Zero to One: Product Journeys

What does it take to go from warehouse operations to Senior PM at Amazon by 24, then build an AI platform that helps PMs level up faster?A special episode of Zero to One this week as we dive into entrepreneurship and product , I’m joined by Nabeel Khan, founder of Nayru and former Amazon product leader. At Amazon he owned product strategy for the software used to build the vast majority of their warehouses. Today he’s channeling those lessons into personalized, AI-driven upskilling for product talent.We cover:Breaking into product from ops and moving to Senior PM at 24Owning the toolchain that builds Amazon warehouses and consolidating 70 tools into a focused suiteThe tough trade offs in B2B at scale balancing current users with a future visionBuilding product sense through end to end process mapping, mentorship, and real user timeWhy he founded Nayru and how AI creates truly personalized learning plansOutcomes from the community including promotions to Director and VPPractical advice for PMs eyeing entrepreneurship runway, validation, and doing the role where you areHow AI will change the PM craft and why the role becomes more important, not lessNabeel shares a systems-first, practical playbook for growing as a PM, leading at scale, and turning learning into career acceleration. Hope you all enjoy!

What does it take to build products across every wave of innovation - from telecom and wearables, to crypto, AI, and enterprise SaaS?This week on Zero to One, I’m joined by Chander Chawla, a product leader whose journey has spanned startups and big tech alike. From co-founding Ever App to leading product at Open Garden and Meta, he’s consistently been at the edge of what’s next.In this episode we dive into:The lessons behind building products used by hundreds of millions, from public Wi-Fi to wearable techWhat it’s like betting $40M+ on a hardware product, and the foresight and fortitude it takesHow to simplify and earn trust when introducing complex tech like crypto and AI to everyday usersThe trade-offs he faced building in high-stakes environments, and the frameworks he leans on todayHis four-part framework for product leadership: user experience, profit, tech advancement, and competitive advantageWhy the best PMs lead with empathy, judgment, and communicationChander brings decades of perspective across industries, and this conversation is packed with insights for anyone looking to build with clarity, courage, and long-term impact.You can also follow his work at his blog and podcast!

How do you build products that can succeed in highly complex, regulated, and fast-changing enterprise environments?For the 11th episode, I’m joined by ⁠Palak Kadakia⁠, a product leader whose career has spanned Microsoft, UiPath, and now Trase. She’s led teams through IPO journeys, scaled enterprise platforms, and built AI-driven products designed to serve industries where precision and trust matter most.We dive into:• How to scale product orgs in hypergrowth while keeping customer trust at the center• What PMs often overlook when building for regulated industries• Balancing platform extensibility with simplicity in enterprise software• Lessons from navigating IPO readiness and product-market fit at UiPath• Building AI-driven products that solve real-world industry problems• How to approach strategy shifts - from corporate scale to startup urgency• The mindset shift needed when moving between enterprise giants and early-stage ventures• Her bold take on where enterprise product leadership is heading nextPalak shares candid lessons on building resilient teams, making high-stakes product calls, and creating impact across multiple stages of company growth.

What does it take to build a product org that can thrive across stages - from 0 to 1, and then to $100M+ scale?This week on Zero to One, I’m joined by ⁠⁠Ibrahim Bashir⁠⁠, a seasoned product executive whose career has spanned Kindle Fire, Twitter, Box, and Amplitude. He’s led high-impact product teams across B2B SaaS, platforms, and infrastructure, helping companies evolve from single-product to multi-product strategies.We cover:How to evaluate whether a product org is positioned for long-term successWhat product teams often overlook when expanding from one product to manyWhy product should be treated like a business, not a backlogBuilding product sense and recognizing what users actually needNavigating platform investments and customer trade-offsWhen extensibility strengthens your product - and when it doesn’tGrounding AI features in real user problemsThe mindset shifts needed when moving from IC to product leaderThe product decision that shaped his approachOne lasting insight for anyone building in today’s evolving landscapeIbrahim shares a thoughtful, systems-driven view of product, and what he’s learned from scaling teams, making hard calls, and building with intention.

What does it take to scale from a single-product company to a multi-product platform, without losing customer focus or speed?This week on Zero to One, I’m joined by ⁠Yair Levin⁠, a product leader who’s helped companies like SoFi, Gusto, Remitly and Velocity Global do just that. From launching new fintech products to leading platform teams and building with AI at scale, Yair brings a thoughtful, execution-first lens to complex product challenges.We cover:His 4-part validation framework to de-risk 0-1 betsLessons from scaling Gusto from payroll to multi-productHow SoFi prioritized stock vs. crypto using a clever painted door testBuilding AI as a problem-solver, not a shiny objectCreating moats through cross-product integrationThe biggest mindset shift for PMs trying to move into leadershipYair also shares the early product decisions that shaped his career, how he thinks about autonomy in product teams, and what to watch as AI continues to reshape the product landscape.

What does it take to build products that serve real, often overlooked customer needs, while aligning with both business goals and social impact?This week on Zero to One, I’m joined by ⁠Prashanthi Ravanavarapu⁠, a product leader whose career has spanned fintech, enterprise platforms, and mission-driven innovation. From her early days at PayPal to scaling teams at Workiva, she’s built inclusive, human-centered products that drive meaningful outcomes.We cover:How to approach product discovery for underserved usersWhat it takes to align customer value with profit and purposeStructuring resilient product strategy in fast-moving environmentsBuilding high-performing, mindset-driven product teamsThe product she’s most proud of — and the one she wishes she got to buildPrashanthi also shares her perspective on trade-offs, mentorship, and why PMs should treat their careers like a product.

In this episode of Zero to One, I’m joined by Krishnan Nair, SVP of Product at 21Co, whose journey spans from launching Samsung’s first Smart TV app marketplace to leading product in streaming and crypto. We unpack the lessons behind building regulated digital asset platforms, the frameworks he uses for product trade-offs, and how experimentation, data, and user-centric design have shaped his approach. Krishnan also shares predictions on stablecoins, tokenization, and advice for PMs making the leap to leadership.

On this episode of Zero to One, I sit down with Brian Huss, VP of Product at PrizePicks, where he’s helped scale the platform into one of North America’s fastest-growing sports apps. We talk about what it takes to build truly fan-first products, how to balance monetization with great UX, and the behind-the-scenes story of launching PrizePicks Arena. Brian also shares lessons on product leadership at scale, and where he sees the future of sports, gaming, and interactivity heading.

On this episode of Zero to One, I’m joined by Vivek Bedi, a product leader who’s built and scaled platforms at Goldman Sachs, LearnVest, Northwestern Mutual, and high-growth SaaS companies. We cover his shift from eng to product, how he approaches digital transformation in complex orgs, and why product leadership starts with empathy. He also shares takeaways from his book You: The Product, focused on how PMs can take control of their careers by treating themselves like a product. If you’re building in SaaS or Fintech, leading product at scale, or just thinking about your next career move, this one’s packed with insight.

On this episode, I’m joined by Nachi Periakaruppan, a Cybersecurity focused product leader with deep experience building security and mobile products at scale. He’s led teams at Oracle, McAfee, and Malwarebytes, shaping mobile security portfolios that protect millions globally.We talk about his tranistioning into product from engineering, the complexity of building user-first security on mobile, and why sometimes the best product decision is the simpler one.Nachi shares practical lessons on leading in regulated spaces, adapting to rapid market changes, and keeping your product strategy grounded in real customer need.

If you're curious on best practices when building for highly regulated industries across all scales, I’m joined by Errol Apostolopoulos, an B2B SaaS and AI focused product leader who’s built and scaled AI-powered SaaS platforms across Crimson Hexagon, Equifax, and Case IQ.We talk about his path from engineering to product, the lessons from scaling startups through IPO and M&A, and what it takes to build responsible, agentic AI systems in highly regulated environments.Errol shares his approach to leading with empathy, navigating unexpected trade-offs, and why understanding the commercial side of product is key to success. More about Errol on his website too.

How do you become a master of Product Led Growth in the age of AI? I’m joined by AJ Jindal, a product and growth leader who’s scaled PLG engines at Sentry and AppDynamics, founded and sold an AI-first SaaS startup, and now leads product at Rippling.We talk about how he transitioned from engineering to product, what it took to build and exit Fulcrum, and how he’s helped shaped the future of data activation at Census.AJ shares real-world lessons on building AI-first platforms, running high-impact PLG, and navigating the shift from founder to product leader.

For the 1st episode of Zero to One I’m joined by Andrew Ramm, a seasoned product and business leader who’s led major transformations at Amazon, Autodesk, and Avid. We talk about how he scaled AutoCAD globally, turned around Amazon’s Alexa Internet business, and what it really takes to lead product in high-complexity environments.Andrew shares practical lessons on org design, strategic clarity, and how product leaders can stay effective as their scope scales.