Product Thinking

Melissa Perri

Successful product management isn’t just about training the product managers who work side by side with developers everyday to build better products. It’s about taking a step back, approaching the systems within organizations as a whole, and leveling up product leadership to improve these systems. This is the Product Thinking Podcast, where Melissa Perri will connect with industry leading experts in the product management space, AND answer your most pressing questions about everything product. Join us each week to level up your skillset and invest in yourself as a product leader. read less

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Episode 205: Revolutionizing Workforce Agility Through AI with Karthik Suri

Episode 205: Revolutionizing Workforce Agility Through AI with Karthik Suri

Join Melissa Perri in this insightful episode of the Product Thinking Podcast as she chats with Karthik Suri, Chief Product Officer at Cornerstone OnDemand. Recognized for his expertise in leveraging AI for workforce development, Karthik shares innovative strategies on bridging skill gaps and creating personalized career pathways through generative AI and data intelligence. They explore the transformative potential of AI in talent development, emphasizing the need for a blend of technical and human-centric skills to thrive in today’s dynamic work environment. Discover how AI is reshaping talent management and why human skills are increasingly in demand, surpassing digital skills threefold. Karthik highlights the significance of adaptable enterprise software that aligns with the evolving needs of workforces. Curious about how to prepare your organization for the future with AI-driven insights? Tune in to explore the intersection of AI, skills development, and workforce readiness. You’ll hear us talk about: 23:52 - Harnessing AI for Skill Detection and Career Growth Karthik explains how generative AI can assess skills through various data sources, creating holistic profiles for employees. This approach helps organizations identify and develop the necessary skills for career progression. 29:09 - Building a Unified Product Strategy Karthik shares insights on the importance of a unified user experience and a platform mindset for product strategy. He discusses how integrating design systems and data structures across products enhances customer outcomes. 42:57 - Ethical AI in Performance and Skills Evaluation The conversation delves into the ethical considerations of using AI for performance reviews, highlighting the importance of accountability, explainability, and bias mitigation. Episode Resources: Karthik Suri on LinkedIn Cornerston OnDemand

Episodes

Episode 205: Revolutionizing Workforce Agility Through AI with Karthik Suri

Episode 205: Revolutionizing Workforce Agility Through AI with Karthik Suri

Join Melissa Perri in this insightful episode of the Product Thinking Podcast as she chats with Karthik Suri, Chief Product Officer at Cornerstone OnDemand. Recognized for his expertise in leveraging AI for workforce development, Karthik shares innovative strategies on bridging skill gaps and creating personalized career pathways through generative AI and data intelligence. They explore the transformative potential of AI in talent development, emphasizing the need for a blend of technical and human-centric skills to thrive in today’s dynamic work environment. Discover how AI is reshaping talent management and why human skills are increasingly in demand, surpassing digital skills threefold. Karthik highlights the significance of adaptable enterprise software that aligns with the evolving needs of workforces. Curious about how to prepare your organization for the future with AI-driven insights? Tune in to explore the intersection of AI, skills development, and workforce readiness. You’ll hear us talk about: 23:52 - Harnessing AI for Skill Detection and Career Growth Karthik explains how generative AI can assess skills through various data sources, creating holistic profiles for employees. This approach helps organizations identify and develop the necessary skills for career progression. 29:09 - Building a Unified Product Strategy Karthik shares insights on the importance of a unified user experience and a platform mindset for product strategy. He discusses how integrating design systems and data structures across products enhances customer outcomes. 42:57 - Ethical AI in Performance and Skills Evaluation The conversation delves into the ethical considerations of using AI for performance reviews, highlighting the importance of accountability, explainability, and bias mitigation. Episode Resources: Karthik Suri on LinkedIn Cornerston OnDemand

Episode 204: Building Women's Health Products: From Validation to Scale with Inessa Lurye

Episode 204: Building Women's Health Products: From Validation to Scale with Inessa Lurye

Inessa Lurye, former Senior Director of Product and Head of Women's Health at Hinge Health, joins Melissa Perri to discuss the intricacies of launching zero-to-one products within established organizations. Drawing from her experience in developing Hinge Health's comprehensive women's pelvic health program, Inessa shares valuable insights on building business cases, validating products through experimentation, and scaling healthcare innovations responsibly. Her unique perspective spans from government service to leading product development at a $6 billion digital health company.

Episode 203: Christmas Special Greatest Hits 2024: Mastering Product Leadership Through Research, Goals, and Growth

Episode 203: Christmas Special Greatest Hits 2024: Mastering Product Leadership Through Research, Goals, and Growth

In this special holiday episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri curates the most impactful insights from 2024's top episodes. Featuring conversations with industry leaders including Steve Portigal on user research evolution, Quincy Hunte on decision-making at scale, Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden on OKRs, Kate Leto on leadership coaching, and Leah Tharin on product-led growth. This compilation episode showcases key learnings that shaped product thinking throughout the year, offering valuable perspectives on research, leadership, goal-setting, and growth strategies.

Episode 202: Transforming Product Teams into Investment Partners with Fabrice des Mazery

Episode 202: Transforming Product Teams into Investment Partners with Fabrice des Mazery

Fabrice des Mazery, Chief Product Officer at productROI joins Melissa Perri on this episode of the Product Thinking podcast, discussing shifting product managers' mindsets from builders to investors. Drawing from his extensive experience, including leading product at TripAdvisor's TheFork, Fabrice shares insights on evaluating product decisions through an investment lens, building stakeholder relationships, and creating a balanced product portfolio. He emphasizes the importance of understanding business metrics, ROI, and risk assessment in product management, while offering practical advice on how to communicate with stakeholders, using their language rather than product jargon.

Episode 201: Enhancing Product Operations in Enterprise Software with Mark Rosenberg and Vivian Phinney

Episode 201: Enhancing Product Operations in Enterprise Software with Mark Rosenberg and Vivian Phinney

Mark Rosenberg and Vivian Phinney from Workday join Melissa Perri on this episode of the Product Thinking podcast to dive into product operations. Mark, an experienced leader at Workday, shares his journey in implementing modern product operations within a large-scale organization to meet the financial product needs of over 2,000 customers. Vivian expands on how they accomplish it and her mission to reduce the cognitive load on product teams through selective standardization and streamlined data solutions—ensuring PMs can prioritize effectively and communicate clearly with leadership. Tune in to learn how Mark and Vivian tackle the challenges of growth and complexity in enterprise product development.

Episode 200: Building a Minimal Lovable Product with Tomer London

Episode 200: Building a Minimal Lovable Product with Tomer London

Gusto's Tomer London joins Melissa Perri in this episode of the Product Thinking podcast. As the co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Tomer shares his insights on building a lovable product experience in the fast-paced world of payroll and HR solutions. He discusses how Gusto stays committed to exceptional user experience amidst a growing and complex product portfolio. Tomer delves into the three key pillars of creating great user experiences – functionality, intuitiveness, and delight – and shares an engaging example of how celebrating payday can enhance emotional connections with customers. Tune in to learn how a focus on user-centric design and strategic thinking can drive meaningful innovation in product management.

Episode 199: The True Cost of AI: Beyond the Hype and Into Reality with Jessica Hall

Episode 199: The True Cost of AI: Beyond the Hype and Into Reality with Jessica Hall

Just Eat Takeaway’s Jessica Hall joins Melissa Perri in this episode of the Product Thinking podcast. Chief Product Officer at the food delivery giant, Jessica links up with Melissa to discuss the intricacies of managing a diverse product portfolio across global markets, sharing insights from her journey in navigating the challenges of integrating multiple brands, post-merger and establishing a unified customer experience. She’s not all positive about AI adoption though, and is honest about both the potential and the pitfalls, including the often-overlooked costs and the importance of building a sustainable ecosystem around new technologies. Tune in to discover how strategic thinking and a customer-first approach can lead to innovative, responsible AI implementations that truly resonate with users.

Episode 198: The Cupcake Approach: Validating Product Concepts with PJ Linarducci

Episode 198: The Cupcake Approach: Validating Product Concepts with PJ Linarducci

This time on the Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri is joined by P.J. Linarducci, Chief Product Officer at Thumbtack, to explore the complexities of product leadership in both large and small-scale organizations. P.J. shares insights from his journey, starting with his formative years at Meta and his transition to Thumbtack, where he embraced the role of leading the entire product organization. He delves into the significant mindset shift from being one of many leaders at a large company, to owning full responsibility at a smaller, more agile company. P.J. also highlights the challenges of evolving Thumbtack from a marketplace model to a holistic home management platform, requiring new approaches to both product strategy and company culture. Tune in to learn how product managers can influence without authority.

Episode 197: Aligning Product Development with Business Objectives in Healthcare with BJ Boyle

Episode 197: Aligning Product Development with Business Objectives in Healthcare with BJ Boyle

This time on the Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri is joined by BJ Boyle, Chief Product Officer at PointClickCare, to discuss the critical intersection of healthcare technology and product management. With over two decades of experience in the health tech space, BJ shares insights from his journey, including lessons learned during his transition to the C-suite. He delves into the unique challenges of managing product strategy in a rapidly evolving industry, emphasizing the importance of aligning product development with market needs and regulatory changes. He also makes clear the importance of balancing domain expertise with product management acumen and engineering understanding, and the value of cross-functional collaboration in building effective product teams. Tune in to explore how PointClickCare is innovating within the healthcare sector.

Episode 196: The Affirm Card: Transforming Payment Flexibility with Vishal Kapoor

Episode 196: The Affirm Card: Transforming Payment Flexibility with Vishal Kapoor

In this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, Vishal Kapoor, Senior Vice President of Product at Affirm, joins Melissa Perri to dive into the intricacies of building and scaling products in the fintech space. Vishal shares his journey through 15+ years of product management. The episode offers deep insight into not just what Affirm is up to, but into the very bones of the culture that drives their product development. For instance, Vishal lets us in on how the company balances customer-centric innovation with the complex regulations of the financial sector. Tune in to learn how Affirm is shaping the future of fintech and get practical advice for building adaptable product strategies in complex industries.

Episode 195: Sparking Joy in the Workplace with Robin Daniels

Episode 195: Sparking Joy in the Workplace with Robin Daniels

Robin Daniels is on the Product Thinking Podcast to discuss how it’s possible to transform working cultures through the careful construction of a supportive community atmosphere. Robin, Chief Business and Product Officer at Zensai, explains to Melissa Perri how his remarkable journey through product management and marketing across leading tech companies like Salesforce and LinkedIn has led him to where he is today. The pair ponder the question of what sparks joy in a corporate setting, and they discuss how a weekly check-in system that promotes self-reflection among employees is a far more functional system than the outmoded annual performance review method of performance management. Tune in to discover Robin’s insights on driving growth through product-led strategies and the evolving landscape of product management.

Episode 194: From Product Leader to CEO with Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor

Episode 194: From Product Leader to CEO with Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor

Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Artico Search, Inc. and a top recruiter specializing in leadership roles for scale-up companies, returns to chat with Melissa Perri on this episode of Product Thinking. Together, they discuss the evolving CEO landscape, particularly the increasing importance of collaboration across functions in lean organizations and the growing demand for leaders focused on profitability and sustainability. Mercedes shares insights into the typical paths to becoming a CEO, including from product leadership roles, and the skills needed to transition successfully. What is the path to CEO from CPO? Tune in to find out.

Episode 193: Navigating Hyper-Growth with Sean Solme Kim, Former Head of Product at TikTok and Amazon Prime

Episode 193: Navigating Hyper-Growth with Sean Solme Kim, Former Head of Product at TikTok and Amazon Prime

In this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri speaks with Sean Solme Kim, former head of product at TikTok and previously at Amazon Prime. They discuss key insights from his time at both companies, including how Amazon's metrics-driven approach influenced his work at TikTok and the development of the Stitch feature. Sean shares his perspective on empowering product teams, fostering ownership among product managers, and navigating the challenges of hypergrowth environments like TikTok. They also explore the importance of creating frictionless user experiences and scaling product features to drive engagement and retention.

Episode 192: Brian Fugere’s Blueprint for Merging Teams and Technologies

Episode 192: Brian Fugere’s Blueprint for Merging Teams and Technologies

Host Melissa Perri enjoys a far-reaching conversation with Brian Fugere in this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast. Brian is the Chief Product Officer at Symplr, with extensive experience in transforming businesses through AI-powered automation and robotics. They discuss the impact of AI and automation on supply chain innovation, the balance between operational efficiency and creativity in product leadership, and how to scale product teams effectively. Brian also shares insights into aligning teams with business outcomes, fostering innovation while managing risk, and navigating the challenges of working with cutting-edge technology.

Episode 191: The Evolution of Customer Experience: Insights from Blake Morgan

Episode 191: The Evolution of Customer Experience: Insights from Blake Morgan

Host Melissa Perri sits down with Blake Morgan, in this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast. Blake is a seasoned expert in customer experience, best-selling author, and someone with a career spanning major companies like Coca-Cola and AT&T. They discuss the evolution of customer experience, the key principles of customer-focused leadership, and how to effectively measure success beyond mere metrics. She also shares insights on avoiding common pitfalls, the power of storytelling in advocating for customer-centric practices, and best practices for gathering valuable customer feedback.

Episode 190: Mastering Product Focus: Balancing Legacy and Innovation with Shruti Patel

Episode 190: Mastering Product Focus: Balancing Legacy and Innovation with Shruti Patel

In this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, host Melissa Perri welcomes Shruti Patel, Executive Vice President and CPO Business Banking at U.S. Bank, to share her expertise on navigating the complexities of product development within large financial institutions. Shruti delves into the intricacies of balancing innovation with legacy systems, the importance of focusing on high-impact products, and strategies for aligning teams around customer-centric goals.

Episode 189: Prioritizing Platform Products with Vijay Pitchumani of Okta

Episode 189: Prioritizing Platform Products with Vijay Pitchumani of Okta

Vijay Pitchumani is the esteemed guest of Melissa Perri on this episode of the Product Thinking podcast. Tune in to hear Vijay, a renowned expert in product strategy and Director of Product at Okta, share his insights on the essential role of product managers in platform teams and the unique challenges they face. The discussion covers the importance of defining success metrics, experimenting with API-first approaches, and balancing short-term experiments with long-term goals. Vijay also highlights strategies for innovating within platform teams and managing PM rotations to foster diverse experiences and drive impactful outcomes. Listen now to explore how platform PMs can effectively navigate the complexities of scaling and evolving their products.

Episode 188: How AI is Redefining Enterprise Productivity with Tamar Yehoshua of Glean

Episode 188: How AI is Redefining Enterprise Productivity with Tamar Yehoshua of Glean

In this episode of the Product Thinking podcast, Melissa Perri sits down with Tamar Yehoshua, President of Product and Technology at Glean, to explore the transformative role of AI in modern enterprise search and productivity. Tamar shares her journey from leading product teams at Google to driving innovation at Glean, discussing how AI and retrieval-augmented generation are reshaping how organizations access and utilize information. She dives into the challenges of scaling AI-driven products in a fast-paced startup environment and the strategies her team employs to maximize impact and drive user adoption.

Episode 187: From Paper Stocks to Private Capital: Vrushali Paunikar's Journey at Carta

Episode 187: From Paper Stocks to Private Capital: Vrushali Paunikar's Journey at Carta

Melissa Perri welcomed Vrushali Paunikar, Chief Product Officer of Carta, to this episode of the Product Thinking podcast. In this engaging conversation, Vrushali delves into the dynamic world of product management and innovation, sharing insights on how to balance subject matter expertise with fresh perspectives. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of building a custom general ledger from scratch and how her team's approach to innovation and validation has led to significant business growth.

Episode 186: Optimizing Enterprise Product Development Processes with Christopher Li

Episode 186: Optimizing Enterprise Product Development Processes with Christopher Li

Melissa Perri sat down with Christopher Li, SVP of Product at Xactly on this episode of the Product Thinking podcast. In this enthralling episode, Christopher shares his journey from engineering to product management and the challenges his company faced in adopting the Scaled Agile Framework. Christopher has spent the past 15 years in product management, working through different functions and eventually becoming the SVP of Product at Xactly, an enterprise software provider.