Products That Count Podcast

This is episode five in our podcast series hosted by the 2023 Awards Advisory Board. In this episode, Vertafore VP of Product Development Nand Shivkumar sits down with Boomi Product Leader Ramkumar Menon. Their conversation included Ramkumar’s journey from a computer science degree in India to product management in America. They also talked about what makes a great product. And Ramkumar explained what it takes to be thriving in the new B2B world.

Product managers and leaders across the globe are facing layoffs. Product teams are looking for ways to increase efficiency while doing more with less. So, what does it take to be successful as a PM today? Asset Panda VP of Product Management and Design Ram Shamanna shares insights on key traits needed to be successful as a product manager.

What does digital health have in common with Spotify? More than you might think. This is episode four in our podcast series hosted by the 2023 Awards Advisory Board. In this episode, TimelyMD SVP of Product Zachary Fleming speaks with Transcarent Head of Product Vikas Sabnani. They discuss the evolution of the music industry and how that relates to digital health. Then Vikas shares his four markers of what makes a great product. Overall, the theme is about creating an integrated digital health experience for every user.

Product management is an extremely lucrative and engaging career path for creative minds who want to help improve the lives of their customers. And it is in the top 10 on Glassdoor's list of America's 50 best jobs (2022). So, how do you develop and advance your career in product? Bill.com Chief Product Officer Irana Wasti shares key insights on best practices for developing a career in product.

How do you scale with software and services? Turns out, that is a tricky question. Here is episode three in our podcast series hosted by the 2023 Awards Advisory Board. In this episode, Fidelity Investments VP of Product Management Alex Westner interviews two product leaders from Forecastr. The two guests are Forecastr's Head of Product Zack Pennington and Fractional CFO Evan Diaz de Arce. They discuss their financial modeling software and the accompanying services. If you’re a PM thinking about scaling software and services, listen up!

Do you get excited about regulations? This is the second episode in our podcast series hosted by the 2023 Awards Advisory Board. Here, ZEFR Senior PM Bharat Manglani leads the conversation. He sits down with Google Play Product & Business Consultant Tammy Taw. Their conversation is all about AdTech. (Be sure to check out our Adtech infographic.) They talk quite a bit about regulations, including why they can be (surprisingly enough) exciting. They also discuss opportunities in AdTech, for example in the free-to-play gaming space.

Product management has evolved and grown in almost every industry, including Fintech. With Fintech comes great responsibility. Building customer trust, and ensuring cybersecurity and data safety are at the core of product management in this space. So, what practices and strategies are needed to be a PM in the Fintech world? Extend Chief Product Officer Orna Albus shares insights on core strategies and practices for product management in the Fintech space.

In this Age of Product, people are seeing the potential in starting their own businesses. But starting a business from the ground up can be extremely challenging. These trailblazers need people to help them make the money move faster, and also to make the checking experience powerful and specific to their needs. So, how do entrepreneurs access powerful banking experiences that fuel their businesses? Novo Group Product Leader Akash Desai shares insights on how to gain a business edge with powerful and simple business banking.

“Where can I find bacon on a stick?” From such simple origins, Satisfi Labs built an AI product to answer the questions event-goers really want to know… Here is the first episode in our podcast series hosted by the 2023 Awards Advisory Board. Here, Fmr Groupon Head of Product Kristopher Drey leads the conversation. His guest is Satisfi Labs CEO & Co-Founder Don White. They talk about Satisfi Labs’ quest to build a conversational AI tech platform on the theory that it should answer everything. Including where to find bacon on a stick.

This is the fifth episode in our series presenting the Awards Advisory Board (AAB) for the 2023 Product Awards. In this episode, seasoned product leader Neha Shah speaks with two product leaders. First up is Pulse PEMF Director of Product Ryan House. And second is TimelyMD Head of Product Zac Fleming. The subject of the conversation is Life Sciences.

This is the fourth episode in our series presenting the Awards Advisory Board (AAB) for the 2023 Product Awards. In this episode, seasoned product leader Neha Shah speaks with three product leaders. First, is Xander CEO Alex Westner. Second is A10 Networks VP of Product Line Management Ganesh Rajan. And third is Vertafore VP of Product Development Nand Shivkumar. The subject of the conversation is B2B Tech.

This is episode three in our series presenting the Awards Advisory Board (AAB) for the 2023 Product Awards. In this episode, seasoned product leader Neha Shah speaks with two product leaders. First, Fmr Groupon Head of Product Kris Drey talks about the PropTech industry. Next, TrueML VP of Product Michael Krafft leads us on a deep dive into FinTech. So sit back and listen to these “product leaders to watch” as they explain two key product industries.

Does your team have its eye on the prize? Or is it constantly chasing the shiny new object? Here, Symantec Product Lead Michael Dubinsky explains why it is important not to do that. As he tells PayPal Product Lead Dimitry Shvartsman, it is vital that teams are not chasing the shiny new object. Rather, you should know your agenda, and what you are focusing on. Stick to that, and watch the new business roll in.

This is the 20th episode in the CPO Rising Series, featuring Teladoc CPO Donna Boyer. Donna speaks with Products That Count CPO Renée Niemi on leading change in telehealth. A key theme is looking forward to the next horizon, rather than wallowing in what has come before.

This is the second episode in our series presenting the Awards Advisory Board (AAB) for the 2023 Product Awards. Here, seasoned product leader Neha Shah speaks with three product leaders. First, Macy’s Product Lead Alisher Rakhimov discusses trends in telecom. Next, ZEFR Product Lead Bharat Manglani shares insights on the AdTech industry. And finally, Universal Electronics Product Lead Nikki Ahmadi talks about the Internet of Things (IoT). Altogether it is a good introduction to telecom, AdTech, and IoT.

Here is episode 19 of the CPO Rising Series, featuring Ford CPO Hau Thai-Tang. Hau speaks with Products That Count CPO Renée Niemi on the big transitions at Ford. A key theme is how Ford decided to stop hedging their bets and go all in on electric vehicles, or EVs.

This is the first episode in our series presenting the Awards Advisory Board (AAB) for the 2023 Product Awards. Here, Fmr ALTR Product Lead Neha Shah speaks with two of the AAB members about the B2B tech product vertical. First up is Oscar Health Product Lead Aditya Subramaniam. And second is Intuit/Quickbooks Product Lead Rosa Gonzalez Welton.

This is the final episode in the 2022 Product Awards series. Here, Ubiety Technologies CPO Nacho Andrade speaks with Kura Technologies Founding CEO Kelly Peng. They quickly got into the topic of digital transformation. This has resulted in a hugely diverse VR market, with clients in automotive, medical, and smart homes. They also discussed why Kelly believes the enterprise companies are the early adopters who will pave the way for consumers. And of course, Kelly shares what she believes makes a great product manager.

Data analysis is one of the most important aspects of product management. It is how we get to know our customers and our product. In order to be successful product leaders, we need to dive deep into data and turn it into actionable insights. So, how can data analysis help propel your product forward? This week, Product Talk host and Product Leader, Neha Shah, interviews MongoDB Product Lead Rachelle Palmer who shares insights on a data-driven approach to product management.

What is the hardest part of being a product leader? Here is episode 18 of the CPO Rising Series, featuring ChargePoint CPO Bill Loewenthal. Bill sits down with Products That Count CPO Renée Niemi to talk about the hardest part of being a product leader. A main thread in the conversation is that building great products includes building the systems around the product. All of that needs to work. In order to architect those systems, a product leader needs good prioritization systems in place. And that is a great clue to answer the question at the top of this blog.