Opening keynote: the room sets the agenda · Notes

The short version

Rhea opened Day 1 by arguing that the best product conversations happen when the room picks the topics, not the organisers. She shared how Northwind swapped roadmap theatre for six-week bets, and asked everyone to pitch the messy problem they're actually stuck on.

4 takeaways

Key takeaways

01Pitch the problem you're stuck on, not the one you've already solved. Those are the sessions that fill up.
02Northwind swapped quarterly roadmaps for six-week bets with one metric each, and shipped half as many launches.
03Agents now write the first draft of every spec at Northwind. A named PM still owns the call.
04Walk out of a session that isn't working for you. The law of two feet is the point, not rude.

5 chapters

Chapters

Timed to the recording. Tap a time to link to it.Read each chapter in full

0:00
Why an unconference
The room is smarter than any programme committee. Topics get picked on the day, by the people in it.
3:30
What to pitch
Bring a live problem with real constraints. Half-formed is fine, polished is boring.
8:40
From roadmaps to bets
How Northwind moved to six-week bets with one metric each, and what they stopped doing.
14:20
Agents and who owns the spec
Agents draft specs and test plans. A named PM reviews, edits and signs off. Ownership doesn't move.
22:40
How today works
Pitch at 10:30, the board fills by 11:00, and you can switch rooms whenever you like.

3 quotes

Worth quoting

If you've already solved it, write a blog post. Bring the thing that's keeping you up at night.
Rhea KulkarniChief Product Officer, Northwind Health4:12 in the transcript
We shipped half as many things last year and retention went up. That's not a coincidence.
Rhea KulkarniChief Product Officer, Northwind Health11:05 in the transcript
Our agents write the first draft of every spec now. A PM still has to sign the bottom of it.
Rhea KulkarniChief Product Officer, Northwind Health14:45 in the transcript

Transcript excerpt

From the transcript

An excerpt, lightly cleaned up. Speakers were matched by voice, then checked by a person.

0:00Host
Good morning, everyone. Please find a seat, there's coffee at the back. Our first speaker runs product at Northwind Health. Rhea, over to you.
0:24Rhea Kulkarni
Thank you. So, quick show of hands. Who here has sat through a conference talk that was really a recruiting ad? Yeah. Most of you. Today is the opposite of that.
3:30Rhea Kulkarni
When you pitch a session in half an hour, I want you to pitch the thing you haven't figured out. Not the case study. The mess.
4:12Rhea Kulkarni
If you've already solved it, write a blog post. Bring the thing that's keeping you up at night.
8:40Rhea Kulkarni
Two years ago we had a beautiful roadmap. Colour coded. Nobody believed it, including the people who made it. So we threw it out and went to six-week bets.
11:05Rhea Kulkarni
We shipped half as many things last year and retention went up. That's not a coincidence.
14:02Audience
Are agents writing your specs now?
14:20Rhea Kulkarni
Partly, yes. The first draft, the edge cases, the test plan. Then a person reads it with a red pen. Our agents write the first draft of every spec now. A PM still has to sign the bottom of it.

The short version

4 takeaways

Key takeaways

01Pitch the problem you're stuck on, not the one you've already solved. Those are the sessions that fill up.
02Northwind swapped quarterly roadmaps for six-week bets with one metric each, and shipped half as many launches.
03Agents now write the first draft of every spec at Northwind. A named PM still owns the call.
04Walk out of a session that isn't working for you. The law of two feet is the point, not rude.

5 chapters

Chapters

Timed to the recording. Tap a time to link to it.Read each chapter in full

0:00
Why an unconference
The room is smarter than any programme committee. Topics get picked on the day, by the people in it.
3:30
What to pitch
Bring a live problem with real constraints. Half-formed is fine, polished is boring.
8:40
From roadmaps to bets
How Northwind moved to six-week bets with one metric each, and what they stopped doing.
14:20
Agents and who owns the spec
Agents draft specs and test plans. A named PM reviews, edits and signs off. Ownership doesn't move.
22:40
How today works
Pitch at 10:30, the board fills by 11:00, and you can switch rooms whenever you like.

3 quotes

Worth quoting

If you've already solved it, write a blog post. Bring the thing that's keeping you up at night.
Rhea KulkarniChief Product Officer, Northwind Health4:12 in the transcript
We shipped half as many things last year and retention went up. That's not a coincidence.
Rhea KulkarniChief Product Officer, Northwind Health11:05 in the transcript
Our agents write the first draft of every spec now. A PM still has to sign the bottom of it.
Rhea KulkarniChief Product Officer, Northwind Health14:45 in the transcript

Transcript excerpt

From the transcript

An excerpt, lightly cleaned up. Speakers were matched by voice, then checked by a person.

0:00Host
Good morning, everyone. Please find a seat, there's coffee at the back. Our first speaker runs product at Northwind Health. Rhea, over to you.
0:24Rhea Kulkarni
Thank you. So, quick show of hands. Who here has sat through a conference talk that was really a recruiting ad? Yeah. Most of you. Today is the opposite of that.
3:30Rhea Kulkarni
When you pitch a session in half an hour, I want you to pitch the thing you haven't figured out. Not the case study. The mess.
4:12Rhea Kulkarni
If you've already solved it, write a blog post. Bring the thing that's keeping you up at night.
8:40Rhea Kulkarni
Two years ago we had a beautiful roadmap. Colour coded. Nobody believed it, including the people who made it. So we threw it out and went to six-week bets.
11:05Rhea Kulkarni
We shipped half as many things last year and retention went up. That's not a coincidence.
14:02Audience
Are agents writing your specs now?
14:20Rhea Kulkarni
Partly, yes. The first draft, the edge cases, the test plan. Then a person reads it with a red pen. Our agents write the first draft of every spec now. A PM still has to sign the bottom of it.

Key takeaways

Chapters

Why an unconference

What to pitch

From roadmaps to bets

Agents and who owns the spec

How today works

Worth quoting

From the transcript

Key takeaways

Chapters

Why an unconference

What to pitch

From roadmaps to bets

Agents and who owns the spec

How today works

Worth quoting

From the transcript