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Product manager, entrepreneur, and author Ali Rakhimov joins Laurier Mandin to talk about how better communication can make even the most ambitious products take flight. From building payment kiosks for K–12 schools to leading multimillion-dollar initiatives at Macy’s, Ali shares how simplicity, idioms, and “stupid” questions can cut through complexity and bring teams together.  This conversation dives into how to keep innovation alive, avoid “boiling the ocean,” and use AI as a force for clarity, not chaos. Episode Highlights: 00:02:00 — From the classroom to product leadership: How Ali’s early years in K–12 shaped his management style.00:04:40 — Building, failing, and pivoting: The scrappy road trip that led to a startup exit.00:06:30 — The power of idioms: Why metaphors like “Elephant in the Room” and “Boil the Ocean” make teams communicate better.00:09:00 — Asking the “stupid” question: Turning imposter syndrome into clarity.00:12:10 — Focus vs. shiny-penny syndrome: How to simplify and ship without killing ambition.00:16:00 — AI hype and reality: What teams get wrong—and how culture determines success.00:21:00 — Learning curve to lifelong learning: From calculators to ChatGPT, adapting to new tools.00:27:40 — Making pigs fly: How Ali proved the impossible possible in K–12 fintech.Links:Find out more about Ali Rakhimov and buy "When Pigs Fly": Ali.inkSubscribe to Laurier Mandin's daily emails and buy "I Need That": LMandin.comLearn about Graphos Product, read the blog and get all podcasts with transcripts: GraphosProduct.com

Why do some buyers eagerly drop thousands on a luxury item, then balk at paying a fraction of that for something useful and well-made? In this solo episode of Product: Knowledge, Laurier Mandin unpacks the Premium Buyer Paradox and explores the psychology behind premium pricing. From Dyson’s visible engineering, to Bang & Olufsen’s design-driven luxury, to Montblanc’s identity-making pens, you’ll hear how different brands justify their price tags and change buyer behavior. Laurier also shares practical tips on how product makers can earn the right to charge more—through quality, service, consistency, and customer delight. If you want to know what really makes buyers say yes to premium pricing, this episode is for you. Episode Highlights [00:00:25] The Premium Buyer Paradox — why someone will drop $100K on a Range Rover but complain your $50 service is “too expensive.” [00:01:59] Premium pricing isn’t decided, it’s earned. Louis Vuitton’s $1,500 handbags are backed by 171 years of brand-building, not just fonts and packaging. [00:02:55] The buyer’s price ceiling = desirability ÷ resources (money, time, effort, risk). Context changes everything. [00:03:57] The iPhone Affordability Index: 3 days of work in Luxembourg vs. 160 days in India for the same phone. [00:05:13] Dyson turned vacuums into engineering theater—visible performance made a $600 splurge at Costco irresistible, even to value shoppers. [00:06:34] Bang & Olufsen reframed speakers and TVs as design furniture, creating a luxury moat value shoppers won’t cross. [00:07:12] Montblanc pens transformed from writing tools to prestige markers—identity, not function, is what buyers pay for. [00:08:26] How to earn premium pricing: start with quality construction, offer an amazing warranty, deliver above-and-beyond service, nail packaging, and stay flawless in every detail. [00:09:22] Delight every customer and disappoint no one. That’s the only path to lasting premium status.

Building great products is only half the battle—the other half is building them with marketing success baked in from Day One. Too many product teams operate in isolation, creating features customers don't understand or positioning that marketing can't sell. Heather Inocencio has cracked the code on building product teams that inherently understand marketing needs. With over 30 years of product experience, she's transformed organizations at companies like The RealReal (driving revenues from $100M to $400M leading to a $1.6B IPO) and Haute Look (scaling to 4M members and a $270M Nordstrom acquisition). Now founder of The Product Consult, she helps brands bridge the critical gap between product development and market success through embedded, hands-on product management that levels up entire organizations. Episode Highlights: Heather's journey from MCI Telecommunications to fractional CPO work (01:52)Why product management was misunderstood in the early 90s and the "German to French" translation role (02:30)The shift from enterprise to high-growth startups and common optimization gaps (03:45)How The Product Consult's embedded approach differs from traditional consulting (09:16)The three-part engagement process: assessment, integration, and successful exit (09:16)Identifying the right clients: transformation needs vs. just "butts in seats" (10:30)Building product-marketing integration from acquisition through engagement (19:15)Overcoming sales team resistance and breaking down departmental silos (23:16)The critical role of aligned success metrics across all departments (24:19)Product manager-company fit: matching disposition and communication styles (32:11)The relief factor: making work easier, not harder, through optimization (36:56)One action product leaders can take tomorrow: individual team assessment (36:56)The Product Consult: theproductconsult.com  Graphos Product: GraphosProduct.com Buy "I Need That" and get Laurier's daily Need Feed emails: LMandin.com

The path from direct-to-consumer to retail success is something many product makers dream about, but it's also where countless promising products have gone to die. Bad logistics choices, bloated inventory, and unnecessary costs can sink even great products before they ever reach a store shelf. Paul Jarrett, co-founder and CEO of Bulu, has created a unique solution to help brands bridge this critical gap. His company offers something rare in the logistics world: the ability to ship both B2B and DTC from a single inventory source, enabling brands to fulfill orders of any size to any destination. This flexibility allows small brands to compete with major players by offering retailers exactly what they need without minimum order quantities. From his journey starting in advertising to building subscription boxes to ultimately creating a logistics company, Paul shares invaluable insights on when brands should (and shouldn't) make the leap to retail, how to build relationships with buyers, and why inventory management is the make-or-break factor for success. Episode Highlights: Paul's background in advertising and path to entrepreneurship (02:00)The origin story of their subscription box business (05:00)Creating subscription programs for major brands like Disney and Crayola (10:00)How the pandemic forced a complete business pivot (12:00)Solving the B2B/DTC fulfillment gap that no one else addressed (15:00)Signs a DTC brand is ready for retail expansion (23:49)Common pitfalls that kill promising products in retail (25:00)Why inventory visibility is crucial for multi-channel success (31:00)Strategies for getting better shelf placement as a new brand (37:34)Three essential steps for DTC brands planning future retail expansion (41:21)Bulu website: bulugroup.com Paul Jarrett website: pauljarrett.com Graphos Product website: GraphosProduct.comBuy “I Need That” and get Laurier Mandin's daily Need Feed emails: LMandin.com

In this special episode, host Laurier Mandin introduces his new book, "I Need That: Creating and Marketing Products People Are Compelled to Buy." Drawing from over 30 years of marketing experience, Laurier shares key insights on how to create products that resonate deeply with consumers. Key points covered: The psychology behind why people buy certain productsHow to transform a product from a "want" to a "need"The CLIMB™ framework for understanding product benefitsThe concept of the "Coveted Condition™" in product developmentStrategies for effective product validationOvercoming consumer resistance to new productsThe three selves of the consumer: Remembering, Experiencing, and Third SelfCreating intuitive user interfaces through natural mappingThe importance of storytelling in product marketingScaling strategies while maintaining focus on core customer needsLaurier emphasizes the importance of understanding deep-seated customer needs and aspirations to create truly compelling products. He introduces novel concepts like the "Third Self" and provides practical advice for product developers and marketers. Whether you're a startup founder, product manager, or marketing professional, this episode offers valuable insights to transform your approach to product development and marketing. Get your copy of "I Need That" now: HardcoverPaperbackKindle eBookAudible Audio Book Visit Laurier Mandin’s author site and sign up for his DAILY “Need Feed” emails at lmandin.comGet product insights, learn about Graphos Product and read the Graphos blog at graphosproduct.com Don't forget to subscribe to our podcast for more insights on product development, marketing, and innovation!

It can be infuriating how much time your marketing efforts take—especially when they get zero traction. Wouldn't it be great if you could focus on acing activities you know will generate results? Chris Smith, cofounder of Curaytor and author of the bestselling (and newly revised edition of) “The Conversion Code,” shares data-proven ways to attract and convert buyers by making smarter use of all the tools you use, from text messages to TikTok. After working for two billionaires, a billion-dollar publicly traded company and a startup that was acquired for 9 figures, Chris wrote “Peoplework” and the first edition of “The Conversion Code,” now used to teach marketing at Johns Hopkins University. In the six years since that first edition was published, the marketing landscape has been turned on its head by privacy restrictions, and Chris knew it was time to offer new solutions. Lots of them. In this mind-blowing episode, Chris Smith shares some of the most valuable insights from the new book, including clever hacks and tricks you can use right away to get exceptional results from your website, social media, TikTok—and everything you do. Buy The Conversion Code 2nd Edition on AmazonCuraytor Website: https://www.curaytor.comGraphos Product, The Product Marketing Agency website: GraphosProduct.com

It's not unusual for product makers to be terrified by the mere notion of product validation work. Often over-invested emotionally and financially in the product, they're afraid of what they might learn. And many don’t have confidence in their approach to conducting validation research. But the learning will come one way or another, Darshan Mehta points out. And far better to get as many insights as possible early on, while there is time to make changes and the cost of doing so will never again be so low.  There is nothing worse than learning once a product is IN the market that it has fatal flaws—except for discovering equally far along that nobody wants to buy it! Darshan Mehta is the founder of iResearch, and author of “Getting to Aha!: Why Today’s Insights Are Tomorrow’s Facts.” In this episode, he explains the fascinating nature of insights, and how they can help validate product ideas and lead to meaningful discoveries for improvements. At iResearch, Darshan has created a unique resource for conducting cost-effective and insightful online focus groups via chat, anywhere in the world and in any language. Whether you are considering traditional focus groups, surveys, or interviews with prospective users, you'll find Darshan’s advice timely and helpful.  It might even fast-track the “Aha!” moment you really need. Episode Highlights:  • Why we do product research (01:00)• How insights predict the future (03:50)• The real-world masters of testing and iteration (04:45)• Fatal research flaws of product giants (05:37)• Focus groups come in various forms (07:55)• When customers are never wrong (09:36)• Listen now or learn later: take your pick (11:21)• Finding the people who represent your market (13:40)• Learning to recognize and tap into insights (15:45)• Conducting research without focus groups (16:46)• The downside of analytics (18:29)• Using insights to fill important gaps (19:04) Buy Getting to Aha!: Why Today’s Insights Are Tomorrow’s Facts on AmazoniResearch Website: iresearch.comGraphos Product, The Product Marketing Agency website: GraphosProduct.com

Nearly all product companies grapple with pricing. What model is the best fit? How do you maximize the market value for a novel product without losing customers when it comes time to pay? Dan Balcauski has spent 15 years helping product makers solve exactly these challenges. As founder of Austin, Texas-based Product Tranquility, Dan has guided many products from new concept incubation through successful launches and transitions. He helps high volume SaaS companies assess pricing practices and optimize pricing and packaging, guiding his clients to make the most impactful pricing decisions and communicate value convincingly to decision makers. Highlights of this episode:• How to know the value of a brand new product (01:47)• What emotional value is, and why it matters (02:39)• The purpose of Jobs To Be Done in pricing (03:33)• How Airbnb got its value proposition right (07:04)• The 4 components of Packaging (09:09)• Why Freemium is a terrible idea (11:46)• Upgrading perpetual license customers to subscription (13:05)• Why Who and How you charge is what determines success (19:18)• How to approach Willingness To Pay questions (20:00)• The critical importance of segmentation (23:44)• Talking to the RIGHT people about pricing (25:16)• What most product makers get wrong with pricing (26:40)• Understanding the process of pricing to do it right (30:32) Product Tranquility Website: producttranquility.comGraphos Product, The Product Marketing Agency website

Ever noticed that while most brands battle constantly with competitors for small gains, leaders like Apple, Tesla and Amazon play in an entirely different sphere? Stan Bernard, author of “Brands Don't Win” believes it's because the branding game is a lost cause. In this episode, he tells you how leaders transcend branding by creating a game no one else can win — and how to do it for your product. As a senior fellow at the Wharton School of Business, Stan Bernard taught his Transcender System to MBA students for 14 years. He's been a consultant to top businesses for nearly four decades, and over 15,000 professionals have taken part in his business "War Games" simulations, his seminars and speaking engagements. Stan's new book walks you through the Transcender System's proven and practical three steps, with case studies including Amazon, Starbucks, Nike and Tesla as well as emerging leaders like Halotop and Peloton. Join Graphos Product President and Lead Consultant Laurier Mandin for this mind-blowing discussion with Stan Bernard. Episode Highlights: 01:30 What makes the Transcender System "the world's most powerful winning system for companies and their products." 02:45 How Transcender businesses, like successful political campaigns, use Agendas to focus and win04:30 How Starbucks “Transcended” from one store per year in 1987 to 1,350 stores per year07:15 The 3 ways to win: Competitive Creation, Competitive Re-creation and Competitive Categorization11:15 Why "competitive advantages" are setting the bar too low15:14 How changing up the Agenda can hurt your product20:45 The four steps to communicating the Agenda: Memorable, Ownable, Winnable and Alignable25:30 The Transcender System's "Four Winning A's" to champion and execute the Agenda effectively35:00 How to adopt a Winning Mindset to lead your business through the Transcender System Buy “Brands Don't Win” on AmazonGraphos Product, The Product Marketing Agency website: GraphosProduct.comBernard & Associates website: DrStanBernard.com

R-RRIP! That was the way we've marketed and sold products for ages, being torn apart. Facebook, Google Ads and other digital ad platforms have been hammered by consumer privacy implementations, making it impossible for many advertisers to sell their products online profitably.  Meanwhile, a succession of unbelievable supply chain issues make costs and material availability a nightmare that threatens the future of nearly every product maker—including those sourcing locally. Maureen Mwangi teaches growing product makers to navigate challenges like these profitably, and joins host Laurier Mandin to share advice and insider tips from her work in launching products for the likes of Lays, L'Oréal, Dove and Chobani. She explains why huge brands like GE, Toshiba and Johnson & Johnson are suddenly transforming to become smaller, and what that says to startups and growth-oriented product businesses. It's a jam-packed episode that covers many of the most important challenges facing product makers and product managers in the incredibly transformative era unfolding before us day-to-day. Here are a few of the highlights: 1:04 What you can learn from product giants becoming smaller, and have customers lean into your “smallness”3:52 The two factors that MOST influence a customer’s buying decision, and how they relate to your product5:44 How to leverage Fame, Frequency and Fluency to make your brand a household word with any audience6:46 Why “scientific precision” is the key to profitability and success for a product business8:48 Value Based Pricing, and how it can transform a product business into a profit leader12:11 How to transition safely from a PPC-dependant eCommerce business to your own retail storefront16:20 Why product makers’ growth strategy is different now, and how to embrace community building 18:35 How to manage supply chain gaps and avoid disappointing loyal customers20:55 What is a “cash multiplier system,” and how having one can dramatically increase profitability22:40 The one sure way to prevent customers from turning to your competition Startward Consulting: https://www.startwardconsulting.comGraphos Product, the product marketing agency: graphosproduct.com

Selling an innovative product relies on making change. And there can be a lot of resistance to adopting a new product of any size, but especially for B2B products with long sales cycles and complex onboarding processes. Margie Agin, author of Brand Breakthrough and chief strategist of Centerboard Marketing, helps product makers to accelerate adoption and achieve breakthroughs by distilling functions down to their core value propositions. Margie engineers “AHA!” moments for the brands as well as customers. Be sure to grab Margie's Brand Breakthrough Action Guide for hands-on activities, checklists, interview questions and templates to kickstart your brand journey. Here are some highlights from this can't-miss episode: 1:24: How to cruise through a blocker in the sales process3:41: Using language and narrative to dissolve buyer resistance4:45: Asking all the right questions (based on Margie’s market research experience)5:41: “Poking the bruise” to trigger an urgent sense of need7:10: Pulling the value from features to answer “What’s in it for ME?”8:28: How (and why) small companies can connect better than the giants10:50: Using archetypes in convincing tech people to embrace fun, customer-friendly narratives14:43: Resonating with a diverse assortment of audience types18:11: Building trust, in a world that distrusts brands21:00: Testimonials that move buyers forward22:35: Avoiding the most deadly mistake even the biggest product brands make Centerboard Marketing: centerboard-marketing.comGraphos Product, the product marketing agency: graphosproduct.com

We talk a lot about the high failure rates of consumer products. It’s a tough road, and launching a hit product is a rare event. Michael Sandeen is an innovator who’s exploded those odds—and he’s now done it twice.  Thirty-five years ago Michael created Spin Jammer, a uniquely spinnable flying disc that sold by the millions in big-box retail stores like Walmart, Toys R Us and K-Mart. Then, in late 2020, he introduced SearBQ, a cast-iron griddle and press combination for the barbecue, and it turned to be his second hit product. But SearBQ doesn’t sell retail: it is only available direct-to-consumer (DTC), through what is now one of Shopify’s top-selling new stores. It’s very deliberately a different strategy, and Michael Sandeen has been quick to adopt other new ways for SearBQ. He started out with a successful Kickstarter campaign, and due to pandemic-induced supply and shipping challenges, launched his summer product in the middle of winter—the winter solstice to be exact—and too late to capture holiday sales.  Sales exploded nonetheless, and Michael quickly found himself facing new challenges, battling retail giants for shipping freighter space and Amazon for packing materials. Growth would be the next frontier in his DTC experiment, and he’d need to pull out everything he’s learned to manage it successfully.  In this mouthwatering episode (we do talk about food more than we’d meant to—SearBQ has that effect) Michael Sandeen shares how he leveraged three-and-a-half decades of product design, manufacturing and selling experience to make launching a breakthrough product seem so easy. It ain’t just spin and sizzle—but those things help! Here are some key-takeaways from this exciting and enlightening episode: How selling consumer products has transformed since the late ’80s (2:00)Why a retail veteran decided to sell only direct-to-consumer (3:30)How one big idea and two burned steaks sparked SearBQ (5:04)Delighting ideal buyers and winning over the haters (8:00)Why Michael won't use Kickstarter for another consumer product, despite his success (12:47)Things product-makers need to know about Kickstarter marketing agencies (15:08)The biggest lesson from supply-chain challenges and inventory depletion (17:00)Where you CAN'T beat Walmart and Target (17:45)The importance of continuous improvement, even when you’re crushing it (19:20)How beautiful product design and smart engineering are critical success triggers (20:00)The importance of putting the brand name front and center (22:15)Leaving room for buyers to surprise you (23:30)The (hands-down) best things SearBQ's inventor loves to cook on it (24:42)The innovation curve never ends (27:45)Buy the SearBQ Griddle & Press online: SearBQ.comThe Product Launch & Marketing Agency: GraphosProduct.com

Consumers have had enough of phony product brands. Fabricated figureheads like Betty Crocker and the Marlboro Man ruled the twentieth century, but social media and customer reviews have permanently altered the landscape. Not only can we handle the truth—we demand it. While everyone talks ad nauseam about “authenticity,” it’s still much easier to fall back into the old-world playbook. Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster created Root + River to help product makers succeed at branding from the heart and build an enduring culture of truth. Doing it right creates new levels of joy, satisfaction and loyalty, but requires a new and very deliberate way of thinking. When businesses brand from the heart, amazing things happen, particularly three invaluable breakthroughs that always do. Emily and Justin join Graphos Product Principal Laurier Mandin to talk about their proven approach to intrinsic branding, and share insights that will help you find and articulate what’s at the heart of your own product brand.  Here are some key-takeaways from this informative and inspiring episode: Why today’s consumers refuse to buy falseness (1:45)How repelling the wrong buyers is as important as attracting the right ones (3:30)The “big gap” that causes branding failure, and how to close it (7:12)Why it’s smart to pause marketing to think about the brand (8:00)Why branding is a practice, not a department (10:19)The 3 amazing things that always happen when you brand from the heart (10:30)Why marketing is not the numbers game many CMOs think it is (14:35)How love is the reason products and teams succeed (17:00)Why you’re not looking for customers—you’re looking for believers (18:48)The real secret to creating emotion in your audience (20:00)How to build anticipation and demand before you even get to market (23:36)Why storytelling can make even “boring” brands thrill consumers (26:19)Finding and sharing YOUR belief system, whether your product is old or new (28:35)Root + River: RootandRiver.comThe Product Launch & Marketing Agency: GraphosProduct.com

Pricing can make or break any product. Set it too high, and even best-fit customers will take a pass. Too low and you’re devaluing the product, stunting growth and possibly starving it for cash.  But how do you craft a pricing structure that is just right—and be confident it is? And then how do you package your product offerings to attract specific buyer types, without alienating others?  Pricing is a science, and those who do it effectively seldom fall into that success. Ajit Gjuman has led enterprise software product teams through the pricing process, and has interviewed a multitude of tech product leaders in writing his new book, "Price to Scale." He's also the head of product marketing at Narvar, a customer engagement platform that helps brands like Yeti, Levi's and Dyson drive long-term customer loyalty by unifying shipping and returns. Ajit’s ultimate goal for the book was for any product manager or entrepreneur to be able to read it over a weekend, then methodically assemble end-to-end pricing in just 30 days.  Ajit Ghuman joins Graphos Product Principal Laurier Mandin to explain how that is possible, and offer advice to listeners challenged with setting or resetting product pricing in order to profitably scale their business.  Here are some key-takeaways from this power-packed episode: What team member is best-suited to implement your pricing structure (1:45)Ajit’s definition of “Positioning” (3:00)What is “Packaging” for a tech product, and what does it look like done right? (4:32)Identifying market segments for a brand new product (6:17)Where do “freemium” products work, and where are they a bad idea? (8:36)Understanding “Product-Led” strategy (11:32)How pricing and your margins relate to going to IPO or being acquired (13:44) How to lead a team in pricing implementation, and influence the CEO (17:06)The alignment hack Helpshift used to 10X revenue from a key account (21:27)Using value metrics to optimize pricing and revenue (22:31)Why your cost to produce has nothing to do with what the customer will pay (24:55)Price to Scale book: AjitGhuman.comThe Product Launch & Marketing Agency: GraphosProduct.com

As a 3-time startup founder and 5-time entrepreneur, Étienne has worked in the trenches of building tech companies and introducing innovative products. In “Solving Product,” he has created a reference book to help product creators through the many complex puzzles from ideation to startup, growth, expansion and retrospective. Feeling stuck with solving product-market fit, evaluating your product's true value, finding leaks in your funnel, or targeting new segments? It’s in “Solving Product.”  The book is crammed with advice and diagnostics, peppered with hundreds of powerful quotes from many of the greatest minds in product — and tethered to reality by more than two dozen highly relevant case studies.  Throughout our discussion, Étienne shares actionable advice on how to reveal gaps in your own product, using research and proven processes to become more profitable, faster. In this episode, you will learn:  Why every product is a succession of problems to be solved (1:45)How it can give clarity to envision your product as a service business (5:23)What is the greatest predictor of whether your product will truly be needed (7:42)Why your product must be at least 10x as good as what customers are using now (10:06)The biggest competition to your product — and it's not another product (12:30)The hidden, growing danger of the subscription model (13:55)Why a majority of businesses do little or no research (18:15)Using research to answer the most important questions for your product (21:30)Setting your product up for success by identifying where it adds the most value (24:10)The single biggest certainty when creating any new product (26:40)Étienne Garbugli’s Solving Product website: https://www.solvingproduct.com (Get the first 3 chapters free!)Graphos Product Product Marketing Agency website: https://www.GraphosProduct.com