PODCAST · technology
Fireside Product Management
by Tom Leung
Product Management podcast where 20 year PM veteran Tom Leung interviews VP's, CPO's, and CEO's who rose up from product to talk about their careers, the art and science of product management, and advice for other PM's.Watch video on YouTube. firesidepm.coLearn more about host Tom Leung at http://tomleungcoaching.com firesidepm.substack.com
Episodes
-
Is There Something Between Real UXR and Just Asking Claude?
Full disclosure before we start: I’ve advised Vectorial for a while since they were in the Berkeley Skydeck program and I’m a small investor, which is exactly why I tried to play this one straight. When I sat down in person with cofounders Taran Singh and Rahul Garg, with their third cofounder...
-
If AI Eats the Entry-Level Job, Where Do Leaders Come From?
I sat down recently with Chris Berta, an executive search partner, to talk about a question he has been chewing on for two and a half years: if AI takes away entry-level jobs, where do people learn their craft, and how do they ever become leaders? It is the kind of question that sounds abstract...
-
From Band Drummer to BizDev to XFN Leader
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
Why Your Next PM Job Depends More on Culture Than Compensation
I met Albino Sanchez in the bleachers at a high school JV football game. While our sons battled it out on the field for Palo Alto High School, we found ourselves deep in conversation about something far removed from touchdowns and tackles: why some product leaders thrive while others crash and…
more -
I Tested 5 AI Tools to Write a PRD—Here's the Winner
TLDR: It was Claude :-)When I set out to compare ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and ChatPRD for writing Product Requirement Documents, I figured they’d all be roughly equivalent. Maybe some subtle variations in tone or structure, but nothing earth-shattering. They’re all built on similar...
-
The Future of Product Management in the Age of AI: Lessons From a Five Leader Panel
Every few years, the world of product management goes through a phase shift. When I started at Microsoft in the early 2000s, we shipped Office in boxes. Product cycles were long, engineering was expensive, and user research moved at the speed of snail mail. Fast forward a decade and the cloud era...
-
The Difference Between Encouragement and Truth: Lessons From Building What People Actually Need
The Interview That Sparked This Essay Joe Corkery and I worked together at Google years ago, and he has since gone on to build a venture-backed company tackling a real and systemic problem in healthcare communication. This essay is my attempt to synthesize that conversation. It is written for…
more -
Atlas Gets a C+: Lessons from ChatGPT’s Browser That’s Brilliant, Broken, and Bursting with Potential
I didn’t plan to make a video today. I’d just wrapped a client call, remembered that OpenAI had released Atlas, and decided to record a quick unboxing for my Fireside PM community. I’d heard mixed things—some people raving about it, others underwhelmed—but I made a deliberate choice not to read…
more -
From Cashmere Sweaters to Billion-Dollar Lessons: What PMs Can Learn from Jason Stoffer's Analysis of Quince
Introduction One of the great joys of hosting my Fireside PM podcast is the opportunity to reconnect with people I’ve known for years and go deep into the mechanics of business building. Recently, I sat down with Jason Stoffer, partner at Maveron Capital, a venture firm with a laser focus on...
-
Learning Faster Than the Market
When I sit down with product leaders who’ve spent decades shaping how Silicon Valley builds products, I’m always struck by how their career arcs echo the very lessons they now teach. Michael Margolis is no exception. Michael started his career as an anthropologist, stumbled into educational...
-
From Chaos to Clarity: How AI is Rewriting the Playbook for Product Managers
From Chaos to Clarity: How AI is Rewriting the Playbook for Product Managers Lessons from my conversation with ex-Google PM Assaf Reifer on building tools that tame the noise, sharpen priorities, and give PMs back their most valuable resource: focus. When I think back on my time at Google, one of...
-
CMO Chemistry: Hiring for Fit, Firepower, and the Future
When Jess Gilmartin talks, I listen. If you've been in Silicon Valley long enough, you might have heard of Jess. She's been a full-time CMO, a founder, a startup whisperer, and most recently, one of the sharpest advisors to CEOs I know when it comes to hiring marketing leadership that actually...
-
Digital Twins, Real Impact: How Palatial’s Pivot Is Fueling the Robotic Future
We’re back with a Startup Spotlight episode on the Fireside PM podcast. It’s not every day you get to speak with someone who’s straddled the worlds of architecture, gaming, AI, and robotics—and managed to turn those disparate threads into a startup tackling one of the most important problems in…
more -
The AI Lawyer Will See You Now
Twenty-five years ago, Tim DeSieno and I were two outsiders on the tropical island of Singapore, me trying to build a startup, him fresh out of a restructuring law practice. We reconnected recently on the Fireside PM podcast, and what followed was one of the most illuminating conversations I've…
more -
From Creators to Corporations: How the Smartest Founders Are Monetizing Attention in 2025
“We Are Not in Kansas (or Creatorland) Anymore” When I kicked off this Fireside PM interview with Ben Grubbs, I knew we’d cover the creator economy. What I didn’t expect was how much of it would end up being an MBA seminar for product managers. Ben isn’t just another ex-YouTube guy with creator…
more -
Always Be Recruiting: The New Rules of Hiring in the AI Era
If you had asked me five years ago whether product managers would need to worry about AI-generated job applicants or remote interviews with operatives from North Korea, I would've laughed you out of the room. But here we are. I recently sat down with Shannon Anderson, longtime recruiter and…
more -
From Fans to Founders: How Community-Driven Product Development Builds Better Tech (and Teams)
Hey Team, In the latest episode of the Fireside PM podcast, I had the pleasure of chatting with Jake McKee—one of the early advocates of modern community strategy in tech. Jake’s résumé is legit: he’s helped companies like Lego, Apple, and Southwest Airlines transform how they engage their most...
-
How Executive Search Really Works: Lessons from Somer Hackley for Product Leaders Navigating Uncertain Times
I rarely read career books cover to cover. But when I listened to Search in Plain Sight by Somer Hackley, I was hooked. It wasn’t a blog post padded into a book—this was the real deal. Structured, thorough, and full of insights that I wish I had twenty years ago. Naturally, I invited Somer onto…
more -
She Turned Down a $350K Job Offer—And Why You Might Want to as Well
Early to mid-career product managers in Silicon Valley often dream of landing the perfect job—high comp, strong team, great product, and a clear path for impact. But what if I told you that sometimes the smartest move is walking away? That was the case for Elizabeth Hague, a seasoned marketing...
-
The Vertical AI Advantage: Lessons from Building GenAI Products for Lawyers
Earlier on the Fireside PM podcast, I sat down with Carl Wu, a veteran product leader who built and launched an AI-first product from scratch—targeting one of the most conservative and risk-averse professions out there: immigration law. Carl's story isn't just a case study in GenAI product...
-
From Application to Acceleration: Lessons from Reviewing 100+ Startup Pitches
All right, what's going on, team? We are back on the Fireside PM podcast, and today I want to share some hard-earned insights on applying to tech startup accelerators. I just finished reviewing over 80 applications for UC Berkeley SkyDeck and Stanford GSB's summer entrepreneurship programs, and I...
-
Mastering the PM Interview: The Hidden Hack You're Probably Missing
I recently had a fascinating conversation with Rodolfo, a Senior Product Manager at Spotify and a good friend from my days mentoring at Harvard Business School. Rodolfo shared a powerful insight into nailing product management interviews, particularly valuable for anyone early to mid-career in...
-
How the Best Product Managers Use AI (And What Everyone Else Gets Wrong)
AI is transforming product management, but not everyone is using it effectively. Too many product managers treat AI as a glorified autocomplete—something that speeds up basic tasks but doesn’t fundamentally change their workflow. But after my conversation with Mustafa Kapatiya, a former Google...
-
5 Interview Mistakes That Cost You Great Product Leaders—And How to Fix Them
Hiring a Great Product Leader Is Harder Than You Think Team, we’re back on the Fireside PM podcast, and today, I want to talk about a topic that keeps coming up: why even experienced executives struggle to hire strong product leaders. If you’re a CEO or CPO at a mid-to-late-stage company and you...
-
Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling & Empowering AAPI Founders
Alright, team—we are back on the Fireside PM podcast, and this time, I had the privilege of speaking with Dave Lu, a veteran in tech and one of the most influential voices in the AAPI founder ecosystem. Dave’s career spans Yahoo, Apple, eBay, startups, and venture capital, and in our…
more -
Navigating Change, Breaking Silos, and Building Resilient Product Teams in the Age of AI
Hey Fireside PM crew, I had a fantastic conversation in this week’s podcast with PJ, a seasoned Director of Product Management and product transformation consultant. PJ shared valuable insights from his journey, starting as a tech-focused developer, moving into product ownership at American...
-
Mastering Controllable Inputs in Product Management
Hey team, Last week on Fireside PM, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with an old Google colleague, Chris Vander May. We first crossed paths at the Kirkland office nearly 18 years ago, and since then, Chris has had an incredible career spanning Amazon, Google, Meta, and now his own AI-driven...
-
The Future of Product Management: Preparing for an AI-Driven Evolution
In my latest Fireside PM episode, I explore a compelling question that recently came up in my Backchannel PM Accelerator cohort: What is the future of product management, and how can PMs prepare for it? This discussion is rooted in the rapid technological changes reshaping our profession. Here…
more -
Unpacking the famous Amazon PRFAQ Framework
In this episode of Fireside PM, I had the privilege of interviewing Marcelo Calbucci, a seasoned entrepreneur, tech leader, and author of The PRFAQ Framework: Adapting Amazon’s Innovation Framework to Work for You. Marcelo’s extensive career spans over two decades, including roles at Microsoft,...
-
Why Brand and Product Are Two Sides of the Same Coin: Lessons from Karl Isaac
In this episode of the Fireside PM podcast, I had the privilege of catching up with Karl Isaac, my former manager from Microsoft and a branding expert who has left an indelible mark on some of the world’s most renowned companies. Our conversation was not just a trip down memory lane—it was an...
-
Do You Work for the Boss from Hell, Heaven, or Somewhere In Between?
Thriving Under Different Managerial Styles: A PM’s Guide Do You Work for the Boss from Hell, Heaven, or Somewhere In Between? In a recent Fireside PM podcast episode, I shared insights inspired by a coaching conversation with a senior PM at a FAANG company. * She was navigating a significant...
-
The Art of Giving and Receiving Advice: A PM’s Guide to Building Stronger Connections and Smarter Decisions
Introduction When was the last time you asked for advice? Perhaps it was about a tough career decision, a thorny product challenge, or simply seeking perspective on your day-to-day PM grind. As a product manager, you're probably no stranger to giving and receiving advice—it’s practically a job...
-
The 8 Archetypes of Product Leaders: What Type Are You?
The 8 Archetypes of Product Leaders: What Type Are You? As product leaders, we often ask ourselves: What is my superpower, and where can I have the most impact? In a recent Fireside PM episode, I explored this idea through the lens of eight common archetypes of product managers (PMs). Think of it...
-
2025 Predictions: ROI, Decacorns, and a Changing Job Market
I just shared my three big predictions for 2025 in my latest video. Here's a quick summary, but I’d love to hear your thoughts—especially if you disagree with any of them! * ROI Will Trump AIBy 2025, companies will focus more on ROI over pure AI hype. While AI could contribute $16 trillion to the...
-
Should PM's become angel investors?
Dan Delmar from the Virtual Angels Network discusses how to become an angel investor. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
What is the value of PM's from an Adobe engineering director's POV...
Tom and Kirk Mattson (both Bowdoin '96 alums) discuss Kirk's view on what makes a great PM and the future of AI. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
Are PM's doing user research all wrong?
Tom and Elizabeth Creighton talk about user research interviewing mistakes and best practices. Check out Elizabeth's upcoming class on Maven with a special Fireside discount here https://maven.com/brazen-ux/user-interview-skills-designers-pms?promoCode=FIRESIDE This is a public episode. If you...
-
Are we all screwed? How should Product Managers prepare for an AI-first world?
Amit Badlani from Stanford talks about ML, AI, and product management. See his class here https://maven.com/amit-badlani/ml-foundations-for-product-managers See all of Tom's classes at http://maven.com/toml This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get...
-
Are you thinking about the entire product strategy stack?
Roman Pichler and Tom talk about business strategy, portfolio strategy, product strategy, and how it relates to the roadmap and backlog. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
Was Marty Cagan wrong about product management?
Tom and Joe Tarragano discuss the risk of puritanical thinking of PM's and the topic of Produxsplaining :-) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
Teresa Torres on Product Discovery and Product Manager agency and change leadership
Thanks to Teresa Torres from Product Talk for coming on to the Fireside PM pod to talk about #productdiscovery! We had a great convo and I found the notion of show not telling and the importance of making lots of little improvements versus arguing for wholesale transformation to be pretty...
-
YC Alum Hardik Vala on lessons learned as a startup founder
Former Apple, Google, and Y Combinator entrepreneur Hardik Vala https://www.linkedin.com/in/thehardikv/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
Alan Stein for Kadima on how to get a better job faster.
Tom and Alan talk about the current job market, how to get a good referral, and the importance of baby steps when managing your career. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
How to stand out in your LinkedIn PM Job application
I posted a job and got 300 applications in the first day... This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
Trying to land your first product management job?
Tom and Jesse Chor, Founder CEO of Sequoia backed Tanda, talk about best practices for aspiring product managers to land their first PM gig. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
Product Discover example, how I went from -1 to 0 to -1...
I walk through an example of evaluating a greenfield product idea from scratch. Also if you're interested in my class on nailing your next executive PM review at work, feel free to express interest here https://maven.com/forms/d4610a This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this…
more -
The Candidates Dilemma
Why hiring managers and job candidates aren't entirely honest in the interviewing process. For the 2X2 visual, https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yDk7acE2kTqL0mQY4oIqv1EEZiUmAwh3UpLIOzaINDA/edit?usp=sharing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or...
-
Why is it taking PM's so much longer to find a new gig?
Tom goes over the PM hiring manager hierarchy of needs. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
Three lessons about Product Management I learned from working on the inside of a Presidential campaign.
Get more help from Tom at tomleungcoaching.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
-
4 Veteran Product Management Execs from Google, Microsoft, and Unicorn Startups explain PRDs, Roadmaps, and PM promotions
Learn more about speakers here https://www.linkedin.com/events/firesidepmpanel-productmanageme7148097303470354433/theater/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit firesidepm.substack.com
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Product Management podcast where 20 year PM veteran Tom Leung interviews VP's, CPO's, and CEO's who rose up from product to talk about their careers, the art and science of product management, and advice for other PM's.Watch video on YouTube. firesidepm.coLearn more about host Tom Leung at http://tomleungcoaching.com
firesidepm.substack.com
HOSTED BY
Tom Leung
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Fireside Product Management have?
Fireside Product Management currently has 87 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Fireside Product Management about?
Product Management podcast where 20 year PM veteran Tom Leung interviews VP's, CPO's, and CEO's who rose up from product to talk about their careers, the art and science of product management, and advice for other PM's.Watch video on YouTube. firesidepm.coLearn more about host Tom Leung at...
How often does Fireside Product Management release new episodes?
Fireside Product Management has 87 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Fireside Product Management?
You can listen to Fireside Product Management on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Fireside Product Management?
Fireside Product Management is created and hosted by Tom Leung.
URL copied to clipboard!