Tom Conrad

Guest: Tom Conrad - CEO of Zero Longevity Science. Tom has an extensive background in product management and engineering, having served as CTO of Pandora, VP of Product at Snap, and Chief Product Officer at Quibi. He played key roles in both successful and infamous product ventures, including Pandora and Quibi. Key Takeaways: Founder's Myth: Not everyone needs to be a founder. Many talented individuals could make a more significant impact by joining existing teams and solving problems collaboratively. Business Model Insight: Understand the "math formula" of your business. A broken foundational equation can't be fixed by product iterations alone, as seen in Quibi's failure. Customer Engagement: At Pandora, direct and genuine customer interaction (e.g., everyone responding to support emails) was crucial in building a loyal user base without paid acquisition. Iterative Success: Successful products often require iterative refinement and a deep understanding of user needs, as demonstrated by Pandora's growth strategy. Burnout Prevention: Align your work with your passions and focus on building meaningful relationships. Balance work with personal life to sustain long-term career satisfaction. Topics Covered: Product failures and successes, the importance of understanding business models, lessons from Quibi and Pandora, career advice for product managers, maintaining mental health and avoiding burnout, the role of a CEO.