The Mentorship One: Britney Russ, Mentorship, and a tip to keep your team from becoming a Feature Farm

Maulik Parikh, despite limited computer access in his childhood, earned a CS degree during a recession. In a challenging job market, he secured a B2B sales role at CompUSA before becoming a technology consultant at Accenture. Working with Fortune 500 companies, he learned valuable business lessons: prioritizing efficiency, leveraging technology, avoiding mistakes, planning for change management, and exuding confidence with clients. In the Era of AI, he advises preparing for automation's impact on roles and suggests utilizing abundant training resources like www.joinai.la to stay technologically relevant. With access to training at an all-time high, opportunities to upskill are plentiful.

Andrew Skotzko reflects on his unexpected journey into Product Management. Initially a Marketer and Growth Hacker, Andrew delved into the realm of quantitative and experimental marketing strategies, which ultimately resulted in a transition into a full-stack Engineer. Discovering Product Management along the way, he joined Chill.com and later contributed to Pebble's e-commerce system. Focusing on growth-oriented Product Management, Andrew explains the concept of growth hacking and the pursuit of the "aha moment." He eventually shifted to "core" Product Management, where he now highlights the value creation process, understanding users' needs, and enabling progress in their lives.

Adam Judelson describes what it was like winning the grand prize at the Silicon Valley Science and Engineering Fair (and 4th place in the International Competition) in high school, and how it has provided inspiration throughout his career. He also discusses what makes a great marriage between Product and Engineering Teams.