The Product Podcast

 Product Managers are always looking for new ways to improve and make their products better. Why shouldn't we use this outlook on our careers as well? In this episode, Diego Granados (Product Manager at Microsoft), Marily Nika (AR Health & Fitness Product Lead at Google), and our host, Mayank Yadav (Product Lead at Facebook) are leading us to greatness with tips and tricks to help you grow and rocket launch your product career.

This episode is brought to you by ThoughtSpot, the modern analytics cloud company helping you build your business on data with consumer-grade, search and AI-driven analytics. Build stickier product experiences by embedding ThoughtSpot Everywhere’s interactive analytics interface directly into your data app or product. No more delayed-release cycles or incremental UX improvements. Visit thoughtspot.com/everywhere to get started for free today.

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In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Christina Goldschmidt, VP of Product Design at Warner Music.
Warner Music is one of the world's leading music companies, serving artists and songwriters across various labels and publishing divisions. With a rich history in the music industry, Warner Music has evolved to embrace digital transformation, offering innovative ways for fans to engage with artists and music.
Christina leads the entire UX team at Warner Music, overseeing product designers, design systems specialists, visual designers, content designers, researchers, and design operations. Her team designs experiences connecting fans to artists, provides services to artists and songwriters, and creates internal tools that power various aspects of the music business, from distribution to sync licensing and royalties reporting.
In this episode, we'll explore Christina's unique approach to product design, how she and her team are leveraging unconventional practices to drive innovation, and the future of music technology. We'll discuss strategies for aligning design with business goals, structuring design teams for interconnected ecosystems, and balancing zero-to-one initiatives with product improvements.
What you'll learn:
- Christina's journey from front-end developer to VP of Product Design at Warner Music and her insights on the company's digital transformation.
- The challenges and strategies involved in creating user experiences for a global music company.
- How to prioritize design initiatives and innovations in a fast-paced, artist-centric environment.
- The future of music technology, including AI-powered tools and immersive fan experiences.
Key Takeaways👇:
- Design as a Revenue Driver: Christina emphasizes the importance of positioning design as a strategic asset that contributes to business growth.
- Unconventional Problem-Solving: Warner Music is pushing boundaries by incorporating mystical practices like tarot readings and shamanic journeying into their design thinking process.
- Data-Driven Design: Christina highlights the use of product discovery, UX research, and business metrics to guide design decisions and improvements

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are important topics that should always be on our radar. However, this doesn't mean they are easy to talk about. Lucky for you our panel of top Product Leaders (Gaurav Hardikar, Eva Feng, Zakir Tyebjee, Martie Burris, Leonard Kongshavn, and Gowri Sivanathan) are here to answer some hard-hitting questions so you can get out there and make a positive change with your team and your products.
We invite you to participate in this quick survey to help us as we take the Product Podcast to the next level!
Get the FREE Product Book and check out our curated list of free Product Management resources here.
This episode is brought to you by Amplitude.
Amplitude is the pioneer in digital optimization software, helping product leaders answer the strategic question: "How do our digital products drive our business?" More than 1,400 customers, including Atlassian, Instacart, NBCUniversal, Shopify, and Under Armour rely on Amplitude. The Amplitude Digital Optimization System makes critical data accessible and actionable so teams can unlock insights, build winning products faster, and turn products into revenue. Amplitude is the best-in-class product analytics solution, ranked #1 in G2’s 2022 Winter Report.
Get started today at amplitude.com.

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Ilan Frank, Chief Product Officer at Checkr, the leading background check company serving over 100,000 customers.
Checkr has revolutionized the background check industry, processing 85% of checks in 15 minutes or less, compared to the industry standard of 1 to 3 days. This remarkable efficiency is achieved through the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning.
With $679 million in funding and a $5 billion valuation, Checkr serves major companies like Uber, Warby Parker, and Instacart. Ilan is spearheading the core business while driving product expansion into larger enterprises and new markets.
In this episode, we'll explore Ilan's extensive experience in building SaaS products for large enterprises, including his work at successful companies like Slack, Airtable, and Grammarly. We'll discuss the challenges and strategies involved in transitioning from SMB to enterprise success.
What you'll learn:
- Ilan's journey to becoming CPO at Checkr and his insights on the background check industry's digital transformation.
- The challenges and strategies involved in creating enterprise-ready products and organizations.
- How to balance user delight with complex enterprise client needs.
- The future of background check technology, including AI-powered innovations and international expansion.
Key Takeaways:
- Enterprise Readiness: Ilan emphasizes the importance of both product and organizational readiness when transitioning to serve enterprise clients.
- Product Management Approach: Ilan shares his "Three Buckets" strategy for prioritizing features: metrics movers, customer asks, and delighters.
- Data-Driven Innovation: Ilan highlights the use of AI and machine learning to process vast amounts of data quickly and accurately, revolutionizing the background check industry.
- Enterprise Product Development: Ilan discusses the importance of understanding both the "chooser" and the "user" in enterprise software, and how to create value for both.

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Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Ilan Frank