We track Product so you don't have to. Top Podcasts summarised, the latest AI tools, plus research and news in a 5 min digest.

Hey Product Fans!

Welcome to this week’s 🌮 Product Tapas!

If you’ve been forwarded this or just stumbled upon it, you’re in for a treat. For the best reading experience, check out the web version and sign up for future editions here.

I'm SUPER excited about this week's edition because we're launching something new that I think you're going to love...

🚨 Much Excite!🚨
Introducing Productivity Tapas. A brand new premium section dedicated to helping you work smarter, not harder. Think AI-powered workflows, time-saving tools, and real-world productivity hacks tailored for Product Managers.

Productivity Tapas is part of our new paid tier, but fear not – you can try it out for FREE for 3 months to see if it’s right for you! We've also shifted the Podshots database and the time-serving tools database behind the premium tier, but you can still manually search through as before if you prefer the free tier.

As with all these things, it's a trial, so if you don't like it, let me know. But please also let me know if you like it too by commenting below.

The first edition drops TODAY featuring "How to 10x EVERYTHING Using AI + Voice" 🎙️

Read more below or jump straight to it here 👇️ 

What else is on the menu this week? 🧑‍🍳

📰 Not Boring – Apple's cooking up a storm with their 2025 iPhone plans, while YouTube creators are making bank selling unused footage to AI cos. Meanwhile, TikTok's got a potential Musk connection brewing, Google's search dominance is finally showing cracks (below 90% for the first time since 2015!), and OpenAI's building robots (hello Skynet! 🤖) and more. It's getting spicier by the day.

⌚ Productivity Tapas Tools – This week we're diving into how to generate Stripe-like API docs in seconds, a company whose bringing AI to software testing, and game-changing Googlesheet clipper that I love. Plus, get the full lowdown on the new Productivity Tapas separate post.

🍔 Blog Bites – From Spotify's Wrapped phenomenon to the art of unmoderated usability testing, we're serving up some juicy reads on data storytelling, research tools, and effective product management communication.

🎙️ Pod Shots – Get ready for a deep dive with Figma's VP of Strategic Products, Yuki Yamashita, sharing insights on developing your unique PM style.

Plenty to get stuck into - off we go! 🚀

📰 Not boring

• Apple’s 2025 Plan: iPhone overhaul, Smart Home push and AI catch-up

• Plus Apple’s news app has quietly amassed 125m monthly active users

• YouTubers Are Selling Their Unused Video Footage to AI Companies

• You could also start chatting directly with Gemini Live about a YouTube video you're watching very soon

• China Weighs Sale of TikTok US to Musk as a Possible Option

• US splits world into three tiers for AI chip access

• Google’s search market share drops below 90% for first time since 2015. If you’d told me this 3 years ago I would have taken some serious convincing

• OpenAI is building a robotics division. Of course they are. #skynet

• While ChatGPT becomes more Siri-like with new scheduled tasks feature

• ChatGPT’s newest feature lets users assign it traits like ‘chatty’ and ‘Gen Z’. No cap (🙂)

• “AGI Will Not Make Labor Worthless” - positive take from the AI is good camp

• Meta announces 5% cuts in preparation for ‘intense year’. Not a new practice, but many up in arms over the comms

• Synthesia snaps up $180M at a $2.1B valuation for its B2B AI video platform

• Missed this last week… Notion releases Faces; a custom self-portait in the Notion drawings style. Seems to be gaining traction and hence boosting Notion’s brand awareness. Interesting

• Americans are becoming more anti-social

• LinkedIn adds free AI tools for job hunters and recruiters

• Over on dating apps, Hinge’s new AI feature determines if your prompt response is too basic or could be more specific or authentic 

• Nvidia smashes Moore’s law; instead of 2yrs to 2x chip performance Nvidia’s latest is 30x its last and 100× 10 years ago

• Sonos’ CEO is out the door after disastrous app launch (so much for the mea culpa and accepting failure. Probably the right outcome still)

Seeking impartial news? Meet 1440.

Every day, 3.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a brief 5-minute email. Enjoy an impartial news experience.

Join for free today!

⌚️ Productivity Tapas: Time-Saving Tools & GPTs

🚨 Your Weekly Productivity Tapas 🚨

Small bites. Big impact.

"Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things."
— Peter Drucker

✅ Product Managers juggle endless tasks, from strategy to execution, often without enough time or resources.

✅ Staying productive isn’t just about working harder—it’s about working smarter.

✅ The right tools and techniques can help you save hours, reduce stress, and focus on what matters most.

Welcome to Productivity Tapas

This is a new section of Product Tapas, where I’ll go deeper on some of the tools, tips, and techniques I highlight weekly in the main Product Tapas newsletter (below!) to help you level up your productivity as a Product Manager or Founder.

Think of it as your personal productivity assistant—curated insights, actionable advice, and practical examples you can apply immediately.

Whether it’s leveraging AI to streamline your workflows, mastering time management hacks, or discovering tools that make your day-to-day easier, this new longer form section is all about helping you get more done in less time.

Why Productivity Matters for PMs

You’re managing stakeholders, prioritising features, analysing user feedback, and keeping the team aligned. And while you’re doing all that, you’re also expected to stay ahead of the curve, learn new tools, and deliver results. Well, maybe you’re not, but even if not, there are new tools being released every week that can help you turbo-charge your effectiveness.

The Problem?

• Too many tools, not enough time to research, try, test, over and over again.

• Cognitive overload from endless context-switching.

• The pressure to do more with less.

Sound familiar?

That’s where Productivity Tapas comes in.

What to Expect

2-3 times per month, I’ll share:

• Actionable tips to optimise your workflows.

• Tool recommendations to save you time and effort.

• Real-world examples of how to apply these ideas in your role.

• The goal? To help you work smarter, not harder.

I’m planning on this being a separate section of the newsletter at least twice a month - follow the button below to check out the 1st edition

This Week’s Productivity hack: Talk to Your Laptop, Supercharge Your Day!

• Theneo: Generate Stripe-like API docs in seconds

• TestSprite: End-to-End software testing agent for growing teams (FE & BE)

• Swallow: Turn Spreadsheets into enterprise-ready pricing APIs and quote forms with AI agents and no code tools

• Add to Sheets; Automate saving content to Google Sheets with one click

Remember, as a subscriber you can access the full time saving tools database for fast approaching 300 time-saving tools relevant for product managers and founders 🔥. Check the link below to access 👇️ .

🍔 Blog Bites - Essential Reads for Product Teams

Strategy: Spotify Unwrapped; How Data Storytelling Created a Cultural Phenomenon

Love it or otherwise, you can’t miss Spotify’s Wrapped and the stacks of copycats it has now spawned. In this recent post Bill Kerr digs into the data storytelling phenomenon and what makes it so good.

“By dominating the cultural zeitgeist every December, Spotify makes sure Wrapped becomes a trending topic, reaching current users and potential newbies.”

Spotify Wrapped demonstrates how companies can turn user data into compelling narratives that drive growth, retention, and cultural relevance. It's a masterclass in combining personalisation, social sharing, and timing to create a sustainable marketing phenomenon.

Although given the stacks of competitors I do wonder whether we’ve hit saturation and fatigue has now started to set in 🤔 

UX: Tools for unmoderated usability testing

When it comes to selecting the right platform for remote user-research software "We’re spoiled for choice " according to Lola Famulegun

But while having numerous options is advantageous, it can lead to analysis paralysis. A structured approach to evaluating tools based on specific research needs is essential to leverage this abundance effectively.

Unmoderated usability testing enables researchers to gather user insights quickly and cost-effectively without the need for real-time facilitation. Choosing the right tool ensures efficient data collection, accurate analysis, and ultimately, the development of user-centred products.

Sow how do you choose?

Storytelling: Effective storytelling in product management

Data without context doesn’t paint the full picture. Alicia Drinkwater explains how to use narratives and emotions to connect and engage your audience.

When managing products, relying solely on data can leave your audience disengaged. Storytelling turns dry facts into engaging narratives that connect, clarify, and inspire. But how can product managers wield this tool effectively? Storytelling also simplifies complex ideas and builds emotional engagement.

Whether you’re pitching a new feature or sharing customer insights, framing data in a narrative makes it relatable and memorable. Stakeholders feel aligned, and teams collaborate more effectively.

Facts inform, but stories inspire

🎙️ Pod Shots - Bitesized Podcast Summaries

Remember, subscribers get access to an ever growing database of all the top Podcast summaries we’ve ever created. Check it out below 👇️ 

🎨 Developing a Unique Product Management Style: Insights from Figma's VP of Strategic Products

Today’s Pod Shot dives into the recent first round review Podcast episode featuring Yuki Yamashita, VP of Strategic Products at Figma. Having joined Figma at around 90 employees, he’s got lots of interesting perspectives to share.

He digs into his philosophy of focusing on building products you personally believe in, rather than just chasing business metrics, how great products often emerge from seeing potential in tools users already love and how success comes from understanding both user needs and team capabilities.

🎙️ Listen to the full episode here or , 🎥 Watch the full episode here

📆 Published: December 5th, 2024

🕒 Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins. Time saved: 65 mins🔥

🎯 The Power of Product Intuition

When Yuki Yamashita joined Figma around the 90-employee mark, he wasn't convinced it would become the industry juggernaut it is today. What drew him wasn't the business potential, but rather his firsthand experience seeing how magical the tool was while at Uber, one of Figma's first large customers. This intuition-led approach to product decisions – choosing to work on something because you genuinely believe in its transformative potential rather than its immediate business metrics – has shaped his product philosophy throughout his career.

Key Takeaways:

• Build products you deeply believe in: At Uber, Yamashita saw Figma transform how teams worked together, even before it was obvious the tool would succeed. This personal connection to the product drove his decision to join.

• Trust your product instincts: Sometimes the best product decisions come from genuine excitement about solving a problem, not just market analysis.

• Focus on user transformation: Look for products that fundamentally change how users work, not just incremental improvements. For Yamashita, Figma’s ability to blur the lines between design and product management was revolutionary.

• Balance vision with practicality: While believing in the product is crucial, ensure you're solving real user problems. Figma’s early success came from addressing collaboration pain points, not just adding features.

🔄 Evolution of Product Development

Yamashita's journey through tech giants reveals how different company cultures approach product development. At Microsoft, he experienced the era of detailed specs where a PM might focus entirely on Excel's undo feature, documenting every edge case through formal "design change requests." This contrasted sharply with YouTube's emphasis on storytelling to align large teams, and Uber's revelation that sometimes a simple operational email could outperform sophisticated product features.

At Figma, Yamashita has embraced a more fluid, iterative approach. The tool itself enables this, allowing teams to collaborate in real-time and constantly refine their work. He notes that product development is rarely linear, and the best teams adapt to the messiness of the process.

Key Takeaways:

• Microsoft taught precision: Writing detailed specs for even small features like Undo taught the value of thinking through every edge case. This level of rigour has stayed with Yamashita throughout his career.

• YouTube emphasised alignment: When teams grew large, success came from getting everyone to deeply understand the problem, not just the solution. Storytelling became a critical tool for rallying teams.

• Uber showed pragmatism: Sometimes the best solution isn’t a product feature. For example, an operational email encouraging users to walk to pickup points had a bigger impact on Uber Pool efficiency than app changes.

• Figma enables fluidity: The tool itself shapes the development process, allowing for constant iteration and collaboration. Yamashita describes Figma as a "work in progress," much like the products it helps teams build.

🎨 The Art of Product Simplicity

One of the most challenging aspects of product development is maintaining simplicity while adding power. Yamashita emphasises the importance of keeping products intuitive even as they grow more sophisticated. He uses the "screenshot test" as a guiding principle: if a single screenshot of your product doesn’t immediately communicate its value, it’s likely too complex.

For example, when Figma launched DevMode, a feature designed for developers, the team focused on creating a single, compelling visual: a diff view that showed design changes alongside code. This instantly resonated with developers, who were used to seeing similar views in their coding tools.

Key Takeaways:

• Simplicity is key: Products naturally become more complex over time, but great PMs ensure they remain intuitive. Yamashita believes simplicity is about mental models, not just fewer features.

• The screenshot test: Can a single screenshot or GIF communicate your product’s value? If not, perhaps it’s time to simplify.

• Balance power and usability: Adding features is easy, but maintaining clarity and focus is what sets great products apart.

• Brand and emotion matter: The best products make users feel something. For FigJam, Figma leaned into fun and quirkiness to differentiate it from other workplace tools.

🚀 Multi-Product Strategy

Figma’s transition to a multi-product company, with launches like FigJam and DevMode, offers valuable lessons for product leaders. Yamashita admits the team didn’t have a perfect plan when they started. FigJam, for example, emerged during the pandemic when users began hacking Figma as a whiteboarding tool. Recognising this organic behaviour, the team quickly built a dedicated product.

However, going multi-product also introduced challenges. Figma’s tightly integrated platform meant that new products couldn’t operate in isolation. Changes to one product often impacted others, requiring careful coordination across teams.

Key Takeaways:

• Start small: FigJam began as a small experiment, inspired by how users were already hacking Figma. Early prototypes and internal adoption validated its potential.

• Balance speed and integration: While moving fast is important, ensure new products align with your broader platform vision. Figma’s integrated approach creates differentiation but also complexity.

• Learn from your users: Many of Figma’s new products, like FigJam and Slides, were inspired by observing how users were already stretching the platform.

• Evolve your team structure: As Figma expanded its product portfolio, the company had to rethink how teams were organized, creating shared primitives and frameworks to support multiple products.

📖 The Power of Product Storytelling

Storytelling is at the heart of Figma’s product philosophy. In the early days, Figma had to compete with Sketch, which had more features. Instead of focusing on feature parity, Figma sold a vision: a collaborative design tool that put the entire product team – not just designers – at the centre of the process. This narrative resonated with users and helped Figma stand out in a crowded market.

Internally, storytelling also plays a critical role. Yamashita believes that every new product needs a clear, compelling story to rally the team. For him, this often starts with a single, evocative visual – the "screenshot test" – that captures the essence of the product.

Key Takeaways:

• Sell the vision, not just features: Early on, Figma focused on its collaborative philosophy rather than competing on features. This helped users see the bigger picture.

• Anchor storytelling in user behaviour: Many of Figma’s product stories, like FigJam and Slides, were inspired by how users were already using the platform.

• Create a rallying point: Internally, a strong story helps align teams and build momentum. Externally, it helps users understand why your product matters.

• Visuals are key: A single screenshot or GIF can often communicate your product’s value better than words. For example, DevMode’s diff view instantly resonated with developers.

🎯 Developing Product Taste

The difference between a good product manager and an extraordinary one often comes down to taste. Yamashita describes taste as the ability to recognise when something isn’t good enough and the conviction to push for better solutions. This requires a combination of exposure to great products, a willingness to slow down, and an "irrational obsession" with details.

For example, Yamashita recalls staying up all night to perfect an internal presentation deck. While it may seem excessive, he believes these small acts of craftsmanship can make a big difference in how ideas are received and remembered.

Key Takeaways:

• Taste is about conviction: Great PMs are willing to slow down and push back when something isn’t good enough, even if it means delaying progress.

• Exposure shapes taste: The more you study great products, the better your ability to recognise quality. Yamashita compares this to filmmakers who obsessively watch movies to refine their craft.

• Craftsmanship matters: Small details, like a perfectly designed deck or a polished feature, can have an outsized impact on how your work is perceived.

• Balance logic with imagination: In corporate environments, it’s easy to default to logical decisions. Great PMs combine logic with creativity to imagine better solutions.

💡 Final Thoughts

The art of product management is a delicate balance between multiple factors: simplicity and power, speed and quality, user needs and business goals. Yamashita’s journey offers a masterclass in navigating these trade-offs while staying true to your product vision.

Action Items for Product Leaders:

1. Develop your product storytelling abilities – focus on creating a clear, compelling narrative for every product.

2. Practice the "screenshot test" – ensure your product’s value is immediately obvious.

3. Build conviction about quality standards – don’t settle for "good enough."

4. Study great products across industries – exposure to excellence sharpens your taste.

5. Balance user needs with business goals – align your product strategy with your company’s mission.

6. Maintain simplicity while adding power – focus on mental models, not just features.

7. Create space for experimentation and learning – let small teams explore new ideas before scaling.

As Yamashita puts it, "The best product managers are able to add more power while maintaining that feeling of simplicity." This balance is the hallmark of truly exceptional product leadership.

🎙️ Listen to the full episode here or , 🎥 Watch the full episode here

📅Timestamps:

• (00:00) Introduction

• (02:50) Figma's early days

• (09:11) Product culture across companies

• (13:42) Knowing when to change things

• (17:40) How business goals impact product expansion

• (21:00) Advice for going multi-product

• (24:30) The skills of a “0 to 1” PM

• (27:36) Identifying entrepreneurial talent

• (29:06) Why aren't there more designer founders?

• (35:22) How Figma launches new products

• (41:19) “0 to 1” versus “1 to 10” talent

• (46:01) The role of storytelling at Figma

• (49:22) How Figma prioritises product

• (55:11) Advice for product storytelling

• (59:02) “Good” vs “extraordinary” product managers

• (61:21) Why product simplicity matters

• (63:52) The importance of taste in product and design

• (67:56) The biggest influence on Yuhki’s product thinking

That’s a wrap.

As always, the journey doesn't end here!

Please share and let us know what you would like to see more or less of so we can continue to improve your Product Tapas. 🚀👋

Alastair 🍽️.