Welcome to ManagersClub, where you can learn from the world’s most successful and diverse engineering leaders and managers, as well as find curated management resources to help and inspire you to be a great engineering leader.
ManagersClub Podcast
In-depth conversations about engineering management with lessons and tips to make you a better leader and improve your career.
Learn the secrets to achieving product-market fit from renowned coach Vidya Dinamani, Product Rebels Founder & author of Ground Work, in this exclusive interview with Vidal.
Vidya shares invaluable insights on discovering your market needs, validating customers, and creating a winning MVP. You'll get actionable tips on:
* Defining your target customer and their underserved needs (09:53)
* Prioritizing qualitative research to truly understand your users (29:51)
* Avoiding common product manager mistakes like focusing on the wrong metrics (46:23)
* Using grassroots tactics to iteratively build what users want (43:28)
* Recognizing when you've achieved product-market fit (50:33)
This conversation is packed with practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and product leaders. Vidya busts myths about product management and outlines strategies to connect with customers and build products people want. If you want to improve your product management skills, this video is for you!
Don't miss the key recommendations and homework challenge at the end to start honing your PM skills today!
CHAPTERS:
– Introduction and discussion on the concept of product-market fit (01:06)
– The role of a product manager and its importance (09:53)
– Challenges faced by companies without a product manager and how to overcome them (15:01)
– The need for customer-centricity and the power of customer observation (21:21)
– The importance of qualitative research versus surveys (29:51)
– The myth of product managers being project managers (34:18)
– How to prioritize time as an entrepreneur or engineering manager to achieve product-market fit (39:57)
– Grassroots strategies, guerrilla tactics, and hacks for success (43:28)
– The most common mistakes in product market fit and how to address them (46:23)
– Signs and indicators that you are on the right path to product-market fit (50:33)
– The effectiveness of MVPs and tips for creating them (53:48)
– Developing the skill of coming up with insights and breakthrough ideas (57:24)
– Recommended resources for further learning (1:03:19)
– Homework challenge for aspiring entrepreneurs and engineering leaders (1:07:00)
Vidya's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vdinamani/
Product Rebels: https://productrebels.com/
📚 Her book ”Groundwork: Get Better at Making Better Products” (highly recommended, 5 stars): https://amzn.to/3PC8AE1
——————————————————————-
ABOUT ME: I am an author, podcaster, and engineering leader dedicated to inspiring technical managers everywhere.
📚 MY BOOKS:
⭐️ The Software Engineering Manager Interview Guide https://amzn.to/3VIzg8L
⭐️ New! Behavioral Interview Blueprint: A Proven Guide to Ace Your Next Job Interview https://amzn.to/43vuXAn
⭐️ Effective One-on-Ones: A Handbook for Managers: Mastering Productive and Meaningful Meetings for Managerial Success https://amzn.to/3Bwi6So
⭐️ Time Management Tips for Engineering Managers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HM6LSCL
⭐️ How to Write an Engineering Manager Resume, https://vidalgraupera.gumroad.com/l/esbgw
🗣️ Join Managers Club: A Collaborative Discord Community for Engineering Leaders !! https://discord.gg/BdtEbRYxw4
🔗 CONNECT WITH ME:
⭐️ My website: https://www.managersclub.com
⭐️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidalgraupera
⭐️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vgraupera
⭐️ ManagersClub LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13846374/
⭐️ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@managersclub
#management #leadership #productmanagement #productmanager
—
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/managersclub/support
Interview with Brent Baisley, VP of Engineering at Ticket Evolution
Current role: VP of Engineering at Ticket Evolution Location: Greater New York City Area What’s your background and how did you get into management? I’ve been in tech for about 30 years now. I’ve been a Programmer (front and back), Sysadmin, Network Admin, DBA, Technician,…
Interview with Matt Newkirk, Engineering Manager at Etsy
Location: San Francisco, CA Current Role: Engineering Manager at Etsy What’s your background and how did you get into management? Over 20 years ago, I learned to write code for The Two Towers LPMud. I designed features, wrote code, worked with a completely distributed volunteer staff,…
Interview with Dan Rohtbart, Software Engineering Manager at IBM
Location: New York City and Armonk, NY Current Role: Software Engineering Manager at IBM What’s your background and how did you get into management? I’ve always loved helping people learn and loved how quickly software development turns ideas into reality. Before moving into management, I…
Interview with John Van Heteren the Director of Treatment Delivery Applied Research at Varian Medical Systems
Location: Palo Alto, California Current role: Director of Treatment Delivery Applied Research at Varian Medical Systems What is your background and how did you get into management? I have an MSc in Medical Physics and a PhD in BioEngineering. I was first employed in medical…
Interview with Nat Fast, VP Software Development at Viscira
Location: San Francisco Current Role: VP Software Development, Viscira What’s your background and how did you get into management? I have always been a leader. From my childhood to today it has been my fortune to see people as they are and deal with them from that…
Interview with Tom Bartel Germany-based software developer, engineering manager, speaker, and author
Location: Düsseldorf, Germany Current Role: Product Manager and Talent Lead What’s your background and how did you get into management? My background is in classical Computer Science, specializing in software development. I stumbled into management when my current employer, trivago, was growing rapidly, and additional…
Interview with Sam Boswell, CTO @ WorkGaps
Location: Berkshire, UK Current Role: CTO @ WorkGaps What’s your background and how did you get into management? My background was primarily technical – my first roles were in bespoke software, and from there shifted to web-app development. I was recommended a role with a…
Interview with Marcus Blankenship, Technical Leadership Consultant
Location: Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA Current Role: Technical Leadership Consultant What’s your background and how did you get into management? My background is in Software Engineering, with a focus on building ERP and Product Configurator systems. In 2000 I was promoted from Sr. Programmer to…
Interview with Aaron Cope, Director of Engineering, R&D
Location: Remote (Houston, TX) Current Role: Director of Engineering, R&D What’s your background and how did you get into management? I have been in software for over fifteen years. I currently manage 13 engineers and quality assurance engineers, distributed mostly across the United States and…
Interview with Michael Lopp, VP of Engineering @slackhq
Location: Los Gatos, CA Current Role: VP of Engineering @slackhq What’s your background and how did you get into management? I’ve been working in the Silicon Valley my entire life. In order, I worked at Borland, Symantec, Netscape, Icarian, Apple, Palantir, Pinterest, and now at…
