Episode 258: Treating Internal Tools with Equal Rigor
In this episode, Melissa Perri dives into the intricacies of product management with a focus on both inbound and outbound product management. Whether you're working on internal tools or customer-facing products, the strategic processes involved are crucial and similar across the board.Melissa discusses the importance of having a strategy, discovery, and delivery process in place to maximize the value stream and mitigate risks, regardless of the product's focus. Melissa provides examples of how internal tools, like algorithms for insurance claims or bank teller systems, can significantly impact customer experience. This episode emphasizes that the core principles of product management remain consistent, whether you're dealing with AI product management or traditional product strategies.Are you a product manager looking to enhance your understanding of both inbound and outbound product management? Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights into effective product strategies and processes that can be applied to any product type.You’ll hear us talk about:1:37 - Understanding Inbound vs Outbound Product ManagementMelissa explores the differences and similarities between inbound and outbound product management. She emphasizes the necessity for a strategic approach in both areas, debunking the myth that inbound product management carries less risk.4:07 - Impact of Internal Tools on Customer ExperienceDiscussion on how internal tools like bank teller systems and insurance claim algorithms can significantly affect the customer experience. This section highlights the importance of strategic design for internal products.6:10 - Consistency in Product Management PracticesMelissa stresses that the fundamentals of product management, such as strategy and discovery, remain the same regardless of the product type. She highlights the importance of maintaining a focus on discovery and delivery in AI product management.Episode resources:Check our courses: https://productinstitute.com/
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Episode 257: Making Product Launches Work at Scale with Michael Dodsworth
In this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, Melissa Perri is joined by Michael Dodsworth, the founder and CEO of Fanfare. Michael shares his insights on the importance of storytelling in product management and how it can drive product success.He discusses his transition from engineering roles to leading innovative product launches that create immersive experiences and captivate audiences. Through his experiences, Michael emphasizes the significance of aligning strategic goals with customer engagement to elevate product performance.Tune in to explore how Michael's approach to storytelling and strategic alignment can transform your product launches into unforgettable experiences.You'll hear us talk about:07:36 - The Power of Storytelling in Product ManagementMichael Dodsworth explains the essential components of storytelling for product managers. He highlights the importance of simplifying stories to resonate with audiences and making them personal to leave a lasting impression.23:39 - Turning Product Launches into Immersive ExperiencesMelissa and Michael discuss how brands can create engaging and immersive experiences during product launches. Michael shares strategies to avoid negative aspects of product drops and ensure a memorable customer journey.29:28 - Applying Launch Lessons to Software ProductsMelissa asks Michael about translating product launch principles to software companies. Michael emphasizes the necessity of educating customers and having a clear narrative to drive the success of product launches in the tech industry. Episode Resources:Episode resources:Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dodsworth/Fanfare: https://fanfare.io/Check the localization report: https://lokalise.com/library/data-reports/localization-revenue-report-2025/Check our courses: https://productinstitute.com/
In this episode, Melissa Perri discusses the common dilemma faced by product managers: whether to prioritize large, high-risk features or focus on delivering smaller, incremental updates. She delves into the considerations that should guide this decision, including the value to users, stakeholder goals, and the need for experimentation and risk management. Melissa shares insights on how to approach these decisions strategically to ensure both customer satisfaction and business success.Are you grappling with how to balance big projects against smaller, faster releases in your product strategy? Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights from Melissa on making the right choices for your product and organization.You’ll hear us talk about:02:29 - The Value of Incremental ReleasesMelissa discusses the benefits of releasing smaller features incrementally, highlighting how they can provide immediate user value and inform future development decisions through feedback.04:13 - Managing Risk in Long-Term ProjectsHere, Melissa emphasizes the importance of de-risking multi-month projects with phased releases and feature flags, ensuring that stakeholders and users are aligned and informed throughout the process.05:01 - Balancing Stakeholder and User NeedsMelissa explores the tension between meeting stakeholder goals and delivering user value, offering strategies for product managers to align these often competing priorities effectively.Episode resources:Check the localization report: https://lokalise.com/library/data-reports/localization-revenue-report-2025/Check our courses: https://productinstitute.com/
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Episode 255: How Shopify Is Leveraging AI at Scale with Vanessa Lee
Join us in this episode as Melissa Perri sits down with Vanessa Lee, VP of Product at Shopify, to explore the groundbreaking work being done in AI integration and agentic commerce. Vanessa sheds light on Shopify's AI assistant, Sidekick, which aims to revolutionize how merchants manage and grow their businesses.Discover how Shopify is pushing the boundaries of e-commerce with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to empowering entrepreneurs.Through engaging anecdotes and insights, Vanessa shares how Sidekick is not just a tool but a strategic partner for merchants, helping them navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship. We delve into the collaboration with OpenAI and how Shopify is leveraging AI to create seamless, innovative shopping experiences.Want to understand how AI can transform product management and e-commerce? Tune in to this episode for an enlightening conversation that explores the future of commerce and the evolving role of product managers.You’ll hear us talk about:05:19 - Shopify's Agentic AI AssistantVanessa explains how Sidekick, Shopify's AI assistant, was designed to be a co-pilot for merchants, proactively assisting with tasks like product creation and payment setup to help entrepreneurs succeed in their journey.36:38 - Partnership with OpenAIDiscover how Shopify partnered with OpenAI to integrate commerce functionalities into ChatGPT, making merchants' products discoverable and enabling direct checkouts within the AI platform.22:34 - Practical Advice for PMs Working with AIVanessa offers valuable advice for product managers looking to enhance their skills in generative AI and LLMs, emphasizing the importance of creativity and experimentation in developing innovative AI applications.Episode resources:Vanessa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlaurenlee/Check the localization report: https://lokalise.com/library/data-reports/localization-revenue-report-2025/Check our courses: https://productinstitute.com/
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Episode 254: Pushing Back on Unsustainable Workloads
Join Melissa Perri in this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast as she tackles the complex issue of managing an overwhelming workload as a product manager. A senior product manager shares their struggle of handling five engineering teams, a task typically assigned to multiple product managers. Melissa offers practical advice on how to communicate with leadership, prioritize effectively, and implement systems to manage scope.If you've ever faced the challenge of balancing broad strategic oversight with detailed management, this episode is a must-listen. Melissa's insights will help you understand how to align your team's work with company goals while maintaining quality and focus.You’ll hear us talk about:03:36 - The Classic Project Management Trade-OffMelissa discusses the well-known project management saying about scope, quality, and speed, explaining how product managers must often choose between these competing priorities.04:44 - Proposing Solutions to Manage WorkloadMelissa provides a framework for presenting options to leadership, including hiring additional product managers and weighing the opportunity costs of current workloads.07:40 - Building Internal Systems for Workload ManagementMelissa advises on creating internal systems to distribute work, allowing development leads to step into prioritization roles, thus enabling a more balanced workload distribution.Tune in to gain actionable strategies and ensure your product management approach aligns with your organization's strategic goals.Episode resources:Check the localization report: https://lokalise.com/library/data-reports/localization-revenue-report-2025/Check our courses: https://productinstitute.com/
Successful product management isn’t just about training the product managers who work side by side with developers everyday to build better products. It’s about taking a step back, approaching the systems within organizations as a whole, and leveling up product leadership to improve these systems. This is the Product Thinking Podcast, where Melissa Perri will connect with industry leading experts in the product management space, AND answer your most pressing questions about everything product. Join us each week to level up your skillset and invest in yourself as a product leader.
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