EPISODE 10: Why you need Product EQ with Vivek Bedi, Head of Digital Products at Northwestern Mutual

EQ is easy to overlook in tech, but for a PM, it can be the difference between a standout product and, well, a mediocre one. Take it from, Vivek Bedi, Head of Consumer Experience, Digital Products, at Northwestern Mutual. In this episode, Vivek chats with Jonathan about how cultivating the softer side of your skills, navigating work with empathy, and showing, not just telling, your ideas can help you build the relationships and trust needed to build great products.

As a product manager, you have to balance a number of opinions from stakeholders across the organization while finding a way to move the project forward. Having buy-in is important, but how do you ensure that all of the people associated with a project are invested in it?

By building relationships and trust. Vivek Bedi, Head of Consumer Experience, Digital Products, at Northwestern Mutual, chats with Jonathan about his journey cultivating the softer side of his skills—empathy, active listening, and storytelling—and why EQ is a must-have for product managers. In this episode, Vivek also talks about the value of embracing vulnerability as a leader and why showing, not telling, is the best way to get more established companies onboard with innovative product decisions.