Product Growth Podcast

• What I Learned From Filming 80 Podcast Episodes

  Starting this podcast wasn’t an easy decision. It takes up nearly half my time. And for months, it wasn’t making any money.But fast forward to today, and the podcast is now profitable and central to my creator business.So I did something different this week.I recorded a solo episode breaking down everything I’ve learned:- How I built and monetized a niche podcast- The exact growth engine that powers the show today- Some killer AI workflows I’ve learned for your job search and PM job----Brought to you by:Miro: The innovation workspace is your team’s new canvasThe AI Evals Course for PMs & Engineers: You get $800 with this linkLinear: Plan and build products like the bestProduct Faculty: Get $500 off the AI PM certification with code AAKASH25----Timestamps:Part 1: How I Built and Monetized a Niche Podcast0:00 - Exponential Growth Finally Happening1:21 - How I Grew This Podcast4:31 - Learning From 80 Episodes8:46 - How Podcasts Make Money10:50 - My Dream Job: OpenAIPart 2: Breaking Into Product Management & Career Growth13:36 - Roadmap to Becoming a Product Manager14:05 - Why 2025 is Great For PMs21:22 - AI PM Skills Roadmap23:02 - Finding Your First Paying Customer26:12 - Zero to 250K Followers Strategy32:21 - LinkedIn $525K Salary Jump34:24 - High-Effort Content Strategy38:05 - Newsletter Success Stack RankPart 3: Getting PM Jobs & Career Advice40:51 - Presenting Soft Skills on Resume42:46 - Breaking Into US PM Jobs (International Students)46:08 - Is Product Management Right For Me?49:54 - Time Management & Prioritization Mistakes52:15 - MBA to PM Roadmap55:41 - Finding the Right Mentors57:56 - Sprint Prioritization Framework59:39 - Detecting Product Passion vs Money Focus1:01:41 - Platform & AI Product PRDs1:04:09 - Product Management Beliefs That Changed1:05:41 - Newsletter Revenue & Churn Management1:07:02 - Time Management & Focus Strategies1:09:07 - Common Misconceptions About Content Creators----Key Takeaways:01 — Podcast TurnaroundThis podcast is now passing 50K listeners per episode, 11K subscribers on YouTube, and has become central to my creator business. The exponential growth kicked in around episode 80 after consistent investment and improvement.02 — Quality Over EquipmentObsessing over microphones, cameras, and lighting hits diminishing returns fast. The real growth came from improving trailers, clip selection, and backing off endless equipment upgrades to focus on profit generation.03 — Creator Time InvestmentThe podcast now consumes 50% of my time but generates significant monthly profit. Success required treating it as a long-term experiment, reinvesting everything for 50+ episodes before expecting returns.04 — Content Platform StrategyStart with LinkedIn until 10K followers, then add YouTube, then Twitter at 100K, then Medium at 1M. Master one platform completely before spreading to the next for maximum growth efficiency.05 — AI Prototyping RevolutionProduct managers can now build functional prototypes in minutes. Using Gemini 2.5 Pro for PRDs and Bolt.new for development, I built Apple Podcasts video features from strategy to clickable prototype in under 10 minutes.06 — Resume AI MasteryGemini 2.5 Pro dominates resume customization, beating all other models. What used to take 15 minutes of manual customization now takes 80 seconds with better results using proper context and prompting techniques.07 — PM Job Security2025 is an excellent time to enter product management. 75% of PM work involves people coordination and stakeholder alignment that AI cannot replace, making it as secure as doctor/lawyer/engineer careers.08 — Career Switching StrategyUse your domain expertise as an edge — become a product analyst first, then transfer internally, or target companies building tools for your previous industry. Take the level down initially but leverage your customer knowledge.09 — PM Strategy FocusStop being the design-engineering glue person. Your core identity should be product strategy, business metrics, and stakeholder management. Empower teams to answer their own questions while you influence at higher levels.10 — Platform Product PRDsBuilding for developers requires two-step user stories — what developers need from your platform, and what end users need from their products. Include API calls, uptime metrics, and governance considerations in your requirements.----Check it out on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.----Related Podcasts:Growing to 125K+ on LinkedIn and Cracking B2B Content with Pierre HerubelHow to Win on TikTok and Medium with Professor Aaron Dinin, 100K+ on eachHow I Wrote 3 of My Biggest LinkedIn Posts----P.S. More than 85% of you aren't subscribed yet. If you can subscribe on YouTube, follow on Apple & Spotify, my commitment to you is that we'll continue making this content better.----If you want to advertise, email productgrowthppp at gmail. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe

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  1:10:25
• The Lean Product Playbook 10 Years Later: Product Management in the Age of AI

  Product management fundamentals are timeless. But the tools? Completely transformed.Every PM needs to master new workflows in 2025:AI Prototyping - From text to live prototype in minutesDesign Collaboration - Working with designers in the AI ageUser Research - Systematic validation that actually worksProblem Definition - The only bottleneck that mattersTeam Dynamics - Escaping the "Jira jockey" trapSo, in today's episode, I bring you the definitive guide to product management in the AI era:I’ve teamed up with Dan Olsen - author of The Lean Product Playbook and one of the most respected voices in product management for over 15 years.Dan has seen it all: from the early days at Intuit to consulting with hundreds of startups.He's been through the internet wave, mobile wave, and now the AI wave.----Brought to you by:WorkOS: Your app, enterprise readyJira Product Discovery: Plan with purpose, ship with confidenceThe AI Evals Course for PMs & Engineers: You get $800 with this linkProduct Faculty: Get $500 off the AI PM certification with code AAKASH25----Timestamps:Introduction - 0:00Lean Product Playbook Origins - 1:49AI's Real Impact on PMs - 3:44The Prototyping Revolution - 5:18Ads - 12:02Solution Space Risks - 14:18When Designers Become Bottlenecks - 22:49AI Tool Recommendations - 26:37Ads - 32:21Design Process Evolution - 34:07User Research Hierarchy - 42:32Testing Methods Explained - 44:34Running User Sessions - 53:05Avoiding Interview Mistakes - 1:01:15Systematic Feedback Capture - 1:03:23Escaping Jira Jockey Trap - 1:08:46Current BS Trends - 1:11:55Dan's Revenue Breakdown - 1:13:34Where to Find Dan - 1:18:33----Key Takeaways:1. AI hasn't changed the fundamentals. You still need to understand customers, identify problems, and prioritize opportunities. AI can't tell you about your customers or validate market needs for you.2. Prototyping is the biggest unlock. What used to take weeks (text → sketches → wireframes → Figma → code) now happens in minutes (text → live prototype). This is where AI truly transforms PM work.3. Start with Lovable/Bolt, graduate to Cursor. Lovable and Bolt are perfect for quick prototyping without code. Cursor gives you more control and learning opportunities for serious AI PMs willing to touch code.4. The design gap is closing. AI tools have moved every team up 1-2 levels in UX maturity. Teams without designers can now create professional prototypes, but still need humans for breakthrough innovation.5. Match research method to uncertainty. New product/market = in-person research. Existing product usability = remote unmoderated. The more uncertain you are, the more human interaction you need.6. Use the three-bucket system. Categorize all user feedback into: Feature Set, UX Design, and Messaging. Test in waves of 5-8 users, track percentages, fix issues, repeat.7. Good usability ≠ product-market fit. Always ask "How likely are you to use this?" at the end. Dan learned this the hard way - zero complaints doesn't mean people want your product.8. Protect discovery time. If your PM-to-dev ratio is above 1:8, you're probably a Jira jockey. Use Dan's 4 D's: Discover → Define → Design → Develop. Spend meaningful time in all four.9. Collaborate, don't replace designers. Be upfront: "This prototype is directional, not pixel-perfect." Use AI for quick validation, bring designers in for differentiated experiences and innovation.10. Stop sprinkling AI everywhere. AI is a solution looking for problems. Start with real customer pain points, then figure out if AI solves them better than existing approaches.----Check it out on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.----Where to Find Dan:BookWebsiteYouTubeLean Product Meetup----Related Podcasts:Tutorial of Top 5 AI Prototyping ToolsComplete Course: AI Product ManagementWe Built an AI Agent to Automate PM in 73 mins (ZERO CODING)We Built an AI Product Manager in 58 mins (Claude, ChatGPT, Loom + Notion AI)We Built an AI Employee in 62 mins (Cursor, ChatGPT, Gibson, Crew AI)----Up NextI hope you enjoyed the last episode with Tom Occhino (where we gave an in-depth v0 tutorial). Up next, we have episodes with:John Beckmann - Head of Events + Webinars, ZoomTanguy Crusson - Head of Product, Jira Product DiscoveryHamel Husain and Shreya Shankar - The 2 Experts in AI EvalsFinally, check out my latest deep dive if you haven’t yet: The Playbook to Land Your First PM Job.----If you want to advertise, email productgrowthppp at gmail. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe

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  1:19:37
• AI PM Crash Course: Prototyping → Observability → Evals + Prompt Engineering vs RAG vs Fine-Tuning

  Every PM has to build AI features these days. And with that means a completely new skill set:- AI prototyping- Observability, Akin to Telemetry- AI Evals: The New PRD for AI PMs- RAG v Fine-Tuning v Prompt Engineering- Working with AI EngineersSo, in today’s episode, I bring you a 2-hour crash course into becoming a better AI PM.I’ve teamed up with Aman Khan.When it comes to people creating AI PM content, Aman Khan is amongst the most insightful and informed. And that's because he's been an AI PM since 2019:- He worked at Cruise on self-driving cars. - He's worked with Spotify on their AI systems. - And now he works at Arize, one of the leading observability and evals companies.----Brought to you by:Miro: The innovation workspace is your team’s new canvasJira Product Discovery: Plan with purpose, ship with confidenceMaven: Get $100 off Aman’s course with my code ‘AAKASHxMAVEN’Amplitude: Test out the #1 product analytics and replay tool in the market----Timestamps:Can Anyone Become AIPM? - 0:005 AIPM Skills Overview - 5:52Skill 1: AI Prototyping - 6:31Ad: Miro - 13:35Ad: Atlassian - 14:50Building Trip Planner Agent - 15:27Ad: Maven - 29:46Ad: Amplitude - 30:40Skill 2: Observability - 50:34Skill 3: Evals - 1:10:10RAG vs Fine-Tuning vs Prompt Engineering - 1:29:54Bolt Teardown - 1:30:32Skill 5: Working With Engineers - 1:43:24Don't Make These Mistakes - 1:48:332 Hours Weekly Plan - 1:53:55AIPM Jobs Exist - 1:57:45Aman's Resources - 2:00:48Outro - 2:04:00----Key Takeaways:1. Cursor beats Bolt for serious AI PMs. While Bolt is great for quick mockups, Cursor gives you the control you need to build real agent systems and understand what's happening under the hood.2. Observability comes before evals. Just like regular products need telemetry for analytics, AI products need traces for evals. Point Cursor to documentation and it adds what you need.3. Vibe coding doesn't scale. Looking at outputs and deciding if they "feel good" works for prototypes, but not production. You need systematic evals to measure what "good" actually means.4. Most PMs fine-tune too early. Aman showed a prompt outperforming a fine-tuned model. Start with prompting (95% of results), add RAG for external data, only fine-tune for cost/speed.5. Your evals need evals. When your LLM judge marks outputs as "friendly" while your human labels say "robotic," that mismatch tells you exactly where to improve your system.6. Use text labels, not numbers. LLMs understand "friendly vs robotic" better than 1-5 scales. They're trained on language, not mathematics.7. AI engineers want data, not docs. Stop sending Google Docs with requirements. They want you labeling datasets and defining success through evals.8. Bolt is just a really good prompt. Aman tore down Bolt's architecture - it's system prompts + tool calling + code generation. The "magic" isn't magic.9. Side projects are your interview hack. When Aman asks "What are you building?" he can immediately gauge curiosity, initiative, and hands-on experience.10. Don't automate yourself too early. Use AI as a second brain for analysis, but don't try to automate your entire job. Learn to work with reasoning models to push your thinking.----Check it out on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.----Where to Find Aman:LinkedIn: Aman KhanX: Aman KhanSubstack: aiproductplaybook.comCompany: ArizeCourse: The AI PM Playbook----Related Podcasts:Tutorial of Top 5 AI Prototyping ToolsComplete Course: AI Product ManagementWe Built an AI Agent to Automate PM in 73 mins (ZERO CODING)We Built an AI Product Manager in 58 mins (Claude, ChatGPT, Loom + Notion AI)We Built an AI Employee in 62 mins (Cursor, ChatGPT, Gibson, Crew AI)----Up NextI hope you enjoyed the last episode with Tom Occhino (where we gave an in-depth v0 tutorial). Up next, we have episodes with:Dan Olsen - Author, Lean Product PlaybookJohn Beckmann - Head of Events + Webinars, ZoomTanguy Crusson - Head of Product, Jira Product DiscoveryFinally, check out my latest deep dive if you haven’t yet: The Playbook to Land Your First PM Job.----If you want to advertise, email productgrowthppp at gmail. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe

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  2:04:36
• Behind v0 (Top AI Prototyping Tool): Tutorial and Story from the CPO

  “My whole Product, design, and engineering team has v0 licenses.”That’s what Jeremy Epling, CPO at Vanta, said in a recent episode.So, I went straight to the source.I sat down with the CPO of Vercel to unpack why v0 is becoming the tool for modern product and engineering teams alongside vibe coders.We cover:- The future of AI prototyping for PMs and designers- How v0 builds product- A full tutorial of v0Whether you’re a PM trying to stay ahead, a founder rethinking velocity, or a builder curious about what’s next, this episode is for you.Brought to you by:WorkOS: Your App, Enterprise ReadyJira Product Discovery: Build what matters to business and usersThe AI Evals Course for PMs & Engineers: You get $800 with this link.Product Faculty: Get $500 off the AI PM certification with code AAKASH25Timestamps:Preview – 00:00:00 The Agenda – 00:01:07 Live Demo 1: Cloning LinkedIn Newsfeed – 00:03:01 Live Demo 2: Personalized Apollo Homepage (Based on User Behavior) – 00:04:50 Ad 1: WorkOS – 00:09:50 Ad 2: Jira Product Discovery – 00:11:O2 LinkedIn Demo Continued – 00:11:58 Live Demo 3: Grok-Powered Post Composer – 00:14:04 What He’s Building with v0 – 00:15:34 The Feature Factory Problem – 00:24:16 Team Size Behind v0 – 00:27:25 Ad 3: AI Evals Course by Hamel & Shreya – 00:29:39 Ad 4: AI PM Course by Product Faculty – 00:30:39 Team Size Behind Vercel – 00:31:26 Competing with Bolt, Lovable, Replit & Others – 00:34:18 His Reflections on Creating React – 00:35:39 Demo Updates and What’s Changed – 00:37:57 How Vercel Builds Products – 00:43:45 How v0 Team Uses v0 Internally – 00:48:37 How PMs Should Think About Prototyping – 00:50:26 From Integration Idea to Shipped Feature: Thought Process – 00:53:04 Buying v0 Licenses for the PM Team – 00:57:37 His Journey: From Engineer to CPO – 00:59:32 How He Landed the CPO Role at Vercel – 01:03:56 The Future of AI for PMs – 01:11:19 Closing Thoughts – 01:14:37Key Takeaways1. The prototype is the new PRD. You don’t need a 5-page document to explain an idea anymore. A working prototype - even if imperfect - communicates 10x more. And with tools like v0, you can build one in minutes.2. Building speed doesn’t eliminate the need for strategy, it amplifies it. When anyone can ship, the most important job becomes deciding what’s worth building. Product discernment is more valuable than ever.3. v0 isn’t just for engineers. Designers, PMs, and even salespeople are now building working apps without touching code. The line between "builder" and "non-builder" is disappearing.4. Internal use cases drive innovation. The most successful v0 features didn’t come from competitive analysis, they came from real internal needs. If it solves your own team’s pain, it’ll likely solve others’.5. Prototyping is now a cross-functional superpower. PMs can validate hypotheses instantly. Designers can test flows without waiting on devs. Sales can create tools for prospects on the fly. Every role levels up when they can build.6. Fast iteration doesn't mean reckless shipping. The team behind v0 deliberately avoids becoming a “feature factory.” Speed is a tool, not a reason to skip prioritization or problem framing.7. Your first user is you. This is the core ethos behind v0. If your own team doesn’t use the thing you’re building, something’s wrong. Internal conviction leads to better external adoption.8. AI won’t be a separate feature, it’ll be the fabric. In the near future, no one will ask “What’s your AI roadmap?” It’ll just be how products get built, used, and improved - quietly running underneath everything.9. Small teams can ship big things. The v0 team is under 14 people, yet they’ve built a tool that’s enabling thousands to build faster. Size is no longer a limiting factor — clarity and leverage are.10. The future of product roles is hybrid. Expect to see more design-engineers, PM-builders, and AI-augmented contributors. Tools like v0 are collapsing boundaries — and giving everyone a chance to ship.Check it out on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.Where to Find TomLinkedIn: TomWebsite: www.tomocchino.comCompany: vercelv0: v0.devRelated Podcasts:Tutorial of Top 5 AI Prototyping ToolsComplete Course: AI Product ManagementWe Built an AI Agent to Automate PM in 73 mins (ZERO CODING)We Built an AI Product Manager in 58 mins (Claude, ChatGPT, Loom + Notion AI)We Built an AI Employee in 62 mins (Cursor, ChatGPT, Gibson, Crew AI)Up NextI hope you enjoyed the last episode with Brett (where we discussed how he built a $2M/y one person productized agency and how you can too). Up next, we have episodes with:Aman Khan - AI PM @ Arize AI, Spotify, CruiseJohn Beckmann - Head of Meetings Product, ZoomTanguy Crusson - Head of Product, Jira Product DiscoveryFinally, check out my latest deep dive if you haven’t yet: AI Evals: Everything You Need to Know to Start.If you want to advertise, email productgrowthppp at gmail. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe

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  1:15:15
• He Runs a $2M/Yr One-Person Business - Here's How You Can Too

  Brett Williams (better known as Brett from DJ on X) built a design business over a weekend, scaled it to $80K/month… and still didn’t quit his job.Now he has, and he runs a $2M/year one-person business.In today's episode, he helps you steal his playbook:Brought to you by:Amplitude: The market-leader in product analyticsJira Product Discovery: Build What Matters To Business And UsersThe AI Evals Course for PMs and Engineers: Use code “ag-product-growth” to get $800 off.Timestamps:Preview - 00:00:00How Brett Started a Business with Full-Time Job - 00:02:41Why Brett's Approach is Different - 00:07:59Concept Behind Packaging - 00:09:47Ad - 00:12:31Ad - 00:13:10Strategies to Reach Success - 00:14:33Common Requirements of Clients - 00:17:25How Long is Brett's Turnaround - 00:21:04Focus on Distribution Platfrom - 00:24:43Brett's Life on Twitter - 00:28:29Design in Figma -- Tutorial - 00:32:41Ad - 00:35:31Importance of Using AI Skills Right - 00:36:12Handling Thumbnails - 00:55:09Ending Notes - 01:08:23Key Takeaways1. One guy. One Trello board. $2 million a year. DesignJoy is what happens when you stop overcomplicating and start executing. No team. No agency overhead. No client onboarding flow. Brett built a $2M/year design business with just a landing page, a Trello board, and relentless output. People pay for clarity and DesignJoy offers just that.2. He was making $80K/month… and still didn’t quit his job. Most founders quit when the side hustle hits $10K. He waited until $80K/month, then still applied to 60 jobs. Why? Because deep down, he wasn’t sure it would last. That’s the quiet truth for many solo builders: it’s not just about making money, it’s about believing you deserve it.3. His offer is stupidly simple and that’s what makes it genius. One flat price. One request at a time. One-man turnaround in ~48 business hours. That’s it. Clients don’t need to scope projects, negotiate timelines, or wonder what they’ll get. It’s design like Netflix: press play, get results. As they say, simplicity scales better than process.4. DesignJoy was built in 48 hours and validated in real-time. No growth strategy. No “perfect launch.” Just a clean offer built in a weekend, launched Saturday, clients by Sunday. And then? He kept going not by making it absolutely complex, but by refining the exact same system for years.5. He designs faster than most teams can Slack about it. He doesn’t wireframe, brainstorm, or explore 12 directions. He one-shots full high-fidelity designs in Figma using instinct, experience, and a deep mental library of design patterns. No templates. Just speed, conviction, and clarity - honed from years of obsessively consuming great design. In essence, real mastery as Robert Greene has proclaimed for years!6. He doesn’t chase perfection, he chases velocity. His goal isn’t to win design awards. It’s to get you 90% of the way there, fast. And if the first version isn’t right, he doesn’t defend it, he just ships another one. That’s why clients love him. That can be another reason why he’s making more than like 99.99% of the designers!7. His distribution channel is only X (Twitter) and here how he nails it. He treats X (Twitter) as oxygen. He’s not there to share random thoughts he’s there to build distribution. Whether it’s revenue milestones or AI-powered design tutorials, everything he posts is battle-tested for reach. And right now, nothing is outperforming high-value, visual tutorials. So, if your work involves AI somehow, make sure you’re dropping banger visuals. Overall, if I conclude his content strategy, it would be this: highly valuable content, jumping on trends, controversial/hot takes, etc.8. He doesn’t trust Figma anymore. Ask him what Figma has become, and he won’t hold back: “They’re building for developers, not designers.” He’s watched the updates shift toward dev mode and tokens while UI/visual designers get left behind. 9. But why he doesn’t do any meetings with clients? He built his business around the idea that great work is communication. His clients don’t want another Zoom call, they want a landing page by Friday. That’s why he wins. Every deliverable speaks louder than status updates.10. Here’s how you can build a one person agency around your expertise:→ Productize your strongest skill.→ Limit what you offer to what you’re best and fastest at.→ Pick one platform and post with consistency and clarity.→ Work solo if you can but systematize everything.Sounds too simple but truly that’s only the sauce.Check it out on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.Where to Find BrettTwitter: BrettCompany: DesignjoyCourse: Productize YourselfRelated Podcast:How this Ex-Amazon VP makes $950k/yr post retirementUp NextI hope you enjoyed the last episode with Harish Mukhami (where we built AI Customer Success Agent). Up next, we have episodes with:Thomas Occhino - CPO, VercelAman Khan - AI PM @ Arize AI, Spotify, CruiseNan Yu - Head of Product, LinearFinally, check out my latest deep dive if you haven’t yet: Career-Launching Companies: These are the Companies You Should Work ForIf you want to advertise, email productgrowthppp at gmail. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.news.aakashg.com/subscribe

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  1:08:50

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