What L&D Can Learn From Product Management (Podcast Episode 24)
Jess Almlie
Learning & Performance Strategist. I help learning/talent leaders and teams stop taking orders and start working more strategically, intentionally, and with measurable impact.
There's nothing I love more than when someone takes on an L&D role from another industry and becomes confused as to why our profession functions the way it does. It provides an immediate opportunity for new ideas and conversation. This was the case for today's guest, Rashi Kakkar , when she moved from a career consulting in product management into an L&D leadership role. The result was a marriage of the two professions. One where the best pieces from each was elevated and the confusing bits eliminated. It turns out L&D can learn a lot from product management.?
Rashi and Jess discuss
Episode/show links
About Rashi Kakkar
Rashi Kakkar has two clear professional drivers: Creating human-centered products, experiences, and services and achieving organizational success and growth by unlocking human potential As a global lead within McKinsey’s Leadership Center of Excellence, Rashi is dedicated to building large-scale institutional capability through a skills-first approach. At McKinsey, she has advised Fortune 100 clients on complex strategic, operational, and organizational challenges. Rashi has successfully driven digital transformations, enhanced organizational effectiveness, and redesigned operating models, all grounded in a foundation of human-centered qualitative and quantitative research. She has also led multiple enterprise-wide agility and innovation programs to deliver impactful results.
Before joining McKinsey, Rashi worked at a boutique design thinking firm, where she developed expertise in human-centered design, experience and service design, and innovation. Earlier in her career, she gained valuable experience as a professional sports agent, specializing in talent management, sponsorship sales, and licensing and merchandising. Outside of her professional endeavors, Rashi is passionate about writing as a way to refine her thinking. She authors a bi-weekly newsletter with over 1,300 subscribers and has published more than 80 opinion pieces in leading global publications. An avid golfer, former varsity tennis player, and newly minted pickleball enthusiast, Rashi balances her professional pursuits with an active lifestyle and a love for sports.
Find and connect with Rashi Kakkar
New Book Alert!
It's almost here! My new book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later this year.
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Work with Jess
Jess Almlie is dedicated to helping L&D leaders stop working as order takers and start working more strategically, intentionally, and with measurable impact. If you are ready to make this move, consider working with Jess typically in one of the following ways:
Message Jess Almlie or visit the Almlie Consulting website to learn more!
L&D | Soft Skills | Communication | Career Coach | M.com & B.ed
1 天前Shifting from a project-based to a product-based approach is a big shift—not just in how a company operates, but in how employees learn and grow. In a project-driven setup, training is often short-term and focused on immediate needs. But in a product-driven model, learning becomes more continuous and strategic. One major advantage is that employees build long-term skills rather than just ticking off training for each project. It also encourages better collaboration across teams, since product development requires a shared vision across departments. Most importantly, it shifts the focus from just completing tasks to actually improving the customer experience. But the challenge? Change isn’t always easy. Employees used to clear project cycles might struggle with the ongoing learning and accountability a product model demands. If L&D doesn’t evolve alongside it, engagement and retention can take a hit. Curious to hear how others have navigated this transition—what’s been your biggest learning so far? Everyone's response is welcome, appreciated and valued, don't hesitate to share your opinions. Looking for insights from you as well; Rashi Kakkar Jess Almlie
Strategic Learning & Development Leader | Scalable, Data-Driven Learning Solutions | Leadership Development & Talent Growth | Elevating Performance to Drive Organizational Success
2 天前Thank you for this Jess Almlie. I enjoy hearing others that resonate with L&D teams being organized around stages in the employee journey rather than siloed functions. When L&D is integrated into the employee lifecycle, its easier to align learning initiatives with key business objectives like retention, productivity, and engagement. This also reminds me of Lucia Guillory, PhD's approach... scaling HR like a product team.
Global Vice President, Product | McKinsey Alum| Mission: Help Subscription/SaaS companies generate profitable growth
3 天前Love the flip from project focused to product focused approach in the L&D function! The function has significant potential to transform people's careers, and also an opportunity to innovate around how it enables that. Great to see you focused on, and making a dent in this space Rashi Kakkar!
Continuous improvement and user-centric design can truly elevate learning impact.
Learning Ops Whisperer | Microlearning Maneuverer | Learning & Development Problem Solver | L&D Cares Board Member | ATD CPA President-Elect for 2026
5 天前YES! This is PIVOTAL to altering approach and thinking when it comes to the life of a learning asset and/or program, etc.!