Product and Cake

Епизоди

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  CTO Paul Lunow, this time as a Guest! Live podcast recording with Digitalconomics 05.09.2026 33мин

  When ChatGPT was released, everyone said we'd lose our jobs to AI in three months. This is year four, and this episode looks at what actually changed. For once, I'm not hosting, I'm the guest, sitting across from Luis Rieke on the first ever live recording of his podcast Digitalconomics (https://digitalconomics.com), in front of an audience in Berlin. We talk about why headcount stopped being the metric that mattered, why an average product is now the easiest thing to build and the fastest way to get ignored, and what engineers should actually focus on next. Hint: it's not a new tool. Follow Product and Cake: https://www.linkedin.com/company/product-and-cake-podcast
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  Fractional CTO Jack Godau on AI Layoffs, Product Engineers & the CPTO Myth 24.08.2026 59мин

  AI is getting blamed for a wave of layoffs across tech — but is that actually true? Our guest Jack Godau, a fractional CTO who steps into organizations when something has fundamentally broken down, doesn't buy it. If AI can genuinely make a team ten times more effective, he argues, firing people instead of putting that to use makes no sense. Ghonche and Paul talk with Jack about what's really driving the layoffs, why calling someone a "product engineer" doesn't automatically give them product skills, and how a five-person team ended up owning two hundred repositories and eighty-nine microservices that nobody understood anymore. We also dig into vision, values and culture as a company scales, why hackathons only work with real leadership buy-in, and whether product and tech should ever merge into a single CPTO role — or whether that's the wrong idea entirely. Follow Jack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-godau/ Follow Product and Cake: https://www.linkedin.com/company/product-and-cake-podcast
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  Ben Trollope on Vibe Coding, Token Economics and Why You're Not a Senior Without a Junior 17.07.2026 53мин

  Everyone said Google missed the AI train — too big, too slow. Ben Trollope has a front-row seat that says otherwise. As a Customer Engineer at Google, he's the technical sidekick who joins the call when startups across Germany, Switzerland and the Nordics want AI in their product. In this episode, Ghonche and Paul dig into what Ben actually sees behind the hype: everyone can build now, almost nobody can maintain. Why AI tokens feel as subsidized as Uber rides in 2019 — and what happens when the true cost of iteration kicks in. Why vibe coding produces SUS — single-use software — and why that might even be fine. And a passionate case for hiring juniors again: you're not a senior if there's no junior. Plus: how Google really works from the inside — no fixed processes, no pyramid, just slime-mold intelligence and "I know a guy" — and what founders can learn from culture that happens by accident. Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-trollope/ Follow Product and Cake: https://www.linkedin.com/company/product-and-cake-podcast
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  Minerva Tantoco on AI, New York City, and Leading Into the Unknown 11.06.2026 45мин

  How do you make a role reliable in an uncertain world? Minerva Tantoco has been answering that question her entire career — starting with her first AI startup in 1985, through a dozen years in financial services, running Asia Pacific as a regional CTO, and finally landing the call she almost dismissed as a prank: becoming the first-ever Chief Technology Officer of the City of New York in 2014. In this episode, Paul and Minerva explore what it actually takes to step into roles that have never existed before, build the blueprint when there's no template, and lead teams through genuine uncertainty — at startup scale and at the scale of 325,000 employees.
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  AI as a Teammate and the Future of the 'Why' 11.05.2026 35мин

  In this special live recording from the Vention Unplugged event in Berlin, Paul Lunow takes the stage to tackle one of the most polarizing questions in tech today: Is AI just a tool we trigger, or is it a teammate that can actually surprise us?. To get past the standard "it depends" industry fluff, we forced our panel of experts into a high-stakes game. Armed with green microphones for "pro" arguments and red microphones for "contra", our guests had to switch sides mid-debate to argue the real tensions of building with AI. Our Unplugged Panel Includes: Catalina Turlea: Founder & CTO at LoveLays (formerly CTO of Nilo.health). Dirk Woywod: CPTO at RuleMapping Group, building AI on legal logic. Florian Thiel: Director of Engineering at Upvest, Europe's leading API-first investment infrastructure. Promit Ray, Chief AI Officer & Co-Founder @ Rayol AI Solutions; CTO @ Scivalon. Follow Product and Cake on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/product-and-cake-podcast and checkout our new website: https://product-and-cake.lun.io
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  Founder and CTO of Lovelaice: Catalina Turlea on AI Experimentation, Domain Expertise, and Escaping the "Sea of Average" 22.03.2026 38мин

  In the season opener, Ghonche and Paul sit down with Catalina Turlea, Founder and CTO of Lovelace, to demystify the "black box" of AI integration. We explore why engineering shouldn't gatekeep prompts, how to use experimentation to avoid the "average" results of generic LLM wrappers, and why your domain expertise—not just your technical skill—is the secret to building AI that actually resonates with users. March 26th (Berlin): Join Paul and Catalina for a live panel on "AI as a Teammate". https://luma.com/1t5gsmse
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  Founder and CEO at Sukha: Steven Puri on Flow 01.09.2025 48мин

  Former Fox/DreamWorks exec turned founder Steven Puri shares how Sukha helps remote workers flip into deep focus, finish faster, and feel healthier.    We dig into body-doubling and community mechanics that measurably boost retention, the Hollywood idea of “delights” and how to engineer them in product, plus how tiny teams can leverage AI without losing soul—and the one founder habit that compounds. Click play!
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  Principal at Gauge: Nick Cawthon on Curiosity 21.08.2025 42мин

  UX has changed more in the last 10 years than in the 30 before — and it’s not slowing down. In this episode Paul and Ghonche talk with Nick Cawthon, veteran designer, educator, and founder of Gauge, about how product and tech leaders can adapt without burning out. We cover: • Why curiosity is the most underrated skill in product • How AI is reshaping design and collaboration • The myths and misconceptions about what designers really do • Practical tips for managing attention and technology boundaries Nick brings not just experience but perspective — reminding us that while tools come and go, our ability to stay curious determines whether we thrive or get left behind.
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  Head of Product at Lingoda: Thomas Gigant on Scaling Through Complexity 28.07.2025 45мин

  What does it really take to bring clarity, speed, and structure to a complex product organization? In this episode, Dr. Thomas Gigant, Head of Product at Lingoda, shares what he’s learned leading product at companies like Blinkist, Go1, and Adevinta. We explore: • How to rebuild product velocity when things slow down • The underrated power of structure and simplification • What AI can—and cannot—replace in product work • How to balance people, process, and strategy • Why courage, not perfectionism, is the real product superpower Whether you’re scaling a team, fixing a stuck org, or thinking about what great product leadership really looks like—this episode will give you the clarity and challenge you need.
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  Founder of Product Excellence: Nesrine Changuel on Building Emotional Products at Scale 11.07.2025 40мин

  Nesrine has built products used by millions — at Google, Spotify, Microsoft, and Skype. But her focus isn’t scale. It’s emotion. In this episode, she shares how features like background blur and emoji reactions came from empathy, not roadmaps. We talk about “Product Delight,” why B2H matters more than B2B, and how great teams listen deeply before they build. https://nesrine-changuel.com/product-delight-book/
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  Director of Product at ICE Global: Ghazal Shishavani on Learning to Lead Through Trust, Change, and Voice 26.06.2025 43мин

  From consultant to product director, Ghazal shares the personal shifts that shaped her leadership style — and how trust, change, and vulnerability became core tools, not just soft skills. A powerful story about growing into your voice and making space for others to grow too.
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  Staff Product Manager at Vercel: Mariano Fernández Cocirio on Scaling Focus 09.06.2025 42мин

  How do you keep focus when your product and team are scaling fast? Mariano shares how he stays close to users, manages chaos without over-optimizing, and why great PMs need taste, not just process.
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  Product Career Coach: Shobhit Chugh on Identity, Growth & Letting Go 28.05.2025 34мин

  Are you at a turning point in your product career? Shobhit Chugh a former PM at Google and now a product career coach, shares how to navigate transitions with more clarity, less ego, and a stronger sense of self. From job titles to personal growth, this episode is a calm and thoughtful reminder that your role isn’t your identity.
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  Co-Founder & Product and Tech at Nyord: Friederike Gaigl on No-Code, Co-Creation & Solo-Building with AI 23.05.2025 41мин

  Friederike Gaigl left her secure job as a UX designer at SAP to build something entirely her own. Now co-founder and Head of Product and Tech at Nyord, she shares how she’s building a real, scalable product—without a tech team. We talk about the power of Bubble, using AI as a co-creator, learning through doing, and the messy reality of early-stage decision-making.
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  Head of Product Management Data & AI at Zalando: Chakameh Shafii on AI, Ethics & the Power of Problem Solving 13.05.2025 41мин

  Chakameh Shafii leads Product Management for Data & AI at Zalando Lounge, where she helps turn AI from a buzzword into real value. We talk about the real job of an AI product manager, the danger of chasing point solutions, how to balance experimentation with responsibility, and why solving the right problem is the most important skill of all.
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  Secrets to Effective Product Strategy with Marcelo, Author of the PRFAQ Book 06.05.2025 41мин

  What if your next big idea came to life with just six pages—starting with a press release? In this episode of Product&Cake, Paul and Ghonche are joined by Marcelo, founder and author of PRFAQ Labs and former Director of Product & Tech at Amazon, to unpack the power of Amazon’s PRFAQ framework, why traditional product tools often miss the mark, and how AI is reshaping the art (and science) of product management.
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  Founder of Relay.app Jacob Bank on AI Agents, Leaving Google, and Building with Purpose 30.04.2025 48мин

  Jacob Bank left a director role at Google to build something faster, simpler, and more human: Relay, an AI agent platform for real businesses. In this episode, we talk about what happens when you stop chasing PRDs, why small teams often move faster than giants, and how action—not analysis—creates real information. A conversation about product, growth, AI, and the stories we tell ourselves along the way.
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  Growth Strategy Advisor Kurtis Morrison on Startups, Experiments & the Real Use of AI 23.04.2025 50мин

  Kurtis Morrison has worked across startups like Bunch, Babbel, and Prematch—leading growth with a hands-on, data-driven, and refreshingly honest approach. In this episode, he shares how to find real leverage in early-stage teams, how AI is changing his day-to-day work, and what growth really means beyond marketing or sales. Plus: shipping fast, generalist struggles, and YAY/NAY hot takes on MVPs and build culture.
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  Director of Engineering at Hyperact: Jacob Clark on AI, Ethics, and the Human Side of Building Tech 15.04.2025 36мин

  Jacob Clark has seen it all—from legacy government platforms to bleeding-edge AI products. In this episode, he shares why most technical problems are already solved, what engineers really bring to the table, and how focusing on people over productivity leads to better teams and better software. A conversation about architecture, ethics, human connection—and the real cost of chasing the AI hype.
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  Product Operations Manager at Adevinta: Jonas on Trust, AI & the Quiet Power of Product Ops 03.04.2025 42мин

  What happens when you’re the first Product Ops in a company of 40+ PMs—and no one really knows what your job is? In this episode, Jonas Kniel shares how he builds trust, creates clarity in ambiguity, and uses AI as a sparring partner to support product teams at scale. A calm, reflective conversation on product culture, operational impact, and why “being useful” beats being loud.