The Fieldwork of a Product Manager with Randy Ford

How Data Tells You What to Build (And What to Skip) with Patrick Quiery

When every customer, executive, and competitor has an opinion about what you should build next, how do you know what actually matters? In this episode, Patrick Quiery, VP of Product at IntelliShift, joins Chris Rader to talk about how data, not instinct, guides great product decisions. From fleet management to SaaS, Patrick has spent over a decade transforming complex feedback into clear product direction. You’ll learn how he: * Turns customer noise into meaningful product signals * Uses data to navigate executive pressure and competing priorities * Validates ideas early (and often) to avoid building in a vacuum * Balances innovation with focus in a high-stakes, hardware-plus-software world Whether you’re a product leader, PM, or UX researcher, this episode will help you use data to build what customers really want, without losing focus along the way. Watch, learn, and launch with confidence. *Note that at around (10:02) we lost part of Patrick's response to Chris's question due to a technical issue. We apologize for any inconvenience. (00:22) – Meet Patrick Quiery, VP of Product at IntelliShift (01:15) – The art of saying no without losing customers (03:39) – Balancing customer requests with company focus (04:30) – How to say no to big customers with grace and data (06:36) – Handling internal feedback and executive requests (07:34) – Why data is the ultimate decision filter (08:20) – Measuring feature impact and product ROI (09:08) – Finding insights in support tickets and lost deals (10:06) – How social media reveals competitor weaknesses (12:12) – Why partnerships and integrations create stickier products (14:00) – How to decide what to build versus what to buy (14:40) – The AI shift in gathering and connecting feedback (15:37) – Scoring customer feedback to prioritize what matters most (16:29) – How to validate ideas early and often (17:30) – The 3 stages of user validation (IntelliShift method) (18:35) – Prototyping and design validation with real customers (19:38) – The power of alpha and beta tests in launch readiness (20:58) – Rapid fire questions (22:16) – The book that predicted the future of tech (The Four) (23:41) – Leaders Patrick admires and what they teach product teams (24:48) – From forensics to product management (25:41) – How Patrick unplugs and recharges

How to Build Confidence in a New Direction with Ciara Peter

In this episode of Launch With Confidence, Chris sits down with Ciara Peter, SVP of Product at Robin. With leadership experience at Robin, Medallia, Gainsight, and Box, Ciara has spent her career helping SaaS companies navigate market shifts, competitive pressure, and evolving customer expectations. At Robin, she guided the team through one of the most turbulent eras in workplace software—navigating Covid, the rise of hybrid work, and competition from giants like Microsoft and Zoom. In this conversation, Ciara shares how to rebuild confidence when your product story changes, how to reframe competitors, and why “extreme transparency” is a product leader’s superpower. If you’re a product manager or product leader facing change, this episode is packed with lessons on leadership, strategy, and staying close to your customers. In this episode: (00:00) – Intro: Ciara Peter’s background and Robin’s journey (01:08) – Helping teams rebuild confidence in a new direction (01:55) – The explosion of competition during hybrid work (02:45) – Why Robin shifted from point solutions to a platform (04:08) – Practicing “extreme transparency” in product leadership (05:53) – Watching 40 sales calls to uncover patterns (07:26) – Avoiding the feature factory trap (09:12) – Balancing multi-year vision with short-term realities (10:29) – Bridging gaps between old use cases and new direction (11:56) – Using NPS, analytics, and competitor tracking (14:17) – Customer advisory boards and in-person empathy (16:46) – How competitors reveal themselves in new markets (18:46) – The rise of “vibe coding” and what it means (20:15) – Guiding sales teams through noisy competition (22:05) – New personas and motions in platform sales (24:01) – Making strategy stick inside and outside the org (26:03) – Testing if the product story really resonates (28:08) – Why product is a team sport with sales, support, and marketing (29:12) – Rapid fire: resets, role models, and resources (32:33) – A product Ciara can’t live without (and why) (33:22) – Funniest travel mishaps and lessons learned (35:25) – How Ciara wants her team to feel after a big launch (36:17) – Closing thoughts and wrap-up About Our Guest Ciara Peter [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciarapeter/] is a SaaS Product executive with nearly 20 years of experience leading high performing organizations from Series A to $5B+ in annual revenue. Ciara currently oversees Product and Design at Robin, a leader in workplace management, and has also led world class organizations at Medallia, Gainsight, Box, Betterworks, and Salesforce. Ciara’s experience empowers her to uniquely address the needs of enterprises at scale, while incorporating product led growth, AI, and product design fundamentals to increase adoption and expansion across end users.

The Fieldwork of a Product Manager with Randy Ford

In this episode of Launch With Confidence, Chris Rader sits down with Randy Ford, Director of Product Management at Fidium Fiber. Randy has spent more than 20 years leading product teams across networking, cloud, and security, but what sets him apart is his conviction that the best ideas come from observing customers in their own environments. From stadiums packed with thousands of devices to small supermarkets with hidden connectivity issues, Randy shares how in-the-wild insights can transform product development, customer trust, and even company strategy. If you’ve ever wondered how to bridge the gap between product roadmaps and customer reality, this conversation will change the way you think about field research and customer engagement. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: * Why stepping outside of the office uncovers problems no survey ever will * How to turn onsite observations into product improvements * Ways to build personas that reflect real environments, not just demographics * Advice for teams navigating travel restrictions and budgets 00:00 – Introduction to Randy Ford 01:01 – Randy’s role and product management scope 01:41 – Why getting out of the office matters 02:11 – Observations you only see onsite 04:14 – Problem-solving with real-world signals 05:03 – Stories from Western Digital and stadium Wi-Fi challenges 07:16 – Turning field context into product planning 08:19 – Lessons from supermarkets and everyday environments 10:05 – How observations improve customer experience 12:25 – Personas and environmental factors 15:32 – Building vertical profiles for customer segments 15:50 – Advice on connecting with customers in the wild 17:10 – Regional and environmental differences in customer needs 18:43 – Becoming a trusted partner by sharing insights 19:15 – Budgets, travel bans, and scrappy ways to stay close to customers 20:43 – Rapid-fire questions (coffee vs. tea, product mistakes, teams vs. Slack, favorite snacks, dream product

Pre-launch Social Proofing with Natalie Mackay

In this episode of Launch With Confidence, Chris Rader sits down with product marketing leader and content creator Natalie Mackay to talk about pre-launch social proof, gathering deep customer insights, and unlocking the hidden go-to-market power of beta programs. Natalie shares actionable ways product marketers can partner with product managers to create messaging that resonates, drive conversions, and build authentic social proof before launch day. We also explore why so many teams overlook beta as a strategic GTM tool, and we wrap up with a fun rapid fire Q&A.

Testers as the Backbone of Product Success With Chip Duval

In this episode, Chris Rader welcomes Chip Duval, an experienced Senior Program Manager with expertise at companies like Sonos and Peloton. Chip dives into practical strategies for beta and alpha testing, sharing methods to identify and retain quality testers, collect actionable feedback, and integrate insights for product improvement. He emphasizes the importance of managing both quantitative and qualitative feedback and balancing tester enthusiasm with structured, goal-oriented program design. Chip also discusses the role of tester engagement and the value of a diverse beta pool. With actionable advice on optimizing feedback loops and establishing clear success metrics, this episode offers listeners a roadmap for building impactful testing programs that contribute to long-term product success. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ (0:00) Intro (1:27) Defining what makes a good beta tester: criteria and metrics (2:18) Key tester evaluation metrics: product usage, bug reports, engagement, and survey responses (5:05) Importance of community engagement and tester collaboration (7:17) Balancing diverse tester personalities to get unbiased insights (10:02) Structuring beta tests with intentional tester selection (13:13) Cost-effectiveness and impact of early bug discovery (15:02) Managing large tester pools for actionable, scalable feedback (21:07) Integrating cross-functional insights for effective launches (32:28) Rapid Fire Questions: Quick insights on beta testing best practices ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ⭐️ Ready to beta test your product with Centercode? Sign up for free now and run a beta test today → https://bit.ly/centercode-home