Product manager, entrepreneur, and author Ali Rakhimov joins Laurier Mandin to talk about how better communication can make even the most ambitious products take flight. From building payment kiosks for K–12 schools to leading multimillion-dollar initiatives at Macy’s, Ali shares how simplicity, idioms, and “stupid” questions can cut through complexity and bring teams together. 

This conversation dives into how to keep innovation alive, avoid “boiling the ocean,” and use AI as a force for clarity, not chaos.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:02:00 — From the classroom to product leadership: How Ali’s early years in K–12 shaped his management style.
• 00:04:40 — Building, failing, and pivoting: The scrappy road trip that led to a startup exit.
• 00:06:30 — The power of idioms: Why metaphors like “Elephant in the Room” and “Boil the Ocean” make teams communicate better.
• 00:09:00 — Asking the “stupid” question: Turning imposter syndrome into clarity.
• 00:12:10 — Focus vs. shiny-penny syndrome: How to simplify and ship without killing ambition.
• 00:16:00 — AI hype and reality: What teams get wrong—and how culture determines success.
• 00:21:00 — Learning curve to lifelong learning: From calculators to ChatGPT, adapting to new tools.
• 00:27:40 — Making pigs fly: How Ali proved the impossible possible in K–12 fintech.

Links:
Find out more about Ali Rakhimov and buy "When Pigs Fly": Ali.ink
Subscribe to Laurier Mandin's daily emails and buy "I Need That": LMandin.com
Learn about Graphos Product, read the blog and get all podcasts with transcripts: GraphosProduct.com

Why do some buyers eagerly drop thousands on a luxury item, then balk at paying a fraction of that for something useful and well-made?
In this solo episode of Product: Knowledge, Laurier Mandin unpacks the Premium Buyer Paradox and explores the psychology behind premium pricing.

From Dyson’s visible engineering, to Bang & Olufsen’s design-driven luxury, to Montblanc’s identity-making pens, you’ll hear how different brands justify their price tags and change buyer behavior. Laurier also shares practical tips on how product makers can earn the right to charge more—through quality, service, consistency, and customer delight.

If you want to know what really makes buyers say yes to premium pricing, this episode is for you.

Episode Highlights

[00:00:25] The Premium Buyer Paradox — why someone will drop $100K on a Range Rover but complain your $50 service is “too expensive.”

[00:01:59] Premium pricing isn’t decided, it’s earned. Louis Vuitton’s $1,500 handbags are backed by 171 years of brand-building, not just fonts and packaging.

[00:02:55] The buyer’s price ceiling = desirability ÷ resources (money, time, effort, risk). Context changes everything.

[00:03:57] The iPhone Affordability Index: 3 days of work in Luxembourg vs. 160 days in India for the same phone.

[00:05:13] Dyson turned vacuums into engineering theater—visible performance made a $600 splurge at Costco irresistible, even to value shoppers.

[00:06:34] Bang & Olufsen reframed speakers and TVs as design furniture, creating a luxury moat value shoppers won’t cross.

[00:07:12] Montblanc pens transformed from writing tools to prestige markers—identity, not function, is what buyers pay for.

[00:08:26] How to earn premium pricing: start with quality construction, offer an amazing warranty, deliver above-and-beyond service, nail packaging, and stay flawless in every detail.

[00:09:22] Delight every customer and disappoint no one. That’s the only path to lasting premium status.

Building great products is only half the battle—the other half is building them with marketing success baked in from Day One. Too many product teams operate in isolation, creating features customers don't understand or positioning that marketing can't sell.

Heather Inocencio has cracked the code on building product teams that inherently understand marketing needs. With over 30 years of product experience, she's transformed organizations at companies like The RealReal (driving revenues from $100M to $400M leading to a $1.6B IPO) and Haute Look (scaling to 4M members and a $270M Nordstrom acquisition). Now founder of The Product Consult, she helps brands bridge the critical gap between product development and market success through embedded, hands-on product management that levels up entire organizations.

Episode Highlights:

• Heather's journey from MCI Telecommunications to fractional CPO work (01:52)
• Why product management was misunderstood in the early 90s and the "German to French" translation role (02:30)
• The shift from enterprise to high-growth startups and common optimization gaps (03:45)
• How The Product Consult's embedded approach differs from traditional consulting (09:16)
• The three-part engagement process: assessment, integration, and successful exit (09:16)
• Identifying the right clients: transformation needs vs. just "butts in seats" (10:30)
• Building product-marketing integration from acquisition through engagement (19:15)
• Overcoming sales team resistance and breaking down departmental silos (23:16)
• The critical role of aligned success metrics across all departments (24:19)
• Product manager-company fit: matching disposition and communication styles (32:11)
• The relief factor: making work easier, not harder, through optimization (36:56)
• One action product leaders can take tomorrow: individual team assessment (36:56)

The Product Consult: theproductconsult.com 

Graphos Product: GraphosProduct.com
Buy "I Need That" and get Laurier's daily Need Feed emails: LMandin.com

The path from direct-to-consumer to retail success is something many product makers dream about, but it's also where countless promising products have gone to die. Bad logistics choices, bloated inventory, and unnecessary costs can sink even great products before they ever reach a store shelf.

Paul Jarrett, co-founder and CEO of Bulu, has created a unique solution to help brands bridge this critical gap. His company offers something rare in the logistics world: the ability to ship both B2B and DTC from a single inventory source, enabling brands to fulfill orders of any size to any destination. This flexibility allows small brands to compete with major players by offering retailers exactly what they need without minimum order quantities.

From his journey starting in advertising to building subscription boxes to ultimately creating a logistics company, Paul shares invaluable insights on when brands should (and shouldn't) make the leap to retail, how to build relationships with buyers, and why inventory management is the make-or-break factor for success.

Episode Highlights:

• Paul's background in advertising and path to entrepreneurship (02:00)
• The origin story of their subscription box business (05:00)
• Creating subscription programs for major brands like Disney and Crayola (10:00)
• How the pandemic forced a complete business pivot (12:00)
• Solving the B2B/DTC fulfillment gap that no one else addressed (15:00)
• Signs a DTC brand is ready for retail expansion (23:49)
• Common pitfalls that kill promising products in retail (25:00)
• Why inventory visibility is crucial for multi-channel success (31:00)
• Strategies for getting better shelf placement as a new brand (37:34)
• Three essential steps for DTC brands planning future retail expansion (41:21)

Bulu website: bulugroup.com
Paul Jarrett website: pauljarrett.com
Graphos Product website: GraphosProduct.com
Buy “I Need That” and get Laurier Mandin's daily Need Feed emails: LMandin.com

In this special episode, host Laurier Mandin introduces his new book, "I Need That: Creating and Marketing Products People Are Compelled to Buy." Drawing from over 30 years of marketing experience, Laurier shares key insights on how to create products that resonate deeply with consumers.

Key points covered:

1. The psychology behind why people buy certain products
2. How to transform a product from a "want" to a "need"
3. The CLIMB™ framework for understanding product benefits
4. The concept of the "Coveted Condition™" in product development
5. Strategies for effective product validation
6. Overcoming consumer resistance to new products
7. The three selves of the consumer: Remembering, Experiencing, and Third Self
8. Creating intuitive user interfaces through natural mapping
9. The importance of storytelling in product marketing
10. Scaling strategies while maintaining focus on core customer needs

Laurier emphasizes the importance of understanding deep-seated customer needs and aspirations to create truly compelling products. He introduces novel concepts like the "Third Self" and provides practical advice for product developers and marketers.

Whether you're a startup founder, product manager, or marketing professional, this episode offers valuable insights to transform your approach to product development and marketing.

Get your copy of "I Need That" now:
Hardcover
Paperback
Kindle eBook
Audible Audio Book

Visit Laurier Mandin’s author site and sign up for his DAILY “Need Feed” emails at lmandin.com
Get product insights, learn about Graphos Product and read the Graphos blog at graphosproduct.com

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