This February marked an important milestone for The Product Group as we returned to in-person meetups, and what a return it was! With an incredible turnout, the room was filled with energy, ideas, and collaboration as product leaders, managers, and enthusiasts came together to discuss The Product Leader’s Playbook: Trends Shaping 2025 and Beyond. The roundtable discussions were rich with insights into the evolving nature of product management and leadership in a rapidly changing world.
Read the full recap and access exclusive Actionable Strategies here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-recap-6-121937567
1⃣ Roundtable Discussion: Trends and Leadership Challenges
The conversation centered on the key trends shaping the future of product management. Participants shared experiences and debated strategies across several themes:
- AI-Driven Workflows: AI is becoming a crucial component of decision-making and operational efficiency. While participants acknowledged its transformative potential, there are still concerns about how to implement it effectively.
- Leadership Focus: Leadership strategies are evolving to require adaptability and influence across functions. The discussion emphasized building credibility, fostering trust in hybrid environments, and aligning stakeholders to drive product success.
- Hybrid Evolution: Hybrid work is now a standard for many organizations, but its impact on innovation and collaboration remains a point of debate. Participants explored how increased complexity, leadership skill gaps, and other trade-offs affect team cohesion and productivity. The focus shifted to practical strategies for overcoming these challenges and maintaining strong team dynamics.
- Election Fallout: Participants noted that leadership strategies will need to account for increased risk in areas like regulatory compliance, customer spending habits, and workforce morale.
The group speculated on whether these trends would accelerate in the coming years and shared best practices for staying ahead of the curve.
2⃣ Featured Product: Runwei
Our Featured Product spotlight shone on Runwei, an AI-powered platform connecting entrepreneurs to equity-free and interest-free funding. Aixa Elgazwe, Founder & COO, shared Runwei’s challenges around refining its value proposition, improving its revenue model, and managing technology to avoid overbuilding.
Participants offered actionable solutions, focusing on sales, leadership, and technology strategies, including:
- Leveraging advisory relationships to build trust with investors and stakeholders.
- Breaking down and addressing core sales challenges.
- Gaining a clearer understanding of the platform’s current technological capabilities to guide focused development and prevent unnecessary complexity.
Aixa received additional advice on tools and resources, including a recommendation to read the book Running Lean to help prioritize key gaps in the product’s growth strategy.
3⃣ Final Thoughts and Networking
After the roundtable discussion, attendees enjoyed an exclusive tour of NYIT’s school and programs, gaining insights into their offerings. The evening continued at the bar in the Mandarin Oriental, where informal networking gave participants a chance to share stories, insights, and experiences. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as connections deepened and new opportunities emerged.
Thank You and What’s Next
A special thank you to Aixa Elgazwe and Runwei for sharing their journey, and to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussion. We’re thrilled to have such a passionate and thoughtful community helping shape the future of product management.
If you’d like to be considered for a Featured Product slot at a future event, email me at jeremydhorn@gmail.com.
Want to support The Product Group? Join us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/TheProductWay
Upcoming Events – Join Us!
Here’s what’s coming up in our online and in-person events:
- TPG Live (online): Thursday, February 13 at 7 PM ET
The Psychology of Success: Vision, Markets & Adoption - In-Person at NYIT: Thursday, March 6 at 7 PM ET
Leading Through Change: Adapting Strategies in Fast-Paced, Uncertain Times - TPG Live (online): Thursday, March 13 at 7 PM ET
Sustainability and Longevity in Product Development
Let’s keep making products, solving real problems, and supporting the people who build them! We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting of The Product Group!