The Product Experience

• How Duolingo built an AI conversation bot - Zan Gilani (Principal Product Manager, Duolingo)

  In our latest conversation on The Product Experience podcast, Zan Gilani, Principal Product Manager at Duolingo, discusses the innovative use of AI in language learning, particularly through the video call feature with their character, Lily. He shares lessons on creating the new video feature and highlights the principles that guide Duolingo's product management approach. Featured Links: Follow Zan on LinkedIn and his website | Duolingo Lily feature | 'What we learned at Pendomonium and #mtpcon Raleigh: day 2' feature by Louron PrattOur HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.

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  27:23
• From Co-op CPO to Co-Founder - Adam Warburton (Co-Founder, Rove)

  In this conversation on this week's podcast, Adam Warburton, Co-Founder of Rove, shares his journey from being a Chief Product Officer at large firms like Co-op and Travelex, to co-founding his startup, Rove. He discusses the challenges and learnings from transitioning to a startup environment, the importance of prototyping and user feedback, and the balance between being product-led and sales-led.Featured LinksFollow Adam on LinkedIn  Rove  Co-op Marty Cagan's book 'Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love'Chapters 00:00 Expectation vs. Reality in Happiness05:08 Transitioning from Corporate to Startup Life10:05 The Importance of Prototyping and User Feedback14:58 Navigating Product vs. Sales-Led Strategies20:00 The Value of Co-Founders in Entrepreneurship25:13 Learning from Experience: Shaping Product Practices29:46 Pragmatism Over Theory in Product Management35:08 Coaching and Training: Evolving PerspectivesKey takeawaysHappiness is expectation divided by reality.Transitioning from corporate to startup life brings unexpected challenges.Prototyping and user feedback are crucial in early stages.Navigating product vs. sales led strategies is essential for growth.Co-founders significantly enhance the entrepreneurial experience.Pragmatism often trumps theoretical frameworks in product management.Learning from experience shapes product practices.The importance of being adaptable in product strategies.Building a prototype can lead to significant traction.Coaching should focus on maximizing impact with available resources.Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.

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  40:08
• How to use conflict to solve product problems - Yorai Gabriel (Author, The Innovators' Drama)

  In this week's conversation on The Product Experience podcast, Yorai Gabriel discusses the concept of 'drama' in the context of innovation and product management. He explores how drama arises from tensions and conflicts within teams, particularly in diverse and creative environments. Gabriel highlights the importance of understanding these dynamics to turn drama into a productive force rather than a hindrance.Key takeaways Communication can escalate tensions and conflict.Understanding the roots of drama can help manage it.Diversity in teams can lead to creative tensions.Drama often arises from people trying to do good.Identifying the causes of drama can reduce its intensity.Engineers and designers approach problems differently.Drama can be an opportunity for learning and growth.Misalignments in teams can lead to overwhelming drama.Effective communication is key to resolving conflicts.Workplace drama can be managed through understanding and communication.Graph thinking helps visualize problems for better clarity.The fulfillment graph articulates goals and necessary conditions.The price of innovation highlights common misalignments.Mindfulness towards drama can enhance productivity.Effective communication can reduce workplace tensions.Visual tools can accelerate conversations and decision-making.Understanding the source of drama can lead to better outcomes.Embracing different perspectives can foster collaboration.Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Innovation and Drama00:59 Background and Experience01:56 The Innovator's Drama: Overview and Insights05:06 Understanding Drama in the Workplace08:59 The Nature of Drama: Escalation of Tensions12:03 The Role of Diversity in Drama14:56 Engineering vs. Design: Approaches to Problem Solving20:39Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.

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  38:56
• The journey to SVP Product - 3 things to know (Shannon Scott, Airwallex)

  In this week's podcast episode, we speak with Shannon Scott, SVP, Global Head of Product at Airwallex, who shares insights on product leadership, career paths, hiring strategies, and the challenges of building enterprise products.Featured links: Follow Shannon on LinkedIn | Airwallex | Grow with, not through by Shannon Key takeaways Understanding the product leads to better outcomes.Career decisions in startups are reversible.Belief in the product is crucial for success.Hiring requires a balance of experience and adaptability.Reference customers are vital for enterprise success.Product management skills can be applied in various roles.Evaluating a company's growth stage is essential before joining.Diversity in hiring brings different perspectives to the team.Critical thinking is key in product management roles.Building enterprise products requires understanding complex customer needs. Your customers expect it to be complex.Building a strong relationship with customers is crucial.Understanding the intricacies of your product is essential.Mistakes in startups can lead to valuable learning experiences.Creating a culture of accountability helps prevent repeated mistakes.It's important to adapt quickly to market changes.The best products come from deep understanding of customer needs.Utilizing infrastructure effectively can enhance customer experience.Communication with customers can lead to better product fit.A direct organizational culture fosters better outcomes.Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.

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  42:01
• Common product diseases (and how you can overcome them) - Radhika Dutt (Author of 'Radical Product Thinking')

  In this week's conversation on The Product Experience podcast, we speak with Radhika Dutt about various product diseases that can hinder effective management and the need for organizations to adopt a more systematic approach to product development. Radhika shares insights on implementing this mindset within teams and the significance of balancing long-term vision with short-term survival needs. Featured Links: Follow Radhika on LinkedIn | Buy Radhika's book'Radical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter' | Radical Product website | Sign up here to participate in Radhika's next book'Radically Rethinking Metrics' !Our HostsLily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath. Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.

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  42:07

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