A girl in the Product World: Recent Episodes
Aamna
Welcome to the A girl in the Product World podcast, where I talk to people disrupting the Digital Product scene. I love creating meaningful products in my career. That's why I enjoy talking to people doing just that to find out how they do things and why. Enjoy!
If there is a podcast episode you need to listen to as a reminder that you can have it all, it's this one!
I'm joined by the one and only Nam - Founder of Women in Product UK and CPO Track, NED and Portfolio Executive. Fiercely and unapologetically taking over the Product space globally, launching her UK-based businesses most recently in New York and Dubai.
But this conversation is special because we go beyond the career. Nam dives into the path that led to where she is today and she shares so many timeless gems.
Don't miss out on this episode and enjoy!
A very honest conversation with Sarah, the Head of Digital Strategy at Virgin Media O2 about her journey from joining the company as a Finance Grad to where she is today. We touch on so many key topics including women being in leadership positions to breaking out of a junior mindset in your career.
She is the inspiration we need!
Zach is back with me for another Product Recruitment episode.
This time, we're giving you the load down on Product recruitment for those requiring sponsorships and visas to work in the UK.
There's a ton of useful advice and of course, please always refer to the official UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
Enjoy!
The million dollar question that I'm sure a lot of us think about -What exactly is Crypto and Blockchain?!
I'm joined by the brilliant Ziad El Baba, who is the COP at Ramp - A Fintech Payments company.
Ziad talks to me about his journey, his enormous contribution to the growth of Credit Karma and so much more.
Alastair is an incredible, well-rounded CPO, with huge amounts of experience in Product and Business. Specialising in being a Generalist, he's helped business to go from 0 to Series C, scale-up majorly and be an Advisor. Having worked for huge brands such as Tesco, Lloyds and Accenture, he has a knack for joining the dots.
But at the heart of it all, Alastair is a Product pro - and boy does he add value.
I hope you enjoy this chat with him as much as I did!
Alastair is also runs the Product Tapas newsletter - compiling all the latest Product news in one place. Check it out: https://producttapas-newsletter.beehiiv.com/
Enjoy!
Anthony is the Product Director for Platform API at New Day, which is a company dedicated to improving people’s credit.
With an impressive career thus far, Anthony has worked for the likes of BT, Barclays, HSBC and Apple.
He also holds a Bachelors and Masters from Loughborough university and is a Product legend.
He joins me today to talk through his experiences, including how he helped to shape NewDay, a financial company into a Tech business!
We cover so much more including
- Prioritisation
- Forming a Product vision
- How women can succeed in tech
And so much more...
Enjoy!
We've all been there - searching day and night on property sites and apps to find our ideal home. Finding something great, then seeing the price (ouch!) or finding a cracking price and then viewing the cracks in person (eye-roll)
Well, Rowan is here to change all of that!
Finding this painful gap in the market, he embarked on his journey to create an AI platform to help home-seekers be matched to their perfect property. That too, without the endless searching. Before long, he founded Casa - the platform to find your dream property in minutes.
In this episode, Rowan talks to me about his journey and how he's aiming to turn the property market on it's head!
Enjoy!
One of the downsides to working in Product is how the recruitment landscape can change negatively.
This is something many people have faced since the change in the market in 2023...which has meant 2024 has been a slow start.
I'm back with another episode with Zach, a Executive Consultant from Sphere Digital Recruitment to help you get hired in Product, during this challenging time!
This episode is slightly different...
I wanted to sit down and have a chat about my own Product journey, in hopes it can inspire and help others.
Enjoy!
How does one take risks when the stakes are high and you're working in some of the biggest tech companies around?
Dipesh Joshi, a Product Lead at Sky has some solid advice on doing so!
An extremely committed and experienced Product person, Dipesh talks to me about what it's really like working for big tech companies, what inspires him and his advice to you.
He's even had his own successful podcasts in the past - will he make a comeback??
Enjoy!
Don't come from a tech background but want to know how to create an awesome Product and NOT bleed out your bank account?
I've got you!
In this episode I speak to Raees, Founder of Ummazing, a platform serving as a Muslim-friendly service directory to find businesses and services you need.
We touch on so many topics but mainly, Raees's commitment and determination to serve his community using Product is what struck me as the most impressive thing. That too as someone who doesn't come from a technical or Product background.
Enjoy!
AI is everywhere. So does the bad rep it seems to get.
But what about the AI robotics and automation that will actually help us? Where our jobs won't be taken but our lives will be made easier.
You're in the right place to find out all about it.
In this episode, I speak with the awesome Andre, a Product Manager working at Boston Dynamics. Andre and his team are revolutionising the warehouse industry with Stretch, a robot looking after the gruelling labour, normally undertaken by humans.
I LOVE this episode because it sheds light on the current false narrative of AI and just how much benefit automation can bring about.
Listen now!
Is your life very busy?
Do you have trouble focusing on your prayers but don't have the time to fix it?
Are you not sure how to start taking care of your mental health in the best way possible?
Then this app is for you!
Created and curated by Iqra Ashfaq, who did her Masters in Examining the physiological effects of mindfulness meditation and Islamic prayer.
The Noor Meditation app is a product that features meditation sessions, that focus on a range of topics to help you become a better Muslim.
Aimed at absolutely everyone (even small children!), it's an app growing with it's offering.
Download today to experience this wonderful product and have your chance to provide feedback to the team!
Available on:
Apple's App Store and Google Play Store
Use @noor_meditation to get in contact on:
Instagram
TikTok
Threads
Product Demos:
Product Demo is an ongoing series on A Girl in the Product World podcast. It's to help get new and improved products out there, for you to try and feedback on.
I am passionate about people developing their ideas in to products that will add real value to people's lives.
If this sounds like something you want to get involved in, then get in touch with me!
Ever wondered how much food is produced in the world daily?
Ever taken a step further and wondered how much of that food is wasted?
The answer: 40%!
But there's one person who is determined to put an end to this and has already saved millions of meals ending up in the bin.
In this episode I talk to Jamie Crummie, the co-founder of the Too Good To Go app, which makes it easy for brands and buyers to find a second home for unsold food goods.
The app has ranked alongside McDonald’s and Uber Eats in the top 10 of food apps downloaded worldwide, collaborating with 100,000s brands globally and has millions of users.
I love this initiative because it is a great example of the impact product and technology can have, and grow an idea in to a global success.
Enjoy!
This is the story of how one woman took on the Muslim Tech scene, to make it an established, global community of 1,000's.
Arfah Farooq is a community builder, who entered the Tech world after finding a gap and ended up building Muslamic Makers (MM). With 100's attending it's first Tech Fest in 2023, Arfah had clearly built something iconic with her team.
With so much start up experience herself, Arfah is also a VC scout, aiming to invest in solving real humanitarian and global issues.
A true inspiration to everyone including young people and women, she continues to work for a better world for us all.
Hear her story and amazing journey thus far now!
Imagine being blind.
Imagine not knowing what ingredients you’re cooking with?
Imagine taking a pregnancy test and not being able to read the result?
Or setting up a new piece of tech in your home and not being able to read the paper instructions?
My guest on this episode is here to change that.
Hans Jørgen Wiberg is the founder of the Be My Eyes app, made up of a community that connects the visually impaired or blind with volunteers all around the globe, using video calls.
Collaborating with the likes of Google and recently Open AI, Hans is on a mission the make the world a better place in what is, in my opinion, one of the most well-thought out products out there today.
I’m so excited to share with you one of my best conversations with anyone in product
Tune in today!
Want to know how one of the UK's first challenger bank's was built after the 2008 economic crash? Look no further than this episode with the amazing Monica Millares, who was part of Ricky Knox's Tandem Bank founding team. She talks me through her journey, her own personal challenges and how she's rocking the Fintech industry!
Enjoy!
The unknown world of Fintech recruitment is demystified for you all in this episode, with Enrico Ferrara!
Enrico is a Recruitment Consultant, specialising in Fintech, Financial Services and Banking.
Together we bust some myths when it comes to:
- What it's like applying for a Fintech role, even as a first-timer
- What the market is really like despite speculation from the media
- The skills you need to fit in the industry
And more!
Heard you've been wanting to enter the Product World and want to be in the know when applying for jobs.
Not to worry! Zach has you sorted.
An incredible person, who shares the ins and outs of applying to a Product role, all from a recruiter's point of view!
We get to it by discussing:
- What qualifications you need for a Product role?
- What are the typical characteristics of a Product candidate companies look for?
- How do you navigate the salary discussion?!
And much more!
Want to know how a Product Manager broke in to Product?
Find out today with Adil Hussain, an experienced PM, who had a rather unconventional introduction in to the Product World.
I ask him a load of questions, that I get a lot from people in my network including:
- What does a PM's typical day look like?
- What skills do you need to work in Product
- Biggest challenges in Product
And so much more!
Enjoy!
Q: What does the Product World and The Apprentice have in common?
A: Karthik Nagesan, of course!
Many will have seen the highly entertaining 2016 series of The Apprentice (UK) and the delightful Karthik. From his bold ambitions to his smooth talking ways, it's no wonder he was prime for the Product World. And boy has he made his mark in it too.
Karthik has spent majority of his career having some form of a key Product role, including Agile Coaching, Product Manager and Scrum Master.
So I was curious to find out more about the mindset behind the scenes.
This one is a real treat - enjoy!
Sadiq Dorasat is the embodiment of a Product person here to change the world.
From working for Wahed, an Islamic investment platform to help Muslims make the best financial gains to founding Muslim Census, which is dedicated to providing insights for the 4 million Muslims in the UK. By gathering data not previously available anywhere, his company is already making waves including it's reports being used in the UK parliament. So successful that Sadiq and his co-founder, Mo have been featured in the Forbes List 30 under 30 2022!
Sadiq also dives in to his experiences and preferences as a Product Manager and his early years.
His energy and passion is unparalleled, yet feels necessary for the sort of changes he wants to bring about.
Join me in this episode to find out all the details of Sadiq's journey and how he's making a difference in today's world.
This is a very exciting episode that brings an enormous variety of topics to your ears.
I'm joined by the powerhouse, Chenelle Ansah - an Early-stage investor and Consultant.
Chenelle is truly disrupting the Fintech Industry, having worked with most banks in the U.K. and Fintechs. After working for many firms and gaining expert industrial knowledge, Chenelle made the bold move of starting her own Consultancy.
Chenelle also supports initiatives that align closely with her beliefs, leading her to champion charitable causes, holds board exec and advisory roles and provide access to capital for diverse businesses.
In this chat, we uncover Chenelle's journey, Fintech trends to watch out for, where Fintechs fail (!) and what she looks for when providing investment to a candidate.
It's a dream to be able to get these stories out in an industry that is packed with people constantly figuring it all out.
There is so much we have unpacked - I hope you enjoy this as much as we did recording it!
Imagine a single episode with Product Leadership, Product People, digital growth and presence in the North of the UK, Diversity and Inclusion and Mentorship all in one. Well, here it is!
I sit down with Atif Ahmed, a Product Practice Lead at Deloitte Digital, who has over 20 years experience. In his cool, calm and collected style, he talks through his journey of how everything and everyone has shaped him and his career.
Much of our discussion cover conversations we have had previously as colleagues and I have always wanted other people to hear. I have always loved to hear how Atif has kept true to his values when it comes to his people and product, now even more so as a leader.
Enjoy!
This is the one where I explore THAT challenge in so many of our Product teams: Design vs. Product.
In this episode I'm joined by Jon Aizlewood, an esteemed leader within the Digital Design world, as we know it.
Jon is not one to shy away from discussions around how and where design fits in to the Agile matrix that we're all now too aware of. In fact, he leads on such conversations to help people understand how to accommodate Digital Design to achieve our common goal: building world-class customer experiences
Ok, that's great but HOW do we stop arguing and achieve this, you ask.
Tune in to find out!
This is matchmaking, but not as you know it. This is professional matchmaking, powered by AI that has changed the event space AND the first of it's kind. Grip is a software solution that helps to connect visitors, exhibitors and trade buyers at events for face-to-face meetings and virtual meetings.
In this episode I talk to Tim Groot, founder and CEO of Grip. An incredibly tenacious person and a leader with huge vision, Tim has had a journey full of lessons.
Unlocking the potential of the product beyond typical metrics and KPIs, Tim and his team have created a tool many event organisers now cannot do without.
Tim also talks through how he leads his team through his vision and what a successful product feels like for the customer.
Tired of yet another period tracking app? Frustrated about not being able to marry up how you're feeling with what you're meant to do about it? Look no further than this episode where I talk to Jas, the founder of the Elara Care app. Elara Care is a female health app helping women to make informed choices for their wellness.
Jas is an incredible lady and has certainly made her mark within the Digital world. She recently was Head of SEO at Silvertip Digital and Digital Marketing advisor and investor at Mumbli. Following her passion about female healthcare and wanting others to be aware of themselves, she embarked on her mission to give data back to us, simply to enable us.
She also shares what her product journey has been like and how this has shaped her own personal health journey.
Enjoy!
They say necessity is the mother of invention. This certainly rings true for all the systems that had to be put in place to manage the biggest pandemic of our lifetime. This includes the Covid-19 Vaccine Booking system, launched on a national level, here in the U.K.
But what's it like to build a product in a crisis, that too at record speed and for everyone?
You're in the right place to find out.
I'm honoured to be joined by the one and only Aleena Baig, a software engineer who's team at Accurx was responsible for the above.
A very accomplished professional, who also talks about not only how to successfully build in hardcore environments, but also how to take care of yourself whilst doing so.
This chat left me in awe and absolute admiration of how wonderful people in product are really helping to change our lives for the better.
Enjoy!
Want to know how one entrepreneur has brought together product management, Fintech knowledge and his beliefs to build an amazing inclusive solution? Look no further than this podcast episode.
I talk to Areeb Siddiqui, the co-founder and CEO of Kestrl: The Muslim Money App. Areeb has built up an incredible career and educational background, which has paved the way for his journey.
He is helping to enable fellow Muslims manage and grow their wealth; a concept that in the past has proven to be challenging.
He also shares what keeps him motivated and trends to watch out for within Digital Islamic Finance.
It was so refreshing to speak to someone who's challenges resonate with millions of others out there and see them do something about it!
Ka-ching!
Have you ever wondered what a Product Director thinks about everyday? What's important to them? What do they think of themselves as a Leader.
In this episode, I sit down with Liam Dyson, currently Director of Product (Service) at BT, EE and Plusnet. With over 10 years experience in Service to shape his leadership style, Liam gives an insight in to his inspirations, what drives him and what he expects from his people.
I love how this chat was simply so honest.
Enjoy!
Every Product Owner has a unique path that has led them to where they are today. I love speaking to people in product to understand their journey because it's so interesting and inspirational to see how they navigate through to eventual success.
In this episode, Maryam gives an honest insight in to her own journey, including her challenges and advice for those wanting to push through in to the Product Ownership world.
Maryam is a Digital Product owner, who's career started with one of the UK's most successful telecomms companies. With a clear passion to keep growing outside of her comfort zone, Maryam has progressed very quickly in the product world.
Ever wondered what Product Leadership means to a leader? Stacy Holland gives us an insight and so much more in this wonderful episode.
Stacy has 20+ years experience in the world of Digital Product world and has pursued her passion of building up the teams and people around her. As a result she will now be coaching full time in an exciting, new adventure.
We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did making it!
The Fintech world is vast with hugely talented people.
I had the opportunity to sit down with the incredible Scarlett Sieber, who shared her views on all things Fintech.
Scarlett recently joined Money 20/20 as the Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, is a Fintech Contributor for Forbes, an International Speaker, Influencer and much more.
In this talk, we discuss Fintech companies in today's world, including post-pandemic events, Money 20/20 and Women in Fintech.
Enjoy!