Product: Knowledge

About Product: Knowledge

Want to launch your product with confidence and avoid costly mistakes? Product: Knowledge brings you behind-the-scenes conversations with successful entrepreneurs, bestselling authors, and product marketing experts who share their hard-won insights and practical strategies. Each episode dives deep into the real challenges of bringing products to market — from pricing and positioning to building customer loyalty and breaking into new markets. Host Laurier Mandin, founder of Graphos Product and author of "I Need That: Creating and Marketing Products People Are Compelled to Buy", draws on 30+ years of product launch expertise to extract actionable advice you can apply to your business today. Whether you're: An entrepreneur preparing to launch your first product A CMO looking to optimize your go-to-market strategy A product leader expanding into new markets Or simply fascinated by what makes some products soar while others flop You'll discover proven frameworks, real-world case studies, and expert perspectives on: • Product validation and market research • Pricing strategies that maximize long-term profit • Building memorable brands that connect with customers • Converting browsers into loyal buyers • Scaling your product business efficiently No fluff, no generic advice — just candid conversations and battle-tested strategies from people who've been in your shoes and succeeded. Join Laurier every episode for insights that will help you transform your product from idea to market success. Available wherever you get your podcasts and now on YouTube.

Publisher

Graphos Inc.

Category

business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

28 Mar 2019

Latest episode

24 Mar 2026

Latest episodes

40 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Mar 2026

   How to Sell (Literally) Tons of Product

   Episode Summary What does it actually take to sell tons of product … not as a metaphor, but by the truckload? In this episode of Product: Knowledge, Laurier Mandin shares real-world product marketing case studies where slow or stagnant sales turned into explosive growth. In one case, a barbecue product went from zero sales to 180 tons sold in just a few months. These examples reveal a consistent pattern: the products that win don’t rely on claims—they prove their value in ways buyers can immediately understand. This episode breaks down how to create that kind of proof, why it works, and where even successful products can fail. What You’ll Learn Why “show, don’t tell” is the most reliable marketing advantage How demonstration beats high-production advertising What skeptical buyers actually need to convert Why proof-based marketing scales faster than persuasion The hidden operational risk that can kill a winning product The one capability AI cannot replace in product positioning Key Case Studies A barbecue product scaled from zero to 180 tons sold A fishing lure that broke through a saturated category using visual proof Blendtec’s “Will It Blend?” as a model for demonstration marketing A premium pillow that combined emotional and technical differentiation A guitar device that built credibility through expert validation Core Insight The products that scale fastest remove interpretation. They don’t explain why they’re good. They make it obvious. Notable Quote “You can’t read your own label from inside the bottle.” Chapters 00:00 – Introduction: selling by the ton 01:11 – SearBQ: zero to 180 tons 02:04 – Why the original ad failed 02:19 – The demonstration breakthrough 03:02 – SmartFish: proof in a crowded market 03:52 – Why proof converts 04:00 – Blendtec and viral demonstration 04:56 – When proof isn’t enough 05:01 – Parallel Pillow: skepticism as strategy 06:04 – BzzzzKill: credibility and community 06:49 – The failure behind success (economics) 07:44 – What AI cannot do 10:02 – The shared pattern behind winning products Links & Resources Product marketing insights: https://graphosproduct.com (https://graphosproduct.com/) Daily Need Feed emails and buy Laurier Mandin’s book, “I Need That”: https://lmandin.com (https://lmandin.com/)

2. 

   14 Oct 2025

   Words That Make Wins for Product Teams, with Ali Rakhimov

   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 (https://www.ali.ink) Subscribe to Laurier Mandin's daily emails and buy "I Need That": LMandin.com (https://www.lmandin.com) Learn about Graphos Product, read the blog and get all podcasts with transcripts: GraphosProduct.com (https://www.graphosproduct.com)

3. 

   25 Sept 2025

   The Psychology of Premium Product Pricing: What Makes Buyers Pay More

   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.

Who has been a guest on Product: Knowledge

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Paul Jarrett
• Chris Smith
• Darshan Mehta
• Dan Balcauski
• Stan Bernard

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

2,891

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 52 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

63

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

32

Contact Product: Knowledge

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.