Matt wrote the book he wishes he would have had starting out as a product manager.

To be a successful product manager you need several competencies. We tend to be "T-Shaped" people with capabilities in several areas and much more depth in one area, such as development, design, research, etc.

Product managers early in their career focus on learning the skills to get the job done -- the technical skills of product management. Only later you might realize those skills are not enough and that the so-called "soft skills" are what really make the difference. Learning those skills sooner results in faster career growth, which is why I invited product manager and author Matt LeMay to join us. He recently wrote the book, Product Management in Practice: A Real-World Guide to the Key Connective Role of the 21st Century. Matt has helped build and scale product management practices at companies ranging from early-stage startups to Fortune 50 enterprises.

In the interview, he explains the CORE connectivity skills successful product managers need. CORE is an acronym for:

Communication,
Organization,
Research
Execution