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An outcome-driven innovation perspective on Jobs-to-be-Done Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode of Product Mastery Now, I’m talking with innovation veteran Mike Boysen about making Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) practical, fast, and accessible thanks to AI-powered tools and frameworks. We revisit what JTBD really means, how it has evolved, why practitioners sometimes get stuck, and how AI helps drive cost-efficient, actionable customer insights. This episode is perfect for product managers looking to skip the noise and deliver genuine value efficiently. Introduction Most product leaders have heard of Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD). Some of you have even tried it. But given all the benefits of JTBD, why are you not still using it? In this discussion, we are going back to basics to define what Jobs-to-be-Done actually is, and we are going to show you how to execute it faster than ever before. You will learn a simplified workflow for applying Jobs-to-be-Done that cuts through the noise. We will walk through how AI accelerates the process, so you can stop guessing and start building what customers actually need.  Our guest is Mike Boysen, Managing Director of Disruptive Innovation. Mike is a veteran of the JTBD movement, having served as a Director at Strategyn alongside Tony Ulwick. He has spent years in senior consulting and innovation roles, and today he helps companies use AI to make Jobs to be Done practical, accessible, and fast.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers What is Jobs-to-be-Done?Mike clarifies the confusion around JTBD by outlining the various schools of thought, including marketing-based frameworks. Mike’s perspective on JTBD focuses on outcome-driven innovation (ODI). Within this framework, product managers seek to understand the outcome the customer is seeking. Unlike other schools of thought, ODI values disruption and looking outside the current paradigm. Why JTBD Efforts Fail:Many teams attempting JTBD get stuck at some point. Mike explains that without clear problem definitions and rigorous, hypothesis-driven models, JTBD research can become aimless. Especially in ODI, biases early in the process can compound, making outcomes hard to take action on. Three Paths to Innovation:Mike describes three approaches organizations can take to innovation: expanding to new personas/markets, sustaining and improving what exists, and pursuing disruptive, paradigm-shifting innovation. He notes the power of focusing on the job beneficiary, especially for B2B innovation. How AI Transforms JTBD:Mike’s workflow leverages AI to break down ideas, solutions, and industries to first principles, uncovering fundamental truths and mapping out the jobs, metrics, and outcomes efficiently. This approach massively reduces the time and cost of qualitative JTBD, making it accessible to companies of all sizes, not just the Fortune 500. No More JTBD Surveys?Mike argues that expensive, time-consuming JTBD surveys are often unnecessary, especially for greenfield or disruptive innovations. Instead, AI-driven job maps, first-principle analyses, and hypothesis-validation interviews quickly reveal which opportunities are worth deeper investment, saving time, money, and effort. Job Maps, Metrics, and Practical Tools:Mike explains that AI can generate job maps in minutes rather than weeks. These tools provide clarity for product teams, showing value, friction, or overservice in the customer journey. Useful Link Check out Mike’s Substack Innovation Quote “Spend the least to learn the most.” – Mike Boysen Application Questions How would you describe the job your product is hired to do? What biases or limiting beliefs might be holding your team back from re-imagining your product or process? Are there opportunities to use smaller, hypothesis-driven experiments rather than expensive or time-consuming surveys? How could AI tools streamline and focus your JTBD or customer discovery efforts? If you created a job map for one core customer outcome, what would the steps and frictions look like? Bio For over 25 years, Mike Boysen drove CRM strategy and digital transformation for Fortune 50 enterprises, earning top analyst recognition as a thought leader in the space. However, after observing the expensive failures of traditional innovation, his relentless search for “why” prompted a transition from CRM strategist to an Innovation Engineer. Today, as a leading expert in Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD), Mike challenges industry “sacred cows” by employing a capital-efficient, deterministic methodology to uncover exactly what customers want. His engineering approach rests on three core pillars: applying First Principles Thinking to distill a problem down to its indivisible physical, digital, or economic truth to eliminate human bias; mapping the exact human executor’s 9-step chronological struggle using AI-powered tools to generate solution-agnostic Customer Success Statements (CSS) tied directly to those atomic truths; and executing Real Options Analysis to reframe innovation funding into a staged process of buying information. Through this rigorous framework, Mike provides organizations with the exact blueprints required to stop “solution-jumping” and start building disruptive, defensible products with speed and predictability.    Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

How product managers can get the most out of AI-native development processes Watch on YouTube TLDR This episode, featuring Avi Zelenko, Principal Product Manager at Atlassian, explores how AI is transforming the traditional software development lifecycle (SDLC). Our discussion focuses on Atlassian’s Prompt-Eval-Iterate loop, using AI with PRDs, the creation and use of “golden datasets,” and the use of LLM judges to deliver higher quality AI products. Product managers will hear actionable insight into AI-native development processes and tips for involving cross-functional teams and customers in the journey. Introduction Is the traditional Product Requirement Document dead, along with the standard “Build-Test-Launch” cycle? AI-driven Software Development Life Cycles (SDLCs) are making changes in what has been standard practice. In this discussion we’ll explore the AI-native SDLC used at Atlassian. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a new framework to bring back to your team: The Prompt-Eval-Iterate loop. We’ll discuss why your PRD should be a “behavior contract,” how to build “golden data sets,” and how to use LLM judges to ship higher-quality software faster than ever. Our guest is Avinoam Zelenko. He is a Principal Product Manager at Atlassian, where he is currently leading the transition to AI-native development for Confluence. With a career spanning leadership roles at LinkedIn and Feedvisor, and years spent teaching the next generation of PMs at Product School, he knows exactly how to bridge the gap between high-level AI strategy and day-to-day execution. Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Evolution of SDLCs:We discuss the limitations of linear Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) approaches like “build, test, launch” in the era of AI. Avi explains that product managers must now co-own quality, moving beyond handoffs and static PRDs, as AI-driven features require deeper, ongoing commitment. Prompt-Eval-Iterate Loop:Atlassian’s approach starts with collaborative prompt design and exploration, not lengthy specs. Instead of guessing feature outcomes upfront, teams build out golden datasets and use rapid iterations to let real data and metrics refine both the product and its requirements. Golden Datasets:A golden dataset is a living collection of well-curated real-world examples and edge cases from customers. It helps teams define what “good” looks like and allows continuous improvement of AI features, with new findings fed back into the dataset for better output and coverage. Maintaining Customer Proximity:Avi emphasizes that core product management tasks like customer interviews and understanding unmet needs remain vital. Atlassian leverages AI agents to automate customer feedback loops, enabling PMs to connect with more users and gather data on a much larger scale. PRD as a Behavior Contract:The Product Requirements Document (PRD) evolves into a behavior contract, encoding what the AI should do in specific scenarios, along with clear metrics, safety guardrails, and references to the golden dataset. This contract is drafted after substantial hands-on exploration and iteration, keeping specs grounded in reality. Evals and LLM Judges:Quality assurance uses two types of evals: deterministic checks (yes/no, hard criteria) and LLM judges (AI-based evaluators) for assessing nuances like faithfulness to source material, narrative, and tone. These automated evals create quality gates for each product milestone. Collaboration and Transparency:Atlassian encourages cross-functional teams—from engineering and support to sales and marketing—to participate early in the process. This open, inclusive approach gathers a breadth of perspectives and aligns objectives across the organization. Useful Links Connect with Avi on LinkedIn Learn more about Atlassian Innovation Quote “Sometimes immersing works better than observing.” – Avi Zelenko Application Questions How can your team evolve its SDLC to better integrate AI-driven features and ongoing iteration? What would a “golden dataset” look like for your product, and how would you begin building it? In what ways can you involve more customers, support, sales, or marketing in defining the behavior of AI features? How does shifting from a static PRD to a “behavior contract” change your collaboration with engineering and other teams? What new skills or practices must PMs develop to balance automation with human judgment in AI product development? Bio Avinoam “Avi” Zelenko is a Principal Product Manager at Atlassian, where he leads product strategy for Confluence, the company’s flagship collaboration platform. With more than 16 years of experience in B2B SaaS, he has built and scaled products at companies including LinkedIn, where he helped shape the feed experience for hundreds of millions of users, as well as LivePerson, ClickTale, and Feedvisor, spanning intelligent chat, analytics, and algorithmic pricing.  Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Case studies of scrappy product management experiments Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode, I’m interviewing Jeff Lash, VP of Product Management at Insperity, to demystify product experimentation for product managers. Jeff unpacks scrappy ways to test assumptions, mitigate risk, and maximize learning, sharing case studies from his work in B2B product management. We discuss real examples, key principles for experimentation, and navigating organizational dynamics to drive informed product decisions. Introduction Most product managers think experimentation requires expensive A/B testing software, a team of data scientists, and thousands of users. They’re wrong. You can and should be testing your riskiest assumptions today, and doing so in ways that are fast and frugal. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a toolkit of testing methods that you can deploy immediately. Our guest is the perfect guide for this. Jeff Lash is the Vice President of Product Management at Insperity. Before that, he spent nearly a decade at Forrester and SiriusDecisions, where he advised the world’s top product organizations on exactly these strategies. He is the author of the long-running How To Be A Good Product Manager blog and a product management veteran who has transitioned from practitioner to researcher, analyst, and adviser, and then back to the front lines of product leadership. Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers The Purpose of Experimentation:Experimentation prevents product managers from jumping to solutions by validating that they’re solving the right problems with the right solutions. Jeff emphasizes that effective experimentation requires humility and an openness to learning. This approach helps avoid costly mistakes of building products based on unverified assumptions and mitigates business risk. Fast, Frugal Experiments:Jeff explains that experiments should deliver maximum learning for minimum investment. Experiments should be built upon foundational customer research and always include measurable objectives. He reminds product managers not to rely solely on digital tools, especially in B2B contexts where the customer base is smaller and sales cycles are longer. Case Studies of Product Experimentation:Through several case studies, Jeff Lash illustrates experimentation methods: Using mock-ups for concept testing: Before building a new data-reporting SaaS, a product team manually created mock-up sample reports and pitched them to clients. The low demand they discovered helped avoid unnecessary development. Sales-Driven Product Testing: Collaborating with sales, an organization defined clear success metrics, launched a pilot with a limited customer group, and used real buying signals (not just sales enthusiasm) to validate new offerings, minimizing risk and maximizing buy-in. Content Access Limits: Unsure about the right threshold for content access in a subscription product, a company temporarily gave all customers unlimited access to gather data on which content they were accessing, later allowing them to set limits that balanced user delight and business goals. Testing with a Sales Presentation: In response to sales insisting there was a market for a new product, a product team created a sales pitch deck. After several meetings and pitches, they found zero customer interest, which revealed the real gap was not product, but access to the right buyer. This low-cost experiment saved significant time and resources by preventing the team from building an unwanted solution. Navigating Organization Dynamics:Not all experiments yield the result everyone wants. Jeff discusses how to align teams around experiment outcomes—even unpopular ones—and communicate evidence while managing executive or sales pressure. He stresses the importance of cross-functional alignment, especially in B2B, and framing experiments by the core questions they’re meant to answer. B2B vs. B2C Experimentation:While B2C may allow rapid, large-scale testing, B2B experimentation requires more coordination with sales, legal, and customer success to avoid customer confusion or contractual risks. Building internal buy-in and clear communication is critical for successful, reversible tests. Useful Links Visit Jeff’s website Read Jeff’s blog, How To Be A Good Product Manager Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn Learn more about Insperity Listen to episode 127: B2B product management – with Jeff Lash Innovation Quote “It is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.” – Leon Megginson Application Questions What assumptions in your current product strategy could be tested with a simple experiment this quarter? How does your team define success criteria for experiments? Who needs to be involved in that definition? Have you ever faced resistance to experiment results? How did (or would) you handle those internal politics? In what ways do you coordinate experiments with sales, marketing, and customer success to minimize customer and internal confusion? How might you adapt these B2B-focused experimentation techniques for your context, whether B2B, B2C, or hybrid? Bio Jeff is VP, Product Management at Insperity, where he is responsible for enterprise product management and leading product strategy across this $6B+ public company that provides HR services to small and medium-sized businesses. He has spent over 20 years in product management, including as an advisor to product management leaders at Forrester/SiriusDecisions. For years he wrote the popular “How to Be a Good Product Manager” blog, and he is founder of the not-for-profit St. Louis Product Management Group and Chair of ProductCamp St. Louis.  Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Building products to teach kids to love science and embrace failure Watch on YouTube TLDR I’m interviewing Rachele Harmuth, Chief Product Officer at CrunchLabs, to discuss scaling a beloved STEM brand from viral YouTube content to hands-on products, classroom curriculum, and partnerships with platforms like Netflix. Rachele Harmuth shares her journey from toy design to product leadership and how CrunchLabs manages collaboration between content and product teams. She shares lessons learned on operationalizing brand values during high-growth expansion and the importance of building resilient creators who embrace failure. This episode is packed with actionable insights for product managers aiming to balance innovation with brand consistency. Introduction Mark Rober has 73 million YouTube subscribers watching him build glitter bombs and squirrel obstacle courses. But how do you turn that content into products that actually ship to millions of customers—and then scale that into retail stores worldwide? That’s the challenge facing today’s guest. She’s leading product strategy at CrunchLabs as they expand from STEM subscription boxes into global retail, classroom curriculum, and a Netflix series—all launching in 2026. In this discussion, you’ll learn how to decide how content interacts with product strategy, how to maintain desired outcomes at scale, and how to operationalize brand values across a product team.  Our guest is Rachele Harmuth, Chief Product Officer at CrunchLabs. She’s spent 30 years in the toy industry at companies including Scholastic, Ravensburger, and Fat Brain Toys. She also founded MESH Helps, a nonprofit building children’s resilience through play. Furthermore, she won the Women in Toys 2025 Wonder Women Award.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Rachele’s Journey to CrunchLabs:While at Ravensburger, Rachele Harmuth discovered CrunchLabs while seeking inspiring engineering toys for her own kids. Her son, a senior in high school, told her that Mark Rober is the reason he wanted to be an engineer. Initially Rachele pursued a partnership between Ravensburger and CrunchLabs, but her passion for their products and ideas for improvement led CrunchLabs’ president to invite her onboard. CrunchLabs’ Product Strategy:CrunchLabs’ unique strategy involves a unique collaboration between content creators (including Mark Rober) and toy engineers. Both teams cross-pollinate ideas. Their shared mission is showing kids that science is fun and approachable. Cross-Functional Product Development:To maintain brand focus amid rapid growth (retail, curriculum, media), CrunchLabs focuses on three goals: Spark Curiosity, Embrace Failure, and Build Creative Confidence. Everyone from every area of the company was part of the discussion to put together these three goals. These vision statements provide direction, since very product, feature, and piece of content is judged by whether it supports those goals. A core part of CrunchLabs’ mission is to help kids embrace failure. Mark’s videos show him embracing failures, problem solving and operating by CrunchLab’s three vision statements. Rachele is translating those statements into physical products so that customers can develop these problem-solving and engineering skills too. Testing Product Designs:CrunchLabs tests every product with kids in the target age range, fine-tuning challenge levels and instructions to ensure engaging, confidence-boosting experiences that mimic the iterative process celebrated in their videos. Direct feedback from diverse test groups drives meaningful improvements. Saying No to Stay Focused:As CrunchLabs’ brand is expanding, they maintain brand focus by being very selective and saying no to more things than they say yes to. They evaluate each opportunity for impact and additive value and choose opportunities that align with all three of their goal statements and help them reach the most brains. Useful Links Learn more about CrunchLabs Connect with Rachele on LinkedIn Check out Mark Rober and CrunchLabs on YouTube Check out Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs on Netflix Innovation Quotes “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – J. A. Shedd. Application Questions How can your product team effectively translate your brand values into concrete operational frameworks as you scale? In what ways could cross-functional teams inform and inspire each other in your organization? What processes ensure you get authentic customer feedback, and how do you handle unexpected findings? How does your company evaluate which new opportunities to pursue, and which to decline, to protect focus and brand integrity? What methods do you use to cultivate a culture of creative confidence and constructive failure within your product teams? Bio Rachele Harmuth is chief product officer at CrunchLabs, where she leads product strategy and innovation as the company expands beyond its successful subscription business into new toy and education verticals. With more than 30 years of toy industry leadership across Scholastic, Ravensburger, Fat Brain Toys, and K’NEX, Harmuth is a fearless change-maker harnessing the power of play to drive meaningful innovation and address the youth mental health crisis. She founded MESH Helps, a nonprofit dedicated to building resilience in kids through play, and serves as its board president, having mobilized the industry with research-driven solutions including the groundbreaking MESH Accreditation Program that evaluates toys for their ability to develop resilience-building skills. Harmuth’s dedication to innovation and educational play aligns with CrunchLabs’ unique position at the intersection of education and entertainment, where she is creating STEM experiences that inspire kids to see themselves as builders, problem-solvers, and future innovators. Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Insights from the innovation leadership graduate program at UFred Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode, I’m interviewing Dr. Michael Hobeck, Provost and Vice President of Academics at the University of Fredericton (UFred), about building innovation leadership in organizations. We discuss the specialized Innovation Leadership MBA/EMBA program at UFred, key skills and mindsets for innovation leaders, and how the right curriculum and approach can develop confidence and practical capability in aspiring innovation leaders. Introduction In this discussion, we are extending beyond product management and into innovation leadership—specifically, what it takes to create, improve, and lead an innovation capability in an organization. Effective innovation leadership helps to chart the course of an organization. It is an exciting role and I’ve had the pleasure of helping many people prepare for this role and I’ll share what it takes, both through my experiences as product management trainer and university professor in innovation. I’m joined by Dr. Michael Hobeck, the Provost and Vice President of Academics at the University of Fredericton. He also served as Dean of Academics before stepping into the role of Provost. Before his tenure in academia, Michael held senior management positions with large retailers and gained first-hand entrepreneurial experience as a small business owner. Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Innovation Leadership Curriculum at UFred:Michael and I recreated the innovation leadership graduate program at UFred. This program addresses gaps in corporate innovation such as senior leaders’ lack of foundational knowledge of innovation, confidence, and ability to influence the organization. What Makes a Great Innovation Leader?Innovation leadership requires more than traditional management skills. Innovators embrace uncertainty, learn from failure, and see value in new ideas. They foster organizational culture and exercise influence to support innovation. Building Confidence and Practical Skills:UFred’s innovation leadership program is unique in that it is fully integrated and was developed by practitioners with close ties to industry. The program includes three courses focused on innovation. The first course focuses on how to innovate and teaches the process of innovation. The second course focuses on building a structure for innovation that extends to every part of the organization. The third course focuses on how to grow the organization by generating more value from existing operations while also exploring new ideas. Students’ Takeaways:We introduce a tool called the idea notebook, where innovators can record their ideas. Periodically, former students email me and tell me what they’re writing in their idea notebook. I also see students develop confidence that they can innovate and influence their organizations. It’s easy to see the ability to innovate as an unattainable superpower, but it’s actually a process that can be learned. Falling in Love with the Problem:One concept that I want future innovation leaders to remember is to fall in love with the customer’s problem, not your solution. It’s human nature to leap straight to solutions when we hear about a problem, but this risks missing what the customer truly needs. When product managers are too attached to their solution, they lose track of what the customer actually cares about. Instead, they should focus on understanding the customers’ needs and creating value for them. Useful Link Learn more about UFred Innovation Quote “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” – Thomas A. Edison Application Questions Which core skills do you think are essential for effective innovation leadership in your organization? How can you build your own and your team’s confidence to take on innovation challenges? What structures or processes does your organization have to capture and foster new ideas from all levels? Reflecting on your recent projects, did you “fall in love” with the customer problem, or jump too quickly to solutions? What was the impact? What practices do you use or could you introduce to consistently integrate current business trends into your product management and innovation work? Bio Dr. Michael Andrew Hobeck is the Vice President of Academics & Provost at the University of Fredericton, where he leads academic quality and rigor, student success, and new program development to support strategic growth.  Previously, he served as Dean of Academics at UFred, where he helped launch new degrees and specializations, strengthened faculty review and teaching recognition practices, led ACBSP accreditation for the MBA and Executive MBA, and spearheaded UFred’s first virtual convocation.   Before UFred, Michael held senior academic leadership roles at Seneca College and Nova Scotia Community College, as well as extensive teaching experience in business and leadership disciplines.   He holds a DBA specializing in Organizational Leadership (with distinction) and an MBA in Innovation Leadership, and has published on engaging adjunct faculty as partners in student success.  Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

 Is Taylor Swift the best product strategist of our generation? Watch on YouTube TLDR This episode features Mike Hyzy, VP of Strategy and Innovation at CGI, breaking down how Taylor Swift’s approach to music and branding mirrors world-class product strategy. From testing new markets to managing an interconnected product portfolio, Swift’s business acumen offers valuable lessons for product managers seeking to build innovative, loyal brands. Mike shares the Swift Product Playbook and tips for product managers to apply these tactics in their own work. Introduction Think Taylor Swift is just a pop star? Think again. Our guest is Mike Hyzy, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at CGI, and he’s about to show us how Swift has mastered product strategy better than most Fortune 500 companies. From her initial country music launch to her record-breaking Eras Tour, Swift has executed portfolio management, strategic pivots, and customer loyalty programs that rival the best product organizations in the world. Mike will show us the product playbook she used and that you can also use to make your next product or brand a fan favorite.   Mike brings 15+ years of product leadership, AI strategy, and innovation consulting to this conversation. He’s worked with enterprises across healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and technology. He’s the author of Gamification for Product Excellence and a certified Foresight Practitioner. Mike is here to decode the Swift Product Playbook and us product managers and leaders with an actionable framework.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers The Taylor Swift Product Playbook:Mike Hyzy presents his four-act framework, showing how Taylor Swift’s career is a masterclass in product development, portfolio management, market innovation, and user engagement. Each act is a lesson in understanding and serving your audience, strategic pivots, and creating strong customer loyalty. Act 1: Strategic Product Development:Swift’s rise began with deep audience insight—identifying an unmet need with honest, relatable songs for young women in country music. She used small, intimate shows to test new material and singles to probe markets before bigger releases. Her shift from country to pop famously followed this method, using singles as MVPs and analyzing fan response to guide bigger bets. Act 2: Portfolio Management and Expansion:Swift’s product portfolio extends well beyond music. After losing the rights to her early albums, she re-recorded and re-released them as “Taylor’s Version,” engaging fans and regaining control. She bypassed traditional channels, working directly with AMC for her concert film release. Act 3: Market Innovation:Swift consistently redefines industry norms, such as dropping a surprise folk album during COVID to match fans’ moods, and forging new distribution deals that cut out intermediaries. She turns market constraints into creative advantages, keeping close to her fan base’s changing needs. Act 4: Building Fanatic Loyalty:Swift invests heavily in user engagement, treating fans as collaborators rather than customers. She’s hands-on with social media, hosts private events, gamifies experiences (Easter eggs, online puzzles), and backs up every promise to her audience. Her brand fosters a sense of belonging and community, exemplifying the power of co-creation and customer delight. Putting It into Practice:Mike encourages product managers to find “Swift-inspired” opportunities in their own work: identify unmet customer needs, look for bold pivots, break industry conventions, reward loyal users, and turn users into co-creators for sustained brand impact. Steps Product Managers Can Take This Week:Mike challenges product managers to “build your era.” First, look at your product category and identify one job your user wants to do that no one is fully solving. Identify your biggest obstacle related to solving that problem. Reimagine your product and think about what a bold pivot would look like. Have a trusted friend or advisor hold you accountable to trying a bold experiment. Useful Links Connect with Mike on LinkedIn Read Mike’s Medium article, “The Swift Product Playbook” View Mike’s slides: The Swift Product Playbook_V.3_MHDownload Innovation Quote “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” – Albert Einstein Application Questions How can you apply Taylor Swift’s approach of testing new ideas with “mini-experiments” before going big with your own product launches? In what ways could interconnecting different parts of your product portfolio amplify customer engagement and revenues? How do you currently monitor and learn from customer sentiment? What would it look like to treat users as collaborators? What market “rules” in your industry could you break or bypass for innovation and value creation? What are some creative ways you could reward, involve, and gamify engagement for your most loyal users? Bio Mike Hyzy leads AI product innovation and strategic foresight at CGI, where he launched the product management practice and designed the AI Adoption Framework (A3F). As part of CGI’s national AI strategy team, he develops new solutions with internal teams and advises client executives on how to turn emerging AI capabilities into business advantage. Mike applies strategic foresight to separate signal from noise, giving leaders a clear view of emerging trajectories and the choices that matter for long-term strategy.  Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Vision statements and strategic themes to connect product management to business goals Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode, I’m interviewing Morten Sorensen, Vice President of Systems IT Portfolio Management at the US Federal Reserve, about aligning product work with organizational strategy. We explore the importance of vision statements, the use of strategic themes, and practical tools like strategy maps and alignment analysis to keep product teams focused and invested in company goals. Morten shares actionable advice on overcoming alignment gaps, fostering organizational motivation, and staying agile amid change. Introduction Many product managers can’t clearly explain how their work connects to company strategy. That’s not a knowledge problem—it’s a leadership problem. Let’s learn how to fix that. We’re talking about how to align product work with organizational strategy using vision statements and strategic themes that actually drive alignment and investments decisions.  Our guest is Morten Sorensen, Vice President of the System IT Portfolio Management Office at the US Federal Reserve. He’s also led large international customer programs and portfolio management at organizations including Verizon Business, Amtrak, and Peraton. He co-authored PMI’s Benefits Realization Management Framework and has served two terms on PMI’s Organizational Project Management Advisory Board. He holds certifications in portfolio, program, and project management, as well as SAFe Lean Portfolio Management.  Morten’s views and opinions expressed in this episode are his own and not those of the US Federal Reserve.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Strategy-Alignment Gap:Morten explains that many organizations struggle to translate overall company strategy into actionable product work. This is often a leadership—not a knowledge—issue. Achieving alignment demands repeated communication and clarity, especially through mechanisms like vision statements and strategic themes. Crafting an Effective Vision Statement:A well-crafted vision underpins long-term organizational direction. Vision statements should be concise yet comprehensive, capturing how the organization intends to create value and what the future will look and feel like. This vision must be consistently and repeatedly communicated to prevent misalignment and wasted effort. Using Strategic Themes for Focus:Morten explains that strategic themes act like lanes on the interstate, guiding teams on how to realize the vision. Rather than prescribing specific actions, strategic themes express high-level priorities, such as focusing on certain markets or technologies, and help translate the vision into OKRs and annual goals. They also provide a common framework for evaluating investment and initiative alignment. Visualizing with Strategy Maps:Strategy maps help make dependencies and priorities visible across the organization. By linking strategic themes visually, product leaders can communicate to their teams which capabilities are needed first and how various teams and objectives rely on each other. These maps help product teams make better plans. They can evolve into dashboards for ongoing tracking and risk management. Alignment Analysis & Portfolio Management:Effective portfolio management involves mapping current and proposed investments to strategic themes, a process Morten calls alignment analysis. This technique uncovers duplication, gaps, or misaligned initiatives, ensuring resources go to projects that truly support company strategy. Regular review and honest assessment are essential, and organizations should be willing to phase out initiatives that no longer fit. Embracing Change and Communication:Product leaders must constantly communicate the why behind strategy, both to motivate employees and to support organizational change management. Morten warns against assuming people understand the purpose behind strategic shifts and underscores the need to revisit and revise strategy regularly, especially as market conditions change. Useful Links Connect with Morten on LinkedIn View Morten’s slides on vision and strategy: M Sorensen Strategy ExamplesDownload Innovation Quote “A good strategy accounts for successful delivery of value.” – Morten Sorensen Application Questions How well can you articulate the connection between your current product work and your organization’s overarching vision or strategy? What strategic themes (if any) does your organization use, and how do they influence project selection and prioritization? How frequently and by what means are strategic objectives communicated to your product team? Is this sufficient? Does your organization use tools like strategy maps or alignment analysis to visualize dependencies and alignment across initiatives? If not, how could you introduce these practices? What barriers exist in your organization regarding change management or aligning performance management with strategic shifts, and how might you address them? Bio Morten Sorensen is an enterprise strategy execution leader with global experience in IT transformation, portfolio and program management, product management, and large-scale service delivery across four continents. He is currently Vice President of the System IT Portfolio Management Office at the U.S. Federal Reserve, holds multiple significant certifications (PfMP, PgMP, PMP, DASSM, SAFe LPM), and is a frequent international speaker passionate about connecting organizational strategy to measurable value through effective end-to-end alignment.  Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Engaging employees and systems for sustainable innovation growth Watch on YouTube TLDR This episode features Maggie Nichols, CEO of Eureka! Ranch, who breaks down how organizations can transform innovation from a risky bet into a repeatable system. She discusses practical frameworks for diagnosing and building innovation capability, the critical role of culture and psychology, and actionable steps that product leaders can take within 30 days to start making change. Listen for real-world examples, key metrics, and the importance of systems thinking in innovation success. Introduction Most organizations can generate ideas. The problem isn’t coming up with possibilities – it’s turning those ideas into shipped innovations that actually create value. Your ideas don’t get funded or they die in development, lose momentum in stage-gate reviews, or get compromised until they’re unrecognizable. This episode is about changing that and building innovation systems that work. You’ll learn the specific components needed to transform innovation from a random gamble into a reliable capability. You’ll walk away with a framework you can start implementing in the next 30 days.  Our guest is Maggie Nichols, CEO of Eureka! Ranch, an innovation firm that has contributed $18 billion in growth for client companies. Over 25 years, she’s built innovation systems for Fortune 500 companies including Ford, Humana, Johnson & Johnson, and Toyota. She co-founded the Innovation Engineering movement, training over 26,000 innovators globally. Under her leadership, Eureka! Ranch drove an 800% profit increase and expanded client reach by 500%. She has also pioneered AI tools that predict innovation success with 7 times the accuracy of human judgment. If you want to improve innovation, Maggie is one to listen to.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Diagnosing Innovation Capability:Maggie outlines the first step for any organization wanting to improve innovation: an honest diagnosis. Leaders should look beyond obvious KPIs like shipped products to evaluate internal factors, such as whether promising ideas are rejected due to lack of capability, restrictive human work systems, or low employee engagement. She explains how culture, systems, and engagement are interconnected and should be investigated in depth. The Three Mandates for Innovation Systems:Successful innovation systems rest on three pillars: (1) shipping new ideas that create growth, (2) enabling human work systems and behaviors that support innovation, and (3) nurturing employee engagement so the whole organization is ready and willing to innovate. Leaders often dial down ambition out of fear, risk aversion, or system constraints. All three mandates must be addressed for real innovation capability. The Role of Psychology and Framing Risk:Maggie encourages innovation leaders to think about both systems and psychology related to every piece of their work. For example, when someone pitches an idea, the leader can ask what are the “death threats” for that idea. This framing encourages a productive discussion, builds psychological safety, and moves teams from confrontation to problem-solving. Other tactics like pre-mortems normalize risk evaluation and make teams more open to new ideas. Building the System: Leadership, Training, and Structure:Change starts with leadership alignment on what innovation realistically takes—beyond innovation theater. Maggie describes training programs designed to build core innovation skills throughout the organization. Starter projects and small wins help create momentum, while larger organizations may require an integrated, cross-functional innovation system that continually adapts. Sustaining Innovation: Metrics and Continuous Improvement:To protect and sustain innovation efforts, Maggie recommends tracking practical metrics tied to each of the three innovation mandates, such as number of ideas implemented to“stop the stupid,” speed of moving ideas through the pipeline, meaningful uniqueness, and proactive versus reactive work. She advocates measuring what needs to change, not just what’s already working, and using culture benchmarks to diagnose and improve innovation culture. 30-Day Action Plan:For immediate impact, Maggie suggests product leaders start by innovating within their own sphere of influence. Observe the three core areas—growth, human work systems, and engagement—in your team. Identify what you control, choose an area to improve, and take practical steps to build momentum. Useful Links Check out Proactive Problem Solving by Doug Hall, founder of Eureka! Ranch Get free Innovation White Belt Training. Use coupon code productmasterynow for 100% discount. Normal price is $750. Code is good until March 31, 2026. Learn more about Eureka! Ranch Connect with Maggie on LinkedIn Innovation Quote “Ninety-four percent of the problem is the system. Six percent is the worker.” – W. Edwards Deming Application Questions Which of the three innovation system mandates (growth, work systems, engagement) is currently weakest in your organization—and why? What are the biggest psychological or cultural barriers you’ve observed that prevent impactful ideas from moving forward? How can you utilize the “death threats” or pre-mortem approach to foster more open and productive innovation debates in your team? What specific metrics could you track right now to measure progress and secure ongoing support for innovation in your organization? In the next 30 days, what is one step you (or your team) can take to begin building or strengthening your innovation system? Bio Maggie Nichols is the CEO of the Eureka! Ranch. Throughout her career at Eureka! she’s worked with 100s of leaders to innovate across B2B, B2C, Industrial, Services, Government and non-profit sectors with notable organizations like Humana, March of Dimes, Department of Commerce, Butterball, Ford, Schlumberger, Johnson & Johnson, Frito-Lay, GSK, Toyota and Chase Bank. Today she leads the Eureka! Ranch, a company founded by Doug Hall, and serves as an executive coach for leadership teams focused on innovation. Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

From “move fast and break things” to responsible product management Watch on YouTube TLDR This episode explores how culture acts as a powerful predictor of long-term product success. I’m talking with product leader Namrta Raghvendra, who has extensive experience at Meta, Salesforce, LinkedIn, and Dell and understands the importance of team culture in building resilient, innovative product organizations. We discuss the relationship between culture and strategy, the evolution of organizational culture as companies scale, practical rituals for reinforcing team culture, and actionable advice for navigating major transitions like reorganizations. Introduction How’s your product team doing? What metrics would you use? Is team culture on your list? In this discussion, we’re exploring why culture isn’t just a nice-to-have but a strong predictor of long-term product success. We’ll explore how to build resilience that survives market shifts, and improve product success by improving team success.  Our guest is product leader Namrta Raghvendra. She has over 15 years of experience building technology products that help connect communities. Previously at Meta, she built digital advertising products to connect billions of users with their favorite businesses. Prior to that, she helped launch AI-powered chatbots at Salesforce to help businesses connect with their customers seamlessly and held product roles at LinkedIn and at Dell.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Nam’s Career Journey:Nam shares insights from her 15+ years in the tech industry, with highlights from her time scaling LinkedIn Recruiter, launching Salesforce’s first AI chatbot, and leading ads product growth at Meta. Throughout her career, she has gravitated toward roles where she can make high-impact product decisions that solve real user problems. Culture’s Impact on Product Success:Culture is the operating system of a team, directly influencing how decisions are made, how teams execute strategy, and how successful products are built. Nam emphasizes that a good strategy is only as effective as the culture that enables its execution and adaptability. Meta’s Culture Shift: From “Move Fast and Break Things” to Responsibility:Nam describes the culture shift at Meta, from a scrappy “move fast and break things” culture to a more responsible, process-driven approach. In the early days of Meta, the product teams shipped quickly and continued to iterate on the product after it was shipped. Later, the company focused on foreseeing and preventing avoidable harm early on. The product teams had to have more rigorous guardrails and collaborate more closely with policy and legal teams. While the change added work and delayed timelines initially, the company iterated on the process itself for a year, and eventually it was seen as an enabler for healthier, safer product development and preserving user trust. Measuring and Building Strong Team Culture:Nam observes that a good strategy is only as successful as its execution, and execution depends on the company culture. She outlines practical leading indicators of strong culture, such as quality of disagreement, accountability, learning rate, humility, and ownership. Team Resilience during Reorgs:During reorgs or periods of uncertainty, Nam recommends leaders provide clarity regarding changes and expectations, restore agency to individual team members, and focus on achieving and celebrating quick wins. Transparent communication and small, shared successes help teams maintain morale and momentum. Rituals to Reinforce Team Culture:Nam uses rituals with her team like decision logs, learning reviews, and premortems help teams build shared understanding, learn from failures, and encourage risk taking. Useful Link Connect with Namrta on LinkedIn Innovation Quote “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” – Peter Drucker  Application Questions How would you describe the current culture in your product team? What impact does it have on your daily work and decision-making? What leading indicators or rituals do you use—or could you use—to measure and reinforce a strong, resilient team culture? How has your team’s culture evolved as your organization has grown or changed? What lessons can you draw from any major transitions? What role does psychological safety play in your team’s risk-taking and learning processes? How could you improve it? Think about the last major organizational change (like a reorg or product pivot) you experienced. What approaches helped your team stay motivated and aligned, and where could you improve? Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Alignment between product and project management Watch on YouTube TLDR This episode dives into the often-overlooked divide between product and project management and how bridging this gap can unleash greater innovation in organizations. Leah Huf and Jill Diffendall from the Project Management Institute (PMI) share research findings, actionable frameworks, and real-world experiences to help product and project professionals collaborate more effectively, align success metrics, and deliver true customer value. Introduction Product teams create features that never launch. Project teams deliver on time but miss the market. Sound familiar?  Today we’re tackling the costly disconnect between product and project management – a divide that’s holding back innovation in organizations everywhere. You’ll discover how to overcome the three biggest collaboration obstacles, and a proven framework for turning friction into fusion.  Joining us are Leah Huf and Jill Diffendal from the Project Management Institute, who’ve not only researched this product/project partnership but are actively implementing these principles to transform how PMI delivers value. Leah brings 14 years of experience spanning operations, program, and product management, currently serving as Senior Product Operations Manager at PMI. Jill, with over 20 years in content development and strategic communications, manages thought leadership research that’s reshaping how we think about project success.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Product and Project Management:Jill shares that PMI’s research found a huge overlap between product and project management, with 79% of product managers having worked as project managers, and many project managers working on product development. This overlap emphasizes the necessity for better integration between the disciplines. Comparing and Contrasting the Roles:Leah breaks down distinctions between product and project managers—product managers focus on customer value, vision, and strategy, while project managers handle execution, risk, and alignment. However, both groups share responsibility for outcome delivery and success, requiring collaboration, adaptability, and shared risk management. The Shift to Product-Led Organizations:We discuss the increasing trend toward product-led models, where organizations not only deliver products but also maintain and improve them over their lifecycle. Jill and Leah explain how this organizational orientation requires new governance structures, ongoing cross-functional teams, and a centralized focus on continued customer value. Major Obstacles and How to Overcome Them:Unclear boundaries and competing definitions of success can undermine collaboration. Leah advises early, open conversations between product and project teams, sharing tools, aligning on metrics, and breaking down silos. Both guests emphasize that trust and communication—not just rigid processes—are foundational to effective partnerships. Useful Links Connect with Jill and Leah on LinkedIn Learn more about PMI Innovation Quote  “Trust is in fact earned in the smallest of moments. It is earned not through heroic deeds or highly visible actions, but through paying attention, listening, and gestures of genuine caring connection.” – Brené Brown “Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal.” – Walt Disney Application Questions Where in your organization do you see disconnects between your product and project counterparts? How have these affected outcomes? How does your team define success, and are those definitions aligned or at odds with other teams, such as project management? What processes or tools could be adopted or adapted to create better collaborative rhythms between product and project roles? Have you experienced value being lost at handoff points? What strategies could prevent that in your context? How can you help foster a culture where transparent conversation about roles and responsibilities is both encouraged and normalized? Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Using AI to remove friction from the product innovation process Watch on YouTube TLDR This episode explores how product managers can dramatically speed up and improve early-stage idea validation using AI, featuring Nate Patel, co-founder of ProtoBoost.ai. We discuss practical innovation frameworks, reducing uncertainty, simulation of customer interviews, and the limits of relying solely on AI for product decisions. The conversation covers actionable steps for leveraging AI in product management and offers guidance on maintaining the human element in the innovation process. Introduction Product managers can spend months validating ideas that could only take days. You’re doing customer interviews, reading marketing reports, building spreadsheets, sketching prototypes, estimating market size—all before you know if anyone actually wants what you’re building. By the time you have enough data to make a decision, your competitor has already shipped. This episode cuts through that.  Nate Patel is with us. He and MIT professor David Robertson built ProtoBoost.ai to compress weeks of validation work into hours using AI. You’ll learn how AI handles the grunt work of idea validation—generating prototypes, simulating customer interviews, scoring market potential—so you can focus on the decisions only you can make.  Nate is a four-time CTO and CPO who’s been building products for over 20 years. He teaches AI security at MIT Sloan and knows the two things you need to know when creating a product: what AI can do and what it shouldn’t do.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers The Importance of Defining the Problem:Nate explains the biggest innovation mistake: jumping to solutions without true clarity on the problem. Drawing from the discipline entrepreneurship framework used at MIT, he describes how a robust process starts with asking who the customer is, what their real problems are, and why they would change current solutions. He emphasizes that product managers should not fall in love with a solution before validating it with evidence. ProtoBoost.ai is designed to help product teams quickly do market analysis and collect customer insights so they can decide whether a product is worth building. Structuring Innovation with AI:ProtoBoost.ai uses AI to remove friction the innovation process. It applies structure to innovation by leveraging eight specialized AI agents. These AI tools handle repetitive market and user research tasks, propose alternative concepts, simulate customer interviews, and produce useful outputs like prototype decks and landing pages. Nate stresses that AI shouldn’t replace human judgment—it accelerates learning and decision-making, but the team always decides what to build. Step-By-Step Through ProtoBoost.ai:When using ProtoBoost.ai, a user begins by describing their problem. The AI agents then assist with market analysis, beachhead market selection, user needs analysis, simulated customer interviews, and prototype creation. Based on the pain points and user needs identified, the AI provides alternative solution. The user can select ideas, and the AI generates a deck of images and summaries representing these ideas. The AI then assists with prototyping. Nate explains that this entire process to get a prototype out into the market could take just an hour. The Human-AI Balance in Product Management:While AI is excellent for handling structured, repetitive work and suggesting creative ideas, it falls short in areas requiring empathy, contextual understanding, and real-world trade-offs. Product managers should remain decision-makers, using AI as a tool to inform but not dictate the path forward. Real-Life Example:Nate shares a case where a product manager used ProtoBoost.ai to refine an internal sales tool. By running multiple validation cycles and simulated interviews, the PM clarified the true user pain points and adjusted their approach before building anything, saving significant time and avoiding wasted effort. Looking Forward: AI in Product Management:Looking ahead, Nate sees AI handling more of the grunt work in product management, freeing teams to focus on tasks that require trust and context, especially high-stakes decisions grounded in empathy and strategy. Nate recommends that if you would not feel comfortable telling your customer or CEO that you used AI for a certain task, then it is not a task for AI. Useful Links Try out ProtoBoost.ai Connect with Nate on LinkedIn Check out Nate’s newsletter, AI, Product & Tech Innovation Quote “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker Application Questions Which parts of your innovation process are most bogged down by manual research or repetitive work today? How might you incorporate AI-based tools to speed up early idea validation without sacrificing decision quality? What assumptions underpin your current product ideas, and how explicit are you about testing them before moving forward? Where would you draw the line between tasks you’d automate with AI and those needing human judgment in your team? Reflecting on a recent product decision, how might simulated customer interviews or market analysis have altered your approach? Bio Nate Patel works at the intersection of business, technology, and AI—helping organizations move from experimentation to real transformation. With over 20 years of experience building and scaling products, he focuses on how companies can turn AI from a buzzword into a durable competitive advantage.  He believes the next era of growth won’t come from adding more tools, but from rethinking how decisions are made, how products are designed, and how intelligence is embedded into everyday workflows. Nate has led AI-powered initiatives across industries including e-commerce, construction, logistics, and enterprise services, always with an emphasis on practical impact over hype.  As the founder of Omnifyd AI and SFWP Experts, Nate helps leaders navigate the shift toward AI-native organizations—where automation, machine learning, and private AI systems are thoughtfully aligned with strategy, culture, and execution. His work spans everything from early prototypes to enterprise-scale platforms, with a consistent focus on clarity, velocity, and long-term value.  At the core of his work is a simple idea: AI doesn’t replace leadership—it raises the bar for it. The companies that win will be the ones that use AI deliberately, responsibly, and creatively to build the future they want. Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Practical tips for product managers facilitating innovation workshops Watch on YouTube TLDR Innovation strategy workshops offer a powerful way to reimagine product roadmaps—if done well. In this episode, I’m interviewing Amy Meginnes, a seasoned innovation workshop facilitator from Philips & Co., who shares a framework for designing, executing, and following through on workshops that deliver real outcomes. From doing pre-work and selecting the right participants to engaging activities, convergence techniques, and post-workshop follow-through, Amy breaks down best practices, common pitfalls, and actionable tips for product leaders aiming to run workshops that truly drive value. Introduction Your next breakthrough product isn’t hiding in market research reports or competitor analysis. There’s a better way—a well-run innovation strategy workshop. Done right, this workshop can transform your product roadmap, but done poorly, it waste everyone’s time and leave teams more frustrated than inspired. You’ve probably sat through workshops that generated hundreds of sticky notes but zero real outcomes. Or maybe you’ve been asked to facilitate one yourself and wondered how to avoid the common pitfalls. In this discussion, you’ll learn the framework for designing, running, and implementing innovation workshops that actually drive results—from choosing participants to converting ideas into funded initiatives. Our guest is Amy Meginnes. Amy brings 15 years of experience facilitating innovation workshops for Fortune 500 companies. She’s developed breakthrough strategies for clients including SCJ Johnson, National Science Foundation, World Trade Center Association, US Foods,  Honeywell, and has helped organizations from startups to enterprises transform their innovation processes. She is a strategist at Phillips & Co., a leading strategy and innovation consultancy based in Chicago. Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers The Power of Innovation Strategy Workshops:Innovation workshops provide focused time away from daily routines, encouraging teams to reimagine their products and strategies with fresh, creative thinking. Essential Pre-work:Preparation sets the foundation for a successful workshop. Facilitators should interview or survey those closest to the product—frontline employees, customers, and potential users—rather than just executives. Participants benefit from simple pre-work, such as answering a few questions or reflecting on market gaps, ensuring they’re ready to think big and avoid feeling overwhelmed. Defining Strategic Opportunity Areas:Amy focuses an innovation strategy workshop on identifying strategic areas of opportunity or whitespaces. These could be new customer segments, differentiators in service delivery, or deeper exploration of technologies like AI. These areas should be identified based on data and customer insights gathered during pre-work, ensuring the workshop targets opportunities with real business impact. Workshop Structure and Participants:Amy recommends a workshop duration of 1.5 to 2.5 days. Innovation workshops work best with diverse groups—cross-functional specialists, customer-facing team members, decision makers like a product VP, and, ideally, some actual customers. A manageable group size and variety of perspectives help fuel more productive and energized sessions. Including Customers and Experts:Direct customer involvement in workshops or special customer summits provides firsthand feedback and valuable ideas. Inviting outside expert ideators further expands the team’s thinking, challenges assumptions, and helps visualize concepts, making ideation more tangible. Setting Up a Safe Space:Start the workshop by setting expectations and creating a psychologically safe environment with playful tools to encourage divergent thinking. Amy hands participants foam balls and invites them to practice throwing them at anybody who is being a naysayer. Exploring Whitespaces:During the workshop, Amy takes the team on “excursions” to explore strategic areas of opportunity. This can involve short group discussions or hours-long activities. Amy recommends active, tactile, and varied activities. Collect materials that participants create and have a person at the workshop whose job is dedicated to recording ideas. Amy shares a few ideas for excursions: Process Map Activity:One possible activity is visually exploring a process flow. Represent the steps in a process, such as a customer interacting with the product, on a wall. Have participants get out of their seats and talk through pain points. Then sit down and iterate on how the team could address the pain points. Explore a Different Industry:Remind participants that 99% of the problems they are experiencing in business have already been solved somewhere else. Get inspiration from how a company in a different industry or a different country has solved a similar problem. Converging on Ideas:Wrap up the session by narrowing down ideas through voting or targeted discussions. Invite participants to invite concepts against specific business criteria, such as revenue targets or customer retention, to ensure the winning ideas link directly to organizational goals. Post-Workshop Follow-Through:Successful workshops require strong follow-through: assigning ownership of ideas to individuals or small teams, thoroughly documenting discussions, and using established rubrics to assess and advance concepts. Clear accountability and process ensure ideas translate from sticky notes to practical action. Facilitators’ Energy:Amy says that being a good workshop facilitator is all about energy. She recommends that facilitators amplify their energy 10% in meetings and 30% in front of an entire room. If leading with high energy doesn’t fit your style, consider finding a colleague who thrives in that role to maximize impact. Useful Links Connect with Amy on LinkedIn Learn more about Phillips & Co. Connect with Phillips & Co. on Instagram Innovation Quote “Aim to be heroically consistent, not consistently heroic.” – unknown Application Questions What’s the most common pitfall you’ve seen (or experienced) in innovation workshops, and how could it have been avoided? Who outside of your product team could you invite to your next workshop to bring in truly fresh perspectives? What pre-work activity would best help your introverted teammates prepare for a successful ideation session? How do you ensure that workshop ideas actually get resourced and executed, rather than dying on sticky notes? What rubric or criteria could you co-create with key stakeholders to evaluate and advance the best workshop ideas? Bio Amy brings 15+ years of expertise in strategy, research, and innovation, transforming organizations from start-ups to the Fortune 500 across technology, life sciences, healthcare, retail, and hospitality. A University of Iowa graduate and former Archeworks fellow, she applies human-centered design to tackle complex challenges – from Chicago’s housing crisis to global education equity as Board Chair of Pangea Educational Development. Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

A product manager at Moleaer on science-driven product innovation Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode of Product Mastery Now, I’m interviewing Christian Ference, Global Product Manager at Moleaer, about the company’s groundbreaking work with nanobubble technology. Moleaer’s innovative approach earned them the PDMA Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award, and Christian Ference shares how they’ve commercialized science-fiction sounding concepts for real-world impact, scaling the technology across industries from aquaculture to surface water remediation and even spas like Jacuzzi. The discussion dives into their 4D innovation process (Discovery, Definition, Develop, Demonstrate/Deploy), the messiness of innovation, and the importance of matching emerging science to customer needs. Introduction Your organization might be killing breakthrough products before they’re born. Most breakthrough ideas never see the light of day. However, that is not true for the case study we’ll examine in this episode. We’ll explore how to build an innovation engine that turns science fiction-sounding ideas into market winning products with Christian Ference from Moleaer. His company won PDMA’s Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award by creating an entirely new technology category – nanobubbles – and deploying more than 3,500 systems globally in under eight years. You’ll discover the innovation practices that made them successful and that you can use in your organization. Christian is Global Product Manager at Moleaer, where he’s driven the commercialization of nanobubble technology from a mere concept with a two-person R&D team to what is now the standard practice across the industry. He holds degrees in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from University of Pittsburgh and previously co-founded Cropolis, giving him both startup and scale-up expertise in bringing emerging technologies to market. Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Nanobubble Technology and Its Applications:Christian Ference introduces listeners to nanobubbles—tiny bubbles 200 nanometers or smaller, naturally occurring but now able to be precisely generated and used thanks to Moleaer’s technology. He explains how these nanobubbles are deployed to attain new levels of efficiency and sustainability in industries such as aquaculture, surface water remediation, and home spas and Jacuzzis. Applying for the PDMA Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award:The rigorous review process for PDMA’s OCI Award forced Moleaer to deeply analyze and articulate the scope of their innovation activities. Moleaer faces the challenge of simultaneously advancing science and developing product applications. In some markets, like aquaculture, the science is well understood and the company is confident of good product-market fit. In emerging markets, the science is developing alongside the product-market fit, so continual iteration is necessary. Moleaer’s 4D Innovation Process:Christian explained Moleaer’s 4D solutions development process: Discovery, Definition, Development, and Demonstration/Deployment. This process helps the team know how much risk is appropriate to take at each stage. In the early stages, fast iteration and experimentation is the priority, and in later stages the iteration speed is slower as the focus shifts to finding an optimal solution and scaling. Case Study: Jacuzzi True Water Product:Christian walks through how Moleaer collaborated with Jacuzzi to bring a new product to market. By following the 4D process, the team iterated quickly to address both customer desires for clean, odor-free water and technical constraints, ultimately succeeding in creating a market-ready solution that reduced chemical usage and improved user experience. Discovery: The team used a “reason to believe” framework, asking if there is a reason to believe the capabilities of nanobubbles can achieve the customers’ needs. They determined they could use nanobubbles to recue maintenance, improve water clarity, eliminate odors, and reduce chemical usage. Definition: The team rapidly prototyped nanobubble technology and quantitively measured the effects of nanobubbles in a spa, finding that nanobubble technology can eliminate chlorine smell and improve water clarity. Development: The team made hundreds of iterations of a nanobubble generator that met Jacuzzi’s requirements, such as power needs, water quality, and price point. This phase also involved refining the scope of the project to achieve the desired timeline, budget, and performance. Demonstration/Deployment: The team implemented their solution in a Jacuzzi factory. This stage is often the least exciting part of product development, but Christian points out that it’s important to execute well, because if you don’t do 100% of the work, you may get 0% of the value. Useful Links Learn more about Moleaer Connect with Christian on LinkedIn Innovation Quote “Innovation is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” – Thomas Edison Application Questions How do you balance developing new technology with ensuring it addresses real customer needs and delivers measurable value? In your organization, what structures or processes exist to help move an innovation from messy experimentation to scalable deployment? How can product teams stay motivated and maintain momentum during the less glamorous but necessary phases of product launch and documentation? What methods do you use to translate qualitative customer desires into quantitative solution requirements? When entering a new market or technology domain, how do you determine the right speed and level of risk for iteration and shipping prototypes? Bio Christian Ference is Global Product Manager at Moleaer at Moleaer, Inc. Christian’s research focuses on the use of nanobubbles for treating algae, algae toxins, and improving aquatic environments. Outside of aquatic management, his research focuses on the unique properties of nanobubbles and their application in a variety of markets. Christian earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Recap of key insights for product managers Watch on YouTube Introduction It is the first episode of 2026 and the beginning of the 12th year of the Product Mastery Now podcast, the longest running podcast for product managers. I’m recapping some stand-out episodes from 2025 and a couple from the previous years. I’m joined by my daughter and podcast producer, Kaitlin, who has written the podcast shownotes for the last several years. We each selected episodes from 2025 and an episode from the previous 10 years. I share my key takeaways from these episodes and we discuss the innovation quotes the guests shared. Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers 568: How product operations drives efficiency and growth – with Robert Marten Robert, at Pendo, explained how to apply the idea of project operations to product management. A product operations capability helps product managers improve their work and consistency, especially when presenting to senior leadership.Innovation Quote: “Every system is perfectly designed to get the result it gets.” – Edwards Deming If we don’t get the results we want from a system, the system isn’t broken; it’s delivering what it’s designed to deliver. If you’re not getting what you want from your product management group, try to fix your processes. Sometimes people get blamed when the process needs to fixed. 569: Product innovation insights from non-buyer stakeholders – with Jenn Tuetken Jenn, director of innovation at Pella, explained how Pella reframed a problem with window installation. Previously the window industry attempted to solve problems with installation by training installers better. Pella instead decided to make their windows easier to install by doing ethnographic research with installers, who are important stakeholders but not customers. Innovation Quote: “I don’t exactly know where I’m going, but I know how I’m going to get there.” – Boyd Varty, lion tracker In innovation, we often don’t know the customer’s problem or solution until we do research. Innovation is a process of moving forward and learning along the way. 558: How sketch comedy makes you a better product manager and developer – with John Krewson John, a software product leader and professional sketch comedy performer, explained how principles from sketch comedy can be applied to product management. Improvisation is a useful skill for innovators, since we don’t always know what the next step is. Innovation Quote: “We don’t go on because it’s ready. We go on because it’s 11:30.” – Lorne Michaels This quote refers to Saturday Night Live’s performances, which started at 11:30, whether the team was ready or not. Similarly, a product may have to launch before the team feels it’s fully ready, and deadlines can ensure we keep moving forward. 549: Mastering product innovation, based on 60 years of design insights – with Scot & Walter Herbst Father and son Walter and Scot Herbst shared insights from their many years of product experience. Today, their design firm Herbst Produkt builds products for other companies. They guarantee that if they don’t come up with a market-winning product, their work will be free. They’re able to do this by deeply understanding the root cause of the problem and considering many alternative solutions. They bring four versions of a minimum viable product to the customer and synthesize the results from testing those into a single optimized product. Innovation Quote: “There is no prize for solving correctly what proves to be the wrong problem.”  – Emeritus Dean Julio Ottino from Northwestern University Many companies don’t validate their product until they launch it. A clear product process, which considers multiple possible solutions and validates them with customers along the way, ensures we launch a product that actually solves the customer’s problem. 2025 Special: My favorite product innovation conference – with Spike Ross-Corbett and Bill Reid In this episode, we talked about our favorite speakers at past PDMA Innovation conferences. Highlights include: Geoff Thatcher’s Experience Design Model: Apply theme park design (attract, trust, inform, internalize, act) to product management. Marissa Mayer’s 20% Time Story: Google’s AdSense was born from a culture that allows even “bad ideas” to be pursued, powering breakthrough innovation. DFW Innovation Culture (Outstanding Corporate Innovator Award Winner): Everyone can be an innovator. Cross-org training fosters every-employee innovation, even in public sector contexts.  Innovation Quote: “Someone is going to make your product obsolete. Make sure it’s you.” – Edwin Land Customer preferences and technology change, and if you’re not close to your customer, someone else who understands their needs better will surpass you. 548: Building a culture of fearless product innovation at Snap-On Tools – with Ben Brenton, PhD When Ben, Chief Innovation Officer at Snap-On Tools, was first on the podcast in 2017, he was building a culture of innovation by spending four days each week out of the office to observe and talk to customers in their facilities. He brought along other employees from across the organization. In 2025, Ben was in the office two days a month and spent the rest of the time out with customers. Innovation Quote: “The biggest mistakes in innovation are the products you don’t launch, not the ones you launch and fail.” – Ben Brenton Products that launch and fail are learning opportunities. Product managers need to embrace failures and learn fast and break things. 522: Stop the stupid using proactive problem solving – with Doug Hall Doug is the founder of Eureka! Ranch, which helps companies generate ideas, get to know customers, and develop products. Dough uses the phrase “stop the stupid” to remind innovators to get rid of processes that don’t create good outcomes for the team or the customer. In this episode, Doug talked about practical tips for solving problems more effectively. Innovation Quote: “Ninety-four percent of the problem is the system. Six percent is the worker.” – Edwards Deming Most problems are system problems, not people problems. 077: Scaling lean product management – with Ash Maurya Ash, author of Running Lean and Scaling Lean, explained that we need to understand the problem our product is solving for the customer, not just create a product that sounds interesting. Innovation Quote: “Love the problem, not the solution.”  –Ash Maurya It’s easy for product managers and engineers to get attached to their solution, causing us to be resistant to change or improvement. Instead, we should fall in love with the customer’s problem and deeply understand it and then rapidly iterate and validate our solution. 046: Building a global innovation capability at a large enterprise – with Caterpillar Director of Innovation Ken Gray Ken, Caterpillar’s global Director of Innovation, explained how Caterpillar structured innovation into three categories: Core – doing what Caterpillar already does but doing it better. Adjacent – finding opportunities that are logical extensions of what Caterpillar does today or can be created by spanning business units. Transformation – entirely new places for Caterpillar to go that you would not expect to be part of their business. Innovation Quote: “Anything that won’t sell, I don’t want to invent.  Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success.” – Thomas A. Edison Build the product customers actually want, not something that is just clever or novel. Edison was known for being very good at marketing and at understanding what customers want. Chad’s Favorite Innovation Quote “Fall down seven times. Get up eight.” – Japanese proverb Bio Chad McAllister, PhD, is a product management professor, practitioner, trainer, and host of the Product Mastery Now podcast. He has 30+ years of professional experience in product and leadership roles across large and small organizations and dynamic startups, and now devotes his time to teaching and helping others improve. He co-authored “Product Development and Management Body of Knowledge: A Guide Book for Product Innovation Training and Certification.” The book distills five decades of industry research and current practice into actionable wisdom, empowering product professionals to innovate and excel. Chad also teaches the next generation of product leaders through advanced graduate courses at institutions including Boston University and Colorado State University and notably re-engineered the Innovation MBA program at the University of Fredericton, significantly broadening its impact. Further, he provides online training for product managers and leaders to prepare for their next career step — see https://productmasterynow.com/. Thanks! Thank you for taking the journey to product mastery and learning with me from the successes and failures of product innovators, managers, and developers. If you enjoyed the discussion, help out a fellow product manager by sharing it using the social media buttons you see below. Source

Reinvented innovation sprints for lasting culture change on product management teams Watch on YouTube TLDR This episode of Product Mastery Now features a conversation with Sarah Stabelfeldt, VP of Innovation, and Melissa Pierson, Innovation Programs Manager at Schreiber Foods, about building high-impact innovation processes within large organizations. The discussion centers on Schreiber Foods’ journey to revitalize their innovation culture, launch The Hatchery coaching and innovation program, and successfully integrate AI tools to accelerate value creation. Key takeaways include how to foster cross-functional collaboration, strategies for maintaining innovation momentum after sprints, and practical ways to leverage AI to free teams for more meaningful, creative work. Introduction Product innovation processes are quickly improving. While this is great news, most organizations don’t even have a well-defined process. In this discussion, we’re exploring how to build an innovation engine that works, delivering value to customers and to the organization, with real AI integration that cuts development time from months to weeks or even days. If you’ve ever felt like your innovation sprints lose momentum, your stakeholders resist change, or you’re not sure how to practically use AI beyond the hype, you’re not alone. These are the challenges that led a $7 billion food company to reimagine how they innovate. And, we’ll learn about the innovation approach they created, called The Hatchery, including the AI tools they use. Our guests are both with Schreiber Foods. Sara Stabelfeldt is the VP of Innovation and was previously an Innovation Leader at Kimberly-Clark. Melissa Pierson, is the Innovation Programs Manager, who previously worked in quality systems and also held quality positions at Eli Lilly.  Summary of Concepts Discussed for Product Managers Schreiber Foods’ Innovation TransformationSchreiber Foods is a $7 billion customer-branded food company that manufactures cheese, yogurt, cream cheese, and aseptic beverages for retailers and food service. When CEO Ron Dunford took over in 2019, he initiated a transformation to accelerate growth by amplifying innovation capability. This led to a comprehensive innovation ecosystem including core innovation (supporting existing business), adjacent innovation (new revenue streams), digital labs, corporate venture capital, and The Hatchery—an innovation approach that helps companies build practical innovation cultures and programs. Building Culture Through the Snowball EffectSarah describes building culture as akin to building a snowball, an analogy coined by her colleague Erin Faulk. You can’t force culture by pushing too hard or it crumbles. Instead, you form it and let it roll, responding to the organizational climate, context, and people. Culture is built through repeated actions that demonstrate what’s valued, not just through messaging. This approach recognizes that innovation culture must adapt to its environment rather than being imposed from above. The Hatchery Innovation FrameworkSara explains that The Hatchery is an innovation approach developed at Schreiber Foods to equip product managers and innovators with the tools, structure, and approach to maximize culture and impact. The program alternates between learning and doing to help teams develop, practice and embed mindsets, behaviors, and technical skills in the organization to reignite innovation journeys. Practically implementing the Hatchery involves strategic coaching and mentoring, creating a culture of innovation, using an innovation toolbox, and running innovation sprints. Building Innovation CultureMelissa explains that The Hatchery helps teams believe that complex problems can be solved. Product teams that participate in sprints often return to their jobs with a new mindset to find different ways to solve problems. Product Innovation SprintsIn The Hatchery framework, cross-functional teams participate in week-long innovation sprints, applying best practices from a variety of innovation methodologies. These sprints begin with determining what the business or team is trying to achieve and identifying and quantifying the problem that is holding them back. Next, the team approaches the problem with empathy, trying to understand how other business units experience the same problem. Understanding others’ pain points allows the organization to share a collaborative mission. Next, the team discusses Jobs-To-Be-Done or “How might we” statements to unlock progress. They then work on idea generation, prioritization, and prototyping. The outcome of the sprint is a set of ideas and clarity on the next steps. Ending the Sprint with an Open HouseThe Hatchery sprints end with an open house, during which the team shows their work in progress to others from across the organization who help build ideas and give feedback. Sustaining Momentum After Innovation SprintsOne of the biggest challenges in innovation is maintaining energy and progress after the initial sprint ends. The Hatchery address this by building momentum during and after the sprint. The sprint has an executive sponsor for the sprint and is strategically aligned to a business imperative. Innovation champions on the team have a passion for innovation and the mindset and skillset to help the team continue to implement what they learned during the sprint. The coaches who lead the sprint stay involved to help move the project forward. Real-World Example: Industrial B2B Service Model TransformationAn organization in the industrial B2B space had an ambitious concept that would redefine their service model and expand market reach. When they presented the big idea, experienced stakeholders immediately became cautious, filtering the concept to protect the business from perceived risk, causing the market-moving idea to get chipped away into tiny changes that would solve nothing. Rather than shrinking the idea itself, Melissa’s team went back to the core vision and instead chunked down the steps to achieve it. They identified critical assumptions that could prove out the whole idea or potentially invalidate it, then tested those narrow pieces through overnight consumer testing, AI persona vetting, and isolated manufacturing process trials. By building buy-in through evidence and data from these quick, believable steps, they maintained the inspiration for the big vision while making it doable and realistic. Strategic AI IntegrationSara and Melissa use AI tools to accelerate innovation. They have realized that unlocking AI’s potential isn’t about the tool itself but about learning how to interact with it. They’ve built a repeatable prompt library with persona roles, mindsets, specific innovation theory context, and relevant constraints. Their use of AI cultivates thought partnership, leveraging the unique strengths of both humans and AI. The team’s mantra is “It’s not what AI gives us; it’s what it frees us to become.” When AI handles data synthesis, pattern recognition, and quantitative analysis, innovators can focus on empathy, intuition, emotional depth, cultural context, and nuanced judgment—the messy, fun parts of innovation. They use prompts to explore how ideas would be solved 10 years in the future, historically, or in other cultures. The team uses multiple tools including Gemini, Copilot, and Aucctus, a set of AI agents trained on innovation theory that enables teams to chat with consumer personas. Useful Links Learn more about The Hatchery and how it could help your organization Connect with Sara and Melissa on LinkedIn Innovation Quotes “If you want to know where your heart is, look to where your mind goes when it wanders.”   – Walt Whitman “Tell me what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life.” – Mary Oliver Application Questions How does your organization currently ensure that ideas generated in sprints or hackathons have executive support and resources to move forward? What cultural blockers to innovation (e.g., silos, blame, inertia) do you notice, and how might you encourage greater internal empathy? In what ways could you leverage AI to accelerate or strengthen your product development process—where could it free you for more creative or strategic work? What does your sprint “end” look like, and how might an open house-style presentation change the energy and follow-through versus a formal report out? How do you identify and support innovation champions or coaches in your organization so that innovation momentum spreads beyond a dedicated innovation team? Bio As Innovation Programs Manager at Schreiber Foods, Melissa leads initiatives that inspire the core and activate a culture of curiosity and experimentation. She brings deep experience in intrapreneurship, product development, and business model innovation. Melissa is also a driving force behind The Hatchery—Schreiber’s external innovation service provider—where she helps teams move beyond “innovation talk” into real action.  Her work often explores how human-centered design and emerging technologies can work in harmony—amplifying creativity, accelerating learning, and unlocking meaningful, scalable impact. With a background spanning pharma, food, contract manufacturing, Lean/6-Sigma, and project management, she brings both structure and spark to the innovation ecosystem.   Sara Stabelfeldt is a strategic thinker with the skills of an engineer and the soul of the customer. As the Vice President of Innovation at Schreiber Foods, Sara inspires a team of serial intrapreneurs and business builders to dream big and unlock new growth engines in service of the company’s mission to Do Good Through Food.  Prior to Schreiber, Sara has a proven track reco