Product Growth Leaders | Product Conversations with Grant Hunter

Bad Product Management

Hear the panel discuss the answers to our Monday question "Where does bad product management impact the company the most?" And see Jason, Paul and I discuss that product management may be the most important role in the company, and lack of product management (or good product management) is bad product management.

Listen to our conversation on the poll question "What is the leading cause of bad product management?" Where Poor Leadership was the overwhelming winner with 50% of the vote, and we discussed how companies set up for projects, not products, are a leading cause.

Get our take on the following questions:

"What are the signs of bad product management?"

"When is bad product management not product management’s fault?" And we debate Jason's strong NEVER answer and bad corporate leadership being the cause.

And get our Lightning Round answers to "As a product leader, what is your approach to a product manager who is doing bad product management?"

This week, Steve Johnson and I were joined by my trusty sidekick Jason Vincelette, a strong triumvirate of panelists in Paul Hurwitz, Calvin Marshall, and May Wong, and returning panelist Brian Weber, as we decide to learn from what does not work in product management

Business and Strategy Skills for Product Management

Hear the panel discuss the answers to our Monday question "What are the most important business and strategy skills for a product manager to have?" including reviewing a laundry list of skills, including:

• being a curious empath
• basic financial literacy
• maturity
• discernment
• impartiality
• patience
• ability to ask critical questions in an open and unbiased way
• understand the market the product serves
• customer discovery
• basic financial literacy
• the ability to speak truth to power
• understanding how the business operates
• threat/opportunity modeling
• active listening
• storytelling

With a deep dive on how to understand the market the product serves/customer discovery and speaking truth to power.

Listen to our conversation on the poll question "What type of expertise is the most important for a product manager in a strategic role?" Where Joy defends her no-vote as product management is so multi-dimensional and cross-functional, there is not just one, and Market and Persona Expertise takes the poll.

Get our take on the following questions:

Why are business and strategy skills important to product managers?

Why have business and strategy skills been neglected in product management?

And get our Lightning Round answers to "What is the best way for a product manager to build their business and strategy skills?" With a good yes-and flow around the importance of mentoring.

This week, Steve Johnson and I were joined by regular panelists Jason Vincelette, Joy McCaffrey, Paul Hurwitz, and Rob Barkman.    

Ethics and Product Management

Hear the panel discuss the answers to our Monday question "With the Facebook product manager whistleblower in the news, what is a product manager's ethical responsibility with respect to their product(s)?" And her Joy expands on her answer of "Absolute" and her experience with a toxic company.

Listen to our conversation on the poll question "Where do you see the biggest opportunity for ethical issues in product?" Where for the first time ever we do a live follow-up poll adding Data, Privacy, AI, or Lying. Watch the video to see how they voted.

Get our take on the following question:

"What is a situation where you had to make an ethical decision related to your product or company?"

And get our Lightning Round answers to "As a product leader, what would your advice be to a product manager dealing with a product or business-related ethical issue?"

This week, Steve Johnson and I were joined by a great panel including Paul Hurwitz, Joy McCaffrey, Brian Weber, Glenn Pride, and May Wong.

B2B vs B2C Product Management

This episode compares B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) product management. This week, Grant and Steve are joined by Jason Vincelette, Brian Weber, Vivek Bhatt, May Wong, Glenn Pride, and Paul Hurwitz.

Product Marketing

This episode is on product marketing. This week, Grant and Steve are joined by Joy McCaffrey.

Requirements

This week's episode is about requirements. Grant and Steve are joined by Jason Vincelette, Paul Hurwitz, and May Wong.

Customer Success and Product Management

This week's episode is about customer success and product management. Grant and Steve are joined by Joy McCaffrey, Paul Hurwitz, Jason Vincelette, Ken Barrette, and May Wong.

People or Process

This week's episode is on the debate between people and process. Grant and Steve are joined by Joy McCaffrey, Calvin Marshall, Jason Vincelette, and David Bates.

Balancing Strategy and Tactics

This week's episode is on the balance between strategy and tactics. Grant and Steve are joined by Joy McCaffrey, Calvin Marshall, and Jason Vincelette.

Testing and Validating Ideas

This week's episode is about the process of testing and validating ideas. Grant is joined by Joy McCaffrey and Jason Vincelette.