Productside Stories

Allow Us to Re-introduce Ourselves: We are Productside!

Featured Guest:

Ken Feehan | Former VP of Product at Productside

Summary

In this special rebranding episode of Productside Stories, CEO Rina Alexin and Ken Feehan, VP of Product at Productside, unveil the company’s bold evolution from the 280 Group to Productside.

Ken reflects on his extensive journey through Silicon Valley — from Apple to Intuit and Dolby — and shares how those experiences shaped Productside’s mission: to empower product managers not only with skills, but with a deep cultural understanding that transforms how organizations operate.

The conversation explores why today’s product teams struggle with misalignment, firefighting, and inconsistent frameworks — and how Productside’s diagnostic tools, roundtables, and leadership programs help product teams elevate their strategy, collaboration, and customer empathy.

Rina and Ken emphasize the importance of truth-telling, leadership alignment, and the shift from reactive training to end-to-end transformation. This episode is both a celebration and a roadmap — marking the dawn of a company built on authenticity, culture, and measurable impact.

Takeaways

  • The Productside rebrand reflects a larger mission — creating cultural transformation, not just training.

  • Great product management aligns skills and process, not one without the other.

  • Product managers must move from firefighting to strategic leadership.

  • Truth-telling is a core Productside value — honesty drives trust and progress.

  • The Product Roundtable process fosters transparency, alignment, and accountability.

  • Organizational change requires leaders and teams to evolve together.

  • The most impactful PMs think beyond “what we can do” and ask “what we should do.”

  • Leadership engagement in transformation amplifies results dramatically.

  • Building effective product teams begins with clear roles and responsibilities.

  • Mentorship and curiosity remain foundational for career growth.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and the Big Announcement — Welcome to Productside
00:49 Ken’s Journey from Engineer to Product Leader
02:16 From Apple and Intuit to Productside
03:39 The Importance of Product Culture and Customer Value
05:00 Why Product Teams Struggle and Firefight
06:45 Moving from Training to Transformation
10:23 The Product Roundtable Explained
13:29 Creating Lasting Organizational Change
15:07 Client Success Stories and Real Impact
16:29 The Product Manager’s Role and the Need for Clarity
17:53 Personas for Product Leaders and Executives
19:31 Truth-Telling as a Core Productside Value
21:51 Defining What Makes Great Product Managers
22:21 Modernizing Productside’s Training and Methodologies
23:26 Mentorship and Advice for Product Managers
24:00 Closing Reflections — A Bright Future for Productside

Keywords

Productside, Rina Alexin, Ken Feehan, 280 Group, product management transformation, product leadership, Product Roundtable, diagnostics, customer value, agile process, organizational culture, truth-telling, mentorship, cross-functional alignment, business outcomes, product strategy

Introduction and the Big Announcement — Welcome to Productside

Rina Alexin | 00:00–00:29

Wow, today is a big day! Huge — are you as excited as I am?

Ken Feehan | 00:29–00:41

I have been waiting for this day for over a year.

Rina Alexin | 00:41–00:49

Me too. So what’s today, Ken? Who are we?

Ken Feehan | 00:49–01:00

We are **Productside** — a company dedicated to delighting product managers and making them more effective. We have so much exciting news that changing our name was the right move.

Ken’s Journey from Engineer to Product Leader

Ken Feehan | 00:49–02:16

In college, I was a frustrated engineer who discovered product management — a career that bridges marketing, sales, and engineering. I spent a decade at **Apple**, where I learned to manage software, hardware, and multimedia services, then moved to **Intuit**, where I learned agile at its finest. Later, I joined **Dolby** and several startups before finding my way back to what I love most — helping clients succeed through product management.

The Importance of Product Culture and Customer Value

Ken Feehan | 03:39–05:00

A healthy product organization thrives on culture. Product managers should be seen as the go-to leaders who represent customer problems, opportunities, and truths inside their companies. When PMs talk to customers regularly and bring their insights back, they create inspired teams and better solutions.

Why Product Teams Struggle and Firefight

Rina Alexin | 05:00–05:49

Many teams we work with are reactive — constantly firefighting rather than strategizing. Product managers often work in silos, and leaders can’t leverage their teams effectively because everyone operates differently.

Ken Feehan | 05:49–06:45

Exactly. Too many teams focus on what they *can* do instead of what they *should* do. Product management must shift from tactical to strategic — from “building features” to “creating customer value.”

Moving from Training to Transformation

Rina Alexin | 06:45–07:49

Our approach is more than just training. It’s about transforming how teams operate. Skills matter, but so do processes and cultural alignment. Training alone doesn’t stick — transformation does.

Ken Feehan | 07:49–09:30

Right. When managers participate in training with their teams, results skyrocket. True impact happens when executives, directors, and PMs share the same mindset and frameworks.

The Product Roundtable Explained

Rina Alexin | 10:23–10:53

Okay, what is the **Product Roundtable** process?

Ken Feehan | 10:53–12:36

It’s a phase-gate process we teach and implement that makes product strategy transparent. Product managers present ideas to executives — CEOs, VPs, sales, marketing, and ops — who collaborate in short, focused sessions. This ensures alignment, visibility, and agility long before products are fully developed.

Creating Lasting Organizational Change

Rina Alexin | 13:29–15:07

Transformation doesn’t end with the classroom. Cultural change takes time and cross-functional commitment. That’s what makes Productside different — we help clients create systems that sustain growth and change.

Client Success Stories and Real Impact

Rina Alexin | 15:07–15:48

We’ve seen companies increase their valuation by hundreds of millions through organizational change — it’s about impact, not theory.

Ken Feehan | 15:48–16:29

One client told me, “Stop telling me what we *can* do and help me do what we *should* do.” That became our north star — action over advice.

The Product Manager’s Role and the Need for Clarity

Rina Alexin | 16:29–17:18

At the heart of every engagement lies clarity — defining roles, responsibilities, and alignment with business goals.

Ken Feehan | 17:18–17:53

Exactly. We build personas for PMs, directors, and VPs to address their unique challenges and design tools that help them excel.

Truth-Telling as a Core Productside Value

Rina Alexin | 19:31–20:51

Product managers must be **truth-tellers**. Their job isn’t to sell a fantasy but to bring reality into focus — both for themselves and their leaders.

Ken Feehan | 20:51–21:51

Right. A great PM doesn’t sugarcoat results — they communicate clearly and honestly. That honesty builds executive trust.

Modernizing Productside’s Training and Methodologies

Ken Feehan | 22:21–23:13

We’ve modernized our training programs to connect product strategy directly to business outcomes. Our curriculum now focuses on tying roadmaps to real revenue and customer satisfaction goals.

Mentorship and Advice for Product Managers

Ken Feehan | 23:26–24:00

Every great product manager I’ve met has mentors. Seek out leaders who inspire you, talk to customers often, write things down, and above all — stay curious.

Closing Reflections — A Bright Future for Productside

Rina Alexin | 24:00–24:20

Today marks a new era. While 280 Group remains part of our legacy, **Productside** represents our future — a brand focused on truth, transformation, and excellence.

Ken Feehan | 24:20–End

Thank you, Rina. It’s been an incredible journey. Here’s to the next chapter of Productside.