Product Fields

#147 Leading Product Teams in the Age of AI - With Gil Broza

Gil Broza joins our hosts, Jim Sammons and Rich Visotcky, for the first episode of the Product Fields podcast in 2026! In this conversation, we discuss the evolving landscape of agility and product management in the age of AI. Together, we explore how AI has transformed product delivery, the importance of accountability, and the need for leaders to adapt their strategies to ensure effective team dynamics. Too often, we have seen companies go full-on into AI without any strategy or understanding of the consequences. Through our discussion, we dive into the balance between leveraging AI for efficiency while maintaining critical thinking and human oversight, and the need for a thoughtful approach to integrating AI into work processes.00:00:00 Intro00:02:04 Agility Beyond Tech: Adapting Principles for Non-Tech Teams 00:03:44 The Relevance of the Agile Manifesto, Values, and Principles 00:08:44 AI's Impact on Product Delivery and Management 00:12:15 Going Back to Principles in the Age of AI 00:16:52 Accountability in the Age of AI 00:28:03 The AI Industrial Revolution: Trust and Human Connection 00:33:58 The Atrophy of Skills in the Age of AI 00:35:07 The Impact of AI on Communication and Authenticity 00:45:38 The Dangers of Over-Reliance on AI 00:47:27 Fundamentals in the Age of AI 00:50:45 The Danger of Agency and AI 00:53:01 The Future of Work and AI Integration 00:57:46 Quantity vs. Impact 01:01:20 Closing Connect with Product Fields:📢 Follow the podcast for more inspiring stories💬 Join the conversation on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/company/mastering-agility 📩 Contact us for trades or sponsorships👉 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it!Connect with our guests:Gil Broza: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilbrozaSubscribe to Gil’s newsletter: https://3pvantage.com/subscribe-newsletter/Attend Gil’s course, “Leading AI-Enabled Product Teams”: https://3pvantage.com/leapt/Check out our sponsors:https://www.xebia.comhttps://www.wiserbees.comhttps://www.jointinsights.comhttps://www.productfields.com

#146 Can Mindset be Quantified? - With Dr. Karen Eilers and Christiaan Verwijs

Join hosts Rich Visotcky and Jim Sammons as they delve deep into the agile mindset and its significance in team dynamics from a research-backed perspective. Joining them in this episode are Dr. Karen Eilers and Christiaan Verwijs who are leading studies exploring the agile mindset from the individual and team level. Through their research and the help of Columinity, they describe how to factors like motivation, morale, collaborative exchange, value focus, and management support improve team effectiveness. Together, we discuss the development of reliable measurement scales, the importance of data in understanding team effectiveness in order to take action, and the challenges of selection bias and trust in survey data. We also dip our toes into the pools of dynamic reteaming and its effects on team cohesion and team outcomes.Whether you’re a manager looking to help your teams hit their stride, a team member trying to understand how to improve yourself to improve those around you, or a research and data junkie curious about people and teams, this episode has you covered!Want to learn more about your team and the research?Participate (and get immediate actionable feedback!): https://questionnaire.columinity.com/setup/model/agilemindsetPreliminary findings: https://blog.columinity.com/how-a-team-level-agile-mindset-shapes-team-effectiveness/Scientific paper on Agile Mindset: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162522001822Contact Columinity: https://columinity.com/researchConnect with our guests:Karen Eilers: linkedin.com/in/dr-karen-eilers/Christiaan Verwijs: linkedin.com/in/christiaanverwijs/Connect with Mastering Agility:📢 Follow the podcast for more inspiring stories💬 Join the conversation on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/mastering-agility📩 Contact us for trades or sponsorships👉 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it!Check out our sponsors:www.xebia.comwww.wiserbees.comwww.jointinsights.comwww.productfields.comFind more at www.masteringagility.org

#145 Consistency, Creativity, Compliance, and the Five X's with Sam Falco and Dan Neumann

In this episode, Jim and Rich delve into the complexities of Agile methodologies with Sam Falco and Dan Neumann, discussing the balance between consistency and flexibility, the challenges of planning in complex environments, and the importance of discipline in Agile practices. Together, they explore various frameworks for navigating complexity, the significance of measuring effectiveness, and the necessity of making small bets in uncertain conditions. The need for organizations to adapt their approaches based on the context and to embrace feedback as a means of continuous improvement is critical for continued success.00:00 Intro04:08 Understanding Complexity in Agile 09:02 The Challenge of Planning in Complex Environments 13:49 Navigating Regulations and Constraints 15:57 Frameworks for Managing Complexity 21:46 Managing Risk and Boundaries in Complexity 26:07 Efficiency vs. Effectiveness 30:20 The Complexity of Decision Making 37:15 Consistency vs Flexibility 44:05 Discovering the Time to Change 47:53 Building and Falling Into Habits 51:58 Finding the Balance of Consistency and Flexibility 53:40 Iterating Towards a Solution 54:37 Complexity Needs Good Process 55:25 Using Cadence for Evolution and Consistency 57:01 It Takes Discipline to DeliverConnect with Mastering Agility:📢 Follow the podcast for more inspiring stories💬 Join the conversation on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/mastering-agility📩 Contact us for trades or sponsorships👉 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it!Connect with our guests:linkedin.com/in/sam-falco/linkedin.com/in/meetdanneumann/Check out our sponsors:www.xebia.comwww.wiserbees.comwww.jointinsights.comwww.productfields.comFind more at www.masteringagility.orgHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

#144 Listener Q&A: Answering Your Submissions

In this episode, Ryan Brook brings his homework with him as he joins hosts Jim Sammons and Rich Visotcky for a vibrant Q&A session to answer questions from our viewers. Ryan flips the script, taking over emcee duties to extract key ideas and insights from Rich and Jim as they cover a range of topics from team autonomy and navigating roles to measuring outcomes and outputs to understand the impacts of agility.Join us for a lively session answering your questions! Have a question you want answered in a future episode? Comment on this episode, or reach out to us.00:00:00 Opening00:00:29 Introductions 00:02:54 Question Setup 00:04:16 Navigating New Roles in an Organization 00:13:07 Coaching Leadership on Agility and Fixed Projects 00:20:09 Managing Dependencies in Agile and Waterfall 00:28:38 Metrics for Agile Progress 00:36:00 Creating a Culture of Experimentation 00:47:23 Measuring Outcomes vs Output 00:52:40 The Gantt Chart Debate 00:58:16 Tools for User Story Mapping 01:05:21 Balancing Team Autonomy with Organizational Goals 01:13:01 Change Management in UI/UX Handoffs 01:19:38 Managing Parallel Sprints 01:29:13 Closing Connect with Mastering Agility📢 Follow the podcast for more inspiring stories💬 Join the conversation on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/mastering-agility📩 Contact us for trades or sponsorships👉 If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review and share it with someone who needs to hear it!Check out our sponsors:www.xebia.comwww.wiserbees.comwww.jointinsights.comwww.masteringagility.orgHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

#143 Generosity, Community, and the Changing Agile Landscape with Jose Casal

“Generosity as a strategy — I’ve never seen it not pay back eventually.”In this lively conversation, Jim and Sander welcome Jose Casal — agile coach, trainer, and long-time conference organizer — to reflect on the people, purpose, and future of agile gatherings. As part of the Scan Agile 2025 organizing team, Jose shares why he continues to invest months of volunteer effort into building events that foster connection and inspiration.From his global journey (Spain → UK → Finland) to his professional philosophy of “generosity as a strategy,” Jose unpacks the challenges and rewards of running community-driven conferences in a shifting industry landscape. The trio dive into the realities of sponsorship, the impact of AI on agile investment, and why human connection remains the ultimate ROI.Check out our sponsor:www.xebia.comwww.wiserbees.comwww.masteringagility.orgHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.