7 Product Podcasts We're Listening to in 2023
In the rapidly-evolving world of product management, staying up-to-date on the latest trends, best practices, and industry insights is crucial. Luckily, there are many great podcasts out there hosted by experienced professionals, product leaders, and other thought leaders in the space. According to Edison Research, in 2022, there are an estimated 116 million podcast listeners in the United States alone, which is an increase of 11% from the previous year. The same study found that 80% of podcast listeners listen to all or most of each episode, and the average podcast listener consumes seven different shows per week.
Whether you're looking for inspiration, actionable advice, or simply want to stay informed, tuning into these podcasts can provide a wealth of knowledge and perspective.
In this blog article, we'll explore some of the top product management and development podcasts we're listening to, including insights into their content, format, and what sets them apart.
The Product Podcast - Hosted by Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
If you're interested in all things product management, development, and strategy, then The Product Podcast is a great resource. Host and CEO of Product School, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia, interviews product leaders and entrepreneurs in the tech industry, covering a wide range of topics.
A good episode to start out with is “Have Courage: How to Do the Hard Things as a Product Leader by Delivery Hero, talabat CPO,” featuring Yi-Wei Ang, CPO of Delivery Hero, talabat. In this episode, she sheds light on the pivotal role of courage in the triumph of a Product Leader. By showing vulnerability and taking daring measures, Product Leaders can foster more resilient teams and develop superior products. Discover how courage can empower you to conquer hurdles and leave a lasting impression in the Product sector.
This is Product Management - Hosted by Mike Fishbein
For product managers and entrepreneurs looking to learn more about the process of building and launching successful products, This is Product Management is a must-listen. Host Roddy Knowles interviews experienced product leaders and explores topics like customer discovery, user research, and product marketing.
One interesting episode is "Not Trusting the Process is Product Management," with Anna Marie Clifton, Head of Product at Vowel. She discusses how the process is often viewed as an obstacle rather than an advantage and suggests that it can actually accelerate productivity by ensuring everyone is in sync about the correct methods. Listeners can learn from Anna's discussion as she shares her expertise on how product managers can leverage process development to create more streamlined and effective workflows.
How I Built This - Hosted by Guy Raz
How do successful entrepreneurs build their companies from scratch? That's the question that How I Built This seeks to answer. Host Guy Raz interviews entrepreneurs, CEOs, and founders about their journeys, from product strategy to funding to a growth mindset.
In one episode, Guy Raz brings in Tope Awotona, CEO and Founder of Calendly, to talk about his journey in building the modern scheduling tool. This episode is an excellent example of a founder identifying market gaps and simply "a problem looking for a solution," where he could fill the gaps and provide solutions with innovations and products. Some other episodes that go along with this theme are:
- Chobani: Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO and Founder
- Walker & Company: Tristan Walker, CEO and Founder
- JetBlue Airways: David Neeleman, CEO and Founder
Masters of Scale - Hosted by Reid Hoffman
What does it take to scale a successful business? That's the question that Masters of Scale sets out to answer. Host Reid Hoffman interviews founders and executives from companies like Google, Facebook, and Starbucks, covering topics like hiring, fundraising, and company culture.
One interesting episode is "Keep Humans in the Equation," featuring the CEO of TaskRabbit, Stacy Brown-Philpot. In this interview, she advocates for the power of the "human cloud" in scaling businesses. Rather than removing people from the equation, she believes the key is keeping the "human" aspect intact. Stacy explains how this community of individuals can work together, teach each other, and consistently learn from one another to solve virtually any problem. Listeners can discover more about the "human cloud" potential and how it can be leveraged to help businesses grow and succeed.
Build - Hosted by Maggie Crowley
If B2B product management is your thing, then Build is your podcast. Host Maggie Crowley interviews product leaders from companies like Drift, HubSpot, and LinkedIn, covering topics like customer feedback, pricing strategy, and sales alignment.
One interesting episode is "Experimentation and Data-Driven Decision Making," featuring Dan Olsen, founder of Olsen Solutions and author of The Lean Product Playbook. In this episode, Dan shares his experiences and insights on the importance of experimentation and data-driven decision-making in product development.
Lenny's Podcast - Hosted by Lenny Rachitsky
The podcast aims to provide valuable insights and practical advice to anyone interested in building and scaling successful products and companies. Each episode features a guest who shares their experience and expertise on topics such as product development, growth strategies, fundraising, and team building. Lenny's Podcast is an ideal resource for anyone looking to learn from the best in the business and stay current on the latest product and startup development trends.
In the episode "How Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product/Market Fit," Lenny Rachitsky interviews Rahul Vohra, the CEO and founder of Superhuman. He takes a deep dive into their unique approach to finding product/market fit (which has been highly successful and has helped them build a loyal following of users). This episode is a great place to start for anyone interested in product development, growth marketing, or entrepreneurship.
Product-Led Podcast - Hosted by Wes Bush
This podcast is all about the product-led growth approach to building and scaling businesses. Episodes feature interviews with product-led growth experts and practitioners and cover topics like user onboarding, product adoption, and conversion optimization.
One exciting episode from Product-Led Podcast hosted by Wes Bush is "How to Build a Product-Led Community" featuring Lenny Rachitsky (from Lenny's Podcast). In this episode, Lenny shares his experiences and insights on how to build a thriving product-led community.
This episode is so interesting because it focuses on community building and how it can drive product-led growth. Lenny discusses the benefits of building a community around your product, the challenges of doing so, and how to measure the impact of community on product growth.
Listeners can learn a lot from Lenny's experiences and advice, whether they're product managers, marketers, or simply interested in building a strong community around a product. The episode is a great example of the type of actionable, insightful content that Product-Led Podcast provides on a regular basis.
Using Podcasts to Attract New Users
Podcasts aren't just for you to listen to and learn from—they're an incredible opportunity for customer acquisition. If you're considering creating your own podcast or perhaps putting out an ad in a podcast relevant to your target market, a study by Nielsen found that 63% of podcast listeners have purchased based on an ad they heard on a podcast.
The same Nielsen study also found that podcast listeners are highly educated and have a higher household income than the general population, with 41% having a household income of $75,000 or more. These statistics show that podcast consumption continues to grow in popularity, with a highly engaged and affluent listener base, making podcasts an increasingly attractive platform for businesses and advertisers. So, when considering new customer acquisition methods, keep podcasts in mind.
There's no doubt that podcasts are a fantastic way to consume information. It's a way for you to hone in on new skills, expose yourself to current events, and stay in the know with the competition and your target market.
