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! The best tasty bites from the world of Product and Tech.

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.

What’s cooking? 🧑‍🍳

📰 Not Boring – The AI landscape continues to evolve at pace with Mistral's new PDF-to-Markdown API and ChatGPT's direct code editing capabilities on macOS. Meanwhile, YC's latest cohort reveals a quarter of startups are running on almost entirely AI-generated code. Speaking of YC, there's a notable 'vibe shift' as founders are raising less money. Over in Apple's corner, we're seeing some interesting developments with Siri upgrades on hold but major OS redesigns on the horizon.

⌚️ Productivity Tapas – Discover tools for hyper-personalisation, transforming Voice of the customer into product insights, and long-term workflow memory management. More game-changers for your product toolkit!

🍔 Blog Bites – We’ve got another Andrew Chen essay with insights on the "AI Horde," insights from Georgia Rakusen on UX innovation tactics, and a link to how to craft your dream role.

🎙️ Pod Shots – This week we’ve covered Jason Knight’s recent pod with Elena Verna where she unpacks growth strategies, meme marketing, and the art of balancing solopreneurship with full-time work.

Let's dig in! 🚀

📰 Not boring

• Mistral adds a new API that turns any PDF document into an AI-ready Markdown file

• OpenAI launches set of APIs and tools designed to simplify Agentic application development

  • Responses API combines Chat Completions API with the tool use capabilities of the Assistants API for building agents

  • Built-in tools including web search⁠, file search⁠, and computer use⁠

  • Agents SDK⁠ to orchestrate single-agent and multi-agent workflows

  • Observability tools⁠ to trace and inspect agent workflow execution

• Also, whilst on OpenAI - ChatGPT on macOS can now directly edit code in supported tools (Xcode, VS code, JetBrains)

• A quarter of startups in YC’s current cohort have codebases that are almost entirely AI-generated

• Whilst we’re on YC, Y Combinator founders raising less money signals a ‘vibe shift,’ VC says

• Apple corner

  • Apple delays Siri upgrade indefinitely as AI concerns escalate

  • Which in turn, looks to have caused knock on delays to their smart home hub

  • But also, their next major OS updates for iPhone, iPad and Mac will bring the biggest design overhaul in years

• A16z announces their top 100 GenAI Apps. Highlights:

  • ChatGPT double monthly unique visits double Apr’24-Jan’25

  • DeepSeek ranked 2nd in global AI web traffic for Jan

  • Vibecoding takes off (Cursor and Bolt are both on the list)

  • The 50 apps that generate the most subscription revenue only have a 40% overlap w/ apps that have the most MAUs

• Vibe Code corner

  • Cursor in talks to raise at a $10B valuation as AI coding sector booms

  • On that note, what with Vibe coding all the rage, here’s a useful guide to using LLMs to writing code

  • Go from Figma to pixel-perfect full stack app — just put bolt․new in front of the URL & start prompting…

• YouTube is prepping a big redesign of its TV app to be more like Netflix

• Whilst a new split-screen feature is coming to Google Chrome

• Snap introduces AI Video Lenses powered by its in-house generative model

• Salesforce Launches Agentforce 2dx: Embed Proactive Agentic AI into any workflow, create multimodal experiences

• Tinder rolling out AI ‘wingmen’ bots to write profiles and flirt on dating apps

• Instagram is experimenting with a Discord-like ‘community chat’ feature

• AI21 Labs announces new Maestro agent aimed at solving complex tasks with structured planning. It’ll supposedly analyse various strategies, compare costs, and validate its results before generating a final output. Waitlist

• Travis Kalanick thinks Uber screwed up: “Wish we had an autonomous ride-sharing product”

• TikTok Projects $77 Billion in Sales From TikTok Live, Lawsuit Claims

• Browser Use, one of the tools powering Manus, is also going viral

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⌚️ Productivity Tapas: Time-Saving Tools & GPTs

• Crosshatch: Turn on hyper-personalisation in your app. Users share their preferences –so you can deliver experiences personally crafted for them

• Zeda: Product discovery platform that turns the VoC into product insights

• Pieces: Long-term memory agent captures, preserves, and resurfaces historical workflow details, so you can pick up where you left off

• Eraser: Codebase diagrams that update themselves

Remember, as a Product Tapas Pro subscriber you can access the full time saving tools database for fast approaching 400 time-saving tools relevant for product managers and founders 🔥.

Check the link here to access.

🍔 Blog Bites - Essential Reads for Product Teams

Strategy: Where Will the AI Horde Strike Next? 

Two from Andrwe Chen in as many weeks. Here, he explores how thousands of VC-backed AI startups are poised to disrupt multiple industries, using Hollywood and AI-generated video as a case study. Unlike incumbents who play defence to protect their position, these startups function as an "AI Horde" - probing for weaknesses and pivoting quickly to find opportunities.

7 innovation tactics in 6 minutes 30 seconds

In this punchy 6 minute video Georgia Rakusen from MetaMask shares practical validation tactics to help products move beyond early adopters to mainstream users in. Using a DeFi protocol example, she demonstrates how understanding the majority market requires looking beyond your existing community and testing with fresh perspectives. Get the TL;DR in sub 30s below ;)

💡 The "chasm" between early adopters and the majority exists because mainstream users have fundamentally different motivations and values. Crossing this gap requires deliberate research outside your current user base to discover how potential users actually think about the problem you're solving.

Career: How to write your own job description (and invent your role)

Here, Wes Kao suggests that writing your own job description can be a great option if you work at a startup or an organisation that’s growing quickly. But why and how? I hear you ask….

Well, aligning your responsibilities with your strengths not only boosts personal fulfilment but also adds significant value to your team and organisation. Proactively shaping your role allows you to focus on tasks you excel at and enjoy, enhancing job satisfaction and productivity. Proposing a role that leverages your skills and passions while addressing your manager's needs creates a win-win situation.

🎙️ Pod Shots - Bitesized Podcast Summaries

Remember, Product Tapas Pro subscribers get access to an ever growing database of all the top Podcast summaries we’ve ever created. 

Check it out here

🎙️ Growth, Memes, and Solopreneurship: Lessons from Elena Verna

In his latest One Knight in Product, host Jason Knight sits down with growth expert and memester extraordinaire Elena Verna. She covers lots of her stellar career spanning some of the biggest names in tech through to her journey into solopreneurship to her return to full-time work at Dropbox. She shares insights on product-led growth (PLG), product-led sales, and the art of balancing a personal brand with professional responsibilities.

 🎥Watch the full episode here

📆 Published: March 3rd, 2025

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

🌟 Balancing Solopreneurship and Full-Time Work

Elena’s career has been many things; impressive springs to mind but so does adaptability. After years of advocating for solopreneurship, she surprised many by taking a full-time role at Dropbox. But for Elena, it’s all about prioritisation and optionality—choosing the right path for the right stage of life.

Key Takeaways:

• Solopreneurship Defined: Unlike freelancing or contracting, solopreneurship involves offering multiple services (e.g., advising, workshops, courses) and designing your work around your strengths.

• The Power of Optionality: Elena emphasises the importance of keeping your career options open, whether that means solopreneurship, full-time work, or a mix of both.

• Daily Prioritisation: Balancing a full-time job, a newsletter, advising, and family isn’t about perfect balance—it’s about prioritising what matters most each day.

Practical Example: Why Dropbox Felt Right

Elena initially joined Dropbox as an interim leader but decided to stay full-time because the problems they were tackling resonated with her expertise. She explains:

1. Familiar Challenges: Dropbox’s growth challenges mirrored those she had solved at companies like SurveyMonkey and Miro.

2. Team Chemistry: She clicked with the team and felt aligned with their goals.

3. Right Place, Right Time: For Elena, the decision to go full-time was about seizing the right opportunity at the right moment.

Elena’s Tip: “Every job eventually runs its course. The key is to make decisions that feel right for your current life stage while keeping the door open for future opportunities.”

🚀 Product-Led Growth (PLG) and Product-Led Sales

Elena dives deep into the nuances of PLG and product-led sales, explaining how these strategies differ from traditional sales-led approaches and why they’re gaining traction in the B2B space.

Key Takeaways:

• PLG in a Nutshell: In B2B, PLG focuses on acquiring end users first (e.g., employees) through self-serve experiences, which then spread within the organisation and lead to enterprise sales.

• The Role of Product-Led Sales: PLG creates a pipeline for sales by leveraging existing product usage within an account, making it easier to upsell to enterprise buyers.

• When to Consider PLG: If competitors are gaining traction with end users or if enterprise buyers don’t feel the problem as acutely as end users, PLG might be the right strategy.

Practical Example: Miro’s PLG Journey

Elena shares a story from her time at Miro, where self-serve usage spread rapidly within a Fortune 1000 company. However, when the sales team approached the head of IT, they were met with resistance:

1. The Problem: The head of IT saw the unapproved usage as a security breach and blocked Miro’s domain.

2. The Lesson: Early sales intervention is crucial in large organisations to avoid blindsiding enterprise buyers.

3. The Solution: Sales teams should empower IT buyers with information and position the product as a solution, not a problem.

TL;DR PLG isn’t about replacing traditional sales—it’s about layering new growth motions on top of existing ones. Start small, build momentum, and don’t abandon your core strengths.

🛠️ Building a Successful PLG Motion

For companies looking to transition from sales-led to product-led growth, Elena outlines the key steps and prerequisites for success.

Key Takeaways:

• Start with a Self-Serve Trial: A time-limited trial is often the first step for sales-led companies exploring PLG.

• Invest in Product Experience: Self-serve products must be intuitive and capable of selling themselves without human intervention.

• Qualify Leads Carefully: Not every trial sign-up should go to sales. Use data to qualify leads and avoid overwhelming your sales team with low-intent prospects.

Practical Example: The Role of Product Managers

Elena emphasises the importance of hiring a product manager to lead the PLG transition:

1. The Challenge: Sales-led companies often rely on sales and success teams to smooth over rough product edges. In PLG, the product must stand on its own.

2. The Solution: A product manager can focus on activation, onboarding, and creating “aha” moments that drive engagement and retention.

3. The Outcome: A self-serve product experience that generates meaningful leads and supports the sales team.

TL;DR: The product must sell itself. Without a strong product experience, even the best marketing and sales efforts will fall flat.

🤝 Balancing a Personal Brand with Professional Responsibilities

With over 130,000 LinkedIn followers, Elena has built a strong personal brand—but not intentionally. For her, sharing insights and humour is about democratising knowledge, not chasing likes or followers.

Key Takeaways:

• The Role of Humour: Memes are a powerful way to address difficult topics and connect with others in the industry.

• Transparency with Employers: Elena ensures her employers are aware of her social presence and aligns with their communication guidelines.

• The Risks of Personal Branding: While a strong personal brand can open doors, it also comes with challenges, like navigating perceptions within your organisation.

Practical Example: Memes as a Communication Tool

Elena explains how memes can disarm people and spark meaningful conversations:

1. The Purpose: Memes highlight the absurdities of workplace dynamics, making people feel seen and understood.

2. The Impact: By using humour, Elena addresses serious topics (e.g., interdepartmental relationships, goal-setting) in a way that resonates with her audience.

3. The Balance: While memes are effective, Elena balances them with meaningful content to maintain credibility.

TL;DR If someone thinks memes make you a clown, they don’t understand humour—and you probably don’t want to work with them anyway.

📈 Career Growth and Optionality

Elena’s approach to career growth is rooted in the idea of optionality—keeping as many doors open as possible and choosing the right path for the right moment.

Key Takeaways:

• Diversify Your Career: Solopreneurship, full-time roles, and advising can all coexist. The key is to design your career around your strengths and goals.

• Embrace Change: Every job has a lifecycle. Be open to new opportunities and don’t be afraid to pivot when the time is right.

• Help Others Transition: Elena is passionate about helping operators transition into solopreneurship, empowering them to take control of their careers.

Practical Example: Transitioning to Solopreneurship

Elena has helped over 30 VP- and C-level operators transition into solopreneurship. Her advice:

1. Start Small: Begin with one advising client or a side project to test the waters.

2. Build a Pipeline: Use platforms like LinkedIn to share insights and attract potential clients.

3. Diversify Your Offerings: Offer multiple services (e.g., workshops, courses) to create a stable income stream.

TL;DR Full-time jobs offer perceived stability, but true stability comes from diversifying your career and keeping your options open.

🔮 What’s Next for Elena Verna?

Elena plans to continue investing in her newsletter, helping operators transition into solopreneurship, and sharing her insights with the world. While a book isn’t on the horizon, she’s focused on amplifying her impact and challenging industry norms.

🎙️ Final Thoughts

Elena Verna’s journey is a testament to the power of adaptability, humour, and strategic thinking. Whether you’re exploring PLG, building a personal brand, or considering solopreneurship, her insights offer a roadmap for growth—both personal and professional.

For more insights, check out Elena’s newsletter at elenaverna.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

 🎥Watch the full episode here

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 🍽️.