#3 Melissa Appel - Aligned: Stakeholder Management for Product Leaders

The Decision Stack. Strategy for Product Teams.

The best product teams in 2026 won't win on more features. They'll win on clearer thinking. That's exactly what Martin Eriksson has been working on.🔴 Martin Eriksson, co-founded Mind the Product, the largest product community in the world. His new book The Decision Stack gives product teams a working tool to connect vision all the way down to the choices people make every week. Thomas sits down with him for 20 minutes of core ideas from the book, then we have a discussion about the core ideas. What we get into: ✅ How great product teams turn strategy into the decisions their org actually makes ✅ The Decision Stack as a working tool, not a deck ✅ Why distribution and product sense are becoming the new edge as engineering speeds up ✅ How to challenge a leadership strategy constructively and move it forward If you're a PM, CPO, or founder shaping product calls in 2026, listen to this episode.

Claude Code for Product Manager

In this episode, we explore how AI is fundamentally changing what’s possible for Product Managers, even if you have never written a single line of code before.Mikhail Shcheglov, CPO ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/scheglovm1/ )of the largest e-commerce marketplace in Azerbaijan, shows how he uses AI tools like Claude Code together with Cursor to build real, production-ready applications from scratch, live. From generating full project specifications, setting up architecture, and creating frontend and backend components, to analyzing massive datasets and supporting product discovery.We cover: • How non-engineers can build real web apps with AI • Why context engineering beats prompt engineering • Using AI agents as architects, backend, and frontend engineers • Where tools like Lovable, Replit, and Bolt fall short • How Product Managers can prototype, test, and ship MVPs themselves • Applying the same setup to data analysis, A/B tests, and discovery • Practical guardrails for using AI safely inside organizationsThis is not about replacing engineers. It is about empowering Product Managers to move faster, think broader, and experiment without waiting weeks or months.

#4 Radhika Dutt - Radically Rethinking OKRs

From OKRs to OHLs – A New Approach with Radhika Dutt Welcome to the Product Masterclass Podcast! In this episode, Sebastian Borggrewe sits down with Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, to challenge traditional goal-setting frameworks like OKRs and introduce a new approach: OHLs (Objectives, Hypotheses, Learnings). They explore how metrics can be corrupted by targets, the pitfalls of sandbagging, and why rigid OKRs often constrain teams to outdated goals. Radhika shares insights from her research and experience, advocating for a shift towards experimentation, collaborative problem-solving, and understanding the story behind the numbers. This conversation will help product managers rethink how they set goals and measure success. What You’ll Learn in This Episode 🚩 Why traditional OKRs can lead to corrupted metrics 📊 The difference between metrics vs. targets and why it matters 🔄 How OHLs promote experimentation and problem-solving 🛠️ Why leaders should define problem statements, not just set targets 🎯 How qualitative insights are just as important as numbers 💡 How to implement OHLs at a grassroots level within your organization Chapters 00:02- Introduction & How Radhika and Sebastian Met 02:26 - Radhika’s New Book: The Problem with OKRs 06:59 - Why OKRs Fail: Sandbagging, Psychology & The Spotify Model 11:21 - Metrics vs. Goals: Why Goal-Setting Can Backfire 18:37 - The Power of Storytelling & Experimentation Over Targets 23:23 - Introducing OHLs: A Better Approach to Metrics 28:08 - How to Manage Expectations Without OKRs 38:20 - Implementing OHLs: Where to Start 45:08 - Moving Beyond OKRs: A New Way of Thinking 47:37 - Just Product Conference & Radhika’s Workshop 50:33 - Q&A: Strategy, Measurement & Adoption of OHLs 56:30 - Closing & How to Get Involved Links & Resources Radical Product Thinking by Radhika Dutt [https://amzn.eu/d/dTUDgFT] Product Masterclass – Take Your Product Skills to the Next Level Connect With Us Sebastian Borggrewe on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianborggrewe/] Radhika Dutt on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhika-dutt/] Follow Product Masterclass on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/product-masterclass/] 🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! Got feedback or suggestions for future topics? Reach out—we’d love to hear from you!

#3 Melissa Appel - Aligned: Stakeholder Management for Product Leaders

Welcome to the Product Masterclass Podcast! In this episode,Thomas Hartmann sits down with Melissa Appel, co-author ofAligned with Bruce McCarthy, to discuss one of the most critical challenges in product management: stakeholder alignment. Melissa shares practical strategies for building trust, managing relationships, and fostering alignment to deliver valuable product outcomes. She dives into the essential skills product managers need—such asinfluence, persuasion, negotiation, and collaboration—to navigate complex stakeholder environments, especially when none of the teams report directly to them. Whether you're a seasoned product leader or just starting out, this episode offers actionable insights to help you manage stakeholders and drive successful products. What You’ll Learn in This Episode * 📖 What inspired Melissa to co-authorAligned * 🔑 Key challenges product managers face when managing stakeholders * 🤝 Building trust and fostering alignment across teams * 🛠️ Techniques for influencing and persuading stakeholders * 🔄 Balancing collaboration when no one reports directly to you * 🌍 The importance of clear communication in product leadership * 🚀 Strategies to ensure product outcomes align with business goals Links & Resources Aligned by Melissa Appel and Bruce McCarthy [https://www.amazon.de/Aligned-Stakeholder-Management-Product-Leaders/dp/1098134427] Product Masterclass – Take Your Product Skills to the Next Level [https://www.product-masterclass.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=episode-3-melisa-appel] Connect with Us Thomas Hartmann on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashartmann99/] Melissa Appel on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/melappel/] Follow Product Masterclass on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/product-masterclass/] 🎧Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! Got feedback or suggestions for future topics? Reach out—we’d love to hear from you!

#2 David Pereira - Untrapping Product Teams

Welcome to the Product Masterclass Podcast! In this episode, Sebastian Borggrewe sits down with David Pereira to discuss his book, Untrapping Product Teams. David shares practical insights on how product teams can break free from outdated routines, improve prioritization, and shift from output-driven to outcome-driven practices. We explore the importance of vision, strategy, and mentorship in product management, how to balance accountability within teams, and why frameworks should support—not control—your workflow. David also shares his unique experience writing the book while traveling, offering tips on staying consistent and focused. What You’ll Learn in This Episode * ✍️ What motivated David to write Untrapping Product Teams * 📚 How the book is structured around facing reality, taking action, and staying untrapped * 🚩 Key challenges product managers and organizations face today * 🎯 Mastering prioritization and saying ‘no’ effectively * 🌍 The role of vision and strategy in guiding product decisions * 🔑 Balancing responsibility and accountability within teams * 🛠️ Using frameworks like OKRs without letting them drive your team * 🗑️ Adding a 'Trash' column to your roadmap to avoid repetitive discussions * ✈️ How David wrote his book while traveling and stayed consistent * 🚀 Principles for building a strong product strategy: flexibility, focus, and discovery  Links & Resources * Untrapping Product Teams by David Pereira [https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Untrapping-Product-Teams-Simplify-Complexity/dp/0135335388] * Product Masterclass – Take Your Product Skills to the Next Level [https://www.product-masterclass.com?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=episode-2-david-pereira]  Connect with Us * Sebastian Borggrewe on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianborggrewe/] * Follow Product Masterclass on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/product-masterclass/]    🎧 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review! Got feedback or topic suggestions? We’d love to hear from you—reach out and join the conversation!