From Newsrooms to Roadmaps: Olympia's Journey

Olympia Bardis, Product Manager at CNBC, joins us to share how she made an unexpected pivot from journalism into product management. From managing content at Fox News to building investment tools for retail users, Olympia’s story is a masterclass in self-advocacy, transferable skills, and building confidence through rejection.

We dive into:

• How Olympia transitioned from journalism to product
  
  
• Advocating for yourself at work
  
  
• The underrated power of storytelling in product
  
  
• Rejection as redirection
  
  
• The future of generalist vs. specialist PMs
  
  

Whether you’re looking to pivot into product or just want a good laugh and some thoughtful insights, this episode delivers.

👉 Connect with Olympia:   / olympiabardis 

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Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro & Olympia’s background: from journalism to product
04:20 – Advocating for yourself and breaking into product
08:10 – Confidence, imposter syndrome, and the power of belief
13:20 – Transferable skills from journalism and storytelling
17:00 – Rejection, redirection, and taking a strategic break
21:00 – Olympia’s 3-month pivot plan: what to focus on
25:00 – Building in public and giving product feedback online
28:00 – The generalist vs. specialist PM debate
33:10 – Controversial food opinions: pineapple, olives, and potatoes
35:00 – Final thoughts