In the previous episode, we heard the horror stories of product leaders and teams haunted by the risky assumptions that surfaced too late. Is this destined to be your fate as well? Not if I can help it! In this episode of Fearless Product Leadership, we learn how to mitigate those risky assumptions from seasoned product leaders.

Are you a new product leader who doesn't yet surface assumptions as part of your product development practice? In this episode, 5 experienced product leaders share stories of product development gone wrong when they were burned by risky assumptions that surfaced too late. 

Are you a product leader or CEO wondering if your product organization is truly great?  Do you wonder what the irrefutable evidence would actually help you determine whether they're great at what they do and how they do it?  In this episode, 6 experienced product leaders share the characteristics and behaviors that help them know whether their product org is irrefutably great at what they do.

Are you a new product leader?  Are you having difficulty finding an approach to keep tech debt at bay and the teams velocity of delivery of value on pace with the demanding expectations of customers and stakeholders?  

Are you a B2B product leader wondering how you can help the sales team achieve their targets while not backing your product team into corner?  In the first episode of season 2, 5 experienced B2B product leaders share their best strategies and techniques to enable their sales teams to meet customer needs and achieve quotas while protecting a discovery-led, agile product development process.

Vision.  Maybe just short of roadmaps, this term frequently strikes fear in the hearts of Product Leaders.  In fact, this question was top of my opportunity backlog for this podcast series and not many product leaders felt confident answering this question. Luckily I found 5 brave souls who are answering the question “How do you craft and communicate Product Vision?” in this episode of Fearless Product Leadership.

Given the emerging discipline of product management, it’s more common than not to have inexperienced product teams. As a product leader, how do you practically deal with that experience gap challenge? When the team isn’t right, it falls back on the leader to coach, course-correct or fill in gaps, and there are already a lot of demands on the PL’s time. That’s why we’re tackling the question HOW DOES YOUR TEAM’S EXPERIENCE IMPACT YOU AS A PRODUCT LEADER? in this episode of Fearless Product Leadership.

Are you a product leader who believes in giving direction and focus to your teams through a meaningful goal setting process but haven’t figured out the best model of accountability to outcomes for your product teams? You’re not alone and that’s why we’re tackling the question HOW DO YOU HOLD PRODUCT TEAMS ACCOUNTABLE? in this episode of Fearless Product Leadership.

HOW DO YOU SET PRODUCT TEAM GOALS? //Are you a product leader struggling with how to set meaningful, measurable goals for your product teams? In this episode, 5 experienced product leaders share their best tips and techniques on how they set goals, how frequently and who is part of the process.

HOW DO YOU SAY NO TO THE CEO? // Are you a product leader struggling to respond to a CEO request without derailing your product roadmap? In this episode, 6 experienced product leaders share their stories and advice on how they respond to the CEO's request while protecting resources, respecting product strategy, priorities and customer commitments.

HOW DO YOU HELP YOUR COMPANY DEAL WITH PRODUCT AMBIGUITY? // Are you a product leader struggling to help your customer-facing and leadership teams reconcile their desire for dates and commitments with a customer-driven, agile product development process? In this episode, 5 experienced product leaders share their best tips and techniques on how they support their stakeholders' desire for certainty while protecting a discovery-led, agile product development process.

WHAT IS YOUR PRODUCT LEADER SUPERPOWER? // Are you a new product leader wondering where to most focus your attention? Are you trying to position yourself for a new product leader job? In this episode see and hear how 5 product leaders describe the superpower that has most helped them succeed in multiple product leadership roles in B2B, B2C, startup, growth and mature companies.

HOW DO YOUR PRODUCT TEAMS PRIORITIZE?// Are you a new product leader uncertain that your teams are effectively prioritizing what to do next among a long list of potential product features? Perhaps you've tried the RICE prioritization scorecard, ROI or Cost of Delay frameworks and are still searching for the perfect prioritizing technique? In this episode 5 experienced product leaders who've led product at start-up, growth and mature companies in B2B and B2C markets share their tried-and-true approaches to product prioritization and the critical importance of a North Star.

WHAT MOST SURPRISES NEW PRODUCT LEADERS? // Are you a new product leader? Perhaps you're finding yourself spending time in areas that are new and unexpected and wondering if this is normal. In this episode 5 experienced product leaders who've led product at start-up, growth and mature companies in B2B and B2C categories share what they found most surprising when they first led product teams.

WHAT ARE NON-NEGOTIABLES FOR YOU TO ACCEPT A NEW PRODUCT LEADER ROLE? // Are you trying to hire a new product leader? Are you a product leader considering making a move? In this episode, 5 experienced product leaders share the essential factors that would motivate them to consider a new opportunity.

DOES YOUR PRODUCT ROADMAP CONTAIN WHAT WILL HAPPEN OR WHAT MAY HAPPEN? // Are you a new product leader? Are you struggling with how to create and communicate your product roadmap? In this episode get actionable advice on how 5 product leaders approach creating and sharing the product roadmap with their organizations in B2B, B2C, startup, growth and mature companies.

HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT PRODUCT IS NOT A BLACK BOX?// Are you a new product leader? Are you concerned that the rest of your org feels that product is a "black box?"

Learn from experienced product leaders who successfully ensure that their organizations understand WHAT the Product team is working on and WHY.