Product Chats Podcast

"Success clarity allows objective prioritization." In this episode, we sit down with Mario Rodriguez, Chief Product Officer at GitHub, to discuss how to build and scale AI-powered products while managing 150 million users and preventing team burnout. Mario shares how GitHub balances diverse user needs across maintainers, developers, and enterprise teams by defining clear success metrics and allocating resources strategically. He explains the company's API-first approach that enables customization across workflows, and how Copilot evolved from 20% acceptance rates to advanced agentic capabilities reshaping developer productivity. Listeners will learn strategies for preventing burnout during rapid AI development cycles, building products through tight customer feedback loops, and applying the "Understand, Identify, Execute" framework to improve product clarity and decision-making. For show notes and more resources, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

“Nothing important happens in the office.” In this episode, we sit down with Anastassia (Ana) Laskey, founder of Ground Control Research and creator of the Brand and Market Telemetry Method, to discuss how to make market research faster, more practical, and more impactful. Ana shares how even the most curious organizations often lack the structure and process to turn that curiosity into usable insights. She explains how to design “just-right” research: work that’s rigorous enough to reduce risk but scrappy enough to keep pace with business demands. Ana shares strategies on how to align stakeholders, choose the right research scope, and tell stories that make insights impossible to ignore. Listeners will learn how to improve B2B recruiting, communicate insights more effectively, and leverage AI responsibly to speed up analysis without sacrificing quality. For show notes and more resources, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

“Pricing is product marketing’s most measurable lever.” In this episode, we chat with Ajit Ghuman, co-founder of Monetizely and author of Price to Scale, about how pricing and product marketing work together to shape business strategy and drive growth. Ajit walks through his journey from product management to marketing and eventually pricing, explaining why pricing is really an extension of segmentation, positioning, and value proposition. He makes the case that pricing isn’t a separate discipline but the action-oriented side of product marketing – where great storytelling meets real business results. They dig into how to make SaaS pricing more effective through thoughtful packaging, how AI introduces new pricing challenges, and why software deflation and commoditization are pushing companies to stand out through niche offerings and services. Ajit also shares how shifts from high-growth to high-margin economies are changing the way leaders think about pricing and sustainability. Tune in to discover how to tie pricing to your overall company strategy, communicate value clearly, and apply pricing fundamentals that hold up no matter how quickly technology changes. For show notes and more resources, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

“What if the right knowledge reached people exactly when they needed it?” In this episode, Maxine Anderson, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Arist, discusses how her team is redefining corporate learning through AI-driven, push-based training. What started as a text-based experiment at Stanford and Harvard has evolved into an enterprise solution trusted by companies like HP and Google to deliver the right information to the right people at the right time. Maxine shares how Arist scaled from startup experiments to enterprise clients, the lessons learned in product-market fit, and how simplicity became their biggest differentiator in a crowded e-learning space. She also explains how AI personalizes learning delivery, measures confidence gains, and links enablement directly to performance outcomes. Listeners will gain insight into the lean, hypothesis-driven product strategy that guided Arist through pivots, the leadership practices that keep a remote team aligned, and the future of scalable learning through automation and personalization. For show notes and more resources, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

“How do we turn inspiration into real-world impact?” In this episode, we are joined by Pragmatic Community leader Eddie Gordon to preview the upcoming Future of Product Management Summit—a free virtual event happening October 16 from 12–5 PM ET. Together, they explore the hottest topics shaping today’s product landscape, from the implementation gap to the role of AI and the ongoing challenge of alignment across teams and executives. Listeners will get an inside look at the summit’s live keynotes, interactive Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities designed to replicate the energy of in-person events. Highlights include Teresa Torres’s keynote, “AI Changes Everything and Nothing at All,” a practical AI panel with Executive Product Leadership Advisors Dan Corbin, Amy Graham, and Will Scott, and sessions on alignment, impact-first product teams, and go-to-market strategy. This event is built different. The Future of Product Management Summit delivers actionable takeaways you can use immediately. Tune in for a sneak peek of the agenda, and don’t forget to reserve your spot at the Future of Product Management Summit here. For show notes and more resources, visit: www.pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at www.pragmaticinstitute.com.

“Shifting from project thinking to product thinking is about creating long-term value, not just checking off deliverables.” In this episode, we are joined by Thomas Hartmann, co-founder of the Product Masterclass and co-author of From Project to Product, to explore a problem plaguing most organizations: the transition from a project-centric model to a truly product-driven culture. Thomas shares his personal journey into product management and the inspiration behind creating the Product Masterclass, designed to help leaders move beyond the limitations of project-based thinking. He outlines the seven core challenges companies face when making this shift and explains why success requires more than just the product team. It demands alignment across sales, marketing, engineering, and leadership. Teamwork is required to make the dream work. Listeners will hear why prioritizing short-term client deliverables often stifles innovation, how product organizations can foster scalable growth, and what cultural shifts are required to create alignment around outcomes. From setting clear visions for scalability to building robust prioritization frameworks, Thomas offers practical steps leaders can take to drive transformation. For show notes and more resources, visit: pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at pragmaticinstitute.com.

“How do you turn overwhelming data into clear, actionable product decisions?” In this episode, we speak with Jordan Nolff, VP of Growth at Productboard, about the evolving role of AI and customer insights in modern product management. With a background that spans consulting, leading product growth at SurveyMonkey, and now scaling Productboard, Jordan brings a unique perspective on how PMs can transform information overload into strategic clarity. He shares how Productboard has evolved from a roadmapping tool into a comprehensive platform that centralizes customer feedback, competitor intelligence, personas, OKRs, and more—all designed to help product teams make better decisions and communicate them effectively. The conversation also explores how AI can augment this work, helping PMs reduce context switching, improve handoffs, and democratize knowledge across organizations. For product managers looking to navigate the hype around AI while still keeping customers at the center, this episode offers ways to get the ball rolling. For show notes and more resources, visit: pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at pragmaticinstitute.com.

“If you have a body, you are an athlete.” In this episode, host Rebecca Kalogeris speaks with Tobie Hatfield, Senior Director of Athlete* Innovation at Nike, about the philosophy and practice of building inclusive, high-performance products. From his early days as a pole vaulter and coach to more than 35 years of innovation at Nike, Tobie shares how his athletic background and curiosity shaped his approach to product development. He unpacks Nike’s guiding principle—innovate for the athlete*, with an asterisk meaning all bodies count—and explains how this vision fuels breakthrough products. From designing performance shoes for athletes with cerebral palsy that can be put on hands-free, to pioneering new “precovery” technology in collaboration with Hyperice, Tobie illustrates how authentic inclusivity drives performance for everyone. Listeners will hear how Nike prototypes fast, embraces “fail forward” experimentation, and measures innovation through real athlete outcomes. Tobie also underscores that innovation is never the work of a lone genius—it’s a team sport powered by observation, empathy, and courage to take calculated risks. This episode is an inspiring deep dive into how great companies push past limitations to create products that resonate, perform, and truly serve. For show notes and more resources, visit: pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at pragmaticinstitute.com.

“How do you keep human connection at the center of hybrid collaboration?” In this episode, host Rebecca Kalogeris sits down with Norma Løvhaugen, VP of Strategy and Initiatives at Neat, to explore the future of video conferencing and the product strategies shaping it. With more than 20 years in the industry, including leadership roles at Cisco, Norma brings deep expertise in designing solutions that make meetings more authentic, seamless, and human. She shares Neat’s unique approach to building both hardware and software for hybrid meetings, emphasizing how cross-functional collaboration between engineers and designers drives innovation. Norma highlights how AI and machine learning are integrated into Neat’s systems to adapt dynamically to user needs, ensuring meetings are engaging whether participants are in-room, remote, or a mix of both. Listeners will gain insight into why prioritizing problems over solutions creates stronger products, how curiosity and close customer feedback loops fuel innovation, and the three pillars Norma uses when hiring: passion, integrity, and competence. For show notes and more resources, visit: pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at pragmaticinstitute.com.

“Innovation thrives where creativity meets execution.” In this episode, we sit down with Luke Des Cotes, leader of Metalab—the renowned product agency behind work for organizations like Uber and Midjourney. Luke shares how his creative roots shaped his entrepreneurial approach, and how Metalab turns bold ideas into market-ready products by blending research, design, engineering, and flawless execution. From guiding startups to helping global enterprises uncover new opportunity spaces, Luke reveals how an outsider’s perspective can spark innovation, challenge entrenched thinking, and accelerate discovery. He also discusses the traits of successful founders, the importance of passion and persistence, and why product managers should look outside their categories for inspiration. If you’re ready to sharpen your challenger mindset, drive innovation, and take ideas from concept to market with confidence, this episode delivers the insights you need. For show notes and more resources, visit: pragmaticinstitute.com/resources/podcasts Pragmatic Institute is the global leader in Product, Data, and Design training and certification programs for working professionals. Learn more at pragmaticinstitute.com.