Episodes

  • From Consensus to Conviction
    Feb 12 2026

    What does great product leadership look like when you’re asked to go along with a big initiative you don’t believe in?

    In this episode, former CPO at Everway, Timothy Alvis, talks about the tough calls product leaders face when conviction clashes with consensus.

    From telling better stories, to embracing problem obsession over solution fixation, Tim shares hard-earned wisdom from leading at scale and navigating complex orgs. We also hear how he’s now applying AI to rethink product work itself. Whether you’re an aspiring CPO or in the trenches today, this episode offers plenty of gold.

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    32 mins
  • Don't Ship Assumptions
    Jan 29 2026

    What happens when you challenge long-held assumptions—and let real data and user behavior lead?

    In this episode, Vidya Dinamani and Heather Samarin sit down with Harish Pandian, CPO at Gravity, to talk about driving product transformation in industries resistant to change.

    From building gamified safety tools to rapid-fire prototype testing on job sites, Harish shares how deep customer empathy, hard data, and cross-functional trust unlock real adoption and lasting impact.

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    35 mins
  • Practical AI in Product
    Dec 30 2025

    What does it really mean to make AI practical in product teams?

    In this special year-end episode, Vidya Dinamani and Heather Samarin are sharing highlights from a recent Product Rebels live webinar focused on how product leaders can apply AI in meaningful, responsible ways.

    Joined by Polly Allen, former Principal Product Manager at Alexa AI, they explore grounding AI in real customer problems, aligning AI efforts to business strategy, and why leaders can’t afford to stay hands-off.

    This is a candid, experience-driven conversation about judgment, risk, and leadership in an AI-powered product world.

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    42 mins
  • Building Campfires, Not Caves
    Nov 20 2025

    What happens when a product leader enters a company and rewrites the strategy playbook—not with a megaphone, but with a matchstick and a campfire?

    Vidya Dinamani and Heather Samarin sit down with Raji Bedi, CPO at Lob, as he shares his analogies-packed approach to aligning teams, building product culture, and moving from "roadmap blur" to clarity and execution. From transforming product managers into organizational "locals", to advocating for faster cadence and fuller buckets, Raji offers a masterclass in practical product leadership.

    Tune in for a memorable and energizing conversation on curiosity, collaboration, and leading with intent.

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    30 mins
  • Making AI Work for Product Teams
    Oct 30 2025

    This special episode of Product Rebels brings you highlights from a recent webinar hosted by Heather Samarin and Vidya Dinamani, and featuring product veteran Ravi Mehta. With AI hype reaching fever pitch, many product teams are being pushed to “do AI”—without clear strategy or outcomes.

    In this candid conversation, we break down what’s really working in teams today. Learn the Inspire, Validate, Structure, and Ship framework designed to move your team from idea to impact with clarity. If you’re a product leader navigating how to integrate AI meaningfully, this episode offers practical steps, real examples, and a refreshing no-fluff approach.

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    43 mins
  • Rethinking Product Ownership Boundaries
    Oct 16 2025

    What does it really mean to be a product rebel?

    Heather Samarin and Vidya Dinamani sit down with Saurabh Sharma, CPO at You.com, as he shares how asking the tough questions can shift an entire company's trajectory.

    From tackling NFT theft at OpenSea to transforming product leadership with resilience, Saurabh brings real-world insight on thinking systemically, building partnerships, and elevating PM influence.

    Learn how he uses "relentless subtraction" to stay focused, why RQ matters just as much as IQ, and how understanding your stakeholder's language can unlock big wins.

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    27 mins
  • Driving Change in Complex Systems
    Oct 2 2025

    How do you drive lasting change in one of the most complex and high-stakes industries—healthcare?

    Vidya Dinamani and Heather Samarin sit down with Nasir Ali, former CPO at CareMetx, to explore how a product mindset can reshape legacy systems.

    From shifting to scalable solutions to outcome-based contracts, Nasir shares real-world tactics and lessons in driving innovation at scale.

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    23 mins
  • Building MVPs that Matter
    Sep 11 2025

    What does it take to drive product innovation across cultures, languages, and business units?

    Heather Samarin and Vidya Dinamani sit down with Chris Pasley, former VP of Product at 17Live, as he shares lessons from scaling product at a global live-streaming platform. From managing incentives in a “whale economy” to aligning cross-country OKRs, Chris shares stories of stakeholder wrangling, cultural empathy, and staying true to the customer. He also offers a practical framework for defining MVPs and driving impact through problem-cause-solution thinking.

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    28 mins