ProductTanks, created by Mind the Product, are informal meetups that bring local product people together and provide a space to new speakers to share amazing product insights. With over 200 cities hosting ProductTanks globally, we're excited to start a monthly series highlighting some of these fantastic meetups.
May was a busy month for our ProductTanks, featuring the return of ProductTank Valencia and global celebrations for World Product Day, many valuable lessons and insights were shared within the product community. Read on to find out what some of the ProductTanks in Dubai, London and more have been up to.
Mihai Sava, our ProductTank organiser for Dubai, told us that their May event attracted around 350 attendees to hear Ronnie Varghese share his extensive experiences, from building exciting startups to joining a prominent MENA-based organisation, which was featured in Marty Cagan’s “Transformed” book.
Peto Martinez, one of the ProductTank organisers for Valencia, described how in their first meetup they tackled common challenges faced by product managers with an exercise where participants wrote down their problems on post-it notes and collaboratively brainstormed solutions. Harnessing the power of collaboration and coming together to discuss shared problems.
In Barcelona, Dan Olsen shared advice on how to prioritize customer needs.
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The biggest takeaway? Spending time in the problem space is where the magic happens 🪄✨
Connecting with so many product people from different backgrounds really gives you a boost in your learning journey. Feeling inspired for what's next! 🚀The biggest takeaway? Spending time in the problem space is where the magic happens 🪄✨
”
Connecting with so many product people from different backgrounds really gives you a boost in your learning journey. Feeling inspired for what's next! 🚀
Betsy Irizarry, our ProductTank organiser for Pittsburgh, confirmed their May meetup topic was ‘‘Prototyping: Taking ideas into physical reality” and it was hosted by Tronix3D. Participants were able to:
- Experience the transition: See how concepts from low-fidelity prototyping evolve into high-fidelity, 3D-printed models.
- Dive into additive manufacturing: Get hands-on with 3D scanning and printing technologies that are shaping the future of physical product development.
- Learn from experts: Meet the Tronix3D team, who are pioneering the field of 3D technology in sectors like robotics, energy, medical devices, and defense.
- Tour: Take a guided tour of Tronix3D's facilities and see live demonstrations of cutting-edge 3D printing techniques.
- Engage and network: Connect and share your thoughts on the transformative impact of 3D technology in product design and development.
The meetup in Berlin was focused on “Going beyond the “Now-Next-Later” roadmap” with Phil Hornby.
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🎯 Cater your roadmap views to different audiences’ needs regarding information, level of detail, and time horizon.
👥 Five typical audiences are Development Teams, Leadership and investors, Sales and customers, Prospects, and Partners.
🔗 Always use the same single data source to render different views.
🚫 For the strategic picture, clarify what is "never“ getting on the roadmap.
✅ For the commercial picture, visualize what is already available.
🎨 Create aesthetic views that convey the story you tell.🎯 Cater your roadmap views to different audiences’ needs regarding information, level of detail, and time horizon.
”
👥 Five typical audiences are Development Teams, Leadership and investors, Sales and customers, Prospects, and Partners.
🔗 Always use the same single data source to render different views.
🚫 For the strategic picture, clarify what is "never“ getting on the roadmap.
✅ For the commercial picture, visualize what is already available.
🎨 Create aesthetic views that convey the story you tell.
A great summary of our ProductTank meet up in London:
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The Collaboration in Product Trios/Duos event. As a former Software Engineer and an aspiring Product Manager, I found the insights shared incredibly valuable.
”
First up was the dynamic trio from Mews: Aldair Borges (Senior Product Manager), Jakub Tkadleček (Engineering Manager), and Zuzana Hrušovská (Product Design Lead). They shared their journey from a major failure due to working in silos to a success story of close-knit collaboration. By integrating their efforts at every stage, from discovery to solutioning to delivery, they ensured every team was informed and involved. Daily discussions, a democratic approach to conflict resolution rooted in data and over ice cream 🍦, and a focus on viability, feasibility, and usability were key to their success.
Next, we heard from Amanda Ho (Product Manager) and Dr. John McCarthy (Senior UX Designer) at Tesco, who, alongside their engineering team in Bangalore, India, demonstrated the power of a well-coordinated product team. They emphasised the importance of structured syncs for discovery and definition, design jams for prototyping and testing, and sprint reviews for implementation and delivery. By aligning their focuses - product on strategy and OKRs, design on user experience and accessibility, and engineering on feasibility and tech health - they de-risk assumptions, expedite decision-making, and build features quickly and iteratively.
Key takeaway: By bringing engineering in at the start of your project, you can avoid a lot of turbulence down the line, and by keeping design involved during the release process, you can ensure the finished product delivers results.
More than 200 product managers attended the Generative AI and diversity: Transforming product management event.
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I attended an enlightening session on the Transformative power of Artificial Intelligence in Product Management run by ProductTank Toronto. It was very informative to hear from Neil Pengelly, Renée Desjardins, Denys Linkov, and Tahsim Ahmed because it provided insights regarding Generative AI that I hadn't thought of before, especially when it came to more of the practical applications for product professionals.
Key takeaways that I captured from the group of panelists include the following
1.) Many companies experience FOMO and sometimes use AI just for AI's sake, but we must be mindful of how it is used as there is a danger of going too fast
2.) Generative AI can assist with many DEI initiatives
3.) It is critical to have a focused knowledge base to get more focused responses.I attended an enlightening session on the Transformative power of Artificial Intelligence in Product Management run by ProductTank Toronto. It was very informative to hear from Neil Pengelly, Renée Desjardins, Denys Linkov, and Tahsim Ahmed because it provided insights regarding Generative AI that I hadn't thought of before, especially when it came to more of the practical applications for product professionals.
Key takeaways that I captured from the group of panelists include the following
”
1.) Many companies experience FOMO and sometimes use AI just for AI's sake, but we must be mindful of how it is used as there is a danger of going too fast
2.) Generative AI can assist with many DEI initiatives
3.) It is critical to have a focused knowledge base to get more focused responses.
Participants had a fantastic time connecting and discussing how AI is enabling the product managers. This topic sparked some great conversations about how AI should be effectively used to make things in medical, healthcare and other areas effectively.
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It's been nearly two weeks since the first ProductTank of the year, celebrating World Product Day. Thank you Steven McComb, Ailís McCaul, and Graeme Stuart for organising such a fantastic event! The great conversations and insightful talks were truly inspiring. It served as a good reminder that product management is inherently messy but incredibly rewarding. By talking to our users/customers, putting ourselves in their shoes, and understanding how and why they use our product, we ensure we are on the right path.
It's been nearly two weeks since the first ProductTank of the year, celebrating World Product Day. Thank you Steven McComb, Ailís McCaul, and Graeme Stuart for organising such a fantastic event! The great conversations and insightful talks were truly inspiring. It served as a good reminder that product management is inherently messy but incredibly rewarding. By talking to our users/customers, putting ourselves in their shoes, and understanding how and why they use our product, we ensure we are on the right path.
”
It was Baku’s 9th meet up and the topics discussed were "Product owner progression: From concept to stability’ and “"The role of communities in the development of innovation and education".
Felipe Cordoves, our ProductTank organiser, commented that, on this occasion, they were delighted to welcome two outstanding members of the Uruguayan community who shared their learnings and journey.
Ignacio Ricci, Senior Director of Product Management at PedidosYa, talked bout the exciting journey from Product Manager to Product Leader. An opportunity to discover the challenges and rewards of product leadership.
Jessica Molina, Senior Product Manager at Globant, shared her experience working for several years in the banking sector, collaborating with some of the most innovative banks in the world.
This month has been incredible, filled with insightful meetups and shared knowledge from ProductTanks around the world. We've gathered loads of great insights from our community and are inspired by the enthusiasm and expertise showcased.
Don't miss out on these community events! Check out a ProductTank near you.
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