Practical Product Management

Each week we peel back the layers of product management theory and dive into the nuts and bolts of making real decisions in high-stakes tech environments. Join us, Marilyn McDonald and Leah Farmer, as we share insights from our 20+ years at the forefront of Big Tech, Payments, Scaleups, and Startups.

Practical Product Management is a business podcast hosted by Leah Farmer & Marilyn McDonald, with 49 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Leah Farmer & Marilyn McDonald hosts Practical Product Management, a business show with 49 episodes published.

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  Episode #3

  Trust as Infrastructure: Innovation, AI, and the Future of Payments

  Mar 25, 202651 minS3

  <p>In this episode of Practical Product Management, hosts Leah Farmer and Marilyn McDonald sit down with Ryan Dew, CPO at Thredd, a global issuing processor based in London, to explore what innovation really means when you're operating at the foundation of the payments ecosystem.</p><p>Ryan explains how Thredd approaches innovation as a "slow burn" in a heavily regulated industry — building guardrails first, earning trust before shipping features, and letting their fintech and program manager customers build the flashy user experiences on top. The conversation covers the emergence of trust-as-a-service as a critical pillar for AI and agentic co...

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  Episode #2

  Innovation at the Edge: AI, ERP, and the Art of the Calculated Bet

  Mar 11, 202639 minS3

  <p>In this episode of Practical Product Management, hosts Leah Farmer and Marilyn McDonald sit down with Evan J. Schwartz, Chief Innovation Officer at AMCS Group, to explore what innovation really looks like inside a large, mature SaaS organization.</p><p>Evan explains how his role works as a separate innovation track — taking high-risk bets on AI and emerging technology, running lean matrixed teams, and handing proven concepts back to the product organization once they've reached critical mass. The conversation covers how to structure innovation without creating resentment among product and engineering teams, the difference between technical innovation and product in...

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  Episode #1

  The Books That Made Us Better Product Managers (And Better Humans)

  Feb 25, 202639 minS3

  <p>In the Season 3 premiere of Practical Product Management, hosts Leah Farmer and Marilyn McDonald ditch the traditional PM reading list and get personal — sharing the books outside of product management that have most shaped their careers, their leadership, and how they show up as humans at work.</p><p>From Brené Brown's case for vulnerability and clear communication, to Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication and the surprisingly violent language baked into everyday tech culture, to Susan Cain's exploration of introversion and what it means to make space for quieter voices — the conversation covers a remarkable amount of ground. They also dig i...

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  Episode #23

  Season Wrap Up - The CEO of Your Life

  Dec 2, 202558 minS2

  <p>In the Season 2 finale of Practical Product Management, Leah and Marilyn close the year with an honest and deeply human conversation. They revisit the idea of being the CEO of your own life, choosing who gets a seat at your personal board table, and why your job doesn’t deserve a vote in your identity. They explore the hard parts of product leadership and reflect on the importance of having a strong spine as a team. They also share the joyful, real-life practices that keep them grounded, from baking to moon rituals to community building, ending the season with a...

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  Episode #22

  Best of Season 2, Part 2 - Conversations that reminded us why Product is a "people-first" craft.

  Nov 19, 202556 minS2

  <p>In this second Best Of episode, Leah and Marilyn revisit Episodes 11–20 — a set of conversations that explored burnout as data, the importance of communication, and the courage it takes to build meaningful products. Featuring guests like Charity, Sunny, Greg, Ryan, Steve, and Ali, this collection highlights the deeply human side of product work. It’s a reminder that great product leadership comes from curiosity, clarity, and the willingness to challenge old patterns.</p><p></p><p>Key Takeaways</p><p>1. Burnout Is Data, Not Drama</p><p>When energy fades or creativity dips, it’s not failure — it’s a signal wor...

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