🎨 Developing a Unique Product Management Style

In our 1st Pod Shot of 2025 we’re revisiting Product Talk. In this episode, Nicole Castillo, VP of Strategic Products at News Corp, shared invaluable insights about developing an authentic product management style. She covered her journey from customer service to leading strategic products and super useful experiences from the importance of customer service background in product management, to the value of being transparent and authentic in communication and her approach to sunsetting products with empathy and logic. So let’s dig in to these valuable lessons and more!

🎙️ Listen to the full episode here

📆 Published: December 20th, 2024

🕒 Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins. Time saved: 33 mins🔥

Developing a Unique Product Management Style

🌟 The Foundation: Customer Service Mindset

The path to product leadership isn't always straight. For Castillo, it began in customer service – a foundation that proved invaluable for her product management career. "Being part of customer service is actually really critical to what makes me a really great product person today," she explains.

Key Takeaways for Product Leaders:

• There’s no one way to being a great PM, but customer service experience helps develop empathy and understanding of user needs

• Learning to read between the lines of customer feedback is crucial

• What customers say they want isn't always what they need

• The ability to interpret feedback and identify underlying needs is a critical skill

🧭 Navigating the Stakeholder Maze

One of the most challenging aspects of product management is balancing stakeholder expectations with customer needs. Castillo advocates for transparency and authenticity in communication, even when delivering difficult messages.

Strategic Approaches:

• Be candid and transparent in communications

• Use humour effectively when appropriate

• Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

• Maintain authenticity in your management style

• Focus on the problem, not just the solution

🤖 Embracing AI with a Critical Eye

As someone spearheading AI initiatives at News Corp, Castillo describes herself as a "cynical optimist" when it comes to AI implementation. Her approach offers valuable insights for product managers navigating the AI hype cycle.

AI Implementation Guidelines:

• Start with the problem, not the technology

• Balance excitement with practical application

• Consider both internal efficiency and external product opportunities

• Maintain focus on brand trust and reliability

• Don't force AI solutions where traditional approaches work better

🛠 Sunsetting Products: The Art of Letting Go

One of the most valuable insights Castillo shared was her approach to sunsetting products. Her experience offers a great perspective in how to handle what can be a challenging aspect of being a PM.

Sunsetting Strategy:

• Approach with fresh eyes and objectivity

• Focus on data and business impact

• Consider the human element – both users and team members

• Present logical arguments backed by metrics

• Frame it as an opportunity for team growth and resource optimisation

🤝 Building Psychological Safety

Castillo emphasises the importance of creating an environment where team members feel safe to take risks and learn from mistakes. Her approach to leadership focuses on empowering team members while providing a safety net.

Leadership Principles:

• Remove "failure" from your vocabulary

• Take responsibility for team decisions

• Encourage calculated risk-taking

• Share personal experiences and lessons learned

• Foster an environment of continuous learning

🎯 Developing Your Unique Style

Perhaps the most compelling advice from Castillo is her approach to developing a unique product management style. She brands herself as the "Mary Poppins of product management," demonstrating how personal branding can make your approach memorable and authentic.

But for me it highlights there is clearly no “one right way” to be a PM, so find your style, and what works for you and hone that.

Style Development Tips:

• Identify what makes you unique

• Apply your personal experiences to product management

• Create a memorable way to communicate your approach

• Stay authentic to who you are

• Use your background as a strength

🌍 Driving Change: The DEI Perspective

Castillo's success in organising the Global Women in Tech Conference at News Corp provides valuable lessons in driving organisational change and promoting diversity in tech.

Change Management Strategies:

• Speak up when you see opportunities for improvement

• Take initiative in proposing solutions

• Build coalitions across the organisation

• Secure budget and support through clear value proposition

• Focus on sustainable, long-term impact

💡 Final Thoughts

The key to successful product management isn't about following a predetermined playbook – it's about developing your own authentic style while maintaining a framework of core product management principles. But as with any framework, it should be flexible enough to allow you to adapt to address new, complex situations. As Castillo demonstrates, your unique experiences and perspective can become your greatest strengths in leading product teams and driving innovation through such uncertainty.

The most successful product leaders aren't those who perfectly follow a template – they're the ones who understand their unique strengths and leverage them to build better products and stronger teams.

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📅Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 - Introduction and Sponsorship

• 00:00:22 - About Products That Count

• 00:00:53 - Welcome to Product Talk

• 00:01:37 - Introducing Host Justin Lebo

• 00:01:48 - Guest Introduction: Nicole Castillo

• 00:02:48 - Nicole's Reaction to Winning the Award

• 00:03:10 - Nicole's Background and Career Journey

• 00:06:06 - Importance of Customer Service Experience

• 00:08:04 - Navigating Stakeholder and Customer Expectations

• 00:11:09 - Challenges in Sunsetting a Product

• 00:16:07 - Shifting Focus from Tech-Led to Product-Led

• 00:17:08 - AI in Product Management

• 00:20:48 - Future of Product Management with AI

• 00:23:06 - Growing and Empowering Teams

• 00:26:32 - Creating a Culture of Risk-Taking

• 00:29:29 - Global Women in Tech Conference

• 00:32:59 - Final Advice for Product Leaders

• 00:36:23 - Closing Remarks and Call to Action