Feb 10 2025 50 mins 2
Janna Bastow, co-founder of Mind the Product and ProdPad, shares her journey of becoming a product manager, launching the world's largest community for product people, and the challenges of transitioning to entrepreneurship.
From unexpected career paths to understanding key skills for success in product management, Janna provides invaluable insights and practical tips for anyone looking to break into product management.
The conversation delves into product discovery, the impact of AI in product management, and the importance of aligning product goals with business needs. Jana also discusses the unique challenges of curating events and scaling a community from a small gathering to a global phenomenon.
00:00 Introduction to the World's Largest Product Community
01:03 Superpower: Connecting the Dots in Product Management
02:07 Journey into Product Management: Accidental Beginnings
04:51 Defining the Role of a Product Manager
06:03 Skills for Success in Product Management
09:40 Breaking into Product Management: Tips
17:17 Balancing Customer Needs and Business Goals
21:54 The Importance of Product Discovery
25:27 The Birth of Mind the Product
28:20 The Growth of a Product Community
31:02 Building a Community and Selling Out Events
37:30 Founding ProdPad: From Idea to Execution
43:24 Integrating AI in Product Management
48:23 Reflections and Future Outlook
Janna Bastow
Janna Bastow is the inventor of the Now-Next-Later roadmap and is co-founder and CEO of ProdPad, product management and roadmapping software for product people. Janna is also co-founder of ProductTank and Mind the Product, the global community of product managers. She often starts and stops conversations with the question: “What problem are you trying to solve?”
⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.
Paddy Dhanda (Host)
Paddy works at the largest Tech training organisation in the UK and is passionate about helping tech professionals build human skills to thrive in the age of AI.
Contact Paddy: [email protected]
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