How to Get a Product Leadership Job, with Collin Lernell, 3x Sr. Dir of Product (Udacity, Noom, Patreon)
In today’s episode, Colin Lernell, Senior Product Director (Patreon, Noom, Udacity) unveils the secrets of the hidden job market for product leaders, revealing how to create a "market of one" positioning, build a reputation that opens doors, and leverage networking to land unlisted roles. He also shares actionable advice on optimizing LinkedIn profiles, crafting impactful outreach, and navigating the realities of pre-IPO versus Big Tech opportunities.Agenda:What People Get Wrong About Product Leadership Job Searches — 00:00:47How to Conduct a Reputation-Based Job Search — 00:01:25Misconceptions About Reputation — 00:07:41Balancing Content Creation with Your Job Responsibilities — 00:09:56The Most Effective Channel for Job Searches — 00:13:16Understanding Candidate-Market Fit — 00:16:51How to Get in Front of Top Recruiters — 00:21:40Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile — 00:30:58The Psychology of Interviewee — 00:39:29Should You Accept a Downgraded Role? — 00:47:27The Reality of Taking Equity as a Product Leadership Candidate — 00:57:27The Current Interview Process for Product Leaders — 01:03:18Four to Five Interviews but No Offers—What’s Going Wrong? — 01:11:56If You’re in a Full-Time Job Search, Listen to This — 01:20:58Should You Write 'Laid Off' on Your Resume? — 01:23:46Negotiation 101 — 01:27:55Should You Ask for More During Negotiations? — 01:43:17Negotiating a $1.2 Million Offer to $1.5 Million — 01:50:58What’s a Reasonable Amount to Negotiate? — 01:58:29Why You Should Continue Job Searching Even After Accepting an Offer — 02:06:37Brought to you by:Zeda.io: Discovery platform to turn your VoC into product insightsStatsig: The complete platform for Product GrowthSectaLabs: Professional headshots from regular selfiesWhere to find Colin:LinkedInTwitterNewsletterCoachingTo advertise in the podcast, email productgrowthppp at gmail dot com.We have some great podcasts coming from Andrew Capland, Ramli John, and Ben Williams. I’m so excited to share them with all of you. Get full access to Product Growth at www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe
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2:13:11
Mastering Product Strategy With Melissa Perri, Author of Escaping the Build Trap
In today’s episode, Melissa pulls back the curtain on what product strategy really is (and isn’t), how to scale high-performing teams without losing focus, and the biggest mistakes PMs make when balancing user needs and business goals.This is a masterclass for PMs at every stage who want to excel at rethinking roadmaps, avoiding execution traps, and building products that drive measurable outcomes — not just features.Agenda:Are You Stuck in the "Build Trap"? Here’s What It Means — 00:00:14Founder Mode: Why It’s a Double-Edged Sword — 00:07:58The Science Behind Crafting a Winning Strategy — 00:13:17Company vs. Product Strategy: What Most PMs Get Wrong — 00:21:34What Really Defines Product Strategy? — 00:29:34The 5 Layers of Strategy Every PM Must Master — 00:33:18Empowering Teams: The Secret to Unlocking Their Full Potential — 00:39:26From Tactical to Strategic: A Roadmap for Junior PMs — 00:48:11How to Create Game-Changing Initiative Lists as a PM — 01:02:41Why PMs Are Losing Their Seats at the Figma Table — 01:09:36Prioritization Perfected: Mastering the Cost of Delay Concept — 01:18:29The Untold Truths About Product Operations — 01:23:22Scaling Up? Beware of These Common Team Mistakes — 01:32:15“Product Kata”: The Iterative Framework That Drives Success — 01:35:59Keeping Up With the Rapid Evolution of Product Management — 01:43:41How to Land Your Dream PM Job: Proven Advice That Works — 01:52:23Behind the Curtain: A Business Breakdown You Need to Hear — 02:02:59Brought to you by:Enterpret: Transform customer feedback into product growth with custom AIAnvil : The fastest way to build software for automating documentsDovetail: The Fastest Way to Understand Your CustomerWhere to find Melissa:LinkedInOnline training & courseWebsiteTo advertise in the podcast, email productgrowthppp at gmail dot com.We have some great podcasts coming from Colin Lernell, Andrew Capland, and Ramli John. I’m so excited to share them with all of you. Get full access to Product Growth at www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe
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2:20:35
How Tibo Sold over $10M in SaaS Products by Breaking All the Rules of Traditional Product Building
As I’ve often said, PMs and aspiring PMs can learn a lot from the scrappy, relentless mindset of solopreneurs and indie hackers. Today’s episode is a masterclass in just that.In this podcast, he pulls back the curtain on rapid product validation, the perils of building on third-party platforms, leveraging AI to slash development costs, and why distribution — not just the product itself —is the ultimate key to success.Agenda:His initial journey and reflections — 00:00:41Story behind shipping 11 products before mega hits — 00:13:25Giving away 25% equity to a Twitter influencer — 00:18:58The “hows” and “whys” of partnerships — 00:23:02Getting suspended on LinkedIn — 00:28:14Becoming Product Hunt Maker of the Year — 00:36:32Going from paying $0 to paying $42K/mo for Twitter API costs — 00:45:16Selling TweetHunter and Taplio to Lempire for $8 million — 00:51:44Should you reduce prices to reduce churn? — 00:58:46Acquiring new projects (Feather and Revid) — 01:01:01Story behind getting kicked out of Beehiiv — 01:03:45Why and how PMs should build with AI — 01:10:33Building your personal brand a.k.a. distribution — 01:24:32Why revenue is the best idea validation — 01:26:45Criteria for deciding which ideas to build — 01:28:18What do you think about the product manager role? — 01:41:14Pros and cons of building in public — 01:44:37Managing time as a product builder — 01:48:49Brought to you by:June.so: Customer analytics for product focused teamsDovetail: The Fastest Way to Understand Your CustomerSectaLabs: Professional headshots from regular selfiesWhere to find Tibo:TwitterNewsletterFeatherRevidTo advertise in the podcast, email productgrowthppp at gmail dot com.We have some great podcasts coming with Melissa Perri, Colin Lernell, and Andrew Capland. I’m so excited to share them with all of you. Get full access to Product Growth at www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe
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1:51:39
What it means to be Design-Led, with Benjamin Humphrey (Former Growth Designer at Atlassian, CEO at Dovetail)
In this episode, Benjamin Humphrey, CEO and founder of Dovetail, takes us inside the methods that have propelled his company to become a $970M platform, trusted by industry giants like Google, Shopify, and Notion.Benjamin unpacks the philosophy behind design-led growth, emphasizing the power of intuitive, user-centric products and how his team prioritizes pushing features to 100% completion.In today's episode, we cover:Why Dovetail Was Built – 00:00:10The Consumerization of Enterprise Software – 00:02:45Dovetail’s PLG Philosophy: Building for End Users – 00:05:01Building Teams That Own Problems – 00:14:30When Founders Should Hire PMs – 00:18:05What It Means to Be Design-Led and Product-Led – 00:21:10Balancing Speed and Quality in Product Development – 00:24:20Planning with Design Vision Workshops – 00:27:00Scaling Without Outbound Sales – 00:30:40The PLG Iceberg Explained – 00:34:05Driving User Activation – 00:37:50Turning Users Into Advocates – 00:42:15Pricing and Packaging as a Growth Lever – 00:46:05Integrating AI Thoughtfully – 00:50:30Common AI Feature Design Mistakes – 00:55:10Refining Features for Impact – 00:59:25Staying Ahead in the AI Space – 01:03:15Lessons from Features That Didn’t Work – 01:07:10Collaborating Between PMs and Designers – 01:12:45Replacing PRDs with Storytelling – 01:17:30Figma’s Role in Collaboration – 01:21:20Productivity Systems of a CEO – 01:25:15Using AI Tools Like ChatGPT – 01:28:40Lessons from the Jira Growth Team – 01:34:25The Future of Product Management – 01:40:10Advice for Aspiring Founders – 01:43:00Lightning Round: Favorite Tools and Lessons – 01:45:20Why Product Quality Always Wins – 01:47:15Brought to you by:Zeda.io: Discovery platform to turn your Voice of Customer into product insightsDovetail: The Fastest Way to Understand Your CustomerSectaLabs: Where to find BenjaminLinkedInWebsiteTo advertise in the podcast, email productgrowthppp at gmail dot com.We have some great podcasts coming Thibault Louis-Lucas, aMelissa Perri, and Colin Lernell. I’m so excited to share them with all of you. Get full access to Product Growth at www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe
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1:48:50
How to Do Product Discovery Right with Pawel Huryn, 175K+ on LinkedIn, Senior PM and Author
This episode is a masterclass in modern product management—featuring cutting-edge frameworks, actionable strategies, AI integration, competitive edge tactics, and aligning product goals with overarching business objectives.In today's episode, we cover:Junior PM Roles Are Done – 00:02:17Why Talking to Customers Alone Isn’t Enough – 00:07:44Balancing Team Empowerment with Team Maturity – 00:10:26Do We Need a Clear Definition of the Product Trio? – 00:17:49What’s Wrong with the Famous Double Diamond Framework? – 00:22:18Fixing the Double Diamond Framework – 00:24:04The Triple Diamond Framework Explained – 00:27:20The Three Types of Product Metrics – 00:37:44How Do Metrics Differ From Teresa Torres’ Product Outcomes? – 00:38:13How Strategy Differs From a Business Model – 00:44:43What’s Wrong with Popular Strategy Canvases? – 00:46:57Why Managing Risks Is the Heart of PM – 00:53:06The Main Types of Risks in Product Management – 00:54:11Extending the Opportunity Solution Tree (OST) – 01:00:32How to Prioritize Ideas Effectively – 01:07:16Why the ICE Framework Is Practical for Prioritization – 01:10:25Growing 100K+ Followers on LinkedIn in 12 Months – 01:12:38How to Start a Post With a Great Hook – 01:14:10Examples of Bad Hooks and How to Upgrade Them – 01:16:45The Rules for Crafting a Message That Resonates – 01:19:12Driving Action With an Effective CTA – 01:21:38Checklist for Creating a Stellar LinkedIn Post – 01:23:42Best Systems for Growing a Newsletter – 01:27:08Managing Content Creation Alongside a Full-Time Job – 01:30:46Tips for Writing Substack Notes That Perform Well – 01:33:22Adjusting Copywriting for SEO Success – 01:35:18Top Use Cases for AI in Product Management – 01:38:07Should PMs Create Content? – 01:40:32How to Avoid Burnout as a PM – 01:42:44Modern PM Practices – 01:45:12Brought to you by:June.so: Customer analytics for product focused teamsSprig: Build products for people not data pointsDovetail: The Fastest Way to Understand Your CustomerWhere to find Pawel:LinkedInNewsletterTo advertise in the podcast, email productgrowthppp at gmail dot com.We have some great podcasts coming Benjamin Humphrey, Thibault Louis-Lucas, and Melissa Perri. I’m so excited to share them with all of you. Get full access to Product Growth at www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe