The Product Opscast

We’re back!After a bit of a summer break, Graham & Antonia are back in the studio for some more Product Ops chat. In this episode, we speak with Axel Sooriah - PM & AI Evangelist at Atlassian and fellow podcaster, about the recent State of Product Management report researched and released by Atlassian - and there is some spice in the mix on this one!Listen out for a phrase you will hear a lot about in the coming years: smiling exhaustionHeadlines* AI basically exacerbates how well or not well you’re doing something.* The bottleneck has moved to decision-making.* The core of our craft as product managers is still to understand a customer problem.* Only 4% of those surveyed can trace roadmap decisions back to customer feedback* The "HiPPO" Effect: 77% say executive gut instinct regularly overrides data-driven team decisions* The best time to do this was yesterday. The second best time is right now.There is so much more to read in the full report, c/o Atlassian:Watch here on Substack, or listen on your favourite platform. We’re on YouTube, Spotify and Apple PodcastsWhat should the team discuss next? Share your thoughts about a future topic you love them to dive into… maybe you are even that guest to talk to. Get full access to Product Ops Confidential at www.productopsconfidential.com/subscribe

In this special episode, Graham Reed acts as interviewer to returning guest Faith Forster, and in a turnabout role, Antonia Landi, as they introduce and dive into the new Makers Manifesto, which both have been heavily involved in throughout 2026. The Makers Manifesto is a new set of principles designed to guide product teams in the rapidly evolving AI era. They explore the manifesto's origins, core values, and practical implications for creating better products in a changing world.Headlines* Origins of the Makers Manifesto and its inspiration from the Agile Manifesto* The importance of a holistic, inclusive approach to product creation* Core values of the Makers Manifesto and their practical implications* The shift from shipping to adoption as a success metric* The role of human accountability in AI-driven product development* The importance of explicit context and strategic clarity in AI environments* The impact of AI on team roles, collaboration, and decision-making* How organisations can adopt and implement the Makers ManifestoEverything you need to know about the Makers Manifesto is available on the Makers Manifesto website:Watch here on Substack, or listen on your favourite platform. We’re on YouTube, Spotify and Apple PodcastsWhat should the team discuss next? Share your thoughts about a future topic you love them to dive into… maybe you are even that guest to talk to. Get full access to Product Ops Confidential at www.productopsconfidential.com/subscribe

In this episode, Graham Reed and Antonia Landi are joined by Rich Mironov, long-time celebrated product leader and author, to discuss his new book Money Stories. We get into the concept of a Money Story and why execs will hear this a lot more than backlog tables and user value graphs. Is this something product folks have been missing all this time? Maybe…Don’t bring a backlog to a gunfightHighlights* The core idea of Money Stories and its simplicity* How to communicate product value in business terms* Prioritisation frameworks based on revenue impact* The role of organisational politics in product decisions* The necessity of understanding and using business metrics* Building connections across departments for better product outcomes* The misconception of perfect product operating modelsGet a copy of Money Stories now:Watch here on Substack, or listen on your favourite platform. We’re on YouTube, Spotify and Apple PodcastsWhat should the team discuss next? Share your thoughts about a future topic you love them to dive into… maybe you are even that guest to talk to. Get full access to Product Ops Confidential at www.productopsconfidential.com/subscribe

In this episode, Graham Reed and Antonia Landi are joined by Johnny Michaelsen, Director of Design Ops at WISE, who shares insights on the evolving role of Design Operations, the impact of AI, and how human behaviour influences operational success. They explore how organisations can leverage AI responsibly and build collaborative, cross-functional teams.Highlights* The definition and scope of Design Ops* The impact of AI on design and operations* The importance of trust and human behaviour in ops roles* Strategies for integrating AI responsibly* Building a cross-functional, collaborative cultureWatch here on Substack, or listen on your favourite platform. We’re on YouTube, Spotify and Apple PodcastsWhat should the team discuss next? Share your thoughts about a future topic you love them to dive into… maybe you are even that guest to talk to. Get full access to Product Ops Confidential at www.productopsconfidential.com/subscribe

In this episode, Graham Reed and Antonia Landi are joined by Simonetta Batteiger as they wax lyrical about the critical importance of financial literacy, trust, and ethics in product management, especially in the context of AI. Simonetta shares insights on how product teams can better understand and impact business profitability while maintaining trustworthiness in both their products and in AI systems (because it wouldn’t be a show in 2026 without AI!)Highlights* Financial impact of product decisions* Trustworthiness in AI systems* Ethical considerations in product development* Impact of AI on business profitability* Strategies for building customer trustKey Takeaways* Product teams need to understand the four main levers of profitability: increase revenue, protect revenue, reduce costs, and avoid unnecessary spending.* The shift from growth at all costs to profitability has changed how product success is measured.* Narrating the business value of product work is crucial for gaining trust and support from stakeholders.* AI systems lack moral judgment and require explicit governance and trust frameworks.Watch here on Substack, or listen on your favourite platform. We’re on YouTube, Spotify and Apple PodcastsWhat should the team discuss next? Share your thoughts about a future topic you love them to dive into… maybe you are even that guest to talk to. Get full access to Product Ops Confidential at www.productopsconfidential.com/subscribe

In this episode, Graham Reed and Antonia Landi chat with Taylor Belchak, Head of Operations at Ravio, as she shares her extensive experience across product operations, chief of staff, general operations, and leadership roles. She discusses the similarities and differences between these functions, the importance of stakeholder influence, and how AI is transforming operations.AI is just another tool for operational efficiencyHighlights* Career transitions within operations roles* Influence and stakeholder management in ops* The impact of AI on operational efficiencyWatch here on Substack, or listen on your favourite platform. We’re on YouTube, Spotify and Apple PodcastsWhat should the team discuss next? Share your thoughts about a future topic you love them to dive into… maybe you are even that guest to talk to. Get full access to Product Ops Confidential at www.productopsconfidential.com/subscribe

In this episode, Graham Reed and Antonia Landi chat with Faith Forster as she shares insights on how AI is transforming product decision-making, the importance of strategic context, and practical ways to leverage AI for better product outcomes. Discover how to build guardrails, improve discovery, and make smarter decisions in a fast-paced AI-driven world.Absence of information leads to poor decisionsHighlights* AI’s impact on product decision-making* Building strategic guardrails for AI use* Improving product discovery with AI* The importance of context and data in decision-making* Creating a Makers Manifesto for AI in product managementLearn more about Discoveree and the Makers Manifesto mentioned in this episode. We’ll be lining up a dedicated episode on the Makers Manifesto soon too!Watch here on Substack, or listen on your favourite platform. We’re on YouTube, Spotify and Apple PodcastsWhat should the team discuss next? Share your thoughts about a future topic you love them to dive into… maybe you are even that guest to talk to. Get full access to Product Ops Confidential at www.productopsconfidential.com/subscribe

In this episode, Graham Reed and Antonia Landi chat with Julian Della Mattia; user insights manager at DuckDuckGo and author of Building the Research Engine, sharing insights on establishing effective research operations in organisations. The discussion covers how to start research practices from scratch, building a research engine, and integrating AI responsibly into research workflows.Good research takes time, but quality mattersHighlights* The Importance of Building Research Practices* Navigating Research Challenges in Organisations* The Role of AI in Research* Research as a Validation Tool* The Dynamics of Research and Decision Making* Navigating Research Challenges in Product Management* Building Effective Research Practices* Creating a Research Flywheel* Maximising Research Outputs* Cultural Shifts in Research PracticesCheck out more of what Julian does, and get his book now:Competition Time!For the chance to win a copy Julian’s book, Building the Research Engine, complete our Product Ops Confidential Subscriber Survey, which includes telling us your biggest takeaway from this episode! Complete this survey by Friday 12th June (12:00 UK time). Even if you don’t want to enter the draw, please complete the survey and help us improve both the podcast and newsletter!Watch here on Substack, or listen on your favourite platform. We’re on YouTube, Spotify and Apple PodcastsWhat should the team discuss next? Share your thoughts about a future topic you love them to dive into… maybe you are even that guest to talk to. Get full access to Product Ops Confidential at www.productopsconfidential.com/subscribe

In this episode, Graham Reed and Antonia Landi chat with Caroline Clark; Product coach, mentor and space enthusiast (very much close to Graham’s heart!). She shares her journey and discusses the impact of AI on careers and organisations. They discuss strategies to build confidence and foster community in the era of rapid technological change. There is a lot of heart in this episode!Highlights* AI disruption and organisational impact* Building confidence through practice and community* The role of product ops in transformation* Reframing identity and roles in the age of AI* Strategies for learning and experimentation with AICheck out more of what Caroline does via her website and published some great content on her substackWatch here on Substack, or listen on your favourite platform. We’re on YouTube, Spotify and Apple PodcastsWhat should the team discuss next? Share your thoughts about a future topic you love them to dive into… maybe you are even that guest to talk to. Get full access to Product Ops Confidential at www.productopsconfidential.com/subscribe

In this episode, Graham Reed and Antonia Landi welcome Martin Eriksson; well-loved product expert, co-founder of Mind the Product & Product Tank, and serial author, to discuss his latest book, The Decision Stack - a mental model for aligning organisational strategy, decision-making, and communication. He shares the journey that led him to writing the book, the importance of clarity, principles, and continuous alignment in product and company strategy.“Connect strategy to daily decisions”Highlights:* The five questions of the Decision Stack* The role of principles in decision-making* Communication and alignment in organizations* Empowering teams through clarity* The importance of continuous strategy reviewRead Graham’s review of The Decision Stack too:Watch here on Substack, or listen on your favourite platform. We’re on YouTube, Spotify and Apple PodcastsWhat should the team discuss next? Share your thoughts about a future topic you love them to dive into… maybe you are even that guest to talk to. Get full access to Product Ops Confidential at www.productopsconfidential.com/subscribe