Product Academy Tough Stuff
by Product Academy
Latest episode
#26: How do I make my high performance sustainable? - with Mareike…
#26: How do I make my high performance sustainable? - with Mareike…
About this podcast
Product Academy Tough Stuff is tackling the toughest challenges in product management. Each episode features experienced product leaders who address one tough question with actionable insights—no fluff, no filler. Condensed for your busy schedule.
Join your hosts, Tanja Lau and Francesca Cortesi, as they engage in honest, no-nonsense conversations with inspiring guests. In less than 30 minutes they share practical, proven advice and provide you with a fresh angle on one specific topic.
Let's dive in!
Episodes
The newest 20 of 26 episodes
- #26: How do I make my high performance sustainable? - with Mareike Müller (Leadership coach and mentor focused on resilience) · 44 min · Season 4 Episode 26In this episode, Mareike Müller shares with Francesca Cortesi about her insights on maintaining high performance sustainably. Topics include assessing your current state…
- #25: How do I price my products? - with Iulia Jacobsson (Product Coach & Advisor) · 31 min · Season 4 Episode 25OUR GUEST Iulia Jacobsson is a product advisor and coach with 10+ years of experience leading product teams at scale — including as VP Product at Beekeeper and Head of Product at…
- #24: How do I build up my confidence? - with Parveen Downer (Career Coach, PM instructor, Speaker, Stand-up Comedian) · 34 min · Season 3 Episode 24In this episode, Francesca Cortesi and Parveen Downer explore the concept of confidence, emphasizing that it is a skill that can be developed rather than an innate trait. They…
- #23: Is it worth switching to Shape Up? - with Stéphane Turquay (Principal Product Manager at Smallpdf) · 28 min · Season 3 Episode 23In this conversation, Tanja Lau and Stéphane Turquay discuss the Shape Up methodology, a product development framework that emphasizes fixed timelines with variable scopes…
- #22 How do I avoid feeling like an imposter when I’ve been promoted? - with Caroline Clark (Leadership Consultant and Coach) · 30 min · Season 3 Episode 22In this episode, Francesca Cortesi and Caroline Clark talk about the complexities of imposter feelings, exploring their prevalence, the impact of perfectionism, and the…
- #21: How do I navigate cultural and value differences at work? -with Alena Ipanova (Cultural Intelligence Expert and Trainer) · 30 min · Season 3 Episode 1In this conversation, Francesca Cortesi and Alena Ipanova dig into the complexities of navigating cultural differences in the workplace, especially for expats. They discuss the…
- #20: How do I manage my time better? - with Todd Birzer (Product Management Leader) · 34 min · Season 3 Episode 1Dive into the latest episode of Product Acaemy Tough Stuff Season 3, where Francesca and Todd Birzer tackle one of the most challenging questions in the professional world: "How…
- #19: How do I do discovery in hardware? -with Kai Stevens (Product Leader & Discovery Coach) · 31 min · Season 2 Episode 19Francesca Cortesi and Kai Stevens discuss the complexities of conducting discovery in hardware. They explore the unique challenges faced in hardware development, including long…
- #18 How do I develop products for internal users? - with Corinne Ruckstuhl (PM for Data & AI at SRF) · 29 minIn this conversation, Corinne Ruckstuhl (Product Manager Data & AI at SRF) shares her insights on transitioning to internal product management, discussing the unique challenges…
- #17 How do I know I’ve done enough discovery? - with Tim Herbig (Product Management Coach) · 31 minFrancesca Cortesi and Tim Herbig dive into one of the trickiest questions in product: how do you know when you’ve done enough discovery? They talk about the real purpose behind…
- #16 How do I delight my customers? - with Nesrine Changuel (Product Coach & Trainer, ex-Google, Spotify, Microsoft ) · 31 min · Season 2 Episode 16In this conversation, Tanja Lau and Nesrine Changuel explore the concept of customer delight, emphasizing the importance of emotional connections in product experiences. They…
- #15 How do I speak the language of money? -with Rich Mironov (40-year B2B product mgmt veteran) · 30 min · Season 2 Episode 15In this conversation, Francesca Cortesi and Rich Mironov discuss product managers' challenges in quantifying their initiatives and communicating effectively with sales and…
- #14 How do I break into product management? - with Justin Groep (PM at Neho) · 32 min · Season 2 Episode 2In this conversation, Tanja Lau interviews Justin Groep about his journey from working as a barista in South Africa to securing a product management role in a challenging job…
- #13 How do I balance short- and long-term goals? - with Alexander Hipp (Founder of Beyond) · 29 min · Season 2 Episode 13SUMMARY In this conversation, Francesca Cortesi and Alexander Hipp discuss the challenges of balancing long-term and short-term goals in product management. They analyze the…
- #12 How do I balance parenting and product work - with Vanaja Sriskandarajah (Director of Product at Raisin) · 31 min · Season 2 Episode 12In this conversation, Tanja Lau and Vanaja Sriskandarajah discuss the challenges and changes that come with balancing parenthood and a career in product leadership. They explore…
- Episode #11 How do I make OKRs work? -Radhika Dutt (Author of Radical Product Thinking) · 29 min · Season 2 Episode 1In this conversation, Radhika Dutt and Francesca Cortesi discuss the challenges of implementing OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) in organizations, emphasizing the pitfalls…
- #10 Main Take-Aways of Season 1 - with Francesca Cortesi and Tanja Lau · 7 min · Season 1 Episode 10SUMMARY In this special episode, Francesca Cortesi and Tanja Lau share their main takeaways from season 1 of Tough Stuff. CHAPTERS 00:50 Francesca’s Takeaways 04:10 Tanja’s…
- #9 How do I regain product-market fit? - Nina Schneider (CPO Sherpany) · 28 minIn this conversation, Francesca Cortesi and Nina Schneider talk about market fit, exploring its definition, the challenges of maintaining it, and strategies for regaining it when…
- #8 How do I acquire an entrepreneurial mindset? - with Sebastian Schuon (Co-Founder of Alasco & Schub) · 27 min · Season 1 Episode 8In this conversation, Tanja Lau and Sebastian explore the concept of an entrepreneurial mindset, discussing its definition, key traits, and how it can be cultivated in…
- #7 How do I align my product strategy? - Erik Almenberg (CPO Kognity) · 29 min · Season 1 Episode 7In this conversation, Francesca Cortesi and Erik Almenberg discuss how to align a product strategy, emphasizing the importance of shared insights and alignment across teams. They…
