Christian Idiodi goes behind the craft of great product work, to the topics that usually aren’t talked about. He discusses behavioral, mindset, and cultural iss...
In this episode, Christian Idiodi welcomes back Martina Lauchengco, partner at SVPG and author of “Loved”, to explore the realities of startups. They discuss common challenges and key lessons for startup founders, employees, and investors. Whether you're considering launching your own company or evaluating a job opportunity, this episode offers valuable guidance on understanding and navigating startups.-Today’s discussion unpacks: What startup success requires (far beyond a good idea)Cultural differences between startups and enterprisesHow to tell if you’re truly ready to start a companyHow to assess if a startup is worth joiningThe pros and cons of startup life-References:Costanoa Ventures: https://costanoa.vc/MARKET Product Fit: Part 2 by Martina Lauchengco and Jim Wilson: https://costanoa.vc/market-product-fit-part-2/PMF is dead… it’s MARKET Product Fit by Martina Lauchengco and Jim Wilson: https://costanoa.vc/product-market-fit-pmf-is-dead-for-early-stage-startups-its-market-product-fit/-Where to find SVPG:SVPG’s new 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/-Where to find Christian Idiodi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/-Where to find Martina Lauchengco:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinalauchengco/-Timestamps:(00:51) Signs you should start your own company(2:26) A good idea is not enough (3:44) How to assess if you’re ready to work in startups (06:31) The extremely high quality bar for new products (09:44) Some traits of great founders(12:25) Finding the right co-founder(14:27) The first steps to take in a startup(16:48) What startups should focus on (18:29) What's scary about startups(20:44) The upsides of startup life(22:01) What to look for in startup hire #1(23:13) How to assess if a startup is worth joining (25:52) Startup culture vs enterprise culture(27:17) Leading indicators of startup success vs failure(29:30) Outro–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
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30:56
Coaching Remote Collaboration
In this episode, Christian Idiodi and fellow SVPG partner, Lea Hickman, discuss remote collaboration. They deconstruct the challenges remote work poses and actionable advice for overcoming them.-Today’s discussion unpacks: Why remote collaboration is hard Common anti-patterns within remote teams The value of debate Why you should turn “self-view” off on video calls How to prioritize proximity between teams-References: Discovery When Working Remotely by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/discovery-when-working-remotely/-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/-Where to find Christian Idiodi:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/-Where to find Lea Hickman:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahickman/-Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(00:36) The advantages of co-location(04:03) Remote vs in-person tradeoffs(06:33) How to prioritize proximity between teams(10:22) The trap of false trust when working remotely(12:14) The problem with collaborating over artifacts(14:48) What collaboration really means(16:59) The best collaboration tool(19:54) The “always on” technique(25:39) The value of debate within teams(29:04) Collaborating across roles and functions(33:02) The relationship between team structure, accountability, and blame games(35:29) Incentivizing collaboration between leaders(38:38) Outro-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
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39:50
Coaching Transformation Politics
In this episode, Christian Idiodi sits down with SVPG founder Marty Cagan to discuss transformation politics. They break down the delicate organizational dynamics that emerge during product transformations, and practical strategies for navigating them.
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Today’s discussion unpacks:
Common political dynamics within transformations
The critical “results window”
The role of champions and evangelists
How to leverage pilot teams
The behaviors that build vs lose trust
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References:
Pilot Teams by Chris Jones: https://www.svpg.com/pilot-teams/
The CSPO Pathology by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/the-cspo-pathology/
Transformation as a Project by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/transformation-as-a-project/
Transformation Politics by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/transformation-politics/
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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/
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Where to find Christian Idiodi:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/
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Where to find Marty Cagan:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(00:32) Why Marty became interested in this topic
(03:34) Common political dynamics within transformations
(05:54) Who you need to win over
(07:22) The power of pilot teams
(14:11) Utilizing champions
(18:08) Framing a transformation effort to the CEO
(25:00) Setting expectations around outcomes
(30:01) Where teams and leaders lose trust
(35:49) Balancing short-term maintenance with longer-term innovation
(38:45) The politics of picking problems
(42:59) Closing thoughts
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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/
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Production:
Production by supermix.io
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44:50
Coaching Employee Onboarding
In this episode, Christian Idiodi swaps from interviewer to interviewee. He breaks down his approach to employee onboarding, prompted by fellow SVPG partner, Chris Jones. Learn about the hidden dynamics in every employee onboarding, and Christian’s day-by-day guide for navigating them. Whether you are actively onboarding talent or need to re-onboard existing staff, this episode will help you set your team up for success.
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Today’s discussion unpacks:
Why onboarding time is a rare and precious resource
The hidden dynamics in every onboarding
How to enable trust between new and existing team members
A step-by-step guide to a new hire’s first weeks
Christian’s favorite tactics from years of onboardings
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References:
Coaching Tools - The One on One by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/coaching-tools-the-one-on-one/
New Employee Bootcamp by Christian Idiodi: https://www.svpg.com/new-employee-bootcamp/
Social Comparison Theory: https://dictionary.apa.org/social-comparison-theory
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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/
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Where to find Christian Idiodi:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/
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Where to find Chris Jones:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjonessvpg/
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:20) Why onboarding matters
(03:13) Trust dynamics with new hires
(06:57) Onboarding starts before day 1
(12:57) Framing onboarding
(18:07) Onboarding in cohorts
(21:44) Creating a safe initial environment
(23:07) Week 1
(25:39) Week 2
(27:58) Onboarding to a remote team
(31:32) Critical onboarding milestones
(35:22) The first paycheck
(39:07) Creating public wins
(41:14) Closing thoughts
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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/
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Production:
Production by supermix.io
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43:44
Coaching Founder-Style Leadership
In this episode, Christian Idiodi sits down with SVPG founder Marty Cagan to discuss founder-style leadership. Building on themes from Paul Graham’s essay “Founder Mode,” Christian and Marty break down what effective product leadership looks like. Anyone can learn these skills through enough effort and care, whether they are a founder or not.
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Today’s discussion unpacks:
Misconceptions about founder-style leadership
Why you can’t be a good manager without being a good coach
The line between founder-style leadership and micromanagement
How to scale product sense
Lessons from Apple, Google and Amazon’s leadership principles
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References:
Amazon’s Leadership Principles: https://www.amazon.jobs/content/en/our-workplace/leadership-principles
Apple’s Leadership Principles: https://www.apple.com/jobs/pdf/HBR_How_Apple_Is_Organized_For_Innovation-4.pdf
Bill Campbell (Executive Coach): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Campbell_(business_executive)
Coaching Founder Mode by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/coaching-founder-mode/
Founder Mode by Paul Graham https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html
Founder-Style Leadership by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/founder-style-leadership/
Google’s Leadership Principles: https://www.geeknack.com/2020/07/31/google-leadership-principles-at-a-glance/
Mike Fisher (CEO of MyFitnessPal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-fisher-3317a8/
Pilot Teams by Chris Jones: https://www.svpg.com/pilot-teams/
Product Sense Demystified by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/product-sense-demystified/
Steve Jobs on Professional Managers (1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVKcxK_tVBM&ab_channel=ConsultingComedy
The Coaching Mindset by Chris Jones: https://www.svpg.com/the-coaching-mindset/
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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/
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Where to find Christian Idiodi:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/
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Where to find Marty Cagan:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(00:44) Initial reactions to "Founder Mode"
(03:46) "Better management" not "less management"
(06:18) Historical examples of founder-style leadership
(10:22) Founder-style leadership in startups
(14:44) Scaling product sense
(23:46) Europe's "People-Only Manager" trend
(26:34) The line between founder-style leadership and micromanagement
(33:00) Shifting a culture toward founder-style leadership
(37:06) Success stories: Apple and Amazon
(40:13) Closing thoughts
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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/
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Production:
Production by supermix.io
Christian Idiodi goes behind the craft of great product work, to the topics that usually aren’t talked about. He discusses behavioral, mindset, and cultural issues with fellow SVPG partners.
Ireland