This interview podcast features Rohini Pandhi, a product leader at Mercury, discussing the company's journey from initially rejecting the need for product managers to building a successful 30-person product team. The conversation explores the signs indicating a need for PMs (bottlenecks, increasing complexity), strategies for building a PM org (defining roles, creating a career ladder, refining the interview process), and the importance of investing in quality user experience even in "boring" industries like fintech. Phandhi introduces a helpful framework categorizing PMs as "pioneers," "town settlers," and "city planners," illustrating different skill sets needed at various stages of product development. Listeners gain practical advice on hiring PMs, building product teams, and prioritizing quality, along with insights into Mercury's multi-product expansion strategy.
