S1E7 VIDEO Mike Neff on Puzzle Perspective, Leadership Blind Spots, and Asking the Right Questions

All Episodes

April 7, 2025 • 53 mins

What if the real reason your product failed wasn’t the team or the timeline—but that you were solving the wrong puzzle entirely? In this episode, I talk with Mike Neff, a seasoned product design leader, about what happened when he joined a company headed for IPO—and discovered that everything he thought he knew about success, alignment, and leadership was just one small piece of a much bigger picture. We cover:

Why “doing everything right” isn’t enough
How to spot invisible misalignment before it wrecks your roadmap
Using design tools to align stakeholders (not just users)
What to ask when nothing makes sense
Why puzzle perspective is a leadership superpower

If you're a designer, PM, or exec trying to make a real impact in a complex org—this one’s for you.

Mark as Played

Transcript

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Are You A Charlotte?

In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}S1E7 VIDEO Mike Neff on Puzzle Perspective, Leadership Blind Spots, and Asking the Right Questions