Are you ready to learn how a media product leader transforms digital experiences? In this episode of the CPO Rising Series hosted by Products That Count Resident CPO Renee Niemi, Yahoo SVP and GM Kat Downs Mulder shares her journey in leadership and digital media transformation. Kat will dive deep into her experiences at Washington Post and Yahoo, revealing how product strategy drives business transformation and creates compelling user experiences in the fast-evolving digital media landscape.
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Show Notes:
- Product leadership is about understanding user needs and translating them into strategic business value
- Product management has evolved from technical production to strategic business leadership
- Transformation requires a clear vision, talented people, and a customer-centered culture
- Successful product leaders focus on outcomes, not just outputs
- Prioritization should always start with understanding customer needs and potential impact
- Customer insights come from multiple sources: research, observation, competitive analysis, and direct conversations
- Leadership and digital media transformation is constantly changing, requiring continuous adaptation
- Personalization is key to creating compelling digital experiences
- Product leaders must balance immediate results with long-term learning and innovation
- Cultural transparency and enthusiasm drive creativity and risk-taking
- Product management sits at the intersection of technology, design, and business strategy
- Understanding user behavior is more important than just listening to user requests
- AI is transforming how users discover and engage with information
- Successful product transformations require cross-functional collaboration
- Product leaders need to develop a holistic view of business strategy
- Continuous learning and adaptability are critical in digital product development
- Building products is about solving user problems, not just adding features
- The product role is increasingly becoming a pathway to executive leadership
- Competitive awareness is as important as user research
- Product strategy should always connect back to the company’s core vision and differentiators
About the speaker
I'm a cross-functional leader with hands-on and executive experience in product, engineering, design, content, audience development and revenue growth through B2C and B2B subscriptions, advertising and e-commerce. I love developing new products that solve important problems for users. I have a strong track record of identifying and executing on consumer product and business opportunities. I enjoy building strong cross-functional teams that deliver excellent work that raises the bar.