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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! Your go-to for the tastiest 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 on the menu this week? 🧑‍🍳

📰 Not Boring – OpenAI is making waves with next-gen audio models that could revolutionise voice agents, while Apple’s latest shake-up suggests they’re finally taking Siri seriously. StabilityAI is blurring the lines between real and fake with a model that turns 2D images into complex 3D creations, and Ideogram 3.0 is topping image benchmarks. Oh, and Duolingo just killed the term "UX Design"—welcome to the era of PX (Product Experience). There’s plenty more where that came from too.

⌚️ Productivity Tapas – This week’s tools include AI-powered interview synthesis, a free Docusign alternative, and a developer productivity platform that speeds up code reviews. Plus, get ChatGPT, Claude, Deepseek etc FREE FOR A YEAR and a tool to transform how you plan, build, and improve your product.

🍔 Blog Bites – Peter Ramsey is back with UX insights on micro-interactions that matter, Bill Kerr explores the four types of managers and how to manage them, and John Cutler dives into the "broken record model" of leadership. Essential reads for product teams!

🎙️ Pod Shots – This week’s featured podcast is a conversation with Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow, on the art of enterprise sales and leadership. From his early days at Xerox to transforming ServiceNow into a $200 billion powerhouse, this episode is packed with lessons for founders, executives, and sales leaders.

Plenty to get stuck into—off we go! 🚀

📰 Not boring

• OpenAI introduces next-gen audio models in the API to let you create voice agents with 4x better text to speech capabilities that Whisper

• Apple’s new shake-up proves Siri’s now being taken seriously

• Duolingo ended the term “UX Design”, instead switching to PX (Product Experience)

• StabilityAI releases a model that can convert 2D images into complex 3D images

• Ideogram 3.0 jumps to top of image benchmarks. Try it here

  • On this note, it’s now impossible to determine what is real or not in videos. 🤯 

• All things OpenAI

  • ChatGPT now supports MCPs so you can interact with 3rd party apps

  • Plus, OpenAI released 4o image generation (to high acclaim)

  • Annnnd, so after Vibe Coding comes Vibe Marketing (and probably Vibe every-other thing)

• Amazon launches personalised shopping prompts as part of its generative AI push

• Instagram now lets you speed up reels just like on TikTok

• Google releases Gemini 2.5 and is getting stellar reviews for its coding skills

• Perplexity launches answer tabs; search for images, video, travel, shopping, and more. Oh and sails past $100m revenue in 20 months

• Microsoft announces Researcher and Analyst in Microsoft 365 Copilot (basically their own deep research)

• When Google completely removed News there was zero impact on ad revenue (OK 0.8%)

• US Signal downloads continue to grow and are on track for a record year

• Whilst we’re on messaging apps, X Integrates Grok AI Chatbot With Telegram

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⌚️ Productivity Tapas: Time-Saving Tools & GPTs

• You.com: FREE access to you.com LLM aggregator (thanks to Superhuman)

• Strella: AI-moderated interviews and instant synthesis, powering smarter & faster decisions

• Dust - build custom agents to transform how product work gets done

• Spryngtime - completely free Docusign clone. Even cooler to know it was vibecoded into being

• atono: How you plan, build, run, and improve your product

• Graphite: AI developer productivity platform; learns the code splits up long pull requests and complete super-quick code-reviews

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

UX Insights: Micro-Interactions That Matter

Peter Ramsey is back once again sharing another collection of thoughtful UX patterns that demonstrate how small design decisions can significantly impact user experience. The examples showcase how contextual awareness and progressive feedback can enhance product interactions.

💡 "Specificity creates comfort" - This insight from the Trainline example demonstrates how personalisbuilded loading states can reduce user anxiety and improve perceived performance.

Leadership: The Four Types of Managers & How to Manage Them

Bill Kerr explores Jack Welch's Performance x Values Matrix to categorise managers into four archetypes: Star Managers, Nice Managers, Taskmasters, and Lame Ducks. Each type requires a tailored approach to maximise their potential or address their shortcomings. Read the full article here.

💡 "If your managers suck, your company probably does too." This underscores the critical role managers play in shaping organisational success and culture.

Leadership Insights:

• Great managers drive employee engagement and retention, but leadership quality matters even more.

• Development opportunities are the most significant factor in retaining employees.

• Tailored management strategies and consistent feedback are essential for fostering growth and alignment.

Implementation Tips:

• Categorise managers using the Performance x Values Matrix.

• Build bespoke development plans for each archetype.

• Model the leadership behaviours you want to see.

• Invest in employee development to boost retention and engagement.

Product Management: The Broken Record Model of Leadership

John Cutler explores how leaders often repeat the same messages, creating what he calls "broken record models" - consistent narratives that shape organisational behaviour and culture. Read the full article here.

💡 "The broken record model isn't about stubbornness—it's about creating clarity through consistent messaging and behaviour alignment."

🎙️ 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

🏢 The Art of Enterprise Sales: Lessons from Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow

This week we’re back to the consistently excellent Acquired podcast. This episode featured a conversation with one of the all-time greats in enterprise sales and leadership: Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow. Bill’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. From running a delicatessen as a teenager to becoming the youngest corporate executive in Xerox’s history, to leading SAP, and now transforming ServiceNow into a $200 billion enterprise software powerhouse, his story is packed with lessons for founders, executives, and sales leaders alike.

 🎥Watch the full episode here

📆 Published: March 9th, 2025

🕒 Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins. Time saved: 51 mins🔥

🚀 Key Themes and Insights

🧩 1. The Power of Enterprise Sales: A Numbers Game with a Human Touch

Bill’s career began at Xerox, where he learned the fundamentals of enterprise sales. His approach was simple but powerful: treat your sales territory like your kingdom, know every detail about your customers, and outwork everyone else.

• The Xerox Playbook: Bill’s training at Xerox was built on the SPIN framework (Situation, Problem, Implication, Needs Payoff). This methodology became second nature to him and remains a cornerstone of his sales philosophy.

• The Human Connection: Bill emphasised the importance of building relationships, even with doormen and receptionists. He knew their names, their families, and their favourite sports teams. This personal touch opened doors—literally and figuratively.

Takeaway for Leaders: Sales is a numbers game, but it’s also about relationships. Know your territory, treat every interaction as an opportunity, and never underestimate the power of human connection.

🌱 2. Building a High-Performance Sales Team

As a young sales manager at Xerox, Bill developed a unique approach to team building:

• Goal Orientation: Each team member posted their top three goals—business and personal—on a wall next to the office bell. This created a shared sense of purpose and accountability.

• Discretionary Effort: Bill encouraged his team to dedicate 20% of their time to helping others. This fostered collaboration and ensured no one was left behind.

• A Culture of Winning: Bill’s mantra was simple: “Nobody gets to fail.” His team’s goal was for everyone to make the President’s Club, a recognition for top performers.

Takeaway for Managers: Create a culture where individual success is tied to team success. Celebrate wins, foster collaboration, and ensure everyone feels supported.

🔮 3. The CEO’s Role in Enterprise Sales

Bill believes that enterprise sales is ultimately a CEO-level responsibility. Why? Because only the CEO has the broad vision to see across silos and drive transformative change.

• The CEO Sale: ServiceNow’s value proposition—automating workflows across silos—requires buy-in from the top. Bill often engages directly with CEOs to explain how ServiceNow can simplify their operations and unlock value.

• Reading the Room: Bill’s ability to “read the room” is legendary. He starts meetings by connecting on a human level, discussing personal interests or philanthropic efforts before diving into business.

Takeaway for Founders and Executives: If you’re selling transformative solutions, you need to engage at the highest levels. Build relationships with CEOs and focus on their strategic priorities.

🛠️ 4. The ServiceNow Playbook: Automating the Enterprise

ServiceNow’s mission is to become the defining enterprise software company of the 21st century. Here’s how they’re doing it:

• Breaking Down Silos: Most enterprises are built on siloed systems (e.g., finance, HR, sales). ServiceNow acts as a “control tower,” automating workflows across these silos and integrating with existing systems.

• Agentic AI: ServiceNow leverages AI to enhance workflows, making processes more efficient and user-friendly.

• CEO-Centric Selling: Bill positions ServiceNow as a platform for business transformation, appealing directly to CEOs who want to simplify their operations.

Takeaway for Product Leaders: Focus on solving cross-functional problems. Build platforms that integrate seamlessly with existing systems and deliver measurable value.

🌟 5. Brand-Led Leadership: Why Brand Matters in Enterprise Software

Bill is passionate about building a brand-led company, a rarity in the enterprise software world. He believes a strong brand is essential for global success.

• The World Works with ServiceNow: This tagline reflects ServiceNow’s ambition to be the backbone of modern enterprises.

• Empathy for Customers: Bill emphasises seeing the world through the customer’s eyes and aligning the brand with their aspirations.

• Idris Elba as Brand Ambassador: ServiceNow’s partnership with Idris Elba highlights their commitment to social impact, including projects like the reinvention of Sherbro Island in Sierra Leone.

Takeaway for Founders: Don’t underestimate the power of brand, even in B2B. A strong brand builds trust, loyalty, and differentiation.

📈 6. Lessons for Founders: From Startups to Enterprise Giants

For founders looking to scale their companies into enterprise leaders, Bill offers the following advice:

• Focus on the Customer’s Dream: Don’t just sell your product—understand the customer’s vision and how your product can help them achieve it.

• Be Prescriptive: Walk into meetings with a clear perspective on how your product fits into the customer’s strategy. Never rely on a generic sales pitch.

• Deliver on Your Promises: Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets. Always follow through on commitments.

Takeaway for Founders: Success in enterprise sales requires a deep understanding of your customer’s needs, a clear value proposition, and an unwavering commitment to delivering results.

🧠 7. The Future of Work: Celebrating the Joy of Work

Bill is a vocal advocate for bringing joy back to work. He believes the pandemic has shifted people’s priorities, but the need for human connection remains strong.

• The Destruction of Time: Bill warns against the burnout caused by being “stuck inside a device” all day. He encourages leaders to create environments where people can connect, collaborate, and celebrate their work.

• The Joy of Work: For Bill, work is a beautiful thing—a chance to build relationships, learn, and grow. He believes companies should focus on creating cultures where people feel valued and inspired.

Takeaway for Leaders: Build cultures that prioritise human connection, celebrate achievements, and make work a source of joy and fulfilment.

🔥 Key Takeaways for Product Managers, Founders, and Leaders

For Product Managers:

• Use frameworks like SPIN to understand customer needs and align your product with their goals.

• Focus on cross-functional solutions that break down silos and deliver measurable value.

• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the organisation.

For Founders:

• Engage directly with CEOs to sell transformative solutions.

• Build a brand that reflects your company’s values and resonates with customers.

• Deliver on your promises to build trust and loyalty.

For Leaders:

• Foster a culture of collaboration and discretionary effort within your teams.

• Focus on simplifying operations and automating workflows to drive efficiency.

• Celebrate the joy of work and create environments where people thrive.

 🎥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 🍽️.