Product Therapy

Coaching Pilot Teams

Christian sits down again with product and leadership coach Gabi Bufrem – this time to discuss pilot teams. They dig into the common challenges that come with this initiative and the actions and mindsets required to overcome them. Hear hard-earned wisdom on how to use pilot teams to spark organizational change.  – Today’s episode will discuss: * Why pilot teams are a powerful tool for facilitating transformation * The ingredients of a high-impact pilot team * Why pilot teams are proof points not prototypes  * How to navigate the organizational politics that pilot teams run into  * How to pitch and position pilot teams to others in the company * What successful pilots look like and how to scale their impact  – More from SVPG on pilot teams: * Pilot Teams: https://www.svpg.com/pilot-teams/ [https://www.svpg.com/pilot-teams/]  * The Politics of Pilot Teams: https://www.svpg.com/the-politics-of-pilot-teams/ [https://www.svpg.com/the-politics-of-pilot-teams/]  * Transformation as a Project: https://www.svpg.com/transformation-as-a-project/ [https://www.svpg.com/transformation-as-a-project/]  – Where to find Gabi Bufrem: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellebufrem/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellebufrem/] * Website: https://www.gabriellebufrem.com/ [https://www.gabriellebufrem.com/] – Where to find Christian Idiodi: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/] – Where to find SVPG: * SVPG’s newest book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/ [https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/] * Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/ [https://www.svpg.com/books/] * Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/ [https://www.svpg.com/articles/] * Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/ [https://www.svpg.com/] * Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos [https://www.svpg.com/videos] –  Timestamps:  (01:55) Defining pilot teams (03:56) What makes a good pilot team (07:23) Where to start with assembling a pilot team (09:14) The role of sponsorship (13:16) Pilot teams should live on an island (20:17) Signs a pilot team is working (22:58) What to do following a successful pilot (27:34) Common mistakes with pilot teams (30:08) How to pitch transformation to an executive – Disclaimer: While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/ [https://findahelpline.com/] – Production: Production by ⁠supermix.io [http://supermix.io/]

Coaching Product Leadership with Shreyas Doshi | Building Trust, Managing Insecurity, and Leading with Courage

Christian sits down with product leader Shreyas Doshi to dig into a perspective-shifting idea: Most product problems are actually product leadership problems. They unpack how new leaders unintentionally erode trust, why saying “I don’t know” is treated like a crime in many companies, and how judgment, courage, and listening shape outcomes more than any framework. – Today’s episode will discuss: * Why so many “product problems” are really leadership problems in disguise * How new leaders unintentionally erode trust * Healthier ways to handle situations where you don’t have all the answers * How great leaders use judgment, courage, and deep listening to change outcomes * What “framework theater” is – and why it fails * The unexpected way AI is changing product leadership – References: * Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/ [https://www.anthropic.com/] * ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/ [https://chatgpt.com/] * Google Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/ [https://gemini.google.com/] * Marty Cagan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/] * Stripe: https://stripe.com/ [https://stripe.com/] – SVPG on product leadership: * Articles: https://www.svpg.com/insights/product-leadership-articles/ [https://www.svpg.com/insights/product-leadership-articles/] – Where to find Shreyas Doshi: * “World Class Product Sense” Maven course: https://maven.com/shreyas-doshi/product-sense [https://maven.com/shreyas-doshi/product-sense] * “World-class Product Strategy for Founders & Executives” Maven course: https://maven.com/shreyas-doshi/product-strategy-with-shreyas [https://maven.com/shreyas-doshi/product-strategy-with-shreyas] * Shreyas’ Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ShreyasDoshiVideos [https://www.youtube.com/@ShreyasDoshiVideos] – Where to find Christian Idiodi: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/] – Where to find SVPG: * SVPG’s newest book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/ [https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/] * Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/ [https://www.svpg.com/books/] * Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/ [https://www.svpg.com/articles/] * Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/ [https://www.svpg.com/] * Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos [https://www.svpg.com/videos] - Timestamps: (00:44) How product leaders build trust (01:25) When new leaders erode trust (07:54) The true cost of saying “I don’t know” (10:45) How insincerity manifests in the workplace (16:12) The need for modeling great leadership (18:30) How to accurately diagnose problems (27:22) The insurgence of “framework theater” (32:03) How AI has radically changed leadership (35:20) AI isn’t going anywhere (41:35) The critical skills any leader must learn - Disclaimer: While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/ [https://findahelpline.com/] - Production: Production by ⁠supermix.io [http://supermix.io/]

Coaching Roadmaps

Christian sits down with Lea to demystify roadmaps, stripping them down to their job-to-be-done: connect strategy to execution without pretending ideas are certainties. They dig into how to craft outcome-based roadmaps that ladder to business results, when timeframes beat dates, and how to use high-integrity commitments without turning your plan into a promise trap, or feature factory. Today’s episode will discuss: * Why executives love roadmaps yet teams resent them * The two types of roadmaps destined to fail * How to frame outcomes in a roadmap * Why timeframes trump dates * When to use high-integrity commitments (HICs) * Coaching leaders to swap false control of features for real control of context * The four common roadmap anti-patterns * Who really owns the roadmap * How to ensure roadmaps and OKRs get along nicely * Earning trust with evidence and measuring impact, not output - References: * Apple (iPhone): https://www.apple.com/iphone/ [https://www.apple.com/iphone/] * Atlassian Jira: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira [https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira] * High-Integrity Commitments: https://www.svpg.com/managing-commitments-in-an-agile-team/ [https://www.svpg.com/managing-commitments-in-an-agile-team/] * Slack: https://slack.com/ [https://slack.com/] - More from SVPG on roadmaps: * SVPG on product roadmaps: https://www.svpg.com/product-roadmaps/ [https://www.svpg.com/product-roadmaps/] * SVPG on outcomes: https://www.svpg.com/outcomes-are-hard/ [https://www.svpg.com/outcomes-are-hard/] - Where to find Lea Hickman: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahickman/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahickman/] - Where to find Christian Idiodi: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/] - Where to find SVPG: * Books: https://www.svpg.com/books/ [https://www.svpg.com/books/] * Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/ [https://www.svpg.com/articles/] * Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/ [https://www.svpg.com/] * Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos/ [https://www.svpg.com/videos/] - Timestamps: (1:06) What is a roadmap? (02:18) Why roadmaps are often hated (04:18) The problem with top-down roadmaps (05:32) You need outcome-based roadmaps (10:02) Why roadmaps shouldn’t have dates (12:38) How to give teams greater roadmap autonomy (16:08) The four most common roadmap traps (20:04) Who should own a roadmap? (21:47) Focus on outcomes, not features (25:24) Can roadmaps and OKRs co-exist? (30:06) High-integrity commitments in roadmaps (32:33) How to navigate the politics of roadmaps - Disclaimer: While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/ [https://findahelpline.com/] - Production: Production by supermix.io [http://supermix.io/]

Coaching How to Coach

Gabi Bufrem is a product and leadership coach who partners with executives and teams worldwide to unlock performance with a rare blend of curiosity, empathy, and candor. In this conversation with Christian, Gabi breaks down what great coaching looks like, how to build trust quickly, and why the best leaders measure their success through the growth of others. Today’s episode will discuss: * The difference between mentorship, management, and coaching * Why everyone not only should have a coach but deserves a coach * The three steps to building trust quickly * Why vulnerability is a crucial unlock * Busting limiting beliefs and “leaving space for magic” in career arcs * How to give tough, constructive feedback as a coach * The core difference between coaching leaders and coaching ICs * How to measure coaching impact through tangible wins - References: * Marty Cagan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/] * Stephen Curry: https://x.com/StephenCurry30 [https://x.com/StephenCurry30] * Usain Bolt: https://x.com/usainbolt [https://x.com/usainbolt] - More from SVPG on product coaching: * Articles on coaching: https://www.svpg.com/the-coaching-series/ [https://www.svpg.com/the-coaching-series/] - Where to find Gabi Bufrem: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellebufrem/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellebufrem/] * https://www.gabriellebufrem.com/ [https://www.gabriellebufrem.com/] - Where to find Christian Idiodi: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/] - Where to find SVPG: * SVPG’s newest book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/ [https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/] * Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/ [https://www.svpg.com/books/] * Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/ [https://www.svpg.com/articles/] * Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/ [https://www.svpg.com/] * Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos [https://www.svpg.com/videos] - Timestamps: (01:08) What does a product coach do? (06:18) Gabi’s journey into coaching (10:01) Coaches see what you can’t (15:05) How to encourage healthy dialogue (18:36) The power of vulnerability (20:26) Designing discovery sessions (24:55) Revealing clients’ blind spots (27:10) How to give constructive feedback (32:44) “My job is to teach you how to fish” (37:04) A mindset for improving communication (40:25) Coaching leaders vs. coaching ICs (42:28) Measuring success as a coach - Disclaimer: While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/ [https://findahelpline.com/] - Production: Production by ⁠supermix.io [http://supermix.io/]

Coaching Team Objectives

Christian sits down with Jon Moore to unpack one of the most important — and most misapplied — practices in modern product teams: team objectives. They break down why OKRs often fail, how to make objectives meaningful for empowered teams, and why focus, trust, and problem-solving are at the heart of real product outcomes. - Today’s discussion unpacks: * What team objectives really are (and aren’t) * Why most companies get OKRs wrong * How to shift from outputs to outcomes * The role of leadership in creating focus and context * How to set clear, problem-based objectives * The difference between team, business, and individual objectives * Why functional goals kill cross-functional teams - References: * Empowered (book): https://www.svpg.com/books/empowered/ * Google OKRs: https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/set-goals-with-okrs * Marty Cagan on Empowered Teams: https://www.svpg.com/empowered-product-teams/ - SVPG series on team objectives: * Accountability: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-accountability/ * Action: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-action/ * Ambition: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-ambition/ * Collaboration: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-collaboration/ * Commitments: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-commitments/ * Empowerment: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-empowerment/ * Management: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-management/ * Overview: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-overview/ * Summary: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-summary/ Where to find Jon Moore: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathonmoore/ - Where to find Christian Idiodi: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/ - Where to find SVPG: * SVPG’s newest book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/ * Other books: https://www.svpg.com/books/ * Articles: https://www.svpg.com/articles/ * Workshops: https://www.svpg.com/ * Videos: https://www.svpg.com/videos - Timestamps: (00:56) What are company objectives? (02:39) Why teams get OKRs wrong (05:10) The true purpose of a team objective (07:48) OKRs only work with the right team culture (09:04) Leaders often want success shortcuts (09:58) The mechanics of a great team objective (13:28) Who should set team objectives? (18:23) The optimal cadence for revising objectives (20:11) Why environment shapes key results (22:41) You should lead with context (25:14) The high-integrity commitment (27:50) Can many teams share one objective? (28:59) A common objective pitfall (30:29) How to reinforce accountability - Disclaimer: While this podcast is named “Product Therapy”, it is not hosted by licensed therapists or mental health professionals, and it is in no way a substitute for professional mental health services. We recognize the importance of mental well-being and encourage anyone facing personal difficulties to seek support from qualified professionals. See https://findahelpline.com/ - Production: Production by ⁠supermix.io