In this episode, Sophia shares her journey from discovering product management to landing her first internships and building the technical and creative skills that set her apart. She offers practical advice for breaking into PM as a student, covering timelines and applications, side projects, and networking tips. Whether you’re curious about the technical side of PM or how creativity can give you an edge, this conversation is full of insights for aspiring, young product managers.

In this episode of the UWaterloo Product Management Podcast, Rodolfo, a seasoned product leader whose work has shaped the way millions experience music, creativity, and connection. With an impressive track record at Meta, Reddit, Cameo, and Spotify, Rodolfo brings a rare blend of strategic rigor, cultural sensitivity, and creative experimentation to everything he builds.

We explore the journey from Harvard Business School to product leadership, unpacking how to stay anchored in product fundamentals while building for the edge of culture.

Here’s what you’ll take away:

• A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of hits like Spotify Daylist, Jam, and Referrals — and what it takes to build products that feel personal without chasing virality

• How to move from individual contributor to product leader, and what changes in mindset, execution, and influence along the way

• Why AI is more than a tool — it’s a co-creator, and how it’s transforming the way PMs ideate, ship, and learn

• Rodolfo’s personal frameworks like the Tree Diagram and Diamond Method for navigating prioritization and ambiguity

• Hard-won lessons from big tech vs. startup life — from scale to scrappiness

• How to bring your personal passions into your product work, and why it matters

• His honest take on the PM + MBA question, what he would tell his younger self, and the one mindset shift that changed everything

• A vulnerable reflection on self-doubt, failure, and the importance of staying connected to our creative inner child that first led us to build

Plus: one final “assignment” to elevate your product thinking this week

Love Rodolfo’s insights? Dive deeper by subscribing to his newsletter RodolfoDays — where he breaks down product thinking, frameworks, and life lessons at the intersection of tech, creativity, and culture. 

In this episode, we sit down with David Currie, a Product Manager at Pepper, a hyper-growth Series B startup, who brings a unique perspective on what it really takes to succeed in product management. With a background spanning engineering to solutions engineering to product, David shares hard-won insights about prioritizing customer understanding over technical prowess.

Join us for an honest conversation about building products at scale, the art of prioritization, and why being too technical as a PM might actually hold you back. If you're curious about product management at fast-growing startups and want to understand what truly moves the needle, this episode's for you.

We cover:

• Why David compares his product journey to "A Sand County Almanac" and systems thinking

• The career progression from engineering to product management and key lessons learned

• How to build PM skills through community and continuous learning (not just interview prep)

• His prioritization framework: solving real problems that align with business strategy

• Why PMs shouldn't be gambling and should "test small, fail fast, learn, repeat"

• The dangers of technical PMs steamrolling their engineering teams

• How to balance short-term customer requests with long-term strategic vision

• Why AI can't replace human empathy in customer discovery

Key takeaway? Focus on understanding your customers' problems deeply. Technical expertise is valuable, but customer empathy is your superpower.

What does it take to grow from an intern still figuring it all out to leading high-visibility products at one of the world’s most iconic tech companies?

In this episode of the UWaterloo Product Management Podcast, August sits down with Swarathmika Kakivaya, a Product Manager II at Microsoft, to unpack her 6+ year journey — starting from her Explorer Internship to becoming a full-time PM owning strategic product decisions.

Together, they explore how to stand out early, thrive in ambiguous roles, earn influence without authority, and build habits that scale. Swarathmika also opens up about how her definition of a “great PM” has evolved, the signals that someone’s cut out for product, and what keeps her curious and motivated.

Whether you’re a student just breaking in or a PM looking to level up, this episode is packed with grounded advice and reflections you won’t want to miss.

This episode flips the usual format. Instead of chatting with someone who’s already graduated, we sat down with Palak Agarwal, a 4A Computational Math student who's navigated multiple PM internships - from early-stage startups to companies like Scotiabank, Arteria AI, and Gamma - and is heading to Microsoft next.

Join us for refreshingly honest conversation about navigating PM internships, building skills, and what it really means to grow in product. If you’re a student curious about product management but unsure how to actually get started, this episode’s for you.

We cover:

• How the PM role evolves across different companies

• Actionable ways to grow PM skills when you don’t have the title yet

• Tips on intentional networking that actually work (even when it’s awkward)

• How to prep for your first product interviews - "without shortcuts"!

• Real talk about U.S. co-ops

  Key takeaway? Be curious. Don't take shortcuts. Start before you’re ready.

  
  

From starting as a software development intern to becoming a Senior Product Manager, this episode dives into the ups and downs of navigating a career in product management. We talk about the challenges of making the leap from intern to PM, the importance of self-advocacy, and how treating your career like an MVP can help you grow and adapt. There are stories about overcoming setbacks, finding confidence, and the unique perspective of being a woman in tech. It’s an honest and relatable look at what it takes to build a career in product management while staying true to yourself!

This episode features a recording of our fireside chat at ProdCon with Jeffrey Chan, Senior Manager at TD Invent.

The conversation dives into Jeff’s strategies for driving industry-first innovations, balancing vision with execution, and cultivating an intrapreneurial mindset. From launching Canada’s first mobile commerce store at Dell to pioneering groundbreaking customer service advancements at TD, Jeff shares actionable insights for aspiring PMs and innovators looking to make a lasting impact in corporate environments.

In this episode, we dive into the contradictions of product management with Prashanth Rajendran, Senior Manager of Product Management at Samsung Research. From balancing technical expertise with business knowledge to navigating data-driven decisions and intuition, we discuss what it takes to succeed in this challenging and ambiguous role. Drawing from his 14+ years of experience, Prashanth shares practical insights for aspiring product managers on how to build the skills needed to lead with confidence in these 'grey areas' in the future.

We dive deep into Product with Curtis from how he got his break into Product to advice to his younger self.

Today we’re here with a very special guest, Iris, who is a Waterloo alumni and has previously worked in product management roles across both Canadian and American landscapes at companies like Google X, Microsoft, Neo, and Scale AI. Currently she is working with Arteria AI. On the side, she is also completing a Masters degree in Analytics and AI. Iris formerly founded an impact-driven non-profit called OpenMeal and led a team of 50 at her own startup, Neutrify.

In this podcast episode, we meet Justin Ford, the co-founder of Javelin Sports, a company on a mission to combat social isolation through sports. They initially set out to create a platform for adults to connect through sports but had to pivot when the pandemic hit.

[00:00:02]: Introduction and Welcome

[00:00:33]: Introducing Justin Ford, co-founder of Jafflin Sports

[00:00:44]: Javlin Sports' mission to tackle social isolation crisis

[00:02:05]: Choosing volleyball as the focus for Javlin Sports

[00:02:40]: Initial challenges and the pivot during the pandemic

[00:05:32]: Success with COVID screening app and relaunch into sports

[00:06:57]: Importance of timing and execution for startups

[00:08:08]: Identifying timing trends and executing on them

[00:08:57]: The importance of having one great idea in a startup

[00:09:10]: The opportunity for improvement in skill level at games