In this episode of the Product Podcast with Prashanthi Ravanavarapu, Product Executive at PayPal, we unlock the secrets to becoming a transformative product leader. Our guest takes us on her journey from the data team to leading customer experience initiatives at PayPal, showcasing the power of internal mobility for personal and organizational growth.

We chat about how product management can address global challenges like poverty and hunger and why human-centered design is crucial for making meaningful, impactful products.

Get ready to hear about building high-performing "missionary teams" where passion for the mission and customer alignment drive success. Our guest also shares fascinating anecdotes from her background as a shot putter, illustrating how discipline and dedication translate to powerful leadership.

We also dive into justice-driven product design, emphasizing the creation of inclusive and equitable solutions that tackle systemic issues and foster diversity.
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation that promises to elevate your leadership skills and inspire lasting social impact. Don't miss out on this insightful episode!

Formula for navigating internal mobility effectively:
1. What are my unique strenghts?
- Identify the skills and capabilities that set you apart.
- Reflect on past roles and projects where you have excelled.
- Consider feedback from peers and mentors to gain insights into your core competencies.
2. What are my interests?
- Think about the areas within the organization that excite you.
- Align your career aspirations with your passions.
- Explore opportunities that not only challenge you but also keep you motivated and engaged.
3. What’s the business gap?
- Look for gaps or unmet needs within the business that align with your strengths and interests.
- Conduct a thorough analysis to understand where your skills can add value.
- Develop a business case that demonstrates how your unique strengths and interests can address these gaps and contribute to the company's success.

The ingredients to unlock talent in people are discussed extensively. Here are the key components highlighted:
1. Purpose and Passion
2. Empathy and Understanding
3. Proactive Problem-Solving
4. Supportive Leadership

Social Links:

- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:

Pendo, the only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application. With all the tools you need, in one simple-to-use platform, Pendo makes it easy to answer critical questions about how users are engaging with your product—then turn those insights into action—all so you can get your users to do what you actually want them to do. Visit our website https://www.pendo.io/productschool/ to create your free Pendo account today, and start building better experiences across every corner of your product.

Credits:

Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Prashanthi Ravanavarapu

Join us for an inspiring episode of the Product Podcast with David Myszewski, as we dive into his incredible journey from an Apple engineer to a leading fintech innovator at Wealthfront. David shares his unique path from Wyoming to Silicon Valley, discussing his pivotal role in launching the first iPhone.

When he joined Wealthfront, the company was managing approximately $3 billion in assets. During his time at the company, he has experienced an extraordinary 20x growth, with Wealthfront now overseeing over $60 billion in assets under management.

David discusses Wealthfront's innovative features like tax loss harvesting and direct indexing, which have saved clients significant amounts in taxes. He emphasizes the importance of simplifying products to meet client needs and prioritizing long-term wealth-building. We also touch on future trends in fintech, including the strategic importance of bundling services to deliver comprehensive value to consumers.

Tune in to gain valuable insights from David's experiences and learn how continuous innovation and customer feedback drive successful product development. Don't miss this fascinating conversation about revolutionizing tech and fintech!

Episode Highlights
(00:00) 🎙️ Intro
(03:45) 📱 Work on the first iPhone team
(06:00) 👨‍💻 Did you get to demo in front of Steve Jobs?
(08:23) 📈 From $3B assets to over $60B assets under management at Wealthfront
(13:53) 💼 Caring about building long-term wealth for their clients
(16:16) ⚙️ Spending about 70% of our time optimizing existing products
(28:14) 🔬 Leverage research when building better products
(31:52) 🎨 Where does design fit into the org?

Social Links:

- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:

Eppo, the next-generation A/B testing and feature management platform built for modern growth teams by alums of Airbnb and Stitch Fix. Visit our website, and 10x your experiment velocity.

Credits:

Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: David Myszewski

In this episode of the Product Podcast, join us for a chat with Francois Ajenstat, Chief Product Officer at Amplitude. Francois shares his journey in the tech world, shaped by his AI professor dad, and his time at Tableau, where he helped it grow and eventually get bought by Salesforce for $15.7 billion.

Francois talks about important mindset shifts for leaders, like balancing frameworks with outcomes and embracing Amazon's "disagree and commit" principle. He stresses the importance of always learning and making a difference at every career stage.

We also dive into the future of AI in product management, talking about the launch of Snowflake Native Amplitude, which makes data management easier and acts as a co-pilot for product managers. Francois explains how this innovation is changing the game by simplifying and automating tasks.

Tune in for some great insights on leadership, innovation, and the future of AI in product management from one of the industry's top figures. Don't miss it! 🎧✨

Episode highlights
(00:00) 🎙️ Intro
(03:37) 🌱 Figuring out How to Live and Grow Since a Very Early Age
(04:30) 💻 The Experience Working at Microsoft
(06:08) 📈 Joining Tableau: from $12M to Sell the Company to Salesforce
(14:21) 🚨 "I Hate Frameworks"
(20:02) 🤝 Disagree and Commit Principle from Amazon
(23:16) 🎤 Why Learn How to Demo will Take You to the Next Level
(31:40) 🔎 The Secrets Behind Amplitude
(43:36) 🤖 How AI Transforms Product Management

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:
Pendo, the only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application. With all the tools you need, in one simple-to-use platform, Pendo makes it easy to answer critical questions about how users are engaging with your product—then turn those insights into action—all so you can get your users to do what you actually want them to do. Visit our website to create your free Pendo account today, and start building better experiences across every corner of your product.

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Francois Ajenstat