S2:E17 - From MVPs to FAFO: Iterations, courage, and what it really means to learn fast in Product.

In this episode of Practical Product Management, we welcome back two of our favorite guests—engineering leader Alesha Crony and product problem-solver Geno White—for a lively conversation about iteration. Together, we explore why iteration is more than process—it’s a philosophy of learning, risk-taking, and embracing discomfort.

From the courage gap that keeps leaders stuck, to the way incentives and legacy thinking shape (or block) innovation, this episode gets candid about what it takes to really “fuck around and find out” in product development. We also take on hot topics like MVPs (are they all trash?), the shifting balance of PM/engineering roles in the age of AI, and the importance of curiosity in solving real customer problems.

Key Takeaways

• Iteration is about learning, not perfection – moving fast matters less than learning fast, and that requires comfort with uncertainty.

• Courage and trust are critical – organizations often get stuck not because the data isn’t there, but because leaders lack the courage to pivot or empower teams.

• MVPs are often meaningless – reframing them as learning vehicles (or prototypes) keeps teams focused on outcomes instead of excuses.

Questions for PMs

1. Where in your current work are you iterating just to confirm bias, rather than to learn?

2. How comfortable are you (and your stakeholders) with saying “we don’t know yet”?

3. What incentives in your organization encourage—or discourage—experimentation and iteration?

4. If MVPs feel like “trash” in your environment, how could you reframe them into meaningful learning tools?