Episodes

  • The power of soft skills and storytelling in successful product management with Nils Davis

    The power of soft skills and storytelling in successful product management with Nils Davis
    Jul 18 2024
    GTM Disrupted host Mike Smart reconnected with Nils Davis, product management expert and author for another exciting interview. Nils put a spotlight on key factors impacting product managers in the B2B space. He also shares what he believes are the essential skills of product management success. It may a surprise to learn that Nils puts a premium on developing soft skills and the ability to communicate through storytelling. Key Take Aways from this episode include:  Storytelling in Product Management a superpower  How to avoid the feature factory  Go-to-Market skills are a key differentiator Nils’s Bio Nils Davis is a seasoned product management expert and author on the discipline. He has seen product management defined in numerous ways over the years. Is it the CEO of the product? Owner of the backlog? The locus of business, user experience, and technology? Or is there a different, better way to think about product management? Based on over more than two decades of enterprise product management, including a stint managing a product for product managers, Nils's view is radically different. The fundamental component of successful products is the problem they solve for customers. In his articles, his podcast The Secrets of Product Management, and his book, The Secret Product Manager Handbook, he shares new, powerful ways for product managers to create more value. To find Nils on LinkedIn go to - https://www.linkedin.com/in/
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    37 mins
  • Navigating The Product Management Pendulum

    Navigating The Product Management Pendulum
    Jun 27 2024
    GTM Disrupted host Mike Smart was able to get a few minutes to chat with Phil Hornby, a highly experienced product leader, coach, and technologist with over 20 years of experience in a variety of roles and industries. Phil sheds light on the shifting dynamics within the profession and highlights the need for product teams to embrace a boarder and more commercial aspect of the role. Phil maintains the lack of “zero interest” investment has force the product management function, like a pendulum to shift to commercial and business outcomes. Key Take Aways from this episode include:  What is shifting in the role of Product Management  The Importance of Outcome-Based Metrics  A Return to Marketing Roots  A Need for Comprehensive Go-to-Market Strategies Phil’s Bio Phil Hornby is a seasoned product leader, coach, and technologist with over 20 years of experience. His mission is to help product leaders think clearly, make strong decisions, and take powerful action for high-impact outcomes. Phil has helped thousands of individuals across hundreds of companies, combining technical, business, and human skills to empower teams and leaders. His expertise lies in delivering complex solutions that elegantly solve customer problems at scale. His approach emphasizes collaboration, context-driven leadership, and continuous learning. He is currently writing "It Depends: The Secret Handbook for Making High-Impact Product Decisions in Context." Colleagues praise him for his practical insights and ability to inspire excellence. To learn more about Phil to go - https://www.linkedin.com/in/philhornby/
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    36 mins
  • What happens when innovation meet passion and purpose?

    What happens when innovation meet passion and purpose?
    Jun 12 2024
    GTM Disrupted host Mike Smart sat with Victor Brown, Founder & CEO of Xcellent Life, a digital health company transforming healthcare with innovative software technology. Victor shared his insight on a range of topics reflecting his journey as an early-stage Founder and CEO. Victor discusses the intersection of technology, health, and entrepreneurship. Key Take Aways from this episode include:  Purpose-Driven Innovation: Improving quality of life through wellness technology.  Navigating B2B2C - delivering value to consumers and corporations  Emerging business model - healthcare is an industry ripe for disruption from treating illness to prolonging life. Victor’s Bio Victor Brown is a seasoned leader with experience within both large global and start-up companies that deploy enterprise class software and sensor-based applications. Victor has driven business success as a leader and as a hands-on practitioner of best-practice approaches. Victor started his career with Schneider Electric ($35B company operating in 120 different countries) as an engineer and after 5 years transitioned to a marketing role. As a marketing leader, Victor had ownership of a line of software products; solutions where he spent another 6 years driving product growth year-over-year. After Schneider Electric, Victor joined his first start-up BPL Global, where he built an international product marketing team driving triple-revenue growth in a 3-year span. He has also worked as a consultant, where he founded APEX Strategy & Marketing to help small to midsize companies to develop go-to-market strategies and provide them with deep insights into best-practice approaches. More recently, Victor has served in various VP roles where he has driven business growth at both Tendril Networks and GridEdge Networks. To Learn more about Victor to go - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorlbrown/ To Learn more about Xcellent Life to go -- https://xcellentlife.com/
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    32 mins
  • Navigating Product Leadership in Healthcare IT and Beyond

    Navigating Product Leadership in Healthcare IT and Beyond
    May 8 2024
    GTM Disrupted host Mike Smart had an exciting time reconnecting with Kevin Smith, the CPO at Therapy Brands, the leading provider of practice management, solutions for mental and behavioral health providers. Kevin gives listeners valuable insight as he shares his diverse career journey through roles in finance, strategy, and healthcare tech. His success has come from taking measured risks and pursuing diverse roles. Kevin emphasizes the fulfillment of his role leading a team with a mission-driven charter where products support caregivers in the mental health field. Key learnings from this podcast include:  Continuous learning as a career advantage  Ultimate fulfillment -- building Mission-Driven solutions  Payoffs from taking measured career risks  Identifying the Right Use Case for GenAI Kevin’s Bio: Kevin is responsible for Therapy Brand’s product strategy, roadmap, and product launches. He has 25 years of healthcare industry experience, primarily in product management. He has spent his career working at both large, Fortune 50 companies to private-equity-backed SaaS companies. His knowledge base spans expertise in RCM, payments, and SaaS software. Prior to joining Therapy Brands, he held roles at Intel, Dell, Fiserv, MedAssets/nThrive, and most recently, Syntellis. Throughout his career, he has spent time giving back to the community by volunteering as a coach, teacher, and advisory board member of the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. Kevin holds both a BS in finance and an MBA from Indiana University, Kelley School of Business. To Learn more about Kevin to go https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmsmith/
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    32 mins
  • The Evolution From Products to Experiences

    The Evolution From Products to Experiences
    Apr 25 2024
    GTM Disrupted host Mike Smart was able to grab a few minutes to chat with Laura Fay, tech industry veteran, enterprise software executive, author and thought leader to discuss the evolution of product leadership and the next growth driver for B2B tech – Experience-Led Growth (XLG). Laura explains the XLG Manifesto, the core values of XLG and shares her views on what product leaders must do now to help prepare for frictionless customer touch to expansion. Key Take Aways from this episode include:  Leveraging tools and technologies  Shifting from products to customer experiences  How to prioritize data driven decisions  Evolution of the sales-led culture Laura’s Bio Laura Fay is a 30+ year tech industry veteran who partners with product leaders in the tech industry to help them make effective portfolio investment decisions and drive profitable growth. Prior to her consulting career, Laura spent decades as a Product Management, Customer Success and General Business executive directly contributing to the growth and operational velocity of large well-established enterprises and several early-stage businesses. Laura is an author of multiple widely used industry frameworks on key business, customer, and product management topics. Based on her experience advising dozens of product leaders, she co-authored Digital Hesitation with her TSIA research colleagues where she makes the case for effective value management and its role in launching and growing successful recurring revenue businesses. To Learn more about Laura to go - https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurafay/
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    41 mins
  • Driving Growth with Service Excellence

    Driving Growth with Service Excellence
    Apr 10 2024
    GTM Disrupted host Mike Smart sat with Michael Israel, Vice President of Community at Zuper, a leading provider of field service management software. To discuss the impact service excellence has on go-to-market and growth. Michael shares how prioritizing customer-centric approaches drives growth and customer loyalty. Key Take Aways from this episode include:  Small Actions, Big Impact  Service Excellence as the differentiator  Integration with Marketing  Proactive Engagement Michael’s Bio Michael Israel has 50 years of industry expertise, positioning him as a leading authority in technology for field service businesses. As Vice President of Community at Zuper Michael combines deep domain knowledge and experience to create services that accelerate growth and build customer loyalty. Michael’s passion centers on “completed service work,” emphasizing a customer-centric approach to elevate experiences. As a thought leader, he regularly addresses the evolving role of field service technicians and champions the transformative impact of technology. To Learn more about Michael to go - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelisrael1/ To Learn more about Zuper to go -- https://www.zuper.co
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    36 mins
  • Offense Oriented Product Leadership

    Offense Oriented Product Leadership
    Feb 22 2024
    GTM Disrupted host Mike Smart grabs a few minutes with Ben Foster, Co-Founder and Partner at Prodify a product consultancy and co-author of “Build What Matters” a book that explores the Vision-Led Product Management Framework. Ben offers his take on succeeding as a CPO or VP of Product. His key message is shift to offense to thrive in the role. Key Take Aways from this episode include:  Overcoming Product Management Dysfunctions  Balancing Value Delivery and Value Extraction  Shifting the Dialogue to Empower Teams  Using Product Management Art and Science Ben’s Bio Ben Foster is a 25-year product veteran who has formally mentored 50+ product leaders. He is co-founder and partner at Prodify, a highly regarded product consultancy, and co-author of Build What Matters. Ben has spoken at top product conferences, is an inventor on over a dozen patents, and co-authored the book Build What Matters, which offers practical guidance for product leaders. Ben has experience leading product and design at B2C companies, like eBay and Whoop, and B2B SaaS companies, such as Opower and GoCanvas, and has found connections between them. Ben lives with his wife and son in Arlington, VA. To Learn more about Ben to go - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benfoster/ To Learn more about Prodify to go -- https://www.prodify.group/
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    39 mins
  • Knowledge-Based Services That Drive Growth

    Knowledge-Based Services That Drive Growth
    Feb 6 2024
    GTM Disrupted host Mike Smart reconnected with Ed Kless, Senior Director of Partner Development and Strategy for Sage Business Solutions to get his insights on how knowledge-based services are driving customer growth. Ed provides a unique perspective based on more than 20 years in partner strategy and development at one of the leading cloud business management solutions providers. According to Ed, one of the keys to accelerating growth and improving loyalty is creating and measuring customer value. Creating value as Ed describes it is about delivering knowledge-based services. Key learnings from this podcast include:  Shifting Business Models  Moving Off the Solution  Measuring Customer Perceived Value  Embracing Change Ed’s Bio: Ed Kless joined Sage in July of 2003 and is currently the senior director of partner development and strategy for Sage Business Solutions in North America. He develops and delivers a curriculum for Sage business partners on the art and practice of small business consulting. Ed hosts the Sage Thought Leadership Podcast and is a co-host of the VoiceAmerica TalkShow Network’s The Soul of Enterprise. Before joining Sage, Ed worked with Tipping Point Advisors, an organization dedicated to the growth and development of software implementation partners. He co-founded Third Wave Business Systems, a Microsoft Dynamics GP partner. Ed is a contributor to industry publications and has spoken at many conferences worldwide on project management, pricing, and knowledge workers. He is also active in the Information Technology Alliance (ITA) and has been named to Accounting Today’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Accounting numerous times including 2019. To learn more about Ed to go - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edkless/
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    28 mins