Observation Book

Category: product management

The Power of Noticing: Lessons from Great Gifters

Lessons from the few who gifted well by doing the rarest thing of all: paying attention — a small rebellion against the annual flood of candles, gift cards, bath sets, and other objects that politely announce, “I didn’t know what else to get you

November 22, 2025
It’s Not About the Players, It’s About Getting on Base

Opinions are mine alone, not my employer’s. Typed on my personal Mac. “It’s not about the players, it’s about getting on base.” That single line from Moneyball explains why baseball changed forever — and why product managers are still stuck chasing batting averages. In the movie, Brad Pitt had to explain to a room of…

September 6, 2025
Communities, Cohorts and the Rise of Post University Career Launchpads

Born from the internet and for the internet, a new paradigm of professional education is opening up through cohort-based courses. I dive into what has led to its arrival and its advantages over traditional degree programs, on-demand MOOCs and YouTube education. Bonus: I’ve added links to some of the best CBCs for Software Engineering, Marketing,…

October 5, 2021
Bridging Education, Employment and Equity With Technology

Susan Morrow from Salesforce and I discuss the ongoing pandemic’s effects on education, the system constraints, and innovative technologies that could reverse this trend.

May 28, 2021
From First Female Product Manager at Google to Advancing 1000s of Women in Tech

In this candid conversation, Nancy Wang shares insights on what helps talent to have a shot at being in the C-Suite and how her non-profit helps more women advance their career in tech.

November 24, 2020
Evolving Microsoft’s Supply Chain Management

Kavita Krishan opens about the evolution of supply chain management at Microsoft, D&I efforts under Satya Nadella’s leadership and her passion for hiking.

November 12, 2020
The Most Important Thing to Me is to Stick to My Core Values and Philosophies

Our guest this week is Kalpana Sundar — Director of Product Management, Pricing at PayPal —who lives in San Jose. Kalpana’s career trajectory is phenomenal, so are the lessons she’s picked up along the last decade. I am excited I discovered her and can’t wait to share her thoughts.

August 19, 2020
Charting Her Own Course in Software with a Knack for Extreme Empathy

I caught up with Sushma Padmanabhan — a Senior Product Manager at Intuit — for profiling her trail-blazing career. A native of Mumbai, she explored the nine yards of finance for a decade — from stockbroking, banking, insurance to taxes, before moving to Bengaluru for opportunities in FinTech. In 2008, Sushma joined Intuit as a…

August 13, 2020
How This Military Veteran Switched Gears To Tech And Set Her Career On Autopilot

An abrupt end to her career in military was the start of her fast-paced journey in product management. Brittany credits her mother’s lessons on building relationships and finding a partner who supports her line of work.

June 1, 2020
The Tsunami Crashed Her Dreams. Now She is Breaking The Glass Ceiling as a Tech Leader

I wrote to Silva Thom on the possibility of profiling her. We spent the next few weekends discussing her intensely unconventional journey into software and product management.

May 22, 2020