The Intentional Product Manager Podcast

In this episode of the Intentional Product Manager Podcast, Shobhit Chugh sits down with Matt Moore to unpack a product leadership journey that spans financial services, health tech, executive product roles, and mission-driven innovation.Matt shares how he broke into product management without fully knowing what the role was, what he had to unlearn as he grew, and why true product leadership has far more to do with business outcomes than shipping features. They dig into the ambiguity of modern product management, what happens when companies reduce PMs to executors, and how strong product leaders use customer data to shift strategy at the highest levels.The conversation also explores Matt’s move from financial services into health tech, what makes healthcare such a complex and meaningful space to build in, and how mission becomes real when you see the patient impact firsthand. They also cover job search, networking, LinkedIn visibility, and why many product managers struggle not because they lack experience, but because they lack a clear professional narrative.If you are a product manager trying to grow into real leadership, this episode will give you a lot to think about.Episode Highlights:00:00 Show Intro And Guest01:30 Origin Story In Banking02:42 Becoming A Product Leader03:46 Unlearning Execution Only04:56 Why The Role Feels Blurry07:36 Changing A CEO Led Culture11:02 Outcome Driven Roadmaps16:10 Leadership Mistakes To Avoid19:33 Switching Into Health Tech22:01 Healthcare Culture Shock24:24 AI Ambient Scribe Win26:47 Mission Moment in Healthcare29:44 Job Search Like Product32:57 Networking That Works36:32 LinkedIn Visibility and Brand39:51 Biggest Job Search Mistake41:20 Rapid Fire and Wrap UpConnect with Shobhit Chugh https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobhitchugh/Connect with Matt Moore https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-e-moore/www.intentionalproductmanager.com

Everyone’s talking about AI in product management. But in Shardul Mehta’s conversations with CPOs and VPs of Product, that’s not what’s keeping leaders up at night. The real shift: product teams are being held accountable for business outcomes, revenue, margin, and return on investment, and many can’t explain why their roadmap deserves continued funding. In this episode of the Intentional Product Manager podcast, we break down the “translation tax” product leaders are paying, what this means for individual product managers, and why the jump from Senior PM to Director often fails when people try to become a “super PM” instead of building the decision-making system.In this episode, we cover:Why product leaders aren’t obsessed with AI (and what they are obsessed with)The credibility gap + “translation tax” inside product orgsThe 5 breakdowns execs keep seeing (goals, money story, exec language, GTM, alignment)What PMs can do immediately: cost-of-team thinking + ROI narratives (without finance cosplay)Why new Directors drown: the creator → operator shiftIf you’re a product manager trying to grow into leadership, this episode gives you the framing to stop being seen as a delivery person and start being treated like a business operator.Highlights:00:24 Meet Shardul Mehta: 30 Years in Product, Startups, and GenAI Launches01:22 Origin Story: Builder Mindset, Tech Roots, and Entrepreneurship Track02:56 The ‘Accidental PM’ Wake-Up Call: Credibility, Communication, and the Unlock07:08 The New Scoreboard: What CPOs Worry About (It’s Not AI)09:53 The Credibility Gap: 5 Executive Complaints About Product Teams11:42 Skills vs Comms: Money Stories, Board Questions, and the Translation Tax14:29 Hot Take: Why ‘Product Owner’ Isn’t Product Management17:04 What This Means for Individual PMs: Proving ROI and Acting as Fiduciaries21:06 Do We Really Need More Squads? Making the Revenue Case21:30 Back-of-the-Napkin Costing: What Does a Sprint Actually Cost?22:14 Capacity Is Finite: Trade-offs, Opportunity Cost, and Prioritization23:10 Startups vs Big Tech vs Private Equity: How the ROI Questions Change25:48 Why Product Directors Fail: The ‘Super PM’ Trap27:14 Creator → Operator: Building the System, Not Doing All the Details28:08 Promotion Reality Check: Readiness, Fair Paths, and Not Getting Strung Along30:12 Mentoring PMs (Korea & Beyond): Cutting Through Noise and Bad Advice31:12 Commercial Mindset for PMs: Sales Calls, Incentives, and Business Results33:45 Managing Up Without the ‘Politics’ Hangup35:15 Fun Wrap-Up: Improv Lessons, Favorite Product, and a Hot Take on PMFollow Shobhit Chugh at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobhitchugh/Follow Shardul Mehta at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shardulmehta/Check out Street Smart Product Manager at https://streetsmartproductmanager.com/www.intentionalproductmanager.com

AI didn’t change the Product Management job. It changed the tempo.And most PMs are responding the wrong way. Producing more artifacts instead of making better decisions.Using AI to look busy instead of getting ruthless about what matters.In this episode of the Intentional Product Manager podcast, Shobhit Chugh sits down with Mick Gupta (Head of Product, GenAI Monetization & Incentives at Scale AI). Mick has led product across Amazon, Microsoft, Airbnb, Meta, SoFi, and Brex, and he breaks down what actually matters for PMs in the AI era: judgment, evals, dogfooding, and stakeholder alignment through vision.You’ll learn:Why AI makes output cheaper, but doesn’t make output judgment freeHow eval-driven development turns “seems good” into “is good”Why dogfooding matters more than ever for AI productsHow to ramp fast in a new company with a repeatable operating systemHow vision becomes the decision framework that drives alignmentHow to protect thinking time and build experimentation into your weekIf you’re a PM trying to break into AI, level up into leadership, or stop drowning in artifacts and start driving decisions, this one is for you.Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome01:06 Mick's Career Journey and Key Experiences04:39 Challenges of Embedding in New Organizations07:33 Product Management Insights and Advice09:12 AI in Product Management18:23 Future Trends in AI and Product Management21:40 Balancing Innovation and Daily Responsibilities22:19 Balancing Meetings and Mental Health23:05 Starting Small with Side Projects23:26 Leveraging AI in Product Management23:55 Creating Enjoyable Side Projects28:41 The Importance of Vision in Stakeholder Alignment32:40 Common Mistakes and Lessons for PMs38:47 Breaking into AI Product Management42:38 Fun Questions and Final ThoughtsConnect with Mick:X: @mickguptaEmail: mickgupta@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickgupta/Connect with Shobhit:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobhitchugh/www.intentionalproductmanager.com

How do you get your first win fast as a new Product Manager, without betting your credibility on a 6-month project?In this episode of the Intentional Product Manager Podcast, Shobhit Chugh sits down with Kunal Thadani, Senior Director of Product at Houzz to break down how product managers can stand out in their careers by earning trust fast, tying work to business outcomes, and prioritizing speed of execution over perfection. Kunal shares a repeatable approach for landing early wins, including building a simple revenue equation, dogfooding the product, and focusing on low-lift, high-impact optimizations before building anything new. They also talk about the Litmus Framework, a prioritization method that combines napkin math, resourcing cost, risk to existing revenue, and executive buy-in to increase decision quality and move faster with confidence. If you’re looking to win fast, build trust early, and stop betting your credibility on big ideas, this episode is for you.Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview00:27 Guest Introduction: Kunal Thadani01:08 Warm-Up Questions and Early Career Advice02:49 Understanding Product Management Misconceptions05:15 Effective Product Management Practices06:50 Achieving Your First Big Win as a Product Manager12:52 Case Studies: High Impact Wins22:56 Introducing the Litmus Framework25:21 Applying the Litmus Framework: Examples and Benefits33:42 Fun Questions and Contrarian Beliefs36:24 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsConnect with Shobhit Chugh on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobhitchugh/Connect with Kunal Thadani on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunal-thadani-72a13722/Follow Kunal's newsletter here: https://www.insidergrowthhq.com/www.intentionalproductmanager.com

Join Bala Venkatrao, a seasoned product leader and GM at Harness, as he shares insights from his impressive background at Atlassian and his entrepreneurial journey. He discusses building scalable platform products in an AI-driven landscape, emphasizing the importance of data, context, and a founder's mindset. Bala introduces his CATS leadership framework, focused on clarity and trust, and offers tactical advice on leveraging AI as a powerful tool for product managers. Stay curious and approach challenges as opportunities for growth!

Get ready for enlightening insights from top product leaders. Discover how focusing on business outcomes can set you apart from the crowd. Learn the power of storytelling to advance your career. Uncover ways to transition into product roles within your company. Find out why obsessing over customer problems is crucial. Embrace a GM mindset to own the complete customer experience. Navigate the evolving role of PMs in an AI-driven world. Finally, understand how strategic thinking will elevate your leadership journey.

You’ve done everything right. Optimized your resume, followed the roadmap, and kept grinding…Yet you’re still stuck. Still underpaid. Still wondering why others are moving ahead in their careers and you’re not.In this episode, I break down the real reason high-performing Product Managers hit a plateau. And it’s not your resume, your credentials, or even the job market.It’s the state your nervous system is operating from.You’ll discover:Why even the smartest Product Managers stall out in their job search or career climbHow stress, rejection, and “playing not to lose” silently block career and income growthThe 12-minute daily practice that rewires your mindset to operate from clarity and powerCareer-killing mindset traps and how to reset themHow to build the identity, energy, and confidence of a top-earning product leaderIf you’re tired of second-guessing yourself, watching others get promoted, or working beneath your full earning potential, this episode gives you the reset you’ve been looking for.This isn’t fluff. This is performance psychology for ambitious product leaders.Your mindset is your multiplier. Reset it and watch your income and influence grow.Highlights:00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:45 Understanding the Real Issue01:10 The Importance of Mindset04:54 Minimum Viable Progress08:15 Six Mindset Traps14:21 Conclusion and Next Stepswww.intentionalproductmanager.com

Here’s the truth:Everyone is chasing AI.Everyone is updating their resume.But very few candidates are building the kind of narrative and positioning that creates belief, the thing that actually leads to offers.In this episode of the Intentional Product Manager Podcast, Deepak Tiwari, product leader at Meta, Google, Lyft, shared some of the clearest, most actionable insights on:What hiring actually looks like inside Big Tech right now and where AI is creating demand for Product ManagersThe difference between a $600K and $1.2M interview (and how to prepare for each)How to tell the story of your impact instead of just listing titles or tasksThe biggest mistakes senior Product Managers make when applying and how to avoid themWhy data alone isn't enough and how to balance intuition with analysisWhat hiring managers look for in AI/ML Product Managers (hint: it’s not just buzzwords)Signals that a company takes product management seriouslyHow to decide whether ML is the right solution or just tech theaterWhat to include in your resume if you want to be taken seriously in AI rolesWhy writing and reading skills become a strategic advantage as you riseShobhit and Deepak unpack how senior product managers can land executive roles, especially in today’s AI-saturated job market by refining their narrative, building trust before interviews, and making strategic career bets.Highlights:00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest01:05 Deepak's Journey into Product Management03:48 Lessons from Google06:45 Current Job Market and Hiring Trends16:28 Advice for Aspiring Product Managers19:00 Key Skills and Metrics for Product Managers28:39 AI and Machine Learning in Product Management40:29 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsIf you’re a product leader aiming to make your next big move, whether into Big Tech, AI startups, or executive leadership, this episode is for you.Follow Shobhit Chugh on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobhitchugh/Follow Deepak Tiwari in LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/detiwari/www.intentionalproductmanager.com

What does it take to lead and stay relevant through multiple waves of industry disruption?In this episode of the Intentional Product Manager Podcast, Shobhit Chugh sits down with Vik Chaudhary, VP of Product, ex-Meta leader, MIT AI Lab alum, and veteran of three major tech revolutions:→ SaaS→ Cloud Infrastructure→ Enterprise AIVik has built products, led teams, and influenced strategy through it all.But what makes his perspective unique is how he adapts with clarity, decisiveness, and deep cross-functional thinking.In this conversation, you’ll learn:How to thrive as a Product Manager during major tech shiftsThe difference between strategy and execution, and why knowing your strength matters more than everWhy some of the best Product Managers are now “full-stack” operatorsWhat it means to be indispensable to both product and salesWhy big tech behemoths still matter and how to navigate around (or with) themThe career trap many Product Managers fall into when trying to “climb” to leadershipA candid look at how Vik redefined his career by stepping off the traditional pathThis episode is packed with timeless lessons, hard-won wisdom, and tactical insights that every product leader needs right now.00:00 Introduction 00:56 First Big Technology Shift: From Software to SaaS04:30 Strategic vs. Execution Oriented in Tech Shifts12:37 Respecting Industry Behemoths19:43 Adapting to Technological Shifts in Product Management31:04 Understanding the Technological Shift32:25 The Role of a Full Stack Product Manager36:12 Becoming Indispensable in a Technological Shift40:43 Career Growth and Bold Moves47:16 Corporate Level Impact and Executive Trajectory56:54 Final Thoughts and Career AdviceConnect with Shobhit Chugh on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobhitchugh/Connect with Vik Chaudhary on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikchaudhary/www.intentionalproductmanager.com

What does true ownership look like in product management, and why do so many teams miss the mark?In this episode of The Intentional Product Manager Podcast, I sit down with Kishore Narra, a product executive who's led high-impact teams at TaskRabbit, Coinbase, Meta, and more. We dive deep into what separates busy teams from effective ones, and how top product leaders drive clarity, impact, and alignment across the organization.We cover:Why reducing user friction isn’t always the right moveHow to structure teams for real ownership and accountabilityThe anti-patterns that stall progress and how to coach your way out of themLessons from building platform, risk, and marketplace products at scaleWhy clarity on metrics and problem space is the foundation of any great teamWhether you’re managing a small squad or leading a large org, this episode is packed with tactical insights and mindset shifts to help you lead with intention.Episode Highlights:00:00 Introduction to the Podcast00:23 Guest Introduction: Kishore Narra01:32 Early Career and First Product02:53 Lessons from Early Experiences03:04 Understanding User Friction04:59 Effective Habits for Product Managers06:01 Organizing Teams for Success09:24 Challenges and Anti-Patterns in Team Management13:43 Product Management Across Different Companies17:50 Remote Work and Decision-Making at Coinbase19:14 Differences Between Application and Platform Product Managers20:29 Skills for Successful Platform Product Management22:27 Metrics and Promotion for Platform PMs25:09 Journey into Payments and Risk Management27:34 Challenges and Strategies in Fraud Prevention32:11 Lightning Round: Storytelling and Career Growth34:31 Final Thoughts and RecommendationsFollow Shobhit Chugh at https://www.linkedin.com/in/shobhitchugh/Follow Kishore Narra at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kishorenarra/www.intentionalproductmanager.com