork Olympics Why celebrating "Peter works 80-hour weeks!" backfires – and how to spot promotion-induced burnout traps. 00:40:41 - The Feedback Lie "Improve your quant skills" vs. "Be more reliable" – why managers secretly crave PMs who say "This launch can wait". 00:46:26 - Burnout Doesn’t Care About Your Gender Surprise! Men suffer equally – they just hide it better. The real divider? Whether your boss thinks "hustle" is a compliment. 00:52:14 - Exit Strategies When to fix the org vs. flee – and how job hunting (even casually) boosts your boundary-setting muscles. 🔥 Hot Takes "Burnout is a product problem – treat it like churn." If 72% of users quit, you’d fix the UX. Why blame PMs when 92% are drowning?"Your 'high performer' is a liability." Promoting hustle addicts to leadership? Congrats – you just weaponized burnout.Send us a text Leah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

    53 min

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Honest, unfiltered conversations with the best from tech - spilling the tea about product, growth, and senior leadership topics.www.leahtharin.com