Women In Product: Recent Episodes
Women In Product Podcast
Who decides what products to build and what features to include? The answer might surprise you.
Women In Product spotlights the stories of women product leaders, the challenges they face, and the things that can make or break a tech product. Tune in to learn more with us.
This week, we explore a new AI case study with Subha Shetty, Vice President Of Product Management at Fanatics. This episode marks the third installment of several case studies offering insight into diverse AI solutions.
Four members of this year’s Women In Product conference content committee—Catrina Patton, Evelyn Chou, Natalie Dixon, and Manaleage Tedement—came together to share their experiences and insights. During their discussion, they reflected on their work and exchanged advice for aspiring speakers and attendees on making the most of the event.
What makes the Women In Product Conference such a unique experience? Hear from Anavi Nahar, Sharmeen Browarek Chapp, and Paz Zuniga, three members of this year’s steering committee, as they share more about their roles, the conference’s theme, and why attendees feel empowered to turn their goals into a reality.
This week, we explore AI product development with Maryam Ashoori, head of product at IBM for Watsonx.ai and Watsonx Foundation Models. This episode marks the second installment of several case studies offering insight into diverse AI solutions.
This week, we dive into AI product development with Naba Banerjee, Head of Trust and Safety at Airbnb. Naba shares her pioneering work on an AI-based reservation screening system, tackling party risks. This episode marks the first of several case studies, offering insight into diverse AI solutions, team dynamics, and collaborative problem-solving approaches.
In the latest episode of the podcast, Lisa O'Malley — Sr. Director of Product Management at Cloud AI, Google — shares an executive’s perspective on building AI products. Join us for an enlightening conversation on what it takes to thrive in AI and product management.
This week, Polly Allen, an ex-Amazon AI product coach and advisor, returns to the podcast to discuss decision-making, product development shifts, biases, and collaboration. She emphasizes AI as a problem-solving tool and advocates for a value-centric approach, prioritizing business and user needs over technical metrics.
Join us as we speak to Polly Allen, AI product coach and advisor, for a conversation on breaking into AI Product Management, where the essentials go beyond technical skills to include strategic thinking, risk management, and bridging communication between teams.
Looking for more insight on transitioning into AI Product Management? Attend Polly's free masterclass on February 8th or register for the "Design and Build Conversational AI" course starting February 19th.
Marily Nika, former AI Product Lead at Meta and Google, joined us in our latest podcast episode to break down the complexities of AI product development. She details how to succeed in AI product development, particularly for those who lack a technical background. Plus, we'll dive into the fundamentals of AI product development, including experimentation, data analysis, and crucial decision-making skills.
PODCAST UPDATE: We’re thrilled to introduce Women In Product’s new series on AI product management.
Like our last podcast, The Path to CPO, this series was designed from the get-go to transform elusive information, like becoming a Chief Product Officer, into actionable insights. This time around, we’ll demystify AI product management, regardless of your technical background.
Each episode features industry leaders who share their opinions on the latest trends, strategies, and AI innovations. Plus, you’ll gain real-world, practical advice to leverage your PM expertise and succeed in the sector.
In this replay of episode 35, Shruti Sheorey interviews Marty Cagan, author of “Empowered.” Marty shares more about why coaching and hiring are such key parts of what product leaders should be doing, how product leaders can give more strategic context to their teams, and why OKRs are often failures at companies.
What’s the difference between mentors, coaches, and sponsors? Tune into this podcast episode to hear from Susan Davis-Ali, Founder and President of Leadhership1, a coaching company dedicated to empowering mid-career women in technology. Susan shares her insights on essential strategies for securing sponsorship to propel your career forward.
In this replay of episode 29, Bosky Mukherjee interviews Teresa Torres, author of “Continuous Discovery Habits.” They dive into the benefits of growing outside of a leadership role, why collaboration is queen and the benefits of building faster feedback loops.
Whether you're navigating a tough job market or aspiring to senior roles for the first time, this episode with Nic Amos, Product Manager Leader of Consumer Privacy & Fraud Operations at Kohl’s will prove the importance of proactive outreach. Learn about their bold approach to networking online, leveraging LinkedIn, and asserting their time during lengthy interviews.
Discover how Hillary Taverna, Product Manager at Kickstarter, landed her current role in a challenging job market. Learn about her strategic approach, including networking, sabbatical planning, and the importance of being authentic in professional interactions.
What does a Chief Product Officer role look like at a non-profit organization? We’ll have Women In Product’s newest CPO, Carmen Palmer, describing her key responsibilities, career journey in Product Management, and the importance of networking during her job search.
As we wrap up our Path to CPO series, Elizabeth Ames and Rashmi Ramesh bring the Women In Product team together to share their favorite memories.
This episode of Path to CPO highlights the importance of diversity in a company’s executive team. Ted Krantz, CEO at data.ai, shares his experience with hiring female CPOs and what a battle that process has been. Ted also gives tips for how women can be prepared to step into product leadership roles.
Stay tuned for our next episodes on AI! In the meantime, join us for one of our AI Live Learning Workshops: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/ai-live-learning-series-2623269
Chris Johnson, a seasoned executive recruiter, shares invaluable insights into CPO recruitment from a search perspective in this week’s #PathtoCPO. Gain a deeper understanding of the top qualities and processes that drive the search for the next Chief Product Officer. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from an industry insider and enhance your own knowledge of executive recruitment.
Amory Wakefield, Chief Product Officer at Aquabyte, joins us on the latest episode of Path to CPO to share her incredible path to the C-Suite. Tune in to explore the impact of company culture on personal values, team relationships, and diversity in problem-solving.
On our latest episode of Path to CPO, learn how Chief Product Officer of Ancestry, Heather Gordon Friedland, shaped her experience as a dynamic leader in the evolving Internet landscape of the late 90s. Heather delves into how wearing multiple hats empowered her to excel as a versatile product leader. She motivates us to create exceptional products by finding joy in our work.
Hear how Yuying Chen-Wynn worked her way to being a CPO at Barnes and Noble Education from starting out with a focus in computer science. This episode of Path to CPO shares perspective on being an out-of-the-box candidate in product and how this can actually be a superpower. Listen to Yuying’s story and find inspiration for your own professional journey.
On this episode of Path to CPO, hear tips for developing your career in product and learning to grow through mentorship. Ketaki Rao, CPO of data.ai, shares her wisdom on the importance of grabbing hold of opportunities and applying feedback. She encourages our audience to jump into new initiatives and projects as they learn more about the field of product.
We are returning to our Path to CPO series with Annie Pearl, who was previously the CPO of Calendly when we recorded this episode. Annie talks to Rashmi Ramesh about how she started out in law school, but fell in love with deeply understanding the users and their problems. She describes the difference between functional leadership and executive, why hiring is crucial, and the importance of vision and strategy in order to make the leap.
Before we hear more from our guests and their #PathtoCPO, reflect on the past episodes of this podcast series with Rashmi Ramesh, Director of Product. We wanted this series to inspire our community members to pursue executive roles, and we hope you are encouraged by the stories our guests have shared. Listen to the top takeaways from the different speakers and consider how you can apply them to your career.
Looking for more #23WIP Conference content? Hear clips from our keynote speakers and be inspired about your next steps in product. Listen to the stories of how our speakers grew their careers in the face of external and internal challenges. Learn tips about how you can #BuildWhatsNextPM.
Jori Bell, Director of Product Management at Audible, shares her tips and tricks to developing your network and utilizing your connections to grow your career. Listen as she shares with Senior Event Manager, Arianna Black her experience with the Women In Product Peer Coaching Circle and how mentorship has been a significant part of her success.
Get an insider, honest perspective from Nupur Srivastava as she shares how she went from being a Senior Product Manager to Chief Product Officer all in one organization. Learn how you can use confidence, empathy, and flexibility to be successful in your career and to have an impact wherever you work.
Tune in as Chief Product Officer, Jen Taylor shares the importance of getting comfortable making decisions with imperfect information, how she prepared for her board interviews, and how she makes choices that fit with the portfolio of the life that she’s trying to lead!
Director of Product, Rashmi Ramesh, talks with Chief Product Officer, Anneka Gupta, about her #PathtoCPO, the importance of building connections, the art of asking for help and the most important lessons she’s learned as a people leader.
Rashmi Ramesh talks to Alex Hardiman about her path to CPO. The two discuss how Alex found her role as a product leader, how to balance the responsibility, and more. #ThePathtoCPO
Elizabeth Ames, CEO of Women In Product, talks with podcast series co-collaborator and Director of Product, Rashmi Ramesh, about what inspired the creation behind #ThePathtoCPO series, the value and power of persistence, and some of the key learnings that came out of the interviews she hosted.
Shruti Sheorey interviews Marty Cagan, author of “Empowered.” Marty shares more about why coaching and hiring are such key parts of what product leaders should be doing, how product leaders can give more strategic context to their teams, and why OKRs are often failures at companies.
As we reach the tail end of our Great PM Book Series, we are excited to share our newest episode with Marty Cagan. He and Dipti Patel discuss the book, INSPIRED: How To Create Tech Products Customers Love. They cover everything from discovery principles to OKRs to breaking down what makes a good PM.
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
Data shows that the demands of professional work put an unrealistic burden on women. We spend this episode with Sally Thornton, digging into common causes of burnout for women in the workforce and the burdens they carry. Sally urges us to be our own Behavioral Scientists and to track what sparks joy in our lives, then prioritizing this work.
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
This episode’s guest, Julia Nechaieva, joins host Elizabeth Ames to uncover tips to create a career in product that helps women thrive even in uncertain times. Knowing things like company size, preferred work, and manager expectations can help employees evaluate roles and guide job seekers to the best fit. Julia’s tool, PM Daisy, is a helpful resource.
Check out PM Daisy: https://bit.ly/3GDl0F8
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
In this multi-guest episode, Elizabeth Ames, CEO of Women In Product, kicks off with Deb Liu, Co-Founder and Board President of Women In Product, as she shares how Women In Product started. Elizabeth then pivots the discussion to connect with community members to learn more about their member experience and their hopes for the future of the organization.
Today we have two Women In Product community members ready to discuss Melissa Perri's book, Escaping the Build Trap: How Effective Product Management Creates Real Value. Sparkle Joy Meadows and Marie Chaisson join and share how this book resonates in the Product work they do daily.
Share your favorite PM book with us: https://productblenders.typeform.com/bookideas
Bosky Mukherjee interviews Teresa Torres, author of “Continuous Discovery Habits.” They dive into the benefits of growing outside of a leadership role, why collaboration is queen and the benefits of building faster feedback loops.
Martina Lauchengco joins to discuss her new book, Loved: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products. Listen as she outlines the stages of a product marketing career and the differences between traditional marketing, product marketing, and product management.
Share your favorite PM book with us: https://productblenders.typeform.com/bookideas
As part of our Great PM Books Series, we’ve gather a panel of PMs from our community to have a discussion around Annie Duke’s book, Thinking In Bets. Hear from JJ Rorie, Julia Lin, and Susan Liao.
Share your favorite PM book with us: https://productblenders.typeform.com/bookideas
Bosky Mukherjee interviews Tessa West, author of “Jerks at Work.” The two explore what goes into the making of jerk-like behavior at work and consider common reactions of those who are targeted.
Grab a copy of "Jerks at Work": https://amzn.to/3Bg3DJI
JJ Rorie interviews Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking. Listen as the two discuss what it takes to build products.
Order a copy of Radical Product Thinking: https://amzn.to/3PGmOSd
Do you have a PM book recommendation? Submit it here: https://www.womenpm.org/resource-hub-library
Deb Liu just released her new book! She and our host discuss a central theme of the book: power. Listen in to learn how Deb was able to build and leverage power throughout her career — and how you can do the same.
Order a copy of Deb’s book: https://amzn.to/3JnvECY
We're highlighting a past podcast episode this week! Listen or re-listen to this insightful conversation with guest Stacey Feero. Stacey shares the story of how she found her way into tech and later joined the world of Product. Spoiler alert: she created a community of people and sponsors to support her journey.
Women In Product piloted our first-ever mentorship program last fall. Today, we hear from those involved with the program. Our takeaways? Mentoring is a safe space, judgment free zone. It requires commitment. It's a delicate balance.
This episode, we’re joined by Y-Vonne Hutchinson, CEO and founder of ReadySet. She shares helpful knowledge for marginalized individuals and allies to understand power dynamics and be successful in the workplace.
Learn more about Y-Vonne’s recently published book, How To Talk To Your Boss About Race, Speaking Up Without Getting Shut Down: amzn.to/3N8cMrF
Being an ally is a journey. It takes practice to unlearn biases and to be intentional about advocating for marginalized individuals. Lucky for us, Karen Catlin is here to discuss steps we can take in our own lives to be better allies. Her best advice? Seek common ground and educate.
Learn more about Better Allies here: twitter.com/betterallies
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
Data shows that the demands of professional work put an unrealistic burden on women. We spend this episode with Sally Thornton, digging into common causes of burnout for women in the workforce and the burdens they carry. Sally urges us to be our own Behavioral Scientists and to track what sparks joy in our lives, then prioritizing this work.
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
Another Women In Product Conference in the books! We were joined by over 3,000 women in product, all connecting for two days. Want to get a glimpse of some of the highlights? Listen for words from this year's keynotes: Tulsee Doshi, Deboshree Dutta, Jennifer Lopez, Deb Liu, Mamuna Oladipo, and Sally Thornton.
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
Curious about what's in store for the Women In Product Conference 2022? Learn from seven influential product leaders who hold key leadership positions in product management. Tulsee Doshi, Deboshree Dutta, Deb Liu, Jennifer Lopez, Mamuna Oladipo, and Sally Thornton will be taking the stage to share their knowledge in the field and share their advice on May 10-11.
Register for 22WIP here: bit.ly/22wiptickets
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
Heather Conklin and Aubrey Gavin join host Elizabeth Ames as guests on this episode. The tree discuss what it was like founding and taking part in Salesforce’s APM program from the perspectives of both executive and PM newbie. Hear how establishing the program proved beneficial for various teams across the company and the human-side by embracing authenticity.
Learn more about the WIP Conference: www.womenpm.org/conference
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
This episode is a special one! Tickets are officially available for this year’s Women In Product Conference. We're celebrating with a handful of speakers who will be on stage at the conference in May. Guests today are six exceptional women: Melika Hope, Srujani Kamineni, Susan Liao, Mallika Gargeya, Grace Young, and Christina Puder.
Learn more about the WIP Conference: www.womenpm.org/conference
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
If you’re like most people negotiating your pay can be an intimidating experience. Guest Jordan Sale joins this episode and pulls the curtains back from this process. Jordan is the Founder & CEO of 81cents, an organization that works to help job seekers feel confident and prepared for negotiations with data and a group of advisors to guide them through.
She and host, Elizabeth Ames, discuss alternative forms of compensation that job seekers should consider and offer a glance into what a negotiation might look like and how to best prepare.
Learn more about 81cents: www.81cents.com
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
Ever wanted to know what recruiters at Google look for in candidates? Well, here’s your chance. This episode features Michele Turner — Sr. Director, Google Smart Home Ecosystem — and Diana Coardos — Product Manager Recruiter. Tune in if you’d like to know what they look for in product management talent, resumes, and in interviews.
The two give guidance on how to master the first sets of interviews through storytelling, practice, and a genuine desire to understand company culture.
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
WIP Podcast host, Elizabeth Ames, chats with Andrew Shearer and Jenny Cu from BravePath, a coaching and recruiting partner firm that focuses on product management, user experience design, and software engineering for product companies.
This episode is loaded with tips you can use to improve your resume today, so you can stand out as a candidate. The group spends time walking through the process companies use when reviewing resumes, where automation comes into play, and how resumes compare to LinkedIn profiles.
For those seeking higher level positions, listen in for guidance on expressing thought leadership and strategy in resumes.
Learn more about BravePath »
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
This episode’s guest, Julia Nechaieva, joins host Elizabeth Ames to uncover tips to create a career in product that helps women thrive. Knowing things like company size, preferred work, and manager expectations can help employees evaluate roles and guide them to the best fit. Julia’s tool, PM Daisy, is a helpful resource.
The pair calls listeners to make the distinction between feelings of fear and excitement when looking for new roles or changes. The difference in mindset can allow oneself that they are brave for even trying.
Check out PM Daisy: https://bit.ly/3GDl0F8
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
As we settle into this new year, thoughts around one’s career are likely to arise. Women In Product CEO and podcast host, Elizabeth Ames, and Senior Director of Product Management, Strava, Tara King-Hughes, define a framework to actively drive your career forward and dive into the work a product leader for a team entails.
Tara shares experiences and tips that are endlessly useful, but most importantly she reminds listeners to advocate for themselves and truly recognize their contributions at work. And, no, this doesn’t have to sound like bragging.
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
On this episode, WIP Podcast host Elizabeth Ames speaks with two formidable Latina product managers — Pamela Roux Castillo and Paola Rios Schaaf. The guests reveal why they love the product space, what got them to keep working in the industry, and what makes them stay at particular companies.
The three discuss some challenges Latinas face as an underrepresented group in product management, including the hardship of enduring the interview process, investing in skill building, and navigating work relationships with a different background.
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
We’re spending some time reflecting on the power of the WIP community on this episode. WIP Podcast host, Elizabeth Ames, talks with board members and our HQ team. Join as we explore the most important things each of us have received by being a part of Women In Product and what we’re looking forward to giving the community in the next year.
Interested in sharing your love of the WIP community? Let us hear from you: https://bit.ly/3EgPATV
The Women In Product Podcast is excited to host Ronke Majekodunmi on this episode. Cyronne Counts, Director of Programs at Women In Product, has a conversation with Ronke about how she got her start in the Product space and how the WIP community has influenced her career path.
The two discuss the importance of representation within the Product and what makes Ronke passionate about sharing her wisdom and experiences with beginning product managers. Ronke has contributed amazing resources via our Resource Hub and maintains her own blog and podcast to share her learnings.
p.s. You can read Ronke’s blog post about imposter syndrome on our Resource Hub!
Take a look at and submit to our Resource Hub here: https://bit.ly/3DiNiTL
Could you imagine starting your company at the age of 13? Well, that’s what our guest Jasmine Lawrence did, and she’s almost at the 20 year anniversary of her natural hair and body care products company. This ability to drive her own path pushed her to step into a product management role right out of college.
Jasmine and WIP podcast host, Elizabeth Ames, explore Jasmine’s work history from robotics to entrepreneurship to hardware and back to robotics. Her experience in these various spaces of tech was driven by an authentic desire to take on these new roles, despite the challenges of linking a career path that isn’t traditionally linear. She even shares the framework she uses to manage her (very full) personal and professional life.
Bonus: Jasmine shares her tip to entering the PM field from a different area!
Life can sometimes feel like it’s divided between the personal and the professional, but this week’s guest Prashanthi Ravanavarapu explains how she fused the two while entering PM roles.
Prashanthi’s awareness of systemic inequality and dedication to inclusive work brought her to reframe what “leveling the playing field” means for Product. The result was the creation of justice by design, something that calls individuals to go beyond simply being inclusive and instead offering more tools to those who are disadvantaged.
Find Inclusive Product Design Resources here: https://bit.ly/3qhoqsv
Share your favorite inclusive product resources with WIP here: https://bit.ly/3hlnwGn
Founder of Women In Product’s Toronto Chapter — Stacey Feero — joins on this episode. Stacey shares the story of how she found her way into tech and later joined the world of Product. Spoiler alert: she created a community of people and sponsors to support her journey.
Although Stacy realizes the importance of interpersonal connections, she’s also a self-proclaimed bad networker. She and host, Elizabeth Ames, consider how to network while being an introvert. Listen to gain some tips on balancing networking to support yourself and others.
Check out our Research Report »
Our host Elizabeth Ames had the pleasure to speak with not one but two accomplished women this week! Elizabeth is joined by Anna Auerbach and Michaëlle Gocko from Egon Zehnder who work in executive search. The two share the “sparks of potential” they find makes a great candidate and a few tips on how to help position oneself for their next role and advance to the executive level.
Their focus on product leadership is fueled by the emergence of product management in every industry and recognizing that product leadership is now a viable pathway to the C suite including CEO. Listen in to enjoy their conversation on what the future holds for the burgeoning space of product management and the work they are doing to define success in product roles.
Michaëlle Gocko will also join our Product Blender on October 14!
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
Did you know that 93% of people working in product have professional backgrounds in other industries? Today’s guest Kasha Stewart joined the PM world with a post-production background and studies in fine art.
For Kasha, building her career as someone with a unique professional experience and voice proved a lonely challenge at times. Even in these hard moments, she found the strength and persistence to continue growing and learning within her role.
We are constantly inspired by Kasha’s drive and ability to craft her career on her own terms. Curious to know how she does it? Tune in to hear her story, tips on building teams that work, and some career-progressing inspiration.
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
This episode, Deb Liu reveals what made her love her first PM job and how she advanced her career in an industry that was brand new. Deb shares how she “stumbled” into product management, at a time when she had no clear vision for her career and when the world of PM was very different from its current state.
She went from not knowing anything about product management to one of the biggest names in product years later. Want to know how she did it? Well — trusting her gut and leveraging a strong community of sponsors and mentors. Still want more? Subscribe to Deb’s Substack to pick her brain and learn from the lessons she notes: https://bit.ly/DebLiu-Perspectives
Bonus: Listen to learn what Deb looks for when interviewing a potential PM!
Don’t forget to follow Women In Product Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter to connect with a community of 30,000+ women PMs.
Join us on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month for the Women in Product Podcast. For more information, go to https://www.womenpm.org/.