543: Product leadership in complex tech companies – with Adam Feinstein
Product Mastery Now for Product Managers, Leaders, and Innovators · 2025-06-09 · 36 min
Episode notes
A product manager's journey to Product VP Watch on YouTube TLDR In this episode, I talk with Adam Feinstein, Vice President of Product at AppFolio, about what makes a great product leader in technology organizations. Adam shares his journey from electrical engineering in semiconductors to leading product teams in software, discussing the transitions, challenges, and valuable lessons he’s learned along the way. We explore topics like transitioning between industries, moving from individual contributor to leader, the importance of people problems over technical ones, business acumen, collaborating across functions, the value of mentors and coaching, and Adam’s strategies for staying organized and effective as a VP of Product. Introduction What distinguishes great product leaders in complex technology companies, and how do you become a great product leader? Is it technical knowledge, business acumen, or something else entirely? In this discussion, we'll examine product leadership in tech organizations. Our guest is Adam Feinstein. We met at a product leadership group Rich Mironov organized to help product leaders excel. Adam is Vice President of Product at AppFolio.