We’re experimenting to solve the top problem for listeners of the top product management podcast
By Mike Fishbein
When I started our podcast, This is Product Management, more than four years ago, I had lofty ambitions: to find and share the absolute best and most insightful product management stories.
But I couldn’t have possibly expected the fan following that would develop and the titans of industry that I would meet since then! I’ve interviewed the top names in the industry, including Eric Ries, Marty Cagan, Nir Eyal, Claire Vo, Jason Fried, Tomer Sharon, Scott Belsky, and Annie Duke. And in just four years the podcast has achieved some pretty impressive metrics, including…
- 200+ episodes
- An average of 20,000+ downloads per episode
- 2.5M+ total downloads
🚧 I ran into a huge and seemingly insurmountable problem 🚧
I’ve long believed that audio is a powerful format for storytelling. Whereas videos can be exhausting and text uninspiring, audio is often the perfect balance for capturing tone and content. While core listeners love and appreciate stories from the podcast, sometimes insights and key takeaways need to be able to stand on their own. And that’s where audio can sometimes fall short.
I get countless emails from listeners every week asking for a better way to leverage and share the lessons and insights from episodes with bosses, peers, friends, mentors, and mentees. While I love podcasts, they’re not always the best medium for note-taking and collaborating. Especially when there’s more than 100 hours of content. So I had to think outside the podcast.
That’s why we’re experimenting with a book concept called The Listener’s Official Guide in order to make insights from This is Product Management more accessible. In true product management form, we’re experimenting by using a “pre-launch” on Indiegogo to optimize the book before launching a full campaign. We’ll be running surveys, responding to comments, and collaborating with interested readers who sign up here.
🚧 Some ideas for solutions 🚧
Our vision is to create a book that captures the most salient and shareable insights from the podcast. How to do that is going to require a lot of experimentation and validation. Here are some of the ideas we’re working with:
- Hardcover book with illustrations of key concepts
- Quotes and highlights curated by topic
- QR codes that link to short, shareable audio clips
But I need your feedback. I want to take This is Product Management to the next level and unlock a goldmine of insights, and I’m confident that together we can figure out how to do that.
