How do you translate user needs into stories?
When is a story too big?
(hint: almost always)
What does it really mean to value individuals and interactions over processes and tools, and how do you reconcile that when your product is a tool for Agile teams?
These are some of the key questions Dan Podsedly helped me to break down as we explored the history of Tracker - the product backlog tool that started inside Pivotal Labs and grew to become the preferred Agile Project Management software for product teams around the globe.
Dan Podsedly has been part of the Pivotal family for over 14 years, when it was just a dozen programmers in a warehouse building in San Francisco playing around with new methods of delivering software (now referred to as Test-Driven Development and Extreme Programming).
He was part of the team that built Tracker, originally conceived as an internal tool to reduce hand cramps from writing stories onto sticky notes.
Today, this Engineer turned Product Guardian turned Product Manager turned VP of Product manages a team of 35 people as Tracker continues its learning journey through widespread adoption.
In this episode we go deeper into Agile philosophy than ever before, as well as contemplate:
- The Art of Decomposition
- Vendor Anti-Patterns in Agile
- One Word to Ban in Product Management
Push play below to hear the full conversation.

In this episode:
- Where do startups go wrong with implementing OKRs
- Can OKRs really scale for enterprise?
- What are pipelines and how do they change the way we think about product roadmaps?

In this episode:
- From retail to product management
- Why relationship building is the number one required skill a product manager could have
- The value of having confidence with humility

In this episode:
- Establishing a clear vision of your career path
- Using metrics to answer burning product questions
- What product managers can learn from biology
