Gabi Bufrem is a product and leadership coach who partners with executives and teams worldwide to unlock performance with a rare blend of curiosity, empathy, and candor. In this conversation with Christian, Gabi breaks down what great coaching looks like, how to build trust quickly, and why the best leaders measure their success through the growth of others.

Today’s episode will discuss:

• The difference between mentorship, management, and coaching
• Why everyone not only should have a coach but deserves a coach
• The three steps to building trust quickly
• Why vulnerability is a crucial unlock
• Busting limiting beliefs and “leaving space for magic” in career arcs
• How to give tough, constructive feedback as a coach
• The core difference between coaching leaders and coaching ICs
• How to measure coaching impact through tangible wins

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References:

• Marty Cagan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/
• Stephen Curry: https://x.com/StephenCurry30
• Usain Bolt: https://x.com/usainbolt

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More from SVPG on product coaching:

• Articles on coaching: https://www.svpg.com/the-coaching-series/

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Where to find Gabi Bufrem:

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

(01:08) What does a product coach do?

(06:18) Gabi’s journey into coaching

(10:01) Coaches see what you can’t

(15:05) How to encourage healthy dialogue

(18:36) The power of vulnerability

(20:26) Designing discovery sessions

(24:55) Revealing clients’ blind spots

(27:10) How to give constructive feedback

(32:44) “My job is to teach you how to fish”

(37:04) A mindset for improving communication

(40:25) Coaching leaders vs. coaching ICs

(42:28) Measuring success as a coach

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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 Jon Moore to unpack one of the most important — and most misapplied — practices in modern product teams: team objectives. They break down why OKRs often fail, how to make objectives meaningful for empowered teams, and why focus, trust, and problem-solving are at the heart of real product outcomes.

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Today’s discussion unpacks:

• What team objectives really are (and aren’t)

• Why most companies get OKRs wrong

• How to shift from outputs to outcomes

• The role of leadership in creating focus and context

• How to set clear, problem-based objectives

• The difference between team, business, and individual objectives

• Why functional goals kill cross-functional teams

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References:

• Empowered (book): https://www.svpg.com/books/empowered/

• Google OKRs: https://rework.withgoogle.com/guides/set-goals-with-okrs

• Marty Cagan on Empowered Teams: https://www.svpg.com/empowered-product-teams/

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SVPG series on team objectives:

• Accountability: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-accountability/

• Action: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-action/

• Ambition: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-ambition/

• Collaboration: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-collaboration/

• Commitments: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-commitments/

• Empowerment: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-empowerment/

• Management: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-management/

• Overview: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-overview/

• Summary: https://www.svpg.com/team-objectives-summary/

Where to find Jon Moore:

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

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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:

(00:56) What are company objectives?

(02:39) Why teams get OKRs wrong

(05:10) The true purpose of a team objective

(07:48) OKRs only work with the right team culture

(09:04) Leaders often want success shortcuts

(09:58) The mechanics of a great team objective

(13:28) Who should set team objectives?

(18:23) The optimal cadence for revising objectives

(20:11) Why environment shapes key results

(22:41) You should lead with context

(25:14) The high-integrity commitment

(27:50) Can many teams share one objective?

(28:59) A common objective pitfall

(30:29) How to reinforce accountability

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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