Product Therapy: Recent Episodes
Product Therapy
A podcast about product management hosted by Ben Erez & Brandon Lucas Green, two PMs who need to talk some things out.
producttherapy.substack.com
We’re back to reflect a bit on what’s been going on in America over the past few weeks, what it’s caused each of us to think about as relatively privileged straight white men, and muse on what it might take to change the systems that perpetuate racism and hardship in our society. We want to be champions for public good, but it’s hard to figure out the right ways to do that.
Oh, and Ben got a new job!
Links:
Twitter releases a “get the facts” feature and uses it on Trump tweets
Mark Zuckerberg doubles down on his stance on Trump posts
NYC lawmakers eye NYPD dissolution as one answer to “defund” protests
Somerville MA to Officially Declare Systemic Racism a Public Safety and Health Emergency
Hosts: Ben Erez, Brandon Lucas GreenEditing: Brandon Lucas GreenMusic: "You Know I" by Sophomores
Listen & subscribe to Product Therapy on:
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Overcast
Spotify
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Get full access to Product Therapy at producttherapy.substack.com/subscribe
In which we try to make sense of the seeming hype of the Product Management field in tech, why everyone seems to want to get into it, and whether people have the same ideas of what makes for a successful product career. We run a little long, but cover some interesting ground, including why training courses seem to miss the point, the motivations for getting into the product life, and what success or the endgame of this career might look like. Brandon's dog Rosie interrupts a few times.
It feels very weird to publish this after what's gone on this past weekend in America. It won’t help like this stuff will, but we hope it serves as a small bit of nerdy work escapism if anyone needs it.
Hosts: Ben Erez, Brandon Lucas GreenEditing: Brandon Lucas GreenMusic: "You Know I" by Sophomores
Listen & subscribe to Product Therapy on:
Apple Podcasts
Overcast
Spotify
Stitcher
Pocket Casts
Get full access to Product Therapy at producttherapy.substack.com/subscribe
Brandon was in a weird mood at the time of this recording. We're not sure if it's due to burnout, a feeling of misanthropy associated with his work, or the general state of the world – so we dig into it. Topics include why it's sometimes hard to build trust and feel excited about your team when playing the PM role, burnout, and how to prioritize things at the meta-level and step away from the things that aren't prioritized at the moment.
Hosts: Ben Erez, Brandon Lucas GreenEditing: Brandon Lucas Green Music: "You Know I" by Sophomores
Listen & subscribe to Product Therapy on:
Apple Podcasts
Overcast
Spotify
Stitcher
Pocket Casts
Get full access to Product Therapy at producttherapy.substack.com/subscribe
Session 2, in which we try a formal intro and it quickly breaks down, then talk about the realities and challenges of working remotely — especially as a product manager. Ben is optimistic, Brandon has feelings, and we end up curious about the future. One nicety: Not having to book meeting rooms for 10% of your day.
Relevant links:
Twitter announces work from home policy will continue indefinitely
So, layoffs are weird | tone deaf / color blind — in which Brandon rambles about paying attention to companies’ business models, cost structures, and public decisions to help inform how you think about a company
Hosts: Ben Erez, Brandon Lucas Green
Editing: Brandon Lucas Green
Music: "You Know I" by Sophomores
Get full access to Product Therapy at producttherapy.substack.com/subscribe
First session! We’re Brandon & Ben, and we talk about who we are, why we’re doing a podcast, how we got into product management in the first place, how we’re spending our time during COVID and a bit about why PM can sometimes feel thankless.
We have no idea how this podcast is going to go, but there’s also zero stakes so we’re just having fun with it. We hope you enjoy.
Hosts: Ben Erez, Brandon Lucas Green
Editing: Brandon Lucas Green
Music: “You Know I” by Sophomores
Get full access to Product Therapy at producttherapy.substack.com/subscribe