
Our 2nd annual conference is now over. Thank you to all the attendees and volunteers for making this a success.
Building product in challenging times
This year’s conference theme is “Building Products in Challenging Times” which will focus on talks and workshops that can help with resiliency in the product craft during a year of difficult tech layoffs and downturn.
This conference is an amazing opportunity to network with other local product professionals and to attend talks, workshops, and fireside chats from various product leaders across a variety of product disciplines.
A big thank you to our educational partner, UBC Continuing Business Studies, for their sponsorship in providing the venue. Thank you as well to Productboard for your continued support and sponsorship of this event and community. We are working together towards furthering product excellence in BC.
Who is this for?
- New in product or wanting to break into product
- Experienced in or working in Product or product-adjacent roles
- People managers or Product Leadership roles
ProductBC Conference Tickets
Ticket sales are closed. Thanks to all those who attended.-
Access to the Conference Talks (in-person only)
-
Networking with the local Vancouver Product Community
-
Lunch & Refreshments (throughout the day)
-
$10 Discount for ProductBC Members (emailed promocode to Members)
Conference Schedule
Doors to the venue (UBC Robson Square) will open at 9am. Please come to the front desk to check-in. We’re happy to answer any questions you have as well. Coffee and other refreshments will be available.
Hosts Jeanine Longley and Christopher Edwards will welcome us and provide an overview of what to expect from the day.
Building products in challenging times and executing great launches and campaigns in times of limited resourcing.
Presented by Cameron Uganec and Emma Shanahan.
From Crisis to Opportunity: A systems approach to building products in challenging times.
Presented by Ivana Ciric.
Room C420: How Agile Teams Hit Deadlines – Sunny Dhillon
If agile teams can choose how much work they take into a sprint, how can teams be sure of delivering pre-committed scope on time and on budget? There is clearly more to agile delivery than product owners ordering a backlog of work for teams to work on. Will it not be a relief if you as a Product Owner are able to steer the product across the line and deliver expected scope on time. This hands on and interactive workshop session, you will learn how Product Owners and their teams can work towards a fixed date or budget by applying double loop learning.
Room C440: Whatever The Weather, We Thrive Together: Understand People Better, Build Better Products – Shon Albanese
Are you working with a team (or looking to work) with people to make something better together?
Are you looking to increase product usage, satisfaction and overall company growth?
Are you equally passionate about the health of your product people & the products that the teams build?
In this workshop, we will put into practice practical ways to ask, understand and apply what we learn about each other to build successful products together.
Room C460: Taking Big Bets in Challenging Times: How Lumen5 Approached Product Development Post-AI Boom – Anne Hughes and Reese Patterson
With the explosion of widely accessible AI, the tech industry has undergone yet another shakeup in a few short years. Product teams are facing two competing paths: maintain low-cost, low-risk, but predictable roadmaps, or pivot to higher risk opportunities that have the possibility of launching their product from the early market squarely into the mainstream market.
In this interactive Q&A session, you’ll hear from one of Lumen5’s Product Managers, Anne, who will discuss how Lumen5 made the conscious decision to make a “big bet” on AI after ChatGPT took the market by storm, as well as what that meant for the wider product roadmap. She’s joined by Senior Product Designer, Reese, who will bring real examples of how the team explored and validated what AI actually meant to our users and what the ramifications were for our product’s perception and overall intention.
Attendees are encouraged to bring thoughtful questions on how their own organizations can take advantage of the current industry climate to make the leap from early PMF to mainstream staple.
We’ll have lunch and refreshments put out for attendees. Otherwise, feel free to take this time to mingle or grab food nearby.
The Product Mavericks: Unconventional Paths to Product Management.
Presented by Mikayla Stewart. Panel includes; Chelsey Foster, Ola King, Jen Reiher
Join us for a panel discussion on “The Product Mavericks: Unconventional Paths to Product Management” and hear from a diverse group of Product Managers who have broken into the industry from non-traditional backgrounds. Our panelists will share their unique journeys and insights on how to succeed in Product Management without a traditional background. This discussion is perfect for job seekers, recent graduates, and anyone interested in learning about alternative paths to success in Product Management. Gain valuable insights and practical advice from our panel of experts on how to navigate the industry and stand out in a crowded job market. Don’t miss this opportunity to get inspired and learn from the Product Mavericks!
Room C420: AI tools in Product: Helping or harming the field of Product Management – Maritza van den Heuvel
Format: An open forum discussion where product practitioners can get together to debate and discuss the impact of AI tools such as ChatGPT. From immediate practical tactics in the field, to existential interrogation of the long-term effects on the discipline of Product Management — let’s hear what people think!
Room C440: How Productboard can be used to help Product Managers and organizations more operationally efficient – Kirsten McDonald & Scott Baldwin
Come see a demo and learn how Product Board can help you and your organization build better products in challenging times, become more efficient in process and better support your customers.
Room C460: Going Back to the Basics – Product Portfolio & Prioritization – Sam Moradi
Economic uncertainties have created a new demand paradigm for technology companies. As product managers we need to align our decisions to this new economic reality.
How PM and UX can work closer together.
Presented by Jordan Girman.
Join us for the final thoughts and closing of this ProductBC Conference before we break for the After-Party.
Attendees will need to leave the building by 5:30pm.
Come join us for the ProductBC Conference after-party at the Mahoney Tavern (Conference Centre).
Appetizers will be provided and single drink tickets will be provided for the first 100 attendees to arrive (limit 1 ticket).
6pm – Guests can arrive
9pm – Close
Mahony’s Tavern Convention Centre
Vancouver Convention Centre West Building, Burrard Landing, 1055 Canada Pl #36, Vancouver, BC V6C 0C3
This is about a 15min walk from UBC Robson Square.
Learn From The Best
Meet The Speakers
Cameron Uganec
Ivana Ciric
Maritza van den Heuvel
Sam Moradi
Ola King
Emma Shanahan
Mikayla Stewart
Mikayla Stewart
Kirsten McDonald
Reese Patterson
Jen Reiher
Jordan Girman
Sunny Dhillon
Shon Albanese
Anne Hughes
Chelsey Foster
Thank you to our Sponsors
UBC Sauder Continuing Business Studies
Start, Advance or Change Your Career
Explore UBC Sauder Continuing Business Studies innovative award-winning Certificates and courses that are widely recognized by employers in the local business community and beyond. Designed for early to mid-career professionals who are looking to start, change or advance their career with programs in Agile Leadership, Change Management, Data and Marketing Analytics, Project Management, NEW Product Management bootcamp and more!
Productboard
Productboard is the customer-centric product management platform that helps organizations get the right products to market, faster. Over 6,000 companies, including Toyota, Microsoft, Zoom, 1-800-Contacts, and UiPath, use Productboard to understand what customers need, prioritize what to build next, and align everyone around their roadmap. With offices in San Francisco, Prague, and Vancouver, Productboard is backed by leading investors like Dragoneer Investment Group, Tiger Global Management, Index Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Credo Ventures.