S2:E21 - Best of Season 2, Part 1 - Highlights, lessons and laughs from our most curious season yet.

In this special Best Of episode, we look back at the first ten episodes of Season 2 — and what a season it’s been. From fractional leadership and accessibility to GovTech, AI, and personal growth, these conversations reminded us how dynamic and human product work really is.

We’ve talked with incredible guests — people like Peter Collingridge, Mike Paciello, Rob Monroe, Sam Zebarjadi, Jen Bloom, and more — who helped us explore the edges of product practice: where leadership meets curiosity, where bureaucracy becomes a design challenge, and where learning never stops.

As we wrap up this half of the season, we’re celebrating the lessons that stayed with us: focus over frenzy, context over theory, and the courage to do less but do it better.

Key Takeaways

1. Context is Everything

   Product theory only matters when it meets reality. Success comes from understanding your environment — and adapting accordingly.

2. Focus Over Frenzy

   In an AI-driven world, clarity beats speed. Being essential in the moments that matter is more powerful than doing more, faster.

3. Practice Like You Play

   Leadership is a daily practice. Show up, even when it’s messy. Repetition builds confidence and muscle memory for when it counts.

4. Do Less, Better

   Impact matters more than activity. Prioritize the work that truly moves your product — and your people — forward.

Questions for Product Managers

1. Which parts of your product work this year felt like “practice,” and which felt like “game day”?

2. Where could you slow down and focus more deeply instead of trying to move faster?

3. What’s one old belief about product or leadership you’re ready to leave behind before the new year?