The Product Science Podcast

Holly Hester-Reilly is the Founder and CEO of H2R Product Science, a product management coaching and consulting firm that teaches the principles and practices of high-growth product development, and the host of the Product Science Podcast. Holly is a former Columbia University research scientist and has spent over 15 years leading product initiatives at startups, high-growth companies, and enterprises like FalconX, MediaMath, Shutterstock, The Lean Startup Co, Unilever, Capital One, and Weight Watchers.

Holly also teaches at NYU Stern School of Business as well as public and private workshops and has spoken about building high-growth products for events such as Lean Startup Summit Europe, the Women in Product Annual Conference, ITX Product + Design Conf, Parsons School of Design, and INDUSTRY: The Product Conference.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we share Season 5 excerpts as we cover the product discovery loop, a tool to break down the components of achieving product market fit.

Jeff Patton helps companies adopt a way of working that’s focused on building great products, not just building stuff faster. Jeff blends a mixture of Agile thinking, Lean and Lean Startup Thinking, and UX Design and Design Thinking to end up with a holistic product-centric way of working. Jeff is author of the bestselling O’Reilly book User Story Mapping which describes a simple holistic approach to using stories in Agile development without losing sight of the big picture.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover common challenges to product discovery, what tools and techniques Jeff teaches, which ones he’s changed over the years, and why.

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Christian is a partner at Silicon Valley Product Group. Christian has been a product leader for over 15 years, building teams and developing enterprise and consumer products that have shaped companies such as CareerBuilder and Merrill Corporation as well as clients such as Microsoft, Starbucks, and Squarespace. Christian teaches product management and innovation at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. He also gives back to his local product community each year by supporting and advising two student-led startups from conceptualization to product delivery.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover the importance of humility in product management, the benefits of diverse thinking, and how a contest kick-started Christian’s career in product management.

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Matt LeMay is the author of Product Management in Practice (now in its second edition) and product leader and consultant who has worked with companies like Google, Spotify, Mailchimp, and Audible.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how constraints can be helpful in product, the effects of getting promoted without being ready, and why great product managers don’t need to say yes or no.

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Risa Stein is a Director of Product, Integrity leading teams focused on protecting customer safety, privacy, and security. Risa and her team are responsible for setting and enforcing policy, investigating and stopping bad actors who try to abuse Slack, and developing new product features to protect Slack's customers. Prior to joining Slack, she led Transparency and Safety Experience products at LinkedIn and worked in Trust & Safety and product at Twitter. Risa received her JD from Stanford Law School, an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and her honors BA from Brown University. Risa lives in her hometown of San Francisco with her husband and two dogs, Noodle and Pancakes.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover what it means to be a product manager of Integrity, what key areas are involved, and how Risa works with PMs across Slack.

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Paul Orlando helps organizations unlock new revenue and partnership opportunities, getting companies to solve problems that they couldn't in other ways. He has built startup programs around the world (Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Rome, and remote). Paul also teaches at the University of Southern California.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how to know when to pivot, answering the Why Now question as a startup, and building startup incubators and accelerators.

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Based on more than two decades of enterprise product management experience, including a stint managing a product for product managers, Nils Davis has lots of knowledge and wisdom. In his podcast, the Secrets of Product Management he shares powerful ways for product managers to create more value by ensuring every product is a solution to a meaningful market problem. And that every team creating and selling products is as effective and motivated as they can be.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how to tell a good story, why ROI calculations hurt innovation, and the 5 questions every PM should be able to answer.

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Driven by a passion to replace pain points with user delight, Dean Peters has provided product management expertise across a variety of domains and technologies for nearly two decades. From large enterprises such as IQVIA and Citrix to startups such as Dude Solutions and Seven Lakes Technologies, to merged and acquired companies such as Aprimo and McClatchy, Dean has helped teams self-organize, and businesses deliver on the promise of highly usable and valuable outcomes.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover moving from solution space to problem space, the importance of building relationships with other departments, and what makes a great work environment for product managers.

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Roman Pichler is a leading product management expert specialized in product strategy, leadership, and agility. He has advised product leaders and he has taught product managers and product owners for more than 15 years. Roman has pioneered agile product management practices, and he has developed a range of models, methods, and tools to help organizations create successful products. Roman shares his knowledge through his training courses, his four books, his popular blog, podcast, and talks, and his product management tools, including his widely used Product Vision Board.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover agile and product transformations, what’s wrong with the focus on features, and saying no.

Andrew Michael is an entrepreneur with 14 years of experience in digital growth companies as a founder or senior manager with a focus on customer retention, data analytics, product, and growth.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover the mistakes Andrew made early on in his startup career and at what points in the development process he focuses on quantitative vs qualitative research.

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Lisa is the Founder of Conscious Product Development. Her purpose is to help product teams solve the right problems for the right reasons and develop products (and careers) more consciously - in ways that are inclusive, holistic, ethical, accessible, and sustainable - and that makes people's lives measurably better. She previously worked at Google, several wearable tech startups, and with Bauer Hockey's stick development team. She is also a three time national hockey champion.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Lisa’s philosophy of Conscious Product Development, and how her personal life helped guide towards wanting to solve problems in a more compassionate way.

Shane Zilinskas has worked on many product launches for companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500. He started off as an engineer before finding his way to product management, when a book and a one-way ticket to Europe led him, together with his wife Kara McGehee, to build ClearSummit, an agency that has helped 100s of companies take their products from 0 to 1.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how Dan got started in tech, why he built an agency of his own, and how they practice product discovery.

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Christina is a product manager at Slack, focused primarily on improving the accessibility of both Slack and Quip (the collaboration tool, not the toothbrush company!) for people with disabilities.Previously to working in product, Christina was an ethnographer focused on how people incorporate technology into their lives, with over a decade of experience in observing and orchestrating social interactions on the internet and in offline subcultural spaces in China and the U.S.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how Christina’s team makes sure that accessibiilty needs at Slack are addressed and how we can help the industry do more for disabled users.

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Jason Keramidas is always thinking about how to build products that will make people’s lives better. He has over 25 years experience working with a range of companies from early stage startups to driving growth at public companies. He lives just north of NYC with his wife and two children.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Jason’s early days in product management, what is different about product in B2B, why Jason argues that the sales team is your greatest asset, and what his experience at a nonprofit was like.

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Tosin Onibon-oje is a highly skilled Product Lead with 15 years of experience in the industry. She is customer-focused and outcome-driven, with a proven track record of leading cross-functional teams in developing and launching innovative and successful products. She is an effective communicator who excels at building strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels. Additionally, Tosin is passionate about fostering kindness and a human-centered culture in the workplace.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how Tosin has experienced product management both outside and inside the software world, how to utilize kindness and empathy to be strong product leader, and how to balance business and human needs fairly at the workplace.

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Dan Balcauski is the founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, based in Austin, TX. He focuses on helping high-volume B2B SaaS CEOs define pricing and packaging for new products. Over his career, he has worked in both B2C and B2B companies ranging from startups to publicly traded enterprises.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Dan’s SVCS model for working through pricing and packaging, how to figure out what different customers value, and how to use the 3 common pricing orientations.

What can we learn by following our curiosity, embracing the unknown, and creating amidst chaos? This is the question that propels Adam Thomas’s career as a technologist, product expert, and all-around thinker and creator. His answer so far? We can learn that our potential is limitless and we have an amazing array of options for living, working, and playing better.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover what led Adam to develop Survival Metrics, what they are, and how to use them.

JH Forster is a product leader with deep experience helping teams ship solutions for real user needs. As SVP of Product at User Interviews, he oversees the Product Management and Design departments—and geeks out about all things user research as the co-host of the Awkward Silences podcast.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how he found a job as the first product hire at a startup and what challenges he’s faced as the team and company have grown.

JJ Rorie is faculty at Johns Hopkins University, teaching undergraduate and graduate-level product management courses. She is the author of IMMUTABLE: 5 Truths of Great Product Managers, and is Chief Executive Officer of Great Product Management. JJ is a sought-after speaker, advisor, trainer, and coach, having worked with some of the world's largest companies, and also hosts the podcast Product Voices.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover what mistakes teams make around their assumptions, how product management is different across industries and company stages, and how to create an environment where product managers help each other.

Emily Patterson has been doing product management work since the '00s. As a tech grad from Boston University, she was a business analyst before moving into product management roles. She's a B2B SaaS product leader, currently focused on cybersecurity. She holds a MBA from UNC Chapel Hill. She has 2 great kids, a weird cat, and a very supportive partner.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover why Emily started In The Lab PM, what her experiences as a mom in product have been like, and how she has built a network despite being an introvert.

Pulkit Agrawal read Engineering at Cambridge and worked in non-profits, consulting, and startups before founding Chameleon because he was frustrated at the energy that both companies and users were wasting when trying to explain/learn a product. He enjoys talking and writing about user onboarding, product-led growth, SaaS, self-serve, and UX, and he’s an angel investor of product-led startups.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how practicing product can be different outside of the western world, how Pulkit validates solutions with customers, and the lessons he’s learned while growing Chameleon.

Susan Stavitzski is an experienced Product Leader with experience working in the software industry for start-ups, SMB and enterprise companies. She has a passion for taking manual, bulky processes and turning them into powerful, automated, scalable solutions to empower teams.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover the role of product marketing, the nitty-gritty process of doing continuous product discovery, and what it’s like working in a strong product organization with empowered teams.

Dan Olsen is a product management trainer, consultant, and speaker. Dan wrote the bestseller The Lean Product Playbook. Through his interactive training workshops, Dan helps companies build great products and strong product teams. He is also the founder of the 11,000-member Lean Product Meetup community.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Dan’s journey through product at both enterprises and startups, how that experience became the Lean Product movement, and how to validate a user's responses and prevent false negatives.

Sam Haveson is a Senior Product Lead on the Consumer Product team at Twitter. Sam has defined, launched and scaled products that help millions of people create and converse on Twitter. Prior to Twitter, Sam was a Senior Product Manager at Amazon building Amazon Photos experiences for Amazon Alexa devices. She holds an MBA from Cornell Tech, where she is an adviser to the programs graduate students. Sam is also a writer and musician based in San Francisco, CA.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Sam’s career in product, testing and experimentation at different scales from startup to enterprise, and how to do real time experiments to measure progress.

Janel embeds herself within a clients' organizations to transform their culture by shifting mindsets at all levels, helping them make many small changes in their product practices that have big impacts on their ability to meet their customer needs & deliver measurable business value.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Janel’s journey into product working at large retailers like the Gap & Macy’s, transitioning from waterfall to agile. We also cover how to iterate behavioral changes in an organization, and how to embrace quick failed experiments to help build the right products.

Karthik Suresh is the Co-Founder of Ignition, a collaborative hub for Marketing & Product teams. Karthik is a product and a technology leader with experience as a founder, an early startup hire, and a key player in defining product strategy, and finding a market fit.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Karthik’s lessons learned in being an entrepreneur trying to find product market fit. We also cover what it’s like to be a product manager at an organization like Facebook building features that affect users at large scale. And we answer how to build a go to market strategy for businesses of varying stages of development.

Kate Leto’s product management, org design, and marketing background spans more than 25 years. She has had a front-row seat to the evolving ways products are discovered, defined, built, and delivered and now takes her hands-on experience into organizations of all shapes and sizes as a consultant, coach, and advisor; helping to create authentic, high-performing cultures, teams, and products. Her consulting experience has taken her around the world, guiding clients that range from disruptive startups to Fortune 500 companies. Kate’s first book, Hiring Product Managers: Using Product EQ to go beyond culture and skills, is now available at all digital storefronts.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Kate’s journey through product, and the value of 1 on 1 communication and emotional intelligence in product. We cover how organizations handle large scale transformations, and how to coach individuals on what solutions work best for them.

Cofounder of Mind the Product, now Evangelist for Pendo - James spent his first career in recruiting, his second in product and events. He's still happiest outdoors though!

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover the story of Mind the Product from concept to acquisition. We also talk about how the pandemic has affected the future of live events, and how to add product principles to event planning.

Stephanie has designed products and led product teams in both enterprise businesses like PayPal and startups like Contentful for over 15 years. She also co-founded her own startup. Actually she is educating Product Managers to master the fundamentals of coaching.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Paypal’s transition from Waterfall to Agile and how to manage high performing teams. We also cover how to be a product manager without an engineering degree, and how to use active listening to empower teams by asking the right questions.

Paul works as a consultant, coach, keynote speaker, and author with extensive experience in the world of product. Through his leadership, numerous businesses have been successful ranging from startups to high growth companies alike. He is the creator of a number of product management methodologies including the SOAP™ planning and prioritization framework.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how to clean a product roadmap of bad ideas, how to increase team collaboration, how to help new ideas gain support, and how to leverage informal socializing to better connect with other teams.

Victoria Kennedy is driven by her core values of impact, adaptability, and discipline. These values have guided her as a product leader in early-stage startups, an advisor to early-stage founders, and now as a founder of the venture studio, Seed to Harvest. She is from Atlanta but calls NYC home.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover getting into product, practicing continuous discovery, being inclusive as a product manager, and founding a venture studio for social impact.

Janice Fraser is an investor, speaker, and expert in emerging management practices to support innovation at scale. A Silicon Valley veteran, she’s built a storied career as a product manager, founder, facilitator, and confidant for entrepreneurs and enterprise executives alike. But her impact extends beyond the Valley with innovation and transformation projects at NASA, the Obama White House, Procter & Gamble, and many other companies in the Fortune 500. As an investor, she is particularly committed to championing and extending access to the brilliant entrepreneurs who are typically underrepresented in the world of venture-backed startups.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Janice’s career from the early days of Silicon Valley to consulting for lean startups and large enterprises. We dive into her philosophies on how regular people can become everyday leaders, and her strategies to create clear communication and durable decision making in a fast-changing and polarized world.

Jason is a passionate product management nerd, always curious to learn and pay it forward to the next generation. By day he leads the product team at DueDil. By night he picks up the microphone and interviews a range of product management professionals on his podcast, One Knight in Product

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how to apply product principles to a B2B market. We also cover how to build a good & balanced relationship with sales, and the value of mentorship from company leadership.

Maggie is the VP and Head of Product for Charlie Health, a startup that provides personalized mental health treatment for teens and young adults. Maggie is also an Olympian and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover Maggie’s transition from being an Olympic Speed Skater into the world of product. We cover how she entered product, what skills were needed to level up to a product leader, and how to create a product team from scratch.

Tommi Forsstrom is a product executive that specializes in flipping startups to scaleups—ie. navigating the scary adolescence that begins at product-market fit. On a mission to pull product / engineering and design leaders out of the product development bubble to grow a new generation of Chief Product Officers.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover how a company needs to focus their operations in order to scale up to the next level, what role executives play for an organization, how to translate product values to founders & investors, and what role trust plays in your executive team.

Jocelyn Miller helps professionals in product, tech, & design to create their dream careers. She uses her background as a leader at Amazon and Google to help her clients make substantial increases in compensation, increase their impact as leaders, and ultimately do this with work-life balance.

In this episode of the Product Science Podcast, we cover the difference between working in product at places like Google and Amazon versus smaller companies like Zazzle, what role fun should play in our work, and how Jocelyn helps clients find more fulfillment in their careers.