Product Chats Podcast

“Consumers are our most valuable treasure trove of information, along with online reviews and some other data sets.”
-Tim Trapp, Director of Quality Engineering at Mattel, Inc.

In this episode, Tim shares all about product quality, specifically what can be learned from Mattel regarding the implementation of key product quality measures. Discussion topics include understanding customer feedback, the balance between cost, schedule, and quality, and the importance of monitoring both customer feedback and competitor performance. Don't miss your chance to gain insights from one of the most recognized names in the industry.

Key Takeaways:
1. User Testing for Competitive Advantage: Testing products with real users to identify potential issues and improve design is a significant strategy at Mattel. This includes formative testing, which is done early and often to shape the design of products.

2. Active Post Market Surveillance: Once the products are in the market, the quality team looks at post-market surveillance to understand how the products are performing in real life, which can inform future design and manufacturing decisions.

3. Corrective Actions and Continuous Improvement: A well-defined process for corrective actions ensures that any issues are addressed promptly and do not become repeat mistakes. This involves constant checking of products in the market and making necessary improvements.

4. Quality as Everyone's Responsibility: Tim emphasizes that quality is not just the quality department's problem but everyone's responsibility in the company. Striving for the best consumer experience should be a part of everything a company does.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Tim Trapp is a seasoned product executive with extensive experience in managing product quality across a diverse range of products. He has worked with and led multidisciplinary and multinational cross-functional teams, demonstrating his ability to navigate complex global landscapes. His expertise lies in being able to ensure the highest standards of product quality, compliance, and safety.

At Mattel, Tim has been instrumental in driving quality initiatives that have significantly enhanced product performance and customer satisfaction. His approach to quality is holistic, encompassing everything from initial design and user testing to post-market surveillance and continuous improvement. His insights have helped shape Mattel's product portfolio and maintain its reputation for excellence.

ABOUT PRAGMATIC INSTITUTE:
Since 1993, we’ve provided training and professional development for product, design, and data professionals to accelerate innovation, increase customer satisfaction, and bolster revenue. Through our comprehensive methods and propriety Pragmatic Framework, we train professionals with the skills needed to accelerate their product management and product marketing careers, increase team efficiency, and boost revenue.Our online, in-person, and on-demand courses are taught by industry experts with decades of experience at top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, Hallmark, Quaker Oats, and Dun & Bradstreet. We offer individual course training in product, design and data, and certification tracks for Product Management Certifications, Product Marketing Certifications, and the Pragmatic Product Master Certification. All attendees gain access to the Pragmatic Alumni Community, a network of over 30,000 alumni worldwide.

If you’re looking for product management or product marketing training or are pursuing a product marketing certification or product management certification, browse our certification paths at pragmaticinstitute.com/product. Courses are available online, in-person, or on-demand to fit your schedule.

Want to learn more about becoming a Pragmatic Certified Product Manager? Learn more here.

#ProductManagement #ProductManager #ProductManagementCertification #ProductManagementStrategy #PragmaticInstitute

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 Start your Product Manager or Product Marketer certification here

“It's all about setting up the right expectations with the company or the early user. So, it's not just giving it to them. It’s about being clear about what you expect in return early in the process.”

-      Neil Baron, B2B Product Management Consultant, Founder of Baron Strategic Partners

Join us for a critical discussion with Neil Baron and Rod Griffith, following their recent article in the Harvard Business Review (read it here) on extracting the full value of early user programs.

This episode unpacks the nuances of designing early user programs that go beyond mere functionality checks to validate problem-solving, target accuracy, and accelerate market readiness. The conversation delves into the importance of having a dedicated program owner (not a dictator) and the necessity of involving cross-functional teams to capture diverse perspectives.

Neil and Rod outline a five-step process for a successful program, from hypothesis definition and participant selection to setting clear expectations and leveraging feedback for product and go-to-market enhancements. Highlighting the tangible outcomes of well-executed early user programs, Neil and Rod share how these strategies have led to fast revenue times, increased sales confidence, and enhanced media coverage.

Key Takeaways:

1. Importance of Early User Programs: The discussion highlights the significance of early user programs in understanding market problems that a product can solve. It emphasizes that these programs should not be viewed in isolation but as part of a holistic approach to product development and market understanding.

2. Cross-Functional Collaboration: For an effective early user program, there needs to be cross-functional input and it should be considered as a critical step in the process. This requires buy-in from senior management and proper incentivization across the organization.

3. Value Proposition and Feedback: Early user programs are not only about the product, but also about understanding the customer experience, the messaging, and the value proposition. It's vital to set up a give-and-get relationship with early users, ensuring they understand the benefits they will get, and the company gets valuable feedback and data.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Neil Baron is the founder of Baron Strategic Partners, a consulting firm that helps B2B companies accelerate growth. He is also involved in running two forums for product executives, the Product Leadership Council in conjunction with Pragmatic, and the Boston Product Executive Forum, which is run in conjunction with the Boston Product Management Association.

With a wealth of experience in product leadership and management, Neil is passionate about helping companies create effective strategies for success.

Rod Griffith is the Chief Client Officer and Co-Founder of MarketReach, inc., a B2B marketing services company that designs and manages marketing programs, campaigns, and sales tools for a variety of technology companies. With a background in computer industry segment management and product management, Rod uses his experience to help companies translate their strategies into practical and successful market-facing activities. He is deeply involved in sharing his insights and learnings through various forums, including the Product Leadership Council and collaborations with Pragmatic.

ABOUT PRAGMATIC INSTITUTE:

Since 1993, we’ve provided training and professional development for product, design, and data professionals to accelerate innovation, increase customer satisfaction, and bolster revenue. Through our comprehensive methods and proprietary Pragmatic Framework, we train professionals with the skills needed to accelerate their product management and product marketing careers, increase team efficiency, and boost revenue.

Our online, in-person, and on-demand courses are taught by industry experts with decades of experience at top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, Hallmark, Quaker Oats, and Dun & Bradstreet. We offer individual course training in product, design and data, and certification tracks for Product Management Certifications, Product Marketing Certifications, and the Pragmatic Product Master Certification. All attendees gain access to the Pragmatic Alumni Community, a network of over 30,000 alumni worldwide.If you’re looking for product management or product marketing training or are pursuing a product marketing certification or product management certification, browse our certification paths at https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/.

Courses are available online, in-person, or on-demand to fit your schedule.
Want to learn more about becoming a Pragmatic Certified Product Manager? Learn more here.

#ProductManagement #ProductManager #ProductManagementCertification #ProductManagementStrategy #PragmaticInstitute

“Community-driven product development is not just about getting feedback, but about integrating community members and customers into the product development cycle itself.”

• Jake McKee, Community Driven Product Management Leader

• Anubhav Rao, Product Marketing at AWS

"Just start! People are going to hate your product at the start, but you will learn, and you will get better. Failure is a way of learning."
- Sean Gigremosa, Product Leader and CEO of Claritiv

In this episode of Product Chats, we are joined by Sean Gigremosa, a product leader, agile expert, innovation enthusiast, self-described product management ninja and CEO and founder of Claritiv. The conversation delves into the challenges and opportunities in product management, the importance of understanding customer needs, and the role of AI in extracting valuable insights from conversations.

Key Takeaways:

Talking Points: The conversation emphasizes the crucial role that dialogue plays in acquiring knowledge and generating insights. Sean underscores that 70% of knowledge is learned through conversation. However, notes from a conversation are like a game of telephone where each summary incorporates layers of potential bias. This is an issue because the actual problem could get lost.

That’s why he started Claritiv – an AI powered tool that listens and analyzes conversations across clients, prospects, and departments, allowing you to both pull analysis on specific topics, and find out what emerging topics are important.

Bias in Disguise: Sean shares the importance of removing personal bias in interpreting customer conversations, arguing that AI can provide a more objective analysis of these interactions. AI is only as good as the data being used to train, so believability and accuracy need to be regularly and continually reviewed. Just like children, AI can take on our biases.

Digital Twins, Not Identical: Digital twins are extremely valuable for product managers due to their capacity for detailed simulation and scenario testing. A digital twin is a virtual model that replicates a physical product or system. It can be used to run simulations to predict how a product or system might behave under different conditions. Digital twins can also be used to model and understand user behavior, helping product managers to better design products that meet user needs.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Sean Gigremosa is a product leader with expertise in agile methodologies and a passion for innovation. His journey from product manager to CEO provides him with unique insights into the challenges and opportunities in the field. Known for his ninja-like approach to product management, Sean is the CEO and founder of Claritiv, a company that strives to extract valuable insights from conversations using AI.

Discover more about Sean's work and Claritiv at Claritiv.ai for a free trial and experience how AI-powered tools can prioritize product insights from customer conversations.

ABOUT PRAGMATIC INSTITUTE:

Since 1993, we’ve provided training and professional development for product, design, and data professionals to accelerate innovation, increase customer satisfaction, and bolster revenue. Through our comprehensive methods and propriety Pragmatic Framework, we train professionals with the skills needed to accelerate their product management and product marketing careers, increase team efficiency, and boost revenue.

Our online, in-person, and on-demand courses are taught by industry experts with decades of experience at top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, Hallmark, Quaker Oats, and Dun & Bradstreet. We offer individual course training in product, design and data, and certification tracks for Product Management Certifications, Product Marketing Certifications, and the Pragmatic Product Master Certification. All attendees gain access to the Pragmatic Alumni Community, a network of over 30,000 alumni worldwide.

If you’re looking for product management or product marketing training or are pursuing a product marketing certification or product management certification, browse our certification paths at https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/. Courses are available online, in-person, or on-demand to fit your schedule.

Want to learn more about becoming a Pragmatic Certified Product Manager? Learn more here.

“Are we better than the competition, equal to the competition, or not as good as the competition? Do we know? Sales teams can help us answer these questions.”

• Steve Gielda, President and co-founder of Ignite Selling

• Diane Pierson, author of How to Innovate on Purpose 

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 Start your Product Manager certification here

"Disruptive innovation is when a company gets into a new category for them and attempts to engage customers on a different level or via a different set of products."
– Will Scott, Product Expert

In this episode of Product Chats, Rebecca Kalogeris and Will Scott discuss how businesses can approach and structure their thinking around innovation. They focus on the importance of understanding what problems a business is trying to solve, the outcomes they wish to achieve, and how they plan to grow.

Key Takeaways:
Takeaway 1: Innovation isn't just about creating something new; it's about understanding the problems your business is trying to solve and the outcomes you want to achieve.
Takeaway 2: You can view innovation through different lenses - such as customer needs, market maturity, and your business's growth strategies - to determine the right innovation vector for your business.
Takeaway 3: When thinking about innovation, consider the whole ecosystem, not just the product itself. How you package and present your product, as well as how easily customers can interact with your business, can all be avenues for innovation.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Will is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of international experience leading product marketing and management teams across hardware, software, services, and SaaS B2B companies. Originally an engineer by training, Will held senior positions with Cisco, Navisite and Capgemini, along with a range of full-time and fractional CMO positions through his own B2B product management and marketing consulting business.
In addition, Will was also previously a partner at the premier product marketing agency, Aventi Group, and an instructor at the Kellogg School of Management in their executive digital marketing and product strategy programs. Learn more about Will and other Pragmatic instructors here.

ABOUT PRAGMATIC INSTITUTE:
Since 1993, we’ve provided training and professional development for product, design, and data professionals to accelerate innovation, increase customer satisfaction, and bolster revenue. Through our comprehensive methods and propriety Pragmatic Framework, we train professionals with the skills needed to accelerate their product management and product marketing careers, increase team efficiency, and boost revenue.Our online, in-person, and on-demand courses are taught by industry experts with decades of experience at top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, Hallmark, Quaker Oats, and Dun & Bradstreet. We offer individual course training in product, design and data, and certification tracks for Product Management Certifications, Product Marketing Certifications, and the Pragmatic Product Master Certification. All attendees gain access to the Pragmatic Alumni Community, a network of over 30,000 alumni worldwide.

If you’re looking for product management or product marketing training or are pursuing a product marketing certification or product management certification, browse our certification paths at https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/. Courses are available online, in-person, or on-demand to fit your schedule.Want to learn more about becoming a Pragmatic Certified Product Manager? Learn more here.

#ProductManagement #ProductManager #ProductManagementCertification #ProductManagementStrategy #PragmaticInstitute

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 Learn more about us: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/
 Start your Product Manager certification here

“We can try to take a hypothesis-based mindset to the product that we're trying to build or the ideas that we have or the strategy that we have, and use things like user research or design prototyping to put it into play.”
– David Lifson

In this episode of Product Chats, product management veteran David Lifson joins us to discuss the nuances of product strategy, the challenges of merging with a competitor, and the importance of a hypothesis-based mindset in product development.

Key Takeaways:
Takeaway 1: David highlights the importance of focusing on outcomes over outputs in product management, emphasizing the need to align strategy and execution.
Takeaway 2: David shares insights from his experiences at companies of varying sizes and stages, from startups to large firms, including the unique challenges faced by a company that loses product-market fit.
Takeaway 3: David discusses the process of merging with a competitor from a product perspective, providing a peek into the complex decisions involved in integrating products, teams, and tech stacks.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:
David Lifson is a seasoned product management expert with experience at Amazon, Etsy, and many others. He's worked at stealth startups, large companies, and companies at all stages and sizes. He's currently consulting for startups and focused on building great teams that deliver meaningful outcomes. Learn more about David's work here.

ABOUT PRAGMATIC INSTITUTE:
Since 1993, we’ve provided training and professional development for product, design, and data professionals to accelerate innovation, increase customer satisfaction, and bolster revenue. Through our comprehensive methods and propriety Pragmatic Framework, we train professionals with the skills needed to accelerate their product management and product marketing careers, increase team efficiency, and boost revenue.

Our online, in-person, and on-demand courses are taught by industry experts with decades of experience at top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, Hallmark, Quaker Oats, and Dun & Bradstreet. We offer individual course training in product, design and data, and certification tracks for Product Management Certifications, Product Marketing Certifications, and the Pragmatic Product Master Certification. All attendees gain access to the Pragmatic Alumni Community, a network of over 30,000 alumni worldwide.

If you’re looking for product management or product marketing training or are pursuing a product marketing certification or product management certification, browse our certification paths at https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/. Courses are available online, in-person, or on-demand to fit your schedule.

Want to learn more about becoming a Pragmatic Certified Product Manager? Learn more here.

#ProductManagement #ProductManager #ProductManagementCertification #ProductManagementStrategy #PragmaticInstitute

“My hope is that for product leaders and product managers is that in five years time you look back and you say, ‘tools like this have allowed me to free up my time so that I can do more high value work.’” - Paul Young

• The limitations of ChatGPT in its current version
• How ChatGPT can help product managers in their role
• Whether or not they are hopeful for new AI tools like ChatGPT

 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNJI2Tv2yxOLBI02nyJoprA
 Learn more about us: https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/
 Start your Product Marketer certification here

"Journalists are story builders, and you have to always be aware that what you're releasing has to fit the narrative of the story." – Mickie Kennedy

In this episode of Product Chats, Mickie Kennedy joins us to discuss how to craft compelling press releases by understanding the needs of journalists, focusing on storytelling, and considering newsworthy elements. He emphasizes the importance of including standout quotes, presenting data and numbers effectively, and using the human-interest angle.

Key Takeaways:

·     Product marketers and managers should focus on the narrative they're presenting with their press release, ensuring it aligns with the journalist's audience's interests.

·     Including elements such as case studies, testimonials, and relevant data in press releases can make them more appealing and informative.

·     Sharing media coverage with leads and customers can boost conversions and retention by leveraging the credibility that comes with earned media.

About Mickie Kennedy: Mickie is the Founder and President of eReleases, the small business leader for press release distribution, now celebrating 25 years in business. He is an expert at helping businesses increase their visibility and credibility and he’s here to share some valuable insights about how to hone your product release stories to make you irresistible to the media.

ABOUT PRAGMATIC INSTITUTE:

Since 1993, we’ve provided training and professional development for product, design, and data professionals to accelerate innovation, increase customer satisfaction, and bolster revenue. Through our comprehensive methods and propriety Pragmatic Framework, we train professionals with the skills needed to accelerate their product management and product marketing careers, increase team efficiency, and boost revenue.

Our online, in-person, and on-demand courses are taught by industry experts with decades of experience at top companies like Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, Hallmark, Quaker Oats, and Dun & Bradstreet. We offer individual course training in product, design and data, and certification tracks for Product Management Certifications, Product Marketing Certifications, and the Pragmatic Product Master Certification. All attendees gain access to the Pragmatic Alumni Community, a network of over 30,000 alumni worldwide.

If you’re looking for product management or product marketing training or are pursuing a product marketing certification or product management certification, browse our certification paths at https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/. Courses are available online, in-person, or on-demand to fit your schedule.

Want to learn more about becoming a Pragmatic Certified Product Marketer? Learn more here.

"Marketing is starting a conversation with someone that could be a great client." - Tom Schwab, Chief Evangelist Officer at Interview Valet

Tom Schwab is a trailblazer in the world of online marketing. With his extensive experience working with over 700 leading brands, Tom brings a wealth of knowledge and practical insight to the table. His role as a Chief Evangelist Officer at Interview Valet allows him to share his expertise and help businesses transform their product strategies.

In this episode, Tom Schwab and Rebecca Kalogeris delve into the power of podcast interviews as a platform for marketing. Tom shares invaluable insights on how to identify the right conversations to engage with one's audience, the importance of bringing value during podcast interviews, and the strategies for maximizing the impact of the interview afterwards.

Key Points:
1. The Power of Conversation: Tom emphasizes that marketing is about starting a conversation with potential clients and this can be achieved effectively through podcast interviews.
2. Lookalike Audiences: Tom talks about the concept of "lookalike audiences," where you can find groups of people who share traits or behaviors with your ideal customers. Knowing where to find these lookalike audiences can help you reach potential customers more effectively.
3. Importance of Understanding the Buying Process: Tom points out that more and more, things are being bought, not sold. He emphasizes the need to understand this shift and adapt marketing strategies accordingly. This means focusing on helping potential customers make their buying decision rather than trying to sell to them.

Eager to learn more about marketing tactics and how they can elevate your product strategies? Enroll in our Market class today and learn from industry experts to become a Certified Product Marketer.

"Data is the key to your success in this. Getting data about how your product is being used, getting data about the market and or customers or potential customers validation points on that data is absolutely crucial." - Mike Smart

• Strategic Planning Insights: Mike delves into the critical aspects of strategic planning for the year 2024, focusing on market dynamics, customer validation, and the crucial role of data analysis.
• Four Pillars of Success: He elaborates on the four pillars of strategic planning: aligning with business strategy, in-depth market research, rigorous data analysis, and the efficient use of technology and resources.
• Expectation Management: Emphasizing communication, Mike discusses the importance of managing expectations throughout the planning process.

"As a product leader, you want to be able to come to the table with information that will get you heard. Sometimes it's less storytelling, more data, and really knowing your audience and knowing who you are working with and the way in which they will receive information best." - Josey Borman

In this episode of the Pragmatic Product Chat Series, we are joined by Josey Borman, an EdTech expert and a firm believer in the power of education in product. Having transitioned from being a high school social studies teacher to a product and content development executive in EdTech, Josey brings a unique perspective on leadership, product management, and partnerships.

Key Takeaways:
- The Role of Data: Josey emphasizes the importance of data in making informed decisions, particularly in the area of product management and in deciding potential partnerships.
- Team Management: Josey shares insights on leadership, focusing on understanding audience diversity, nurturing team dynamics, and building relationships for success.
- Exploring Partnerships: Josey provides a detailed approach on exploring partnerships, considering strategic goals, core competencies, and the readiness of the organization to take on new initiatives.

Tune in to this episode to gain insight into Josey's unique approach to product management, leadership, and partnerships. Want to learn more about using data in product practices and decisions? Take our Insight course to turn your data into product strategies.

• Focus on Outcomes, Not Outputs: Learn why focusing on outcomes, rather than mere outputs, is crucial for a successful product launch.
• The Blueprint for Success: Discover Dave’s expertise in establishing clear objectives and fostering collaboration for effective product launches.
• Building Launch Expertise: Understand how BrainKraft equips organizations with structured approaches and governance for repeated launch success.
• Role of PMO: Dive into the critical role of the Program Management Office in ensuring consistent implementation of launch processes across various business units.
• Use Your Resources: Dave shares actionable tips for defining clear launch objectives and highlights BrainKraft's resources for further guidance.

• Keyword Planning: Find out how to use Google's keyword tools to figure out what your competitors are up to and spot trends before they take off.
• Ad Insights: Discover how to see every ad your competitor has run using tools like Google's Ads Transparency Center and similar features on Meta and LinkedIn.
• Staying Alert: Learn to set up Google Alerts in a way that most businesses miss, keeping you informed about your competitors and industry shifts.
• Tech Scouting: Use builtwith.com to learn what tech your competitors are using and how it can give you an edge, whether you're competing or looking for potential clients.

This episode is from our latest Product Chat webinar >> watch the webinar

• Personalization and Customer Data: Learn how personalization shapes buying decisions and why customer data is key to understanding different customer groups.
• Customer Segmentation: Discover various methods of categorizing customers based on their behaviors and attitudes, and the importance of regular evaluation.
• AI-Driven Personalization: Explore practical examples of how AI and machine learning contribute to personalization, like reducing customer churn and recommending products.
• Evaluating Model Success: Understand the need for measuring the performance of personalization models using different metrics and KPIs to align with business goals.
• Building a Strong Personalization Engine: Get actionable advice for creating a data-driven personalization engine that improves customer satisfaction and business growth.

• How influencer marketing is “word-of-mouth at scale” due to loyal niche audiences
• Vetting influencers carefully to avoid fraud and ensure an authentic audience
• Developing genuine relationships and allowing creative freedom for best results
• Measuring influencer impact through trackable links and other metrics
• Case studies of successful influencer campaigns and partnerships
• Why micro-influencers can sometimes outperform celebrity influencers

• Gain a thorough understanding of your buyers and how they like to buy so you can build product marketing strategies that deliver results.
• Align across go-to-market teams by effectively sharing and leveraging your buyer knowledge to prioritize the right product marketing strategies.
• Measure your strategies against the metrics that matter most to your organizations, focusing on outcomes and impact, not vanity.

• The role of collaboration in maximizing the benefits of collective effort, and how inviting diverse strengths in a team can lead to better problem-solving and innovation.
• The difference between “nice” and “kind”
• Why genuine listening and giving others the benefit of the doubt are steps towards understanding and practicing kindness.
• Exploring new tools to measure kindness to offer a glimpse into assessing and enhancing the compassionate culture within teams.

• How to gain alignment in an organization for marketing efforts
• Leveraging the 30, 60, 90 feedback rule
• What it means to use agile marketing plans
• Key components of positioning to communicate value
• Finding growth areas

• Strategies for creating inclusive and secure environments
• The importance of modeling vulnerability and admitting mistakes
• Practical ways to assess and measure psychological safety
• The role of working agreements in establishing behavioral norms
• The impact of psychological safety on team productivity and individual well-being

Check out Dan's recent presentation on psychological safety here.

• Mastering the Pragmatic Framework
• Building and sharing market expertise
• Uncovering strategic opportunities
• Implementation of market-driven strategies

• The myths of internal product management
• The difference between internal and external product management
• How leaders can empower internal product managers

• Sunsetting a product is not passive; it requires investment and must be prioritized against other business activities.
• Just like a product launch process, there must be a process for its end-of-life.
• Metrics to monitor to know when sunsetting is the best next step.
• End-of-life phases: "end of sale," "end of support," and "end of life.”

• How to uncover strategic opportunities in your market.
• Ways to define your product team roles and responsibilities effectively.
• How to prioritize actual vs. desired business goals.
• Techniques to engage with the market for win/loss analysis.
• Understanding buyer and user personas for a human-centered approach.

1. Why identifying a prospect urgency is a powerful approach to segmentation
2. The four levels of urgency: urgent, non-urgent, currently met, and none 
3. The role of core competencies when prioritizing segments
4. What whales & fire extinguishers can teach us about segmentation

Steve Goodyear, the founder of Realizer Services, is the first person to earn a PMC VIII certification.

Rebecca Kalogeris, VP of marketing for Pragmatic Institute, and Steve discuss the variety of courses offered through Pragmatic Institute, and how each plays a role in elevating the work he does at his company.

They discuss

• How the courses help Steve answer the question: "How do I turn professional services into more of a product."
• His lessons from the Design course
• How he uses the Pragmatic Alumni Community to build his network and talk through ideas.

Additional Resources

Foundations on Demand

Begin your product training experience with the course Foundations. Even better, this course is both live and on-demand. You’ll also gain your membership to the growing and active Pragmatic Alumni Community.

Course Overview:

• Understand the market and the problems it faces
• Use market knowledge to build and sell products people want to buy
• Master the Pragmatic Framework and the activities needed to bring a successful product to market
• Learn to listen to the market, prioritize projects and drive result

Learn More

• Generative AI as a Collaborative Partner: The role of AI as a remarkable technology that assists in positioning, persona development, problem identification, and marketing language.
• AI and Human Balance: A discussion on the differentiation and value addition through human expertise in the AI-driven content era.
• Future Potential: The acceleration of innovation in product management and marketing and the potential risks and cautions.
• Prompt Engineering: How generative AI aids in structuring questions, experimenting, and increasing efficacy in discovery processes.
• Prompt Engineering and Discovery Process: Exploring how generative AI aids in structuring questions, experimenting, and increasing efficacy in discovery processes.
• Workshop Highlights: An overview of AI for Product Professionals, a hands-on training workshop focusing on mastering ChatGPT and prompt engineering.

• An understanding of AI and its capabilities and limitations.
• Strategies to streamline workflows
• Advance prompt engineering tactics to apply in practical scenarios

• Pragmatic's Legacy: The transformation from a small visionary idea into a global institution, driven by consistency, passion, and deep knowledge of a market problem.
• Challenges in Product Management: The ongoing struggle to balance daily operations with strategic thinking and the consistent issue known as the "tyranny of the urgent."
• Reflections on Career and Industry: From the rise of agile and SaaS to personal career decisions, reflections on changes, growth, and the intersection of product and brand.
• Pragmatic's Alumni Connection: The powerful alumni base makes Pragmatic's community unique and engaging.
• The Art of Writing: Rebecca's journey as a head copywriter, the secret to good copy, and the joy of crafting precise positioning statements.

• Understand the role of pricing fences in implementing price segmentation
• Learn how pricing fences can be applied in different scenarios
• Discover the underlying principles, various methodologies, and real-world applications

"You do not just want to copy and paste what you're taking out of AI and use it as the final product” - Dan Corbin

• AI can synthesize data and automate repetitive tasks, but isn't a replacement for user research or specialists.
• Use AI to collaborate with cross-functional partners, not circumvent them.
• Balance the opportunities of AI with thoughtful human validation to boost innovation while ensuring quality.

• How AI influences the way product executives and C-suite leaders think about product strategy and new product development
• The pros and cons of using a trained model versus public models
• How to stay a step ahead in AI

I think elevator music exists for a reason, but isn't really what you should strive for” - Kirsten Butzow

1. What to say instead of common corporate jargon
2. Why corporate speak drifts out to the marketplace
3. Why you shouldn’t work 110%

“Differentiation only matters to a customer in as much as they perceive that it matters,” Dan Balcauski.

• Why product managers should deeply understand pricing
• Where people go wrong when they are working on pricing strategy
• How to establish a clear understanding of how your customer's value that’s not based on opinion
• The role of competitive analysis in building a pricing strategy
• Why Dan doesn’t recommend freemiums (but does recommend free trials)

"Understanding precisely why your users are happy or frustrated should inform the product roadmap and your continuous improvement efforts are likely to enhance your company's reputation." - Evan Klein

• Benefits of a strong user experience
• The purpose and how to conduct a key driver analysis
• Why humans (not machines or AI) should be responsible for thematic analyses
• Risks of data quality and reliability
• Who should conduct customer interviews and other best practices

Unlock Your Product Management Potential
Dive into Pragmatic Institute's Foundations course to master market understanding and product building. Earn a PMC certification and access invaluable tools and resources.
 Ideal for aspiring and seasoned product managers.
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In this episode of Pragmatic Live, our very own Diane Pierson, Pragmatic Institute instructor, is joined by Joe Douress, published author and managing director for Brittish Medical Publishing for the Americas, to discuss how to better leverage subscription models at the right time to ensure customer and revenue retention.

Don't forget! - Each and every Friday, we hold live AMA's that you can take part in!

Visit pragmaticinstitute.com to learn more.

Watch our previous sessions HERE.

“Your best messaging is often going to be the messaging that a customer gives to you.” -  Aneri Shah

• The vital importance of deeply understanding your buyers for successful product marketing.
• How and where to utilize the voice of the customer
• The real value of in-product communication
• How she uses AI to help with messaging

“Even one conversation with one customer can be so impactful to what we can deliver.” - Daniel Alleyne

• The pervasive nature of imposter syndrome in product roles, particularly among those who have followed non-traditional paths, and its role in fostering ongoing learning and personal growth.
• Effective strategies to underline the importance of market research and secure buy-in from stakeholders and leaders.
• Approaches to building trust within organizations to garner the time and resources necessary for comprehensive market research.
• Techniques to continually demonstrate value during the market research process, ensuring sustained support and investment.

“Break the communication barriers to your organization with data.” - Paul Meresanu

• Using data to make decisions when choosing a path for a product or starting a new product?
• How to encode and decode qualitative data
• Tools for managing qualitative data

Your product roadmap serves as more than just a mere document. It acts as a powerful conduit, effectively communicating your vision and strategy to key stakeholders, partners, and customers. Neglecting to provide realistic, relevant, and up-to-date information within your roadmap can lead to missed opportunities, wasted time, and potential revenue loss.

• Provides practical examples and insights on creating roadmap clarity
• Explains setting realistic timelines
• Demonstrates collaborative tools

“I would love for marketers to get involved in a couple of sales demos and commit to it, not just listen in. I think that would be uncomfortable for a lot of people, and that means that you're learning.” - Ross Cranwell

• How product marketers can build credibility
• The unique challenges B2B product marketers face (especially when trying to connect marketing efforts to revenue)
• Why product marketers should participate in sales calls

In this great throwback episode, pricing guru and long-time Pragmatic partner Mark Stiving covers three key methods you can use to get the most profitable products to the market as quickly as possible.

Want to learn more about pricing your product for success? Take Price from Pragmatic Institute. Learn more and register today.

"Your customers are looking at your product and asking for discounts. The key is to demonstrate the value of your product so that they understand the price is justified." 

- Mark Stiving, Chief Pricing Officer for Impact Pricing

In this episode of the Pragmatic Live, host Rebecca Kalogeris, Vice President of Product at Pragmatic Institute, interviews Mark Stiving, Ph.D., Chief Pricing Officer for Impact Pricing, who shares six ways to raise product prices effectively. 

They discuss pricing strategies such as focusing on products that are add-ons, using market segmentation to adjust prices, and creating a new product version by taking away some features and charging a lower price. These strategies can help companies increase revenue without causing too much disruption or risking losing customers.

The conversation contains valuable insights and practical tips to help professionals elevate their products, company, and career. Tune in to this episode to learn more about effective pricing strategies and take your product management skills to the next level.

Do you want to learn how to be more market-driven? Enroll in Foundations

You’ll learn how to understand the market and its problems, use that knowledge to build and sell products people want to buy, and master the Pragmatic Framework to bring successful products to market.

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“We're not looking for the learning itself; we're looking for that behavior. We want that application. That is where the real value is for any organization or business.” - Erica Sutula

• What is instructional design
• How Pragmatic helps students implement their training after they’ve completed a course
• The impact collaborative learning has on outcomes
• What is problem-based learning
• Why certification exams help with the long-term transfer of knowledge and skills

“The secret is not to pick the squeakiest wheel, but to actually find the thing that's going to add the most business value and customer value if we release it out to the market.” - Erik Johnson

• The three common pitfalls of market research
• How Aha! prevents market research from getting lost in digital drawers
• The three-prong test to validate and prioritize problems (and a tool to help)
• Aha!’s product value scorecard and idea portal
• How to effectively bring market insights to the development and design teams
• How to get buy-in for a new roadmapping tool

“Use that user empathy superpower with your engineers. See that they are your partners, not your resources.” - Kirsten Van Detta

• What engineers need from product managers
• Communication strategies to better collaborate with engineers
• Why advocating for the product is also advocating for your team
• How to repair your relationship with the engineering team if it isn’t ideal

• The limitations and capabilities of GPT-3 and GPT-4
• The applications for generative AI, evaluative AI and interactive AI
• An example of how Delibr uses AI to build PRD
• Prompt engineering approaches

“I teach the pricing class, and we like to say that people don't want to feel punished when it comes to price—they want to feel rewarded." - Todd Middlebrook

• Netflix’s latest changes and the impact
• The reaction in the market to the password-sharing crackdown
• Why businesses should avoid making customers feel like they are being punished with pricing changes
• The ways Netflix could approach the policy change differently
• How Netflix could improve its messaging and policy launch moving forward to earn goodwill with current and future customers

“Data in a spreadsheet is going to have a limited effect. How you tell the story and how you convey that to members of the leadership team in a way that is easily digestible and makes it clear how they can act on it is vitally important. If the feedback is only shared with the CEO or with one department, then you're leaving a lot of opportunities on the table.” - Evan Klein.

• How to implement systematic feedback processes
• Who should be included in customer satisfaction surveys and interviews
• How to share customer insights in a way the company will feel empowered to act on them
• Benefits of hiring a third-party voice of customer services
• Best practices for approaching win/loss interviews
• How to encourage customers to provide feedback and respond to survey or interview requests
• How employee feedback programs contribute to improving customer experience