Beyond Tech Companies: Product Management in Traditional Industries with Raechel Boston 🛒

In this illuminating episode of Product Driven, host Matt Watson engages with Raechel Boston, a product manager at Kroger, to explore the nuanced landscape of product management and software development within traditional enterprises. Their conversation unveils the stark contrasts between technology practices in established corporations versus startups, examining how bureaucracy, innovation, and customer feedback loops operate in different organizational contexts.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn when exploring how AI might transform the landscape, potentially disadvantaging those who function merely as "order takers" while empowering professionals who understand product vision and can leverage these new tools to move exponentially faster.

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Connect with Raechel Boston:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raechelboston/

Key Discussion Points:

The unique challenges of product management in non-SaaS, traditional industries

How bureaucratic processes impact development velocity and innovation

The disconnection between technical work and tangible customer value in large organizations

Strategies for motivating engineering teams by connecting their work to business outcomes

The evolving role of AI in reshaping software development and product management

The delicate balance between innovation and stability in established enterprises

Episode Chapters:

00:01 - Introduction and Raechel's Background

00:53 - Diversity of Technology Across Industries

02:30 - Startup vs. Enterprise Development Approaches

03:53 - Breaking Free from Corporate Bureaucracy

05:10 - Product Management at a Major Retailer

06:32 - Celebrating Wins and Addressing Negativity Bias

08:47 - Assembly Line Nature of Modern Software Development

11:21 - AI's Impact on Development Roles and Processes

14:05 - Bridging the Gap Between Product and Engineering Teams

16:13 - Internal vs. External Product Development Challenges

18:10 - Fighting Organizational Resistance to Change

19:36 - Innovation vs. Value Delivery in Corporate Settings

21:52 - When Stability Trumps New Features

24:24 - Raechel's TikTok Content on Scrum and Product Management

Whether you're navigating corporate technology environments or building products in startups, this episode offers a valuable perspective on how organizational context shapes product development approaches, team dynamics, and ultimately, customer value delivery.