Product Therapy

Christian sits down with product coach Elias Lieberich to tackle one of the hottest, most overlooked product leadership skills: focus. They unpack why “we have a prioritization problem” is usually a polite way of saying “we don’t have strategy,” what it actually looks like to build alignment, and how to say “not yet” with integrity.– Today’s episode will discuss:What focus feels like inside a strong product orgThe fastest signal you’re in an unfocused companyWhy strategy makes prioritization “implicit”How to build alignment different functions The difference between “no” and “not yet”How teams can create clarity even when leadership hasn’t–References:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/Google Maps: https://www.google.com/mapsProduct Matters: https://productmatters.io/–More from SVPG on coaching focus:Product Strategy – Focus (SVPG): https://www.svpg.com/product-strategy-focus/–Where to find Elias:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lieberich/ Product Matters: https://productmatters.io/– Where to find Christian Idiodi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/ – Where to find SVPG:SVPG’s newest book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videosPodcast: https://producttherapy.com/–Timestamps:(01:10) Why is organizational focus so difficult? (03:16) What a focused organization looks like(05:34) The ultimate litmus test for focus(08:52) You don’t have a prioritization problem…(15:49) The grandfather test(17:44) The importance of team-wide alignment(25:31) The one thing high-performing teams have(28:06) Saying “no” vs. “not yet”(30:47) How can a leader protect their team’s focus?(36:13) Why you need a Product FAQ(40:01) You need to track your business impact(45:04) Focus is a muscle that needs building(51:58) Elias’ magic coaching question–Disclaimer:While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/–Production:Production by ⁠supermix.io

Christian sits down again with product and leadership coach Gabi Bufrem – this time to discuss pilot teams. They dig into the common challenges that come with this initiative and the actions and mindsets required to overcome them. Hear hard-earned wisdom on how to use pilot teams to spark organizational change. –Today’s episode will discuss:Why pilot teams are a powerful tool for facilitating transformationThe ingredients of a high-impact pilot teamWhy pilot teams are proof points not prototypes How to navigate the organizational politics that pilot teams run into How to pitch and position pilot teams to others in the companyWhat successful pilots look like and how to scale their impact –More from SVPG on pilot teams:Pilot Teams: https://www.svpg.com/pilot-teams/ The Politics of Pilot Teams: https://www.svpg.com/the-politics-of-pilot-teams/ Transformation as a Project: https://www.svpg.com/transformation-as-a-project/ –Where to find Gabi Bufrem:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellebufrem/Website: https://www.gabriellebufrem.com/–Where to find Christian Idiodi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/–Where to find SVPG:SVPG’s newest book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos– Timestamps: (01:55) Defining pilot teams(03:56) What makes a good pilot team(07:23) Where to start with assembling a pilot team(09:14) The role of sponsorship(13:16) Pilot teams should live on an island(20:17) Signs a pilot team is working(22:58) What to do following a successful pilot(27:34) Common mistakes with pilot teams(30:08) How to pitch transformation to an executive–Disclaimer:While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/–Production:Production by ⁠supermix.io

Christian sits down with product leader Shreyas Doshi to dig into a perspective-shifting idea: Most product problems are actually product leadership problems. They unpack how new leaders unintentionally erode trust, why saying “I don’t know” is treated like a crime in many companies, and how judgment, courage, and listening shape outcomes more than any framework.–Today’s episode will discuss:Why so many “product problems” are really leadership problems in disguiseHow new leaders unintentionally erode trustHealthier ways to handle situations where you don’t have all the answersHow great leaders use judgment, courage, and deep listening to change outcomesWhat “framework theater” is – and why it failsThe unexpected way AI is changing product leadership–References:Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/Google Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/Marty Cagan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/Stripe: https://stripe.com/–SVPG on product leadership:Articles: https://www.svpg.com/insights/product-leadership-articles/–Where to find Shreyas Doshi:“World Class Product Sense” Maven course: https://maven.com/shreyas-doshi/product-sense“World-class Product Strategy for Founders & Executives” Maven course: https://maven.com/shreyas-doshi/product-strategy-with-shreyasShreyas’ Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ShreyasDoshiVideos–Where to find Christian Idiodi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/–Where to find SVPG:SVPG’s newest book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos-Timestamps:(00:44) How product leaders build trust(01:25) When new leaders erode trust(07:54) The true cost of saying “I don’t know”(10:45) How insincerity manifests in the workplace(16:12) The need for modeling great leadership(18:30) How to accurately diagnose problems(27:22) The insurgence of “framework theater”(32:03) How AI has radically changed leadership(35:20) AI isn’t going anywhere(41:35) The critical skills any leader must learn-Disclaimer:While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/-Production:Production by ⁠supermix.io

Christian sits down with Lea to demystify roadmaps, stripping them down to their job-to-be-done: connect strategy to execution without pretending ideas are certainties. They dig into how to craft outcome-based roadmaps that ladder to business results, when timeframes beat dates, and how to use high-integrity commitments without turning your plan into a promise trap, or feature factory.Today’s episode will discuss:Why executives love roadmaps yet teams resent themThe two types of roadmaps destined to failHow to frame outcomes in a roadmapWhy timeframes trump datesWhen to use high-integrity commitments (HICs)Coaching leaders to swap false control of features for real control of contextThe four common roadmap anti-patternsWho really owns the roadmapHow to ensure roadmaps and OKRs get along nicelyEarning trust with evidence and measuring impact, not output-References:Apple (iPhone): https://www.apple.com/iphone/Atlassian Jira: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jiraHigh-Integrity Commitments: https://www.svpg.com/managing-commitments-in-an-agile-team/Slack: https://slack.com/-More from SVPG on roadmaps:SVPG on product roadmaps: https://www.svpg.com/product-roadmaps/SVPG on outcomes: https://www.svpg.com/outcomes-are-hard/-Where to find Lea Hickman:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahickman/-Where to find Christian Idiodi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/-Where to find SVPG:Books: https://www.svpg.com/books/Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos/-Timestamps:(1:06) What is a roadmap?(02:18) Why roadmaps are often hated(04:18) The problem with top-down roadmaps(05:32) You need outcome-based roadmaps(10:02) Why roadmaps shouldn’t have dates(12:38) How to give teams greater roadmap autonomy(16:08) The four most common roadmap traps(20:04) Who should own a roadmap?(21:47) Focus on outcomes, not features(25:24) Can roadmaps and OKRs co-exist?(30:06) High-integrity commitments in roadmaps(32:33) How to navigate the politics of roadmaps-Disclaimer:While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/-Production:Production by supermix.io

Gabi Bufrem is a product and leadership coach who partners with executives and teams worldwide to unlock performance with a rare blend of curiosity, empathy, and candor. In this conversation with Christian, Gabi breaks down what great coaching looks like, how to build trust quickly, and why the best leaders measure their success through the growth of others.Today’s episode will discuss:The difference between mentorship, management, and coachingWhy everyone not only should have a coach but deserves a coachThe three steps to building trust quicklyWhy vulnerability is a crucial unlockBusting limiting beliefs and “leaving space for magic” in career arcsHow to give tough, constructive feedback as a coachThe core difference between coaching leaders and coaching ICsHow to measure coaching impact through tangible wins-References:Marty Cagan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/Stephen Curry: https://x.com/StephenCurry30Usain Bolt: https://x.com/usainbolt-More from SVPG on product coaching:Articles on coaching: https://www.svpg.com/the-coaching-series/-Where to find Gabi Bufrem:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellebufrem/https://www.gabriellebufrem.com/-Where to find Christian Idiodi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/-Where to find SVPG:SVPG’s newest book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos-Timestamps:(01:08) What does a product coach do?(06:18) Gabi’s journey into coaching(10:01) Coaches see what you can’t(15:05) How to encourage healthy dialogue(18:36) The power of vulnerability(20:26) Designing discovery sessions(24:55) Revealing clients’ blind spots(27:10) How to give constructive feedback(32:44) “My job is to teach you how to fish”(37:04) A mindset for improving communication(40:25) Coaching leaders vs. coaching ICs(42:28) Measuring success as a coach-Disclaimer:While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/-Production:Production by ⁠supermix.io