In this special anniversary episode of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn celebrate one year (and 33 episodes!) of no-fluff, real-talk product leadership. They reflect on what it’s taken to stick with the podcast, why they started it in the first place, and what it’s meant to have each other through the ups and downs of careers in tech.

They dive into some of their favorite guests and episodes, what makes a conversation great (and what doesn’t), and share honest thoughts about growth, AI, agency waste, and why roadmaps are mostly fiction. At its core, this episode is about friendship, longevity, and the love of building things that matter—with the people who matter.

Key Takeaways

1. There’s Power in Sticking With It Many women leave tech mid-career—and product leadership can be lonely. This podcast started as a way for two friends to stay connected and talk about real problems. A year later, it’s still about that (and it still matters).
2. Frameworks Don’t Build Products—People Do Marilyn and Leah have worked across industries, teams, and countries—and the lesson is always the same: theory is great, but nothing replaces curiosity, experimentation, and showing up with integrity.
3. Product Work Is Changing—And It Should From the AI hype cycle to shifting DEI conversations to the breakdown of “growth” as a silo, the future of product management demands new thinking. Real innovation will come from those brave enough to question how things have always been done.

In this episode of Practical Product Management, Marilyn and Leah sit down with newly retired product leader Steve Jasper to explore the human side of product leadership. With decades of experience in payments at companies from startups to Big Tech, Steve brings deep insight into how great leaders grow, not just themselves, but the people around them.

This conversation goes beyond frameworks and roadmaps. Marilyn and Leah talk with Steve about the power of mentorship and sponsorship, the art of giving meaningful feedback, and the importance of building trust within teams. They also dig into the realities of burnout, why it’s so common among product leaders, and what it actually looks like to lead with intention instead of exhaustion.

Warm, thoughtful, and full of real-world wisdom, this episode is a must-listen for anyone building teams, navigating career growth, or trying to be a better human at work.

Key Takeaways

• Mentorship and Sponsorship Are Not the Same - Mentorship is guidance. Sponsorship is action. Steve shares how real career growth often hinges on having someone who will speak your name when you’re not in the room—and how to pay that forward.
• Feedback Is a Gift (If You Give It That Way) - Great product leaders give clear, kind feedback—even when it’s hard. Steve talks about how honest coaching can unlock growth and how teams thrive when trust runs both ways.
• Your Team Doesn't Need a Superhero, They Need a Human - Burnout happens when leaders confuse value with volume. Steve reminds us that showing up with curiosity, presence, and vulnerability is far more powerful than working 80-hour weeks.

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In this episode of Practical Product Management, Marilyn McDonald and Leah Farmer welcome their longtime friend and former colleague Geno White, founder of Dockett Ellis Consulting and a seasoned technology strategist with a career spanning Microsoft, Amazon, Expedia, Moderna, and more. Together, they explore what it means to bring real product leadership into complex environments.

Geno shares hard-earned lessons from his years building software systems and leading change at scale: how to cut through misalignment with simple questions, why so many companies misunderstand what it means to be “product-led,” and how to coach executives and teams toward shared understanding and lasting results.

The conversation is full of warmth, humor, and sharp insights—plus practical advice on managing conflict, building cross-functional alignment, and knowing when (and when not) to raise your hand.

Key Takeaways

1. Rigor Isn’t a Buzzword—It’s a Commitment Everyone wants to “build like Amazon” until they realize how much discipline and accountability that really requires. Geno reminds us that frameworks don’t fix culture. Rigor does.

2. Clarity Beats Complexity Complex systems are solvable. Complicated BS is not. Geno breaks down how asking simple (and persistent) questions exposes misalignment—and builds shared understanding.

3. You Were Hired for a Reason—Act Like It One of Geno’s most famous pieces of advice? Don’t raise your hand too early. You don’t need to prove your worth by doing everything. Wait until you know how to win, then go all in.

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