In today’s bento…

🎙️ Why I wanted to make this podcast (and what I learned from 70 previous episodes)
🎬 What recording in Atlassian’s new studio was actually like
✨ The guests who showed up (and the moments that surprised me)
🛠️ Why hands-on craft matters more than ever right now

🎙️ Why this podcast exists

Truth is, I’ve wanted to do something like this for a while.

I’ve recorded about 70 podcast episodes across two previous shows—Product Squad and Product with Panash. But those were different formats, different contexts, different goals.

What I kept coming back to was this: I wanted a podcast where we could talk about the craft of product management in a way that’s actually hands-on. Not another show where product leaders share how they successfully achieved something—which, let’s be honest, often feels like self-promo for the guest and their company. Not more origin stories or career retrospectives.

I wanted something that shows PMs exactly how to do the work—the tools, the techniques, the practical decisions that happen every day.

Working as a Product Management Evangelist at Atlassian, I was in the prime spot to make this happen.

Let’s make something useful, I thought. Let’s make it hands-on.

Listen to the podcast

🎬 What makes this different

Here’s the format we built: each episode is 40+ minutes, split into two parts.

Part one: A forward-looking conversation (about 20 minutes). We tackle questions from the PM community—the ones trending on Reddit, the ones people ask me after talks, the insights from Atlassian’s State of Product Report.

Part two: A practical deep dive (another 20 minutes). This is where we stop talking and start showing. Guests walk through a concrete use case—live demos, real tools, actual workflows.

I’d argue that’s what’s missing in most product content right now. We’re great at the big vision stuff, but most PMs are stuck at “Okay, but what do I actually do on Monday morning?”

That’s what we’re solving for.

🤖 Why I’m starting with AI

For this first season, we’re focusing on AI.

Not because Product in Practice is an AI podcast—it’s a craft podcast. But right now, AI is top of mind for leaders, and PMs need help raising their fluency and adapting to this fast-changing environment.

Every week, I see PMs struggling with the same tension.

On one hand, the pace of change has never been faster. Tools that didn’t exist six months ago are now essential to how teams work. Skills that used to take years to develop can be augmented or automated.

On the other hand, most PMs are drowning in noise. Every vendor claims their tool will revolutionise your workflow. Every article promises the “future of product management.” Every LinkedIn post has someone either declaring AI will replace us all or insisting nothing’s really changed.

What’s missing is the middle ground. The practical perspective. The honest conversation about what works, what doesn’t, and what you should actually pay attention to.

✨ The guests who showed up

I reached out to some of the smartest people I know in product. People who aren’t just talking about the latest trends—they’re using new tools, building with them, figuring out what actually works.

Ravi Mehta (EIR at Reforge), Aakash Gupta (Product Growth), Kene Anoliefo (Heard), Laura Burkhauser (Descript), Crystal Widjaja (OpenAI Advisor), Elena Verna (Lovable).

And they all said yes.

We spent three days in August at Atlassian’s brand-new content studio in San Francisco. Cameras, microphones, proper lighting—the works. Each conversation went deeper than I expected. Each demo revealed something I hadn’t considered.

What surprised me most? How quickly we moved from theory to practice. These weren’t polished presentations. They were working sessions. Real workflows. Honest reflections on what’s working and what’s still messy.

The first three episodes are already live on YouTube and Spotify, and I’m genuinely excited for you to watch them.

🙌🏽 What I Learned

Recording these episodes reminded me why I love this work.

Yes, everything is changing fast. Yes, the pace is overwhelming. Yes, there’s more hype than substance in most places.

But when you sit down with smart people and actually work through the problems—when you stop talking about frameworks and start showing real workflows—everything gets clearer.

We’re all figuring out how to navigate this moment in product management. None of us have all the answers. But we can figure it out together—sharing what works, calling out what doesn’t, and making it practical enough that you can actually use it in your work.

That’s what Product in Practice is about.

Go watch the first episodes. Let me know what you think. Tell me what questions you still have. Share it with someone who needs practical guidance instead of more hype.

And if you know someone who’d be a perfect guest for future episodes, let me know. We’re always looking for voices that can bridge the gap between what’s possible and what’s practical.

Peace out! ✌🏽

📆 Come meet my team and me at a community meetup in Paris this Tuesday, May 13th

⚡️ Build any app or game with 1 basic prompt. DeepSite is here.

🔍 Are you going through a transformation to the product model?
Drop me a note, I’d love to speak with you. (See end of post)

Thanks for reading Axel's Bento 🍱!

Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Subscribe now

Come meet the Jira Product Discovery team at our community meetup in Paris

This Tuesday, May 13th you’re invited to join the Atlassian Community Paris meetup.

The Jira Product Discovery team is going to be sharing an insider look at how we build product at Atlassian with examples straight from our day-to-day as Product Managers.

The event is open to all! We can’t wait to meet you all.

We can’t wait to meet you, share our experience building a product for product teams and indulge in some great conversations. Join us!

📆 Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
📍France Télévisions, 2 Rue du Professeur Florian Delbarre, Paris, 75015

Register

Build any app or game with 1 basic prompt

This is DeepSite. It is based off DeepSeek-V3-0324.

It allows one to create an app/site with the most basic prompt.

It happens in browser, with a preview and easy access to the code running in the background.

This is one of the many LLMs that are trained for vibe-coding.

Just hacking around is super interesting as you start to observe how the model interpretes your request.

Very basic demo here to get you started with 1 very basic prompt.

I'd recommend you have a play on Hugging Face.

See demo

Don’t forget to drop me a message if you’re going through a product transformation. I’d love to learn more about your approach and how you’re getting on.

Book time with me

Peace out! ✌🏽

🧠 Reflections on the journey from "expert with all the answers" to something more useful and authentic

🎬 My latest video: A unified roadmap across discovery and delivery

☀️ A week in Anaheim, California for Atlassian's annual conference

🎤 Are you going through a transformation to the product model?
Drop me a note, I’d love to speak with you. (See end of post)

Thanks for reading Axel's Bento 🍱!

Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Subscribe now

A unified roadmap across discovery and delivery

“Axel, this brought an organisational tear of joy to my eye…”

This is what a senior leader at a SaaS company told me when I showed his team how to create a unified roadmap across discovery and delivery.

Many teams I speak to actually see this as a bit of a “holy grail”, their words, not mine. 😅

So I thought I would share how that’s possible in the video below.

Check it out on LinkedIn here.

When I Stopped Trying to Look Smart

Let me share something I've been thinking about.

Product managers (myself included) spend too much time trying to look smart.

We've all done it. That meeting where you drop an odd framework just to show you've read the latest product book. Using fancy words to dress up what you think you know. The stand-up where you talk about "growth curves" when "this helps users" would work fine.

I caught myself doing this in my first 3 months at Atlassian. During a strategy workshop, I looked around and told myself "I need to share something clever here." Looking back, I was just too keen to prove myself too soon.

Why do we do this?

I think it's because product managers are expected to lead. We've told ourselves that leading means having all the answers and acting like a CEO.
Entrepreneurship is romanticised across social media. Becoming a founder seems like the only way to gain status.

Fort 3 years before joining Atlassian, I worked with large scale-ups wanting to adopt the product model—not always for good reasons. Sometimes it was just the new trend.

I thought every company wanted to work like the "best" firms. I was wrong. Even if they want to, it doesn't mean it makes sense or it will work.

This belief took me to places where teams didn't grasp the changes they were going through or why. I had to meet them where they were, but I was stuck thinking teams could only win by adopting mindsets that were far removed from their reality.

And by the way, saying “think from first principles” doesn’t solve everything.

The turning point

My last job before Atlassian had me work with a product leader and coach teams. The leader and I, both thought there was a better way (the product model), but effective change takes many ingredients (the right setup, the will to change how you work, the “right” people,…).

You can't rush it.

We were fed up with the old ways and wanted quick change. 💥

What I've learned

The best product work happens in open talks where, really, it's more of a chat.
This sounds trivial but so much of what we used to call collaboration, coming together to solve a problem, has faded away behind tools and frameworks.

The rules are basic:

• Let people speak freely

• Don't judge them or their ideas

• Stay curious

• Ask questions

• Be kind

This past year, I’ve observed that the more open I am about what I know and don't know, the more I'm honest about where I'm happy to learn with others, the better others respond. This is particularly true when working with customers.

Part of this is the culture at Atlassian. They believe new staff often come with a "coat of business polish" that takes time to wash off.

I've felt this. It's not easy. It takes time and work to unlearn old habits. But it's worth it for the growth.

The results speak for themselves

A good coach shows there's a path to get better and helps teams believe they can reach the goal with the right tools.

People shouldn't have to trust us just because we've seen this movie a few times before. That's something we take for granted.

When I stopped trying to look smart, our conversations got better. Trust grew faster because I showed where I was weak and what I didn't know.

We're all figuring things out. The sooner we admit that, the sooner we can do good work.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. I will be very happy to read and of course reply to anyone who shares their story.

Worthy eateries

I was in London recently for work and had the opportunity to dine at Sollip⭐️, a michelin-starred Korean restaurant in London Bridge.

I’m a big fan of K-food but this was something else (in a good way).
We had the tasting menu and it was a delightful experience from start to finish.

See for yourself (grabbed some photos online, mine were rubbish).

The food was exceptional.
Service was perfect and the wine list is pretty good (mostly conventional but probably what one would expect in this type of establishment) .

I would highly recommend. ✨

I’m in Anaheim this week for Atlassian’s annual conference, TEAM25

It is one of the highlights of the year.
I love it because I get to

• meet so many customers and partners in a special setting,

• connect with my fellow co-workers,

• share our learnings and insights with the

+ there are going to be some pretty cool announcements this week!

I can’t wait.

I’ll be sharing more from the conference on LinkedIn in the coming days.

And of course, if you’re there, come find me at the Jira Product Discovery booth.

Don’t forget to drop me a message if you’re going through a product transformation. I’d love to learn more about your approach and how you’re getting on.

Peace out! ✌🏽

Cet épisode n’est pas comme les autres, un format vidéo cette fois, et à 4 voix.
Cela nous semblait évident pour apporter plus de profondeur à notre échange.

Découvrez l'évolution du Product Management avec Hugo dans ce nouvel épisode de Product Squad 🎧

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Dans cette édition d’Axel’s Bento, je vous invite à explorer, ensemble, 20 ans d'histoire du Product Management en France.

Victor, Anna et moi accueillons Hugo pour discuter de l'évolution du métier de Product Manager en France. Depuis les débuts où le terme même de 'Product Manager' était rare, jusqu'à aujourd'hui où il est au cœur des stratégies, plongez avec nous dans cette rétrospective passionnante de deux décennies.

Hugo nous emmène, à travers ses expériences d'entrepreneur et les leçons apprises en chemin, dans vraie une mine d'or pour quiconque s'intéresse au monde du produit.

• Les débuts et la montée en puissance du Product Management

• Hugo nous éclaire sur les premières années et comment le rôle de Product Manager s'est structuré en France.

• L'importance des compétences business

• Pourquoi est-il crucial de comprendre la finance et le business model en tant que PM.

• Le rapport entre l'agilité et la créativité

• Discussions sur comment l'agilité a façonné, mais parfois limité, le rôle de PM.

• L'avenir du Product Management avec l'IA

• Les erreurs de parcours d’Hugo et les leçons qu'il en a tirées, offrant des conseils précieux pour les aspirants entrepreneurs.

Ne manquez pas cet épisode riche en enseignements et en réflexions sur l'avenir du Product Management.

🎧 Écoutez maintenant sur Product Squad et tenez-vous prêt à transformer votre approche du Product Management !

À très vite,
Axel, Victor et Anna

Subscribe now

Aujourd'hui, on reçoit Thomas Thieffry, Head of Product chez Bpifrance

Tu peux trouver Thomas ici : https://www.linkedin.com/in/tthieffry/

Au programme de cet épisode

(03:57) Se libérer de la théorie et adopter un "développer mindset".

(13:36) Conditions nécessaires, mais pas suffisantes pour transformation.

(17:16) Baromètre de la FinTech, innovation et amorçage

(26:45) L'IA accélère et polarise le marché du travail

L'outil IA de la semaine, c'est AI Brews - une newsletter :)

https://aibrews.com/

Allez, tu peux aller binger tes séries tranquille, tu ne rates rien de la planète IA.

À la semaine prochaine,

Axel, Victor et Anna

Subscribe now

Aujourd'hui, on reçoit Alexia Danton, Designer Advocate chez Figma.

Tu peux trouver Alexia ici : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexia-danton/

(06:19) Deux backlogs : Pragmatisme dans la gestion produit.

(15:19) Possible de passer des pratiques à l'échelle sans outils ?

(19:36) TikTok : États-Unis vs. Chine, on en est où ?

(26:32) Contrôle des médias : Philosophique ou économique ?

(33:34) Influenceurs, économie de YouTube, Reddit, culture internet.

(36:17) La CTO d'OpenAI a oublié ses antisèches

(45:07) Découvrez le line-up de la conférence Figma.

L'outil IA de la semaine, c'est Speechify :)

https://speechify.com/

Allez, tu vas enfin pouvoir rajouter des langues étrangères à ton profil Fruitz.

À la semaine prochaine

Axel, Victor et Anna

Subscribe now

Aujourd'hui, on reçoit Stéphane Delbecque, Product Leader freelance.

Tu peux trouver Stef ici : https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdelbecque/

Au programme de cet épisode

(04:12) Anna et son expérience en cabine d'essayage - RA

(06:39) Apple Vision Pro suscite des réactions mitigées.

(12:22) Magic Leap, Vision Pro appliqué à l'industrie

(16:40) Netflix, Apple, téléphones chers et jeux vidéo

(18:28) Les développeurs créent sans être forcément payés.

(23:27) Apple : marketing > utilisation

(30:26) IA générative pour créateurs de contenus

L'outil IA de la semaine, c'est Opus

https://www.opus.pro/

Allez, tu peux enfin te la raconter sur TikTok, t'as plus besoin d'un monteur vidéo.

À la semaine prochaine

Axel, Victor et Anna

Subscribe now

Cette semaine, on reçoit Pantea Negui, Product Design Lead chez Hopper

Tu peux trouver Pantéa ici.

Au programme de cet épisode

(06:12) Philosophie de travail : liberté et conscience.

(07:04) Organisation du travail en remote

(11:12) Culture managériale anglo-saxonne -> moins infantilisante.

(23:34) Choisir son manager

(26:55) Télétravail et vie sociale

(31:09) Impact sociologique des réseaux sociaux et Covid.

🎁 En bonus, le rapport 1000 jours de travail en mode distribué chez Atlassian

L'outil IA de la semaine, c'est WooWell

https://www.woowell.ai/

Allez, tu peux choper maintenant, t'as enfin une profile pic de BG.

Bonne écoute 🎧

Axel, Victor et Anna

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Cette semaine on reçoit Vinvent Pavero, le co-fondateur de Homeric.

Tu peux trouver Vincent ici : https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincentpavero/

Au programme de cet épisode

• Fraude de 25 millions de dollars, encore un coup des deepfakes.

• Comment ne pas se faire avoir par les deepfakes

• Enjeu cybersécurité : secteurs chauds et vulnérabilités.

• Frameworks au travail, constat de désincarnation.

• Changement de culture managériale dans les entreprises tech.

• Fusions-acquisitions et produit : comment gérer tech & people

L'outil IA de la semaine, c'est HeyGen

https://heygen.com/

Allez, tu peux débaucher, ton "digital twin" prend la relève.

À la semaine prochaine

Axel, Victor et Anna

Bonne écoute ! 🎧

Subscribe now

Hello tout le monde,

je suis ravi de vous retrouver pour un nouvel épisode de Product Café.

Au programme aujourd’hui…

• Lancement de ONCE (et Campfire) par 37Signals, les créateurs de BaseCamp et Hey.com

• Comment produire et trouver des contenus authentiques à l'heure de l'IA générative

• Axel galère à trouver un coworking qui répondre à ses attentes

• Anna se lance dans le trail/GR

• Victor a des soucis avec LinkedIn

L'outil IA de la semaine, c'est Tactiq

https://tactiq.io/

Allez, tu peux chiller avant ton prochain call, Tactiq t'a fait le résumé et les next steps.

À la semaine prochaine

Axel, Victor et Anna 👋🏽

Bonne écoute ! 🎧

Si tu veux essayer Screeb et t'abonner en bénéficiant d'une réduction, tu trouveras un code de réduction en écoutant l'épisode. ;)

Bah ouais !

P.S.: Ceci n’est pas un message sponsorisé. 👆🏽

🎤 Come to the Product Squad Meetup this Wednesday in Paris

🎧 How to become a Growth PM - podcast episode

💥 The best dinner you can get in Paris for €89

Let’s meet this Weds. (07/02) in Paris 🗼

Product Squad Meetups are back, and this week we’ll be talking about a topic that’s rarely addressed: How do you ensure an effective integration (both from a people and tech perspective) following a merger or acquisition?

This meetup will be hosted in French 🇫🇷.

You’re still invited to join us if you’re not a fluent French speaker, we welcome people regardless of their French proficiency (it’s not the easiest language to learn as a non-native speaker, and we get it!).

You can register for FREE using the link below.

Grab your spot

Want to become a Growth PM? Here’s how it can be done…

In the latest episode of Product Squad, I sit down with Priya Bhatia from 7Shifts.

Priya graciously shares her journey into the realm of growth product management - an endeavour marked not by premeditation, but fortuitous happenstance.

She’s a tenacious professional who surmounted the traditionalism of her native professional landscape, and through innovation and persistence, carved a novel path in the tech industry.

Listen to the episode

Listen to this episode if you want to hear more about…

• What constitutes a Growth PM role.

• The importance of demonstrating success and sharing wins to transition within an organization.

• The need for a mindset that encourages continuous learning, quick adaptation, and influence.

• The responsibilities of a growth PM, focusing on the optimization in the funnel.

• Alignment with other product managers and departments.

• Handling the dynamics and scepticism associated with the growth PM role.

🏞️ Worthy Eateries

My friend Florence (Astrance) recently recommended that I go try the dining experience at this restaurant in the 9th arrondissement in Paris (my favourite neighbourhood).

The restaurant is spacious, with beautiful volumes leveraging the high ceiling and a partial conservatory.

The execution of every single dish in the 5-course tasting menu was really precise. You can clearly see how his different experiences at Astrance, Fulgurances and La Marine, have influenced chef Sylvain Parisot.

The service was great and the wait staff were approachable, fun and very easygoing. Everything I like…

Here’s a short sample of dishes from the menu:

• Roulé de Céleri et Truffes d’hiver

• Cerf au BBQ mariné miso, sarrasin

• Glace Reine des Près, Ganache montée à la Verveine

🍷 Special note: I tried an Eau de vie made from prickly pear as a digestif, and I have to say it’s one of the best things I had in this category.

I love the place and will be back for sure.

Check out Jeanne-Aimée

Product x Food

We shared this dinner with friends across the product landscape (Figma, Meta, Bpifrance,…).
If you’d like to join a future dinner with fun product people who don’t take themselves too seriously, do let me know.

I want to get a sense of how many readers here would like to be part of a group dining experience. 💛

Answering this anonymous poll is not a commitment to participate further.

Want to help by contributing (long-form written content)? Drop me a note.

Peace out! ✌🏽

📣 I’m looking for sponsors for the podcast.
Drop me a note if you want to know more!

Pour ne pas rater les prochains épisodes, abonne-toi gratuitement.

Subscribe now

Hello tout le monde,

je suis ravi de vous retrouver pour un nouvel épisode de Product Café.

Au programme aujourd’hui…

🔍 Décortiquer le buzz autour de la très attendue application de calendrier/courriel de la startup allemande Amie.

Pourquoi jongler avec plusieurs applications pour gérer nos emplois du temps et nos boîtes de réception ?

🌾 Explorer les causes de la crise agricole française et comment la sphère tech se croise avec cette question urgente.

Est-ce qu’on est déconnectés de ces considérations cruciales ?

💻 TechCrunch dévoile ce qui change la donne : un nouveau plugin Figma qui permet aux développeurs Front-end de créer des sites web en seulement 5 minutes !

Bonne écoute ! 🎧

Pour ne pas rater les prochains épisodes…

Hello à tous et bienvenue dans ce nouvel épisode de Product Café

Au programme de cet épisode

• Implid rachète Captain Contrat

• Anna se lance dans une team IA

• Comment gagner en productivité/repenser ses routines

• Changer de job tous les 9-18 mois, problème ou opportunité ?

L'outil IA de la semaine, c'est PhotoRoom

👉🏽 https://www.photoroom.com/

Allez, tu peux aller retoucher ta photo LinkedIn gratuitement.

À la semaine prochaine

Axel, Victor et Anna

👨🏽‍💻 I’m starting a new role (as a full-time employee!!)

🍽️ Heartwarming Italian in freezing Copenhagen

🌱 Building a fruitful mentorship experience

New Year, New Job, New Beginnings 🎢

2023 was a b*tch.1
You can read all about it here.

That is why I’m super pumped 2024 is starting on a bang. 💥

There you have it!

I’m excited to join Atlassian (JIRA, Confluence, Trello, Loom) as their very first Product Management Evangelist. 🥳

What is an Evangelist anyway?

Sounds a bit biblical, I know. 😅

The role of an Evangelist, though it may sound contemporary, actually takes a leaf from the book of traditional evangelism – it's all about spreading the 'good news', except here, the news concerns technology. Let's swiftly traverse its journey:

The concept of a tech evangelist sprouts in the 80s, largely credited to Guy Kawasaki at Apple. His mission wasn't just to sell the Macintosh computer; it was to cultivate a community that believed in it.

Fast forward a bit, and the role morphs. It's not just about pushing products anymore; it's about championing platforms and ecosystems. Tech evangelists start to focus on the bigger picture, connecting a suite of products and services.

Here's where it gets really interesting. Tech evangelists become the linchpin between a company and its users. They're out there, mingling with the community, gathering insights, and ensuring that feedback flows back to improve the product. And unlike traditional sales roles, they're not after quick deals. They're in it for the long haul, nurturing trust and relationships.

And let's not forget, they're the thought leaders, the ones setting the trends and offering sage advice. Whether it's through blogs, speeches, or social media, they're the voice people listen to.

In essence, the Tech Evangelist role is a fascinating blend of advocacy, community nurturing, and thought leadership. It's about making tech not just accessible but also meaningful, ensuring that it resonates with people's needs and aspirations.

ICYMI

🏞️ Worthy Eateries

If you’re looking for an idea of a city getaway for half-term and you’re not necessarily opting for winter sun, I would shortlist Copenhagen.

The city has so much to offer, from long outdoor walks/bike rides/boat trips to an amazing cultural agenda.

Even better if you can explore the city with some locals.
This was our case about a year ago (and we did not have the kids!!).

I guess you should know me a bit better by now.
I had already book this amazing, recently Michelin starred restaurant.

This is the first time I actually eat in a contemporary Italian restaurant.
Most Italian restaurants I’ve been to (mainly across Italy and in London) tend to be traditional in every way even if sometimes the decor can be quite modern.

BRACE is somewhat different, positively.

The menu features some really tasty treats

• Deep fried lobster claws in shiso leaf and agrodolce green tomato sauce

• Bronze-drawn linguine with langoustine, rose petals and piment d’espelette

• Beef bavette with burrata cream and peanut xo sauce

• Poached Norwegian halibut with cauliflower cream and black garlic

We were 4 diners and we really enjoyed the food, the staff were super friendly and the setting was really thought through.

I love open kitchens and this was just perfect.

I will warn you tho, like most restaurants in Copenhagen, the bill can be quite steep. We were (almost) fully prepared but…be ready! 😬

BRACE is currently closed as they’re preparing their next phase “Brace 2.0” so keep an eye out for the re-opening.

Product x Food: If you’re a die-hard foodie and would enjoy an exceptional meal with other foodies like Damien, Louisa, Antoine, Véronique and me, please let me know by replying to this email.
I want to get a sense of how many readers here could be part of a group dining experience. 💛

Building a fruitful mentorship experience

I consider myself lucky to have been exposed to some really great human beings and product/tech leaders who have taught me so much about myself and their craft through a mentorship experience.

Here are concrete examples of people I’ve asked to mentor me

• Mike Smith (Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta)

• Ramki Sankaranarayan (Nokia, Verizon, BT, Barclays)

This did not happen overnight. I had help from others and it also happened mostly in the UK where mentoring is much more widespread, normalised and part of the working culture.

I thought I’d share a few tips that have been successful for me, hoping that they will be for you too…

Tip #1: Be clear, concise and compelling

When reaching out, be concise, respectful, and specific. Share your admiration for their work, clearly state your objectives, and express why you believe they would be an ideal mentor. Remember, this is not just about what you can take but also what you can give back in this potential relationship.

Here’s an example you can use

Subject: Be my mentor, please! 🙏🏽

Hi Mike,
I’ve been following you for a while now and really appreciate your crisp views on product.
I operate in [insert sector/vertical here] and I believe I could really learn from your experience and

I’m certain I can gain a lot from your experience, specifically

• growing the product team from Y to Z at Acme Inc

• launching products in new geographies at The Company

• etc.

I appreciate your time is precious and I promise to make the best use of it.

Here’s what I had in mind (completely flexible of course)

• A monthly 45 minute online video call where I bring a specific topic I’m currently trying to navigate (e.g. how to align team members around high integrity commitments).

• After each meeting I would send you notes from our session, including next steps and action items.

• Of course, we’ll make it so that you don’t have any further work following our calls.

How does that sound?

Thank you for considering my request.
I’m crossing all my fingers. 🤞🏽

If there’s anything I can do to help, in any way, I’d love to. Do let me know.

Looking forward to your response.

Take care,
Axel

N.B.: Mentorship is not usually paid per se.
However, say the session is happening over a meal, I’d pay for that as a mentee. It’s the least I can do.

Tip #2: Document everything

Your mentoring sessions will certainly be even more helpful to you if you document them well but they are potentially as helpful to your mentor.

Offering to share the work product from your mentoring sessions will certainly bring a higher value perception to the person using their time to help you navigate your complex work situations.

I would even go as far as saying this could make for some great content you can share online to help others (as long as it’s OK with everyone involved).

Tip #3: Just do it.

Most mentors (often with impressive track records) say that they don’t necessarily get a lot of requests for mentorship.
This is likely due to the fact that people are too intimidated to ask.

So just go for it.
Worst case, the person will not reply or say they cant do it, leaving you in the exact same position you’re in now.

Some might refer you to someone else in their network. You never know.

Bt the way you should check out what the guys at Bloom have set up.

Not a sponsored post in any way. I don’t even know them. I just appreciate what they’re doing.

💡 If I can help with any intros, let me know.

Want to help by contributing (long form written content)? Drop me a note.

Peace out! ✌🏽

📣 I’m looking for sponsors for the podcast.
Drop me a note if you want to know more!

Pour ne pas rater les prochains épisodes…

Hello à tous et bienvenue dans ce nouvel épisode de Product Café

Au programme de cet épisode

• Nos résolutions et intentions pour 2024

• Le PDG de Linear remet Carta à sa place

• Le redressement judiciaire de Masteos

• Les challenges de Lydia face à la gestion de crise

• Le casse du siècle en SEO grâce à ChatGPT

L'outil IA de la semaine, c'est Final Round

👉🏽 https://www.finalroundai.com/

Allez, va chiller, plus besoin de préparer tes entretiens.

À la semaine prochaine

Axel, Victor et Anna

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Notre dernier épisode de l’année dans "Product Café" est l’occasion pour Victor, Anna et moi de parler de l'échec de l'acquisition de Figma par Adobe - un vrai casse-tête dans le monde des startups tech.

Puis, on touche un sujet sensible : l'inclusion et la diversité, et le rôle des hommes dans le féminisme, surtout en France.

Pour finir, on parle des côtés sombres de la technologie, comme l'IA utilisée à mauvais escient.

Et bien sûr, on vous partage nos expériences de 2023, avec des hauts et des bas, des changements pro et perso ainsi que nos prédictions pour 2024.

À l'année prochaine !

Bonne année 🍾

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[This episode was recorded in March 2023]

In this podcast episode, Nicholas Goubert, former Chief Product Officer at Utopia Music, shares his extensive experience in product management across different industries.

He emphasizes the significance of people in product leadership, detailing how focusing on team and individual growth has been central to his career.

Nicholas highlights the importance of mentoring, fostering diverse teams, and adapting strategies to scale effectively. He also discusses the role of product operations in maintaining productivity during rapid organizational growth, underscoring the necessity of creating a supportive environment for team members.

The conversation covers transitioning from an individual contributor to a managerial role, the challenges in people management, and the cruciality of product strategy in realizing a company's vision.

Where to find Nicholas

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

Where to find Axel

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

Axel’s Bento 🍱

An irregular column on product management, food, parenting, and the occasional rabbit holes.

By Axel Sooriah

Au Menu de Notre Dernier Épisode 🍿

1. La SNCF Rencontre Spotify : Quand les Trains Croisent les Playlists :

   • On décortique la rétrospective de la SNCF, inspirée par Spotify. C'est bien beau de copier les grands, mais est-ce vraiment la voie du succès pour tous les PMs ?

   • Analyse de données et innovation : des mots-clés ou juste du vent ?

2. Post LinkedIn : Les Frameworks, un Piège à Éviter ?

   • Un post LinkedIn fait du bruit ! On y critique l'obsession pour les méthodes superficielles. Est-ce la fin de la panacée des frameworks tout faits ?

   • On débat : faut-il réellement jeter le bébé avec l'eau du bain ?

3. Le Projet Gemini de Google : Innovation ou Poudre aux Yeux ?

   • Google et son projet Gemini. On en parle : coup de génie ou juste un coup de maquillage sur une IA pas si brillante ?

   • Comment un géant comme Google peut-il se retrouver dans un tel bad buzz ?

4. Le Lien entre SNCF, LinkedIn, et Gemini :

   • Y a-t-il un fil rouge entre ces trois sujets apparemment distincts ? On creuse pour trouver la réponse.

5. Le Bilan Tech de l'Année :

   • Retour sur les sujets tech les plus chauds de l'année. Préparez-vous, on ne mâche pas nos mots !

6. Et Plus Encore :

   • Des discussions enflammées, des opinions tranchées, et une bonne dose de controverse. C'est ça, le "Product Café" !

     ---

À retrouver également sur

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• Deezer

Restez à l'Écoute : Pour ne rien manquer des prochains épisodes, abonnez-vous à Axel’s Bento 🍱.

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Vous avez des opinions ? Rejoignez le débat !

Leave a comment

Life is slower here.

The sun rises just past 5am and sets around 6.30pm.

It’s so bright early in the morning that my circadian rhythm now wants me to be up and running at around 6.30am.

Not only does it feel good to be home but sharing this long, much needed break with my family is a true blessing.

Last time we were here, our daughter, Zoey, was 6 months old, and now she’s 2 years old, and can interact much more with people and things around her. Our 5-month-old boy, Miles, loves being in the simplest attire i.e. nappies while enjoying the tropical setting.

This is also a moment for me to take a look back and make sense of this year and the journey that led me to this point.

Struggle, stress and strain

It is no surprise to anyone now that this economic downturn, which has seen massive lay-offs from tech companies, has also affected small operations like the one I was part of at Panash.

Prior to feeling the effects of the downturn in our core market, we had pivoted from a lucrative service business helping some of the biggest names in Tech level up in product management, to a more scalable, off-the-shelf, cohort-based training platform.

When economic events like this happen, training budgets are often the ones that get thrown down the drain first.

As a result, we lost a significant part of our business in a relatively short amount of time.

How was I going to manage financially, with us planning an extended maternity leave, our baby boy’s arrival…

Even if a lot of dimensions were out of my control, I couldn’t help but feel responsible.

Self-judgement is never very far in these situations.

“I could not predict things.”
“I should have been smarter.”
“The failure of this company is on me.”

In hindsight, I can now make sense of a series of events and how they impacted me, but back then, my autonomic nervous system just took care of a lot of things. Very stressful things.

Stepping back…stepping down

Back in April, I told my wife, “Let’s go on holiday. It’s the last time we’ll do something where there’s just the 3 of us…” (anticipating our baby boy’s arrival later in the summer).

We ended up going to Canada with a couple of weeks to spend around Montreal, thanks to some long-forgotten British Airways vouchers.

I decided I would delete LinkedIn, Instagram and turn off my Google Workspace inbox on my mobile.

I had disabled almost all notifications on my phone back in 2020, and it significantly changed my life for the better. Now I was taking an extra step.

This extra step had major consequences.

If you’re familiar with Montreal, you’ll know that there are parks literally every other block. We had started a little ritual of heading to the park every afternoon with our daughter.

One afternoon, while playing at the park with Zoey, I looked at my wife and told her how I felt more connected with our daughter and that it felt like we had a renewed relationship.
She looked at me and said, very kindly, “It is no surprise, you’re not really available most of the time”…

While her statement felt like a shock, part of me knew that this was true. Being an entrepreneur is much more complicated than what over the top, success-infused LinkedIn posts might show you. Add to that a (too) strong sense of work ethic instilled by parents who have experienced extreme poverty at least one point in their lives, you get someone who prioritises work over almost everything else.

I was taking decisions as an entrepreneur more than as a father or husband.

Over the course of our Canadian holiday, my wife and I got to talk several times about what that meant, and my thinking was pretty simple:
If I’m not much available for my wife and daughter, how can I be available for an additional family member.

It was time for a change.

My reflections were all pointing in one direction : stepping down from my role at Panash and exploring alternatives that offered better life balance, less stress and more presence for my growing family.

The moment I took that decision mentally, I felt like a wave of calm go through my body. My shoulders dropped and I felt hugely relieved. Almost as if months, years of stress and tensions, had just been partially relieved.

This internal feedback was no weak signal that I had taken the right decision.

Safety, security and self-preservation

As humans, we are hard-wired to create a safe and secure environment for our tribe.

Part of my stress over this past year before Miles’ arrival had much to do with this programming from time immemorial.

Deep down, I knew that the overall situation I was in, was very far from optimal, that we were about to have a 2nd child, and I was nowhere ready mentally or financially.

I find it extraordinarily fascinating how our subconscious is continuously trying to send us signals to course correct.

Right now, I’m reading “When the body says No” by Dr. Gabor Maté, and it is eye-opening on many aspects of how we deal (or not really deal) with events in our lives. How events we might not describe as traumatic in our childhood actually have a bearing on our present life, much stronger than what we’d like to admit.

In my case, it was something I could not verbalise. It was there, on my mind.
I just couldn’t put words to the feeling.

There was a part of me that knew I needed to take care of a bunch of things before I could move forward.

Much more recently, I have learned to self-inspect and analyse.

Here’s something that really helped me understand myself much better and helped me navigate the understanding of my own emotions and behaviours: Internal Family Systems (in particular this book, in French).

Self-care

I’m 37. The big 4-0 is right around the corner.

It is well documented that this is a period of questioning for many.
I’m constantly reminded of this by people around me who are moving back to their suburban or rural home towns, others enrolling in cross-fit training or running their first marathon, some getting their boating licences while others take to the Wim Hof method.

I’m not unlike everyone else.

One thing that’s become clear to me in the past year is that in order for me to take care of my tribe, I need to take care of myself first.

After securing a consulting gig as an independent product coach after I exited Panash, I felt the need to unpack everything that had happened with the aim of leveraging some of the learnings to help me be better (I don’t mean academic performance but rather body and mind).

I’m exploring breath work through my wife’s friends’ practice (Escale Yoga) who has recently graduated from Inspirational Breathing by Nicola Price.

If you’re interested, have a look at this FREE guided Breath Pattern Analysis. I found it to be highly actionable. (This is not a sponsored message. I genuinely like the approach.)

It has shown me, in very little time, how I had been breathing inefficiently for so long and has helped me heal much faster from recent COVID symptoms.

Seeing a therapist is also helping with unpacking a ton of stuff buried from a long time, from childhood to adulthood through my teenage years.
This is not the first time I’m seeing a therapist and while I know the benefits of taking care of the mind, I’m surprised it took me so long to find my way back to a place of safe listening and introspection.

Stepping stones

This summer, while I was stepping down from my entrepreneurial gig, I reached out to a few people I know to share the news and get their advice on how I was thinking about the future.

One of these calls evolved over the months and basically took me onto a path which I could not foresee.

In January 2024, I’ll be embarking in a whole new adventure that I’m truly excited about, for many reasons.

I can’t say more for now, but if you’re not a subscriber yet, maybe that’s reason enough to get on board. Plus it’s FREE. :)

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I hope you have found this to be of some use.
Writing is a hugely beneficial process for me, for all the reasons I mentioned above. Making sense of things.

Please reply to this email (or leave a comment below) and let me know if you are on a similar journey.
I’d love to share this healing journey with others who want to explore these themes further.

Leave a comment

Pour ne pas rater les prochains épisodes de Product Squad, abonne-toi à ma newsletter gratuite Axel's Bento 🍱

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Dans cet épisode vibrant de "Product Squad", Harith, un stratège produit chevronné, raconte son parcours fascinant, émaillé d'expériences riches chez PayPal et en tant que directeur général et Head of Product chez Stootie. La conversation s'anime autour de la valeur réelle des frameworks en product management, confrontant théorie et pratique.

Harith, avec son style provocateur, nous amène à reconsidérer nos approches, insistant sur l'importance de l'adaptabilité et de la pensée critique.

Un épisode qui stimule l'esprit, idéal pour les product managers désireux de repousser les frontières de leur métier.