How can legacy products be reinvented for a new generation? In this special episode of Product Talk, Products That Count CEO Hoda Mehr interviews Yahoo Mail General Manager Kyle Miller as he shares his journey from marketing to product management and reveals how to go from running a product to running a business. Kyle will dive deep into product strategy, leadership lessons, and the art of turning a decades-old product into a cutting-edge user experience.
Join us for new conversations with leading product executives every week. Roll through the highlights of this week’s event below, then head on over to our Events page to see which product leaders will be joining us next week.
Show Notes:
- Transition from marketing to product requires building credibility through informal authority
- Changing brand narratives happens through product experience, not just marketing messaging
- Being transparent about what you don’t know can actually build team trust and collaboration
- The journey from Product Manager to General Manager requires learning to create systems, not just drive outcomes
- Yahoo Mail remains the second-largest email service, with over half its audience being Millennials and Gen Z
- The vision for Yahoo Mail is to become a personal productivity engine, not just an inbox
- Successful product evolution requires understanding and respecting existing user habits
- The “bring your own inbox” initiative drove 125% organic growth by reducing user friction
- Personalization trumps customization – focus on intuitive features for specific user segments
- User education is critical when redesigning long-standing products with established user behaviors
- Leadership is about setting conditions for success, not micromanaging every detail
- High agency is more important than pure talent in career progression
- Learn to be a “thermostat” (setting temperature) rather than a “thermometer” (reacting to temperature)
- Agency development has three levels: doing your job, solving unaddressed organizational needs, and avoiding overstepping boundaries
- AI integration should focus on removing friction, not creating more work for users
- Scaling leadership means creating environments where leaders can operate independently
- Product managers should solve problems that keep leadership up at night, not just chase visible initiatives
- Successful product transformation requires balancing the needs of different user generations
- Effective leadership involves setting the right organizational conditions and alignment
- Continuous learning and adaptability are key to moving from product management to general management
About the speaker
Kyle Miller is the General Manager of Yahoo Mail, leading product innovation, business strategy and operations, and overseeing initiatives that further advance and refine Yahoo Mail with more ways to stay informed and organized. Miller joined Yahoo in 2023, serving as Vice President of Product for Yahoo Mail, where he oversaw the development and launch of the first major redesign of the Yahoo Mail desktop experience in nearly a decade, and a new mobile app experience for Yahoo Mail, both with clean new designs and helpful AI-powered features. Prior to joining Yahoo, Miller spent a decade at Tinder, serving as Vice President of Product, having joined the company in its early days to lead brand marketing where he defined the voice, campaigns and partnerships to build the brand and product into a global cultural phenomenon. His work has been nominated for an Emmy and recognized by Fast Company, Cannes Lions, the Webby Awards and more.