Christian sits down with product coach Elias Lieberich to tackle one of the hottest, most overlooked product leadership skills: focus. They unpack why “we have a prioritization problem” is usually a polite way of saying “we don’t have strategy,” what it actually looks like to build alignment, and how to say “not yet” with integrity.

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Today’s episode will discuss:

• What focus feels like inside a strong product org
• The fastest signal you’re in an unfocused company
• Why strategy makes prioritization “implicit”
• How to build alignment different functions
• The difference between “no” and “not yet”
• How teams can create clarity even when leadership hasn’t

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References:

• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/
• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
• Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps
• Product Matters: https://productmatters.io/

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More from SVPG on coaching focus:

• Product Strategy – Focus (SVPG): https://www.svpg.com/product-strategy-focus/

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Where to find Elias:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lieberich/
• Product Matters: https://productmatters.io/

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Where to find Christian Idiodi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/

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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
• Podcast: https://producttherapy.com/

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Timestamps:

(01:10) Why is organizational focus so difficult?

(03:16) What a focused organization looks like

(05:34) The ultimate litmus test for focus

(08:52) You don’t have a prioritization problem…

(15:49) The grandfather test

(17:44) The importance of team-wide alignment

(25:31) The one thing high-performing teams have

(28:06) Saying “no” vs. “not yet”

(30:47) How can a leader protect their team’s focus?

(36:13) Why you need a Product FAQ

(40:01) You need to track your business impact

(45:04) Focus is a muscle that needs building

(51:58) Elias’ magic coaching question

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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 sits down again with product and leadership coach Gabi Bufrem – this time to discuss pilot teams. They dig into the common challenges that come with this initiative and the actions and mindsets required to overcome them. Hear hard-earned wisdom on how to use pilot teams to spark organizational change.

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Today’s episode will discuss:

• Why pilot teams are a powerful tool for facilitating transformation

• The ingredients of a high-impact pilot team

• Why pilot teams are proof points not prototypes

• How to navigate the organizational politics that pilot teams run into

• How to pitch and position pilot teams to others in the company

• What successful pilots look like and how to scale their impact

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More from SVPG on pilot teams:

• Pilot Teams: https://www.svpg.com/pilot-teams/

• The Politics of Pilot Teams: https://www.svpg.com/the-politics-of-pilot-teams/

• Transformation as a Project: https://www.svpg.com/transformation-as-a-project/

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Where to find Gabi Bufrem:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellebufrem/

• Website: https://www.gabriellebufrem.com/

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Where to find Christian Idiodi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/

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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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Timestamps:

(01:55) Defining pilot teams

(03:56) What makes a good pilot team

(07:23) Where to start with assembling a pilot team

(09:14) The role of sponsorship

(13:16) Pilot teams should live on an island

(20:17) Signs a pilot team is working

(22:58) What to do following a successful pilot

(27:34) Common mistakes with pilot teams

(30:08) How to pitch transformation to an executive

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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 sits down with product leader Shreyas Doshi to dig into a perspective-shifting idea: Most product problems are actually product leadership problems. They unpack how new leaders unintentionally erode trust, why saying “I don’t know” is treated like a crime in many companies, and how judgment, courage, and listening shape outcomes more than any framework.

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Today’s episode will discuss:

• Why so many “product problems” are really leadership problems in disguise
• How new leaders unintentionally erode trust
• Healthier ways to handle situations where you don’t have all the answers
• How great leaders use judgment, courage, and deep listening to change outcomes
• What “framework theater” is – and why it fails
• The unexpected way AI is changing product leadership

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References:

• Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/
• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
• Google Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/
• Marty Cagan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/
• Stripe: https://stripe.com/

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SVPG on product leadership:

• Articles: https://www.svpg.com/insights/product-leadership-articles/

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Where to find Shreyas Doshi:

• “World Class Product Sense” Maven course: https://maven.com/shreyas-doshi/product-sense
• “World-class Product Strategy for Founders & Executives” Maven course: https://maven.com/shreyas-doshi/product-strategy-with-shreyas
• Shreyas’ Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ShreyasDoshiVideos

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Where to find Christian Idiodi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/

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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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Timestamps:

(00:44) How product leaders build trust

(01:25) When new leaders erode trust

(07:54) The true cost of saying “I don’t know”

(10:45) How insincerity manifests in the workplace

(16:12) The need for modeling great leadership

(18:30) How to accurately diagnose problems

(27:22) The insurgence of “framework theater”

(32:03) How AI has radically changed leadership

(35:20) AI isn’t going anywhere

(41:35) The critical skills any leader must learn

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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