Colab Cohorts

Product management is messy—it’s hard to know if you’re doing it right, what you’re missing, or if you have the confidence to try something new. Over the past 8 weeks, this incredible group faced those challenges head-on, building their product concepts and turning theory into action. They tackled the realities of product management with curiosity, collaboration, and a lot of hard work. We asked, “What was the most valuable learning you had from this cohort?” Here’s what they shared: 🧩 “What a product manager ACTUALLY does (and doesn’t do). Where they fit into a team and practical templates used by real-life PMs. Understanding what it’s OK to know—and not know—on the product journey.” 💡 “What key stakeholders expect you to provide and share on an ongoing basis as a PM.” 🎯 “A huge and urgently required confidence boost. Who’s really responsible for what. Product management is full of compromise.” A massive shoutout to this cohort for embracing the messiness of product management, for leaning into learning, and for growing together as a community. We can’t wait to see the impact you’ll make in your careers. John Bowker - your dedication and commitment to growing great product people is unmatched 🦾 If you’ve been wondering how to navigate the complexities of product management, this program might just be the confidence boost you’re looking for. 👉 Applications now open to join our cohort kicking off in February - https://lnkd.in/dZG8caBe

👋 Hey Auckland Product Community! Join us next Thursday for Colabaganza, our end-of-year celebration! It’s the perfect chance to unwind, connect with other product folks, and toast to an incredible 2024 (or bid farewell). Here’s the details: 📅 When: Thursday, 12 December 2024 ⏰ Time: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM 📍 Where: John Barleycorn’s Taphouse, Westfield Newmarket Rooftop 🎟️ Tickets: $25 What’s included? 🍻 Two drinks 🍴 Delicious finger foods 🎯 Fun activities like human bingo 🤝 Networking with the best product community in town Tickets are limited, so grab yours now before it’s too late! 👉 https://lnkd.in/g5zkF8uE 👀 Colab Members: Don’t forget to snag your discounted ticket via our platform https://lnkd.in/gYrM2TRQ See you there!

📷 Some of our Colab members were spotted in London. This week, Rona McCreanor - our London Community lead, hosted our final meet-up in the city of 2024. 💭 The topic was creating impactful professional relationships and celebrating a big year working in product. Next year, we will launch more curated, intimate sessions to help our members build relationships, tackle challenges, and have a bit of fun along the way. Want to build your confidence, product skills, and community? Explore our memberships https://lnkd.in/g7YmeGJi

🚀 Celebrating the Wrap-Up of Our Final Product Strategy Cohort of 2025! Over the past 6 weeks, this incredible group has been part of our ‘Master Product Strategy’ programme, diving deep into what it means to craft and execute effective product strategies over six weeks. From understanding the nuances of growth strategies vs product-market fit expansion to building confidence in stakeholder alignment, this cohort has genuinely embraced the challenge. Here’s what some of our participants had to say: 🧩 “Learning how to put all the pieces of a strategy together. It’s already helping give some structure to my work and I can see it’s going to make it a lot easier to communicate it to others.” 💡 “Learning about growth strategy vs product-market fit expansion strategy was an ‘aha’ moment for me! It’s given me a new perspective on how I view the decisions we’re making.” 🙌 “Everything about it was fantastic! From the content, to the instructor, to the format and supporting tools. Every session was valuable and it seemed like we covered a lot of ground in 6 weeks. It has given me confidence around what I should be focused on when building strategy and confirmed the need to get key stakeholders involved early.” A huge thank you to this group for their energy, insights, and commitment to leveling up their skills with Colab co-founder and instructor Toby Delamore. You’ve shown what it means to think strategically and collaboratively, and we can’t wait to see how you apply these lessons in the real world! Jasmin Pihema, Leigh-ann Verrell, Tatjana Gohlich, Jess Chilcott, Jaz Wilkinson, Hayden Briscoe, Kylie Hill, Bill Chien, Margaret Gascoine, Grace Fox. Here’s to closing 2025 on a high note and gearing up for even more impactful programs next year! 🚀 👀 Applications open to join this cohort in early 2025 - apply here. https://lnkd.in/g5iH-6V5

🚀 Melise Kee's Inspiring Journey to Senior Technical Product Manager at the BBC 🌟 Melise’s career path is a powerful example of growth, adaptability, and confidence. Starting as a full-stack developer, she realised her passion wasn’t just building products but crafting meaningful user experiences. This realisation sparked her transition into product management, where she now thrives on the BBC's product team. Her journey hasn’t been linear—beginning with a year in veterinary science before pivoting to computer science, then navigating challenges like stakeholder management during high-pressure moments early in her PM career. Through resilience and a willingness to learn, Melise has embraced each step as an opportunity to grow. Melise’s story is also a testament to the power of mentorship, both as a mentee learning from others and as a mentor helping others find their footing in the product world. Her passion for supporting the product management community shines through in every step of her journey, and we are lucky to have played a role in her development. 📝 Read her full story, where she shares lessons, pivotal moments, and the strategies that helped her succeed. https://lnkd.in/g_Jrh64K

We recently wrapped up our first APAC-based Product Leadership 101 Cohort. Over the past four weeks, participants have explored key areas such as leadership styles, effective communication, and building high-performing teams. 👉 One of the main standouts we heard was the opportunity for the leaders to provide detailed feedback on their weekly exercises. Here’s what participants had to say 👇 “Collaborating with like-minded Product People across a range of experience/industries. The content was well-pitched, practical, and delivered with real-world examples.” “Great group discussions and hearing about other people’s reality. I also like the key themes of the training as a connecting tissue.” Congratulations to all the participants for dedicating time to developing and understanding what it takes to be an effective product leader: Alex Smith, Cameron McNabb, Chris Watts, Grace Bariso Buenconsejo, Marlies Koch and Michael Spragg. If you’re looking to grow your leadership skills and connect with a community of product professionals, you can apply early for our 2025 programs https://lnkd.in/gBC-XcQZ

Finish your 2024 in true Colab style! 🔥 Join us for Colabaganza, the ultimate end-of-year celebration for product people in Auckland. This is a perfect chance for Colab members and the wider community to connect, celebrate the year, and play human bingo 👀 Details: 🗓️ Date: Thursday 12 December 2024 ⏰ Time: 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM 📍 Location: John Barleycorn's Taphouse, located at Westfield Newmarket's Rooftop Dining area 🎟️ Ticket cost: $25 What does your ticket include? - Entry to the Colabaganza - Two drinks on us 🍻 - Delicious finger foods - Fun activities to help you get to know fellow product folks - A chance to unwind, celebrate, and feel excited for 2025! Who's invited? Colab members, colleagues, friends—anyone interested in mixing and mingling with awesome product people and celebrating the year! Spaces are limited - so please make sure you grab your ticket. https://lnkd.in/g5zkF8uE 👀 If you are a current Colab member, register via Circle for discounted pricing. 🇬🇧 UK members, join our event this month here https://lnkd.in/gqDHYJgw

☕ What we learned from 243 coffee orders from product people At last week's Product Aotearoa conference, our team served 243 coffees (yes, we care about the data that much). The results are fascinating, as they reveal how our coffee orders might (might 😉) reflect our product roles. Like any good product team, we decided to dig into the data. 👉 Senior roles kept it classic, while junior and mid-level PMs added variety to their cups. Here’s what we found: 1️⃣ Flat Whites ruled the cart, especially for Senior PMs and Group PMs (~70% of their orders), practical, dependable and classic. 2️⃣ Chief Product Officers and Directors leaned into Flat Whites too, but many liked Long Blacks (35%)—clear and focused, just like their vision. 3️⃣ Product Managers mixed it up with Mochas and Cappuccinos (bonus points if you added cinnamon!). 4️⃣ Oat milk was the alternative milk MVP, loved by Product Owners and Researchers—the forward-thinkers of the product world. So, what’s your coffee of choice? Does it match your product role—or surprise you? Tag a teammate whose coffee habit deserves a shoutout! 👇 💜 Thanks to the Product Aotearoa team for having us as a partner and to Sabeena Tsan, John Bowker, and Toby Delamore for repping Colab.

We’ve been spending the day supercharging product people at the Product Aotearoa conference. Our Colab Coffee Corner has been humming with hundreds of product people and coffees combining. What we loved most, was conversations and connections have been firing off. Amazing to see so many of our Colab Cohorts members at the conference as well as our team of Sabeena Tsan John Bowker and Toby Delamore. ☕️💜