Join us for an insightful episode of The Product Podcast with Jon Noronha, Co-founder of Gamma, an AI-first platform revolutionizing how people create presentations, documents, and websites.

Starting in 2020 during the height of shelter-in-place, Gamma has achieved remarkable growth, reaching over 50 million users with a lean team of just 30 people. Most impressively, they went from less than a year of runway to cash-flow positive in just 3 months after pivoting to AI, with 80% of their revenue coming from outside the U.S. - all without a sales team.

In this episode, Jon breaks down Gamma's unconventional approach to building AI products, challenging traditional notions of team structure and go-to-market strategy. He shares insights on why they prioritize UX designers over PMs, how they achieved rapid international growth without localization, and their strategic decision to focus on the application layer rather than building their own AI models.

What you'll learn:
- How Gamma evolved from a presentation tool into a full-blown AI content platform
- Why they bet on a design-first team structure with 7 UX designers and no traditional PMs
- The technology behind their AI implementation and multi-model approach
- How they achieved profitability in 3 months through pure product-led growth
- Their strategy for reaching 50M+ users with a team of just 30 people

Episode Chapters:
(00:00) Gamma's Evolution: From Presentations to AI Platform
(15:00) Unconventional Team Structure: Why Designers > PMs
(20:00) Product-Led Growth: Zero to 50M Users Without Sales
(25:00) AI Integration Strategy: Focusing on User Experience
(30:00) International Growth: 80% Revenue Outside US

Key Takeaways 👇:
Design-First Organization
Jon challenges traditional tech company structure by prioritizing designers over PMs, demonstrating how a design-led organization can drive rapid product innovation and growth.

Pure Product-Led Growth
Through extensive A/B testing and a focus on user experience, Gamma achieved profitability in just 3 months after their AI pivot, with a $20/month price point that resonated globally.

Strategic AI Implementation
Rather than building their own AI models, Gamma focused on the application layer, creating value through superior user experience and interface design while leveraging existing AI infrastructure.

This episode is filled with contrarian insights about building AI products, from team structure to go-to-market strategy, making it a must-listen for product leaders looking to challenge conventional wisdom in tech.

This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks.
Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: https://withpersona.com/productschool

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Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Jon Noronha

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Glen Coates, Vice President of Product at Shopify.

Shopify is one of the world’s leading commerce platforms, powering millions of businesses and helping entrepreneurs sell online and offline with ease. Since launching in 2006, it has become a global e-commerce giant and the second-largest online retailer in the U.S., with over $8 billion in annual revenue and 8,000+ employees working fully remotely.

Glen leads Shopify’s Core Product organization, overseeing the storefront, checkout, back office, marketing, analytics tools, and the core developer platform. He also drives Shopify’s thriving partner ecosystem, which offers merchants access to over 10,000 apps. From video game developer to B2B ecommerce founder to product leader at scale, Glen brings a rare blend of technical depth and entrepreneurial vision.

In this episode, he shares how his unconventional path shaped his approach to product leadership, the principles behind Shopify’s fast-moving strategy, and how the company stays ahead with AI and deep product focus. He also explains his org design for scale, why every product leader must “know everything down to the details,” and how the team keeps the experience polished with the “Boring Edition.”

What you’ll learn:
-Glen’s journey from game development to leading Shopify’s core platform.
- How Shopify’s viral “AI memo” raised the bar for PMs and engineers to build faster.
- The Outcomes, Assumptions & Principles framework behind better product decisions.
- Why focusing on fundamentals keeps Shopify nimble and merchants competitive.

Key Takeaways 👇
- Entrepreneurial Product Leadership: How building Handshake prepared Glen to tackle real commerce pain points at Shopify.
-Future-Proof Commerce: How Shopify uses its rich data and AI to help millions of merchants grow.
-Decision-Making at Scale: Glen’s practical frameworks for aligning thousands of people to deliver seamless, high-quality products.

This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks.
Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: https://withpersona.com/productschool

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on TikTok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Glen Coates

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia sits down with Ariel Ban, President of Technology at Warner Music Group, live from the ProductCon stage. Warner Music Group, home to some of the world’s most iconic artists, is undergoing a bold transformation under Ariel’s leadership. A former Google and YouTube executive, Ariel brings a startup mindset to a 900-person organization within one of the most tradition-rich industries: music.

In this conversation, Ariel shares his unfiltered approach to digital transformation—from replacing bloated MVP culture with his “Minimum Proud Product” philosophy to building real-time dashboards that empower artists with actionable data. He also dives into the infamous “3-sh***ts” framework he uses to evaluate product managers, and how he’s instilling a culture of trust, ownership, and creativity across a global tech org.

What you’ll learn:
- Ariel’s journey from big tech to the music industry and his unique take on what transformation really looks like.
- Why MVPs are a “disease” and how to build products artists and fans are proud of.
- The strategy behind launching artist-facing tools like real-time revenue dashboards.
- How Warner Music is leveraging AI to unlock value in a highly creative, fast-changing space.

Key Takeaways👇:
- Redefining Digital Transformation: Ariel argues that real change starts with culture, not tech—and shares how to lead with clarity at scale.
- Artist-Centric Product Thinking: Empowering creators through data requires more than just tools; it requires trust, transparency, and a proud product experience.
- From MVP to MPP: His “Minimum Proud Product” philosophy offers a sharp critique of default startup practices and a new way to drive quality and impact.

This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks.
Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: https://withpersona.com/productschool

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Ariel Bardin

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Manuel Bronstein, Chief Product Officer at Roblox. Roblox is not just a video game—it's a platform that enables people to play, create, and build businesses in immersive virtual worlds. With over 85 million daily active users growing at 20% year-over-year, Roblox has paid out more than $923 million to its creator community in 2024 alone.

Manuel brings extensive experience from leading roles at major tech platforms including Xbox, Zynga, YouTube, and Google Assistant. As Roblox's CPO, he oversees the platform's product strategy and development, focusing on creating tools and systems that empower creators while maintaining trust and safety at scale.

In this episode, we'll explore:
- The evolution of Roblox from gaming platform to virtual economy
- How Roblox manages its creator marketplace and virtual economy
- Manuel's product leadership principles and frameworks
- Strategies for maintaining startup culture while scaling
- The future of virtual worlds and immersive platforms

Chapters:
(00:00) 🎮 Introduction and Career Journey
(05:25) 🚀 From Gaming to Platforms: Leadership Lessons
(15:30) 💰 Building and Managing Virtual Economies
(25:45) 🛠️ Product Development at Scale
(35:20) 🔮 The Future of Virtual Worlds
(45:10) 💡 Leadership Principles and Team Building

Key Takeaways 👇:
- Virtual Economy Management: Manuel emphasizes the importance of building systems that can scale while maintaining trust and safety, particularly in managing a virtual economy with real monetary value.
- Leadership Principles: Focus on building fast and learning faster, using first principles thinking, and implementing radical simplification to solve complex problems.
- Platform Dynamics: Understanding the unique challenges of managing a platform that serves both creators and users, requiring different approaches to engagement and monetization.
- Scaling Culture: Manuel shares strategies for maintaining startup-like innovation and execution speed while growing into a major platform.
- Systems Thinking: The importance of designing scalable systems from the start, particularly when dealing with user-generated content and virtual economies.

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Manuel Bronstein

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Kiren Sekar, Chief Product Officer at Samsara, a $20+ billion company revolutionizing physical operations technology. Since its founding about 10 years ago, Samsara has become a leader in IoT and AI solutions for industries like transportation, manufacturing, and construction.

As CPO, Kiren leads Samsara's product strategy and development, overseeing a team of ~700 people in R&D. Under his leadership, Samsara has successfully built an integrated platform that combines hardware sensors and cameras with sophisticated software solutions, collecting over 10 trillion data points annually to help businesses improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability.
we explore how Samsara balances hardware and software development, uses their 70/20/10 framework for product roadmap prioritization, and leverages AI to enhance driver safety and operational efficiency. Kiren also shares insights on building and scaling product teams in a rapidly growing enterprise environment.

What you'll learn:
- How to implement a 70/20/10 framework for product roadmap prioritization
- Strategies for building and scaling R&D teams across hardware and software
- Methods for creating effective customer feedback loops combining data and field visits
- Approaches to balancing customer requests with innovation initiatives

Key Takeaways 👇:
- Product Strategy Framework
- Uses 70/20/10 model to balance core product development, growth initiatives, and innovation
- Focuses on horizontal solutions that work across multiple industries
- Emphasizes three main themes: safety, efficiency, and sustainability

This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks.
Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: https://withpersona.com/productschool

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Kiren Sekar

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Nicholas Daniel, Chief Product Officer at Etsy — the world's largest marketplace for unique and handmade items. Founded in 2005, Etsy has grown into a global platform connecting over 6 million sellers with 90 million buyers worldwide, featuring more than 130 million unique items.
Nicholas leads Etsy's product organization, overseeing 30+ product squads that drive innovation across the marketplace. His 11-year tenure at Etsy has been instrumental in transforming the platform from a web-centric marketplace to a multi-platform powerhouse while staying true to its core mission of "keeping commerce human."

We explore how Etsy manages its massive scale of unique inventory, leverages AI for better discovery, and maintains the delicate balance between growth and marketplace identity. Nicholas shares insights on structuring product teams around business challenges, measuring seller success, and fostering innovation through features like "Spaces" that enhance browsing experiences.

What you'll learn:
How Etsy structures its product organization to tackle marketplace challenges
Strategies for managing and categorizing millions of unique items
Key metrics for measuring seller success and platform health
Approaches to balancing automation with maintaining human connections
The role of AI in understanding and surfacing unique inventory

Key Takeaways👇:
- Nicholas reveals how Etsy's 30+ product squads are organized around business challenges rather than traditional product lines, maintaining a ratio of 1 PM to 6 engineers for optimal efficiency.
- Managing 130M unique items (expanding to 2B+ with variations) requires sophisticated AI/ML approaches, as traditional e-commerce categorization doesn't work for handmade items.
- Focus on seller success as a leading indicator, with key metrics including time to first sale, product assortment updates, and platform tool adoption.
- Etsy's approach to innovation, including features like "Spaces," demonstrates how to enhance discovery while maintaining the human element that defines their marketplace.
- Strong emphasis on "keeping commerce human" while scaling, showing how to maintain marketplace identity and quality during growth.

This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust. These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks.
Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: https://withpersona.com/productschool

📆 Check out upcoming events: https://prdct.school/4aGyyyw
🚀 Advance your Product Management career: https://prdct.school/3R2W55X
💼 Get customized training for your Product team: https://prdct.school/4bz4WVd
🤝 Partner with Product School to reach an audience of over 2 million Product professionals: https://prdct.school/453ajtt

ABOUT US:
Product School (https://prdct.school/3DYNwmd) is the global leader in Product training with a community of over two million product professionals.

All of our instructors are Product Leaders working at top Silicon Valley companies including Google, Meta, Netflix, Airbnb, Uber, and Amazon.

In this episode of The Product Podcast, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Tricia Maia, Head of Product at TED, the 40-year-old nonprofit organization renowned for its influential talks that have garnered billions of views since launching online in 2006.

As Head of Product at TED, Tricia leads the product organization overseeing ted.com, mobile apps, events products, and backend platforms. Her team manages a complex ecosystem that delivers TED's mission of spreading ideas across borders and languages, with content translated into over 100 languages and distributed across multiple platforms.

We explore how TED balances being both a legacy institution and a startup-like organization, diving deep into their approach to AI implementation, content distribution strategy, and measuring success in a mission-driven environment. We'll discuss how TED leverages technology to make its content more accessible globally while maintaining its high standards and editorial vision.

What you'll learn:
• What it’s like to be a product leader at a nonprofit with global digital reach
• How TED uses AI to improve accessibility—including voice-cloned dubbing and translation workflows
• How Tricia balances mission-driven goals with the need for sustainable revenue
• How TED is evolving content formats beyond the classic 18-minute talk and maintains high-quality content while scaling across platforms
• How data-driven personalization is blended with editorial curation
• The key metrics TED focuses on—including engagement, retention, and impact
• How Tricia structures her team and prioritizes projects to drive maximum impact

Key Takeaways 👇:
Tricia emphasizes how being mission-driven shapes every product decision while maintaining business sustainability. The organization's unique hybrid model demonstrates how to balance innovation with established brand value.
TED's careful implementation of AI technology, particularly in translation and dubbing, shows how to introduce innovative solutions while preserving valuable human contributions and maintaining quality standards.
The combination of traditional KPIs with mission impact metrics provides a comprehensive framework for measuring success in a mission-driven organization, balancing quantitative metrics with qualitative impact assessment.
TED's effective use of functional teams combined with squad-based execution demonstrates how to maintain expertise while enabling rapid project delivery and focused business objectives.

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:
This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust.
These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks.
Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free: withpersona.com/productschool

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Tricia Maia

In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Philipp Kandal, Chief Product Officer at Grab, Southeast Asia's leading super app serving over 40 million monthly active users across eight countries.

Originally launched as a taxi-hailing service in Malaysia, Grab has evolved into a comprehensive platform offering ride-hailing, food delivery, financial services, and more. After acquiring Uber's Southeast Asia operations in 2018, Grab went public in 2021 and is now valued at approximately $20 billion, generating $2.8 billion in revenue with 19% year-over-year growth.

We explore Grab's transformation from a single-service app to a super app powerhouse, diving into their hyperlocal approach to product development, organizational structure, and how they leverage technology to solve unique challenges in Southeast Asia.

What you'll learn:

• How Grab evolved from a taxi-hailing service to a super app by following user needs
• Strategies for competing with global players through hyperlocal solutions
• How to structure product teams for both platform and business innovation
• The role of user immersion in improving driver and consumer experiences
• Ways to balance growth with profitability in emerging markets

Episode Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction and Grab's Evolution
(10:00) Building Product Teams at Scale
(20:00) Hyperlocal Strategy in Southeast Asia
(30:00) Product Development Through User Understanding
(40:00) Balancing Growth and Profitability
(50:00) Technical Innovation and Challenges

Key Takeaways👇:

• Super App Evolution: Success came from following user needs rather than copying global models, expanding naturally from transport to food delivery to financial services
• Organizational Structure: "Tech families" structure splits teams between platform infrastructure and business verticals, enabling both innovation and efficiency
• Hyperlocal Focus: Custom solutions like GrabMaps and cash payment systems were developed specifically for Southeast Asian market needs
• User Understanding: Direct field experience through "shadow shifts" leads to better product decisions and feature development
• Technical Innovation: Built custom solutions to address unique challenges like multiple languages, poor connectivity, and diverse payment systems

This episode is brought to you by Persona, the adaptable identity platform that helps businesses fight fraud, meet compliance requirements, and build trust.
These days, it's easier than ever for fraudsters to steal voices, faces, and identities. That's where Persona comes in; helping leading companies to securely verify individuals and businesses worldwide, providing flexible building blocks to create tailored verification flows that maximize conversion while minimizing risks.
Whether you work at a startup or large enterprise, you can get started for free here: withpersona.com/productschool

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Philipp Kandal