Product Rebels – Détails, épisodes et analyse

What happens when product leaders prioritize profit over long-term value? 

In this episode, Michael Nierstedt shares lessons from more than a decade building payroll and HR technology across companies like Gusto and Paylocity. He explains why product investment drives competitive advantage, why product managers must think like sellers inside their organizations, and how real influence comes from delivering value in production.

The conversation also explores customer research, the realities of building AI-driven products, and why the next generation of product leaders must learn to delegate, coach, and empower their teams. 

Overthinking isn't a liability — it might just be your greatest edge as a product leader. 

In celebration of women's history month, Vidya Dinamani and Heather Samarin sit down with Carmen Palmer, CEO of Women in Product and a veteran CPO with 20 years in the industry. 

Carmen makes the case for why women's "overthinking" is a competitive edge, argues product management isn't going anywhere, and issues a sharp call to action: get in on AI now, before the gap widens. 

She also unpacks the power of the personal board and what Women in Product has planned for 2026. 

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.

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.

What does it take to build products that transform not just classrooms, but the entire education space? 

Heather Samarin and Vidya Dinamani sit down with a product leader who's done just that—Rachel Stack, Chief Humanities Officer at Great Minds. From navigating complex nonprofit-to-for-profit transformation, Rachel shares how her teams embraced continuous learning, prioritized with discipline, and preserved the "special sauce" of mission-driven education. 

Explore real talk on product structure, educator-led development, value stream mapping, and how to lead with curiosity while staying grounded in purpose. 

What does it take to push back against the status quo—and win? 

Vidya Dinamani and Heather Samarin sit down with Colt Stander, CPO at Presence, as he shares what it means to be a true product rebel. 

From tackling overlooked customer problems to navigating leadership resistance, Colt reveals how his teams tested controversial ideas and drove innovation in hardware and healthcare. He offers honest insights on product storytelling, user obsession and why the best PMs challenge assumptions. 

How do you scale product impact while keeping customer trust at the center?

Heather Samarin and Vidya Dinamani sit down with Ismail Elshareef, CPO at CarGurus, as he shares his bold approach to leading with empathy, optimism, and integrity.

From standing up against revenue-first tactics to cultivating teams that challenge norms with courage and candor, Ismail brings tactical advice from hard-earned wisdom. 

Tune in to hear how he develops customer-obsessed teams, asks the right questions, and stays relentless curious—even in high-stakes environments.

What does it take to challenge the convention and rebuild from scratch? 

Heather Samarin and Vidya Dinamani find out as they sit down with Sara Xi, CPO at Rubicon Carbon. Sara shares her journey leading product, engineering, and design to reshape the voluntary carbon market. From scrapping legacy platforms to scaling lean teams, Sara talks risk, trust, and mission-driven leadership.

Hear her insights on empowering teams, taking smart risks, and building products that make climate impact—and business sense. An inspiring listen for rebels building bold solutions. 

What happens when a seasoned sales and engineering leader becomes a CPO? 

Vidya Dinamani and Heather Samarin sit down with Jim Shaw, Chief Product Officer at Acquia, as he shares his journey into product leadership and what he's learned along the way. 

From navigating imposter syndrome to bridging gaps between sales and product, Jim dives into the importance of clarify, mission-driven teams, and cross-functional alignment. A must-listen for anyone leading through influence in complex organizations. 

What does it take to drive product innovation in industries that aren’t traditionally product-led?

Heather Samarin and Vidya Dinamani sit down with Rahul Nath, CPO at Accel, who brings rich experience from Google, Drip Capital, and McKinsey. Rahul shares how he builds product in non-product-led spaces, from redefining onboarding in trade finance to leveraging AI in venture capital. 

Hear Rahul's practical lessons on stakeholder alignment, scrappy experimentation, data-driven decision-making, and why he believes “if there’s no clear strategy—write one.” A must-listen for product leaders navigating ambiguity and driving bold transformation.