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.

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Product Management Career Insights with Janna Bastow