Product Therapy: "Coaching Transformations"

Host: Christian Idiodi | Guest: Leah Hickman (SVPG Partner)
Date: February 19, 2026

Overview

In this candid episode, Christian Idiodi and Leah Hickman—both SVPG partners—pull back the curtain on the realities of product transformations, specifically shifting to a product operating model. Eschewing polished case studies, they reveal the true "messy middle": the behavioral, political, and cultural barriers that persistently challenge organizations. The conversation digs into not only why transformations are needed but also what makes them succeed or fail in practice, the role of leadership, the necessary mindset shifts, and how companies can stop operating in “product management theater” and make true, sustainable change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Companies Seek Transformation

• Motivations for Change ([01:01])
  • Frustration with stagnant competition or wasted investments.
  • Inconsistencies in team performance; desire for continuity and confidence.
  • A need for more structured approaches amid “blind spots.”
• The Real Trigger ([01:47])
  • Change often starts when leaders admit there’s a problem: “First, you know, making sure that the leaders in the organization are honest about what it is they're actually trying to achieve...is really the first step admitting that there's a problem.” — Leah [01:47]

Addressing Leadership Resistance

• Business as Usual ([03:13])
  • Leaders in operational/business roles may resist change if short-term results look fine.
  • The challenge is to future-proof the business, not just fix immediate pains ([03:38]).
• Role Play: Making the Case for Change ([06:01])
  • Leah’s pitch to skeptical leaders: “Have you released a capability… and it didn't achieve the results?...What if I could give you a formula that would help you mitigate that scenario?” — Leah [06:01]
  • Framing transformation as an opportunity to prevent wasted effort and missed goals.

What Are Companies Transforming Into?

• The Product Operating Model Explained ([08:38])
  • Three pillars:
    1. How you build software: Small, frequent releases.
    2. How you discover solutions: Emphasis on product discovery and experimentation.
    3. How you choose problems to solve: Strategic prioritization at the leadership level.
  • The organizational unlock is aligning on the right problems, not just stakeholder requests.

From Output to Outcomes

• Mindset Shifts for Leaders ([11:01])
  • From directing work to empowering teams.
  • From scaling control to scaling judgment and context within teams ([11:01]).
• AI as a Transformation Accelerant ([12:12])
  • Organizations embracing the product model are better positioned to leverage AI and experiment rapidly.
  • “Aligning the organization with those insights…is game changing...It just exponentially helps align the organization on a focused strategy more effectively.” — Leah [12:12]
• The New Role of Tech Leaders ([13:26])
  • AI’s rise brings technology leaders to the executive table.
  • Staying at the table requires showing technology as a steady enabler, not a one-off consultant.

Measuring ROI and Success

• Redefining Success Metrics ([15:22])
  • Quantifying outcomes trumps releasing outputs.
  • “Delivering something, releasing a capability is not successful... Really focusing those leaders on, define and more importantly, quantify what success looks like.” — Leah [15:22]
• Cost of Not Changing ([17:14])
  • Wasted features, wasted quarters, escalations, burnout.
  • The ROI is fewer wasted cycles, better clarity, and improved team morale.

Making Transformation Stick

• Cultural Shifts and Common Pitfalls ([20:51])
  • “Product management theater”: Superficial role/title changes without true behavioral investment.
  • Installation vs. adoption—skills and behaviors must be grown, not just labeled.
  • “It starts about being declarative about what kind of product culture we want to create...” — Leah [21:34]
• The Leadership Dilemma ([23:19])
  • Even when the CEO and teams “want” the product model, unclear roles and lack of top-level modeling sabotage change.
• From Management to True Product Leadership ([23:52])
  • Leadership must be visionary and declarative, not just gather team inventories (“project management” anti-pattern).
  • “Being a strong product leader means gathering all of those insights, having a declarative view about where you want the future to be from your customer's perspective, making those hard calls…” — Leah [23:52]

Coaching Leaders and Teams

• Building New Muscles ([27:05])
  • Long-tenured leaders are being asked to lead differently: from command-and-control to coaching and providing context.
  • Coaching happens best in real situations ("strategy jumpstarts" as live, real-world modeling sessions).
• Developing Discovery Skills ([28:58])
  • Discovery is not a phase—it’s the core work of product teams ([30:42]).
  • “Discovery prevents you…from delivering the wrong thing. Skipping discovery doesn't save you time, it compounds waste.” — Christian [30:42]

Trust, Empowerment, and Balance

• Breaking Order-taker Dynamics ([32:18])
  • Product teams must learn to ask “why?” and build trust so leaders feel safe assigning problems instead of tasks.
  • Leaders and teams must be aligned on trusting new processes, especially with high-stakes regulatory or compliance work ([32:18], [33:48]).
  • The route to trust is different in the product model: “There’s more interaction, and the conversations are less focused on did you do X? and more focused on how you did X…” — Leah [34:23]

Funding and Prioritization

• Don’t Change Everything at Once ([36:06])
  • Funding should shift from projects/features to teams and desired outcomes ([36:29]).
  • “I’m a big fan of funding the team and funding the outcome...If you fund those predictive indicators and you fund the outcome, you have a better line of sight.” — Leah [36:29]
• Start Small, Stack the Deck ([38:44])
  • Use a “pilot team” approach—stack the team with those who want to work this way and support them with leadership and resources.
  • Let results from pilots speak for themselves and avoid broad, sweeping changes before the model is proven ([40:02]).
  • “If you have people who don't want to work this way, stack the deck in your favor with people who are like so excited.” — Leah [40:02]
  • Ignore the skeptics and focus where energy for change is highest.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "What got us here will not get us there." — Christian, channeling leaders’ resistance ([05:20])
• "Discovery is all about making sure that you're building the right thing. It's not about building the product right." — Leah ([29:42])
• "You cannot scale control. That is very hard. You have to scale judgment." — Christian ([11:01])
• "Installation is a good example of just changing the title. But…we have to grow the skills and coach the skills." — Leah ([21:34])
• "The company cares about what the leaders care about. And if the leader is delegating this, especially the CEO...it's going to be hard." — Leah ([44:24])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–01:34 — Why companies seek transformation
• 03:13–06:01 — Overcoming internal resistance; role play with skeptical leadership
• 08:38–11:01 — The product operating model and pillars
• 12:12–13:26 — AI as a catalyst and implications
• 15:22–18:48 — Reframing ROI and outcomes
• 20:51–23:52 — Where transformations break: anti-patterns
• 27:05–28:58 — Coaching leaders to new leadership muscles
• 29:42–32:18 — The true nature of discovery and empowering teams
• 36:06–38:44 — Funding models and starting with pilot teams
• 41:45–44:24 — Lightning round: Will this work...? (Big orgs, regulated, B2B/B2C, internal tools, CEO buy-in)

Frequently Raised Objections – Leah’s Quick Answers

1. Will this work for big companies?
   “Absolutely. Invest in product leaders, start small, and scale after proving success.” ([42:06])

2. What about regulated or compliance-heavy industries?
   “It works even better: You’re de-risking everything prior to rolling it out.” ([42:48])

3. B2B vs B2C? Platform or Internal Tools?
   “No fundamental difference. Techniques differ but the core approach is the same. And yes, internal tools matter: you should care even more about usability for colleagues.” ([43:24])

4. If my CEO isn’t bought in?
   “This is where things break down...It’s going to be hard.” ([44:24])

Final Takeaways

• True transformation demands more than role or process changes: it requires deep shifts in leadership behavior, culture, and ways of working—from the CEO down to individual teams.
• Success comes from small, focused pilots staffed with believers, upskilled leaders, and a relentless focus on outcomes and customer value.
• Transformation is always messy, but modeling the right questions, coaching in real-time, and celebrating proven results are key to making the change stick and spreading it sustainably.

Memorable Segment

“Just imagine if you could flip that around. You really want to grow revenue. You tell your thousands of people to discover ways to grow revenue. And your job now is to create the space for them to learn and experiment and test this out... Whatever you deem important, have somebody wake up every day to solve that.”
— Christian [18:48]

For more insights and resources, visit svpg.com.