Products for Good: Insights on Product Strategy, Fractional Leadership and AI
When it comes to building products, it’s easy for founders to get caught up in the excitement of ideas, features, and fundraising.
But the real test of a successful product is whether it solves a meaningful problem — and whether it does so responsibly.
That’s why I sat down with Moshe Mikanovsky, a digital product expert, professor, author, and the founder of Products for Good. With more than two decades of experience building 23 products across multiple industries and coaching hundreds of founders, Moshe has a unique perspective on what it takes to avoid costly mistakes and build products that truly make an impact.
You can watch the video of our full conversation at the bottom of the post.
The Challenges and Strategies of Product Development
Every founder believes their product idea is the next big thing. But Moshe sees the same pitfalls repeated: building too much, too fast, without validating with customers. He stressed the importance of defining a true MVP (Minimum Viable Product) — not a half-baked prototype, but the simplest version that delivers actual value.
The strategy? Start smaller, validate sooner, and organize your roadmap so the team isn’t chasing features that don’t matter. This kind of discipline saves founders time, money, and frustration.
The Role of AI in Startups
Naturally, the conversation turned to AI. With so much hype, where should startups focus?
Moshe’s view: AI can accelerate growth, but it’s not a silver bullet. Startups should treat AI as a tool to enhance their product’s value—not as the product itself unless it’s core to solving the problem. Misuse or overuse of AI can distract from creating a genuine impact.
AI also raises ethical questions.
Who owns the data?
How transparent is the system?
Founders need to think beyond functionality to the long-term consequences of AI-enabled products.
Fractional Leadership as a Startup Advantage
We also discussed the rise of fractional leadership — something both Moshe and I advocate for in our work with startups.
Hiring a full-time product leader too early can strain resources. Fractional leaders bring senior-level strategy and expertise at a fraction of the cost, guiding startups when it matters most. Moshe explained how fractional product experts help founders avoid missteps, clarify their roadmap, and scale more intelligently.
This model is becoming an essential bridge for founders who need expertise before they’re ready for permanent executive hires.
Building Products Responsibly
One of Moshe’s passion projects, Products for Good, exists to tackle a tough question: What happens when innovation causes unintended harm?
Even products created with good intentions can backfire. Social media platforms, for example, were designed to connect people but have also fueled misinformation and mental health challenges.
Responsible product design means thinking about unintended consequences early, and making deliberate choices about how features are designed, implemented, and scaled.
Education and the Future of Product Management
As a professor at Schulich School of Business, Moshe shared how product education is evolving. Today’s students—and tomorrow’s product leaders — aren’t just learning frameworks and tools. They’re grappling with big-picture challenges: ethical design, human-centred innovation, and leading cross-functional teams in a fast-changing world.
The trend is clear: product management is no longer just about features and releases.
It’s about vision, ethics, and leadership.
Moshe & Daniel Discuss
What’s next?
Our conversation highlighted an important truth: building a product isn’t just about what you launch — it’s about the impact you create.
From leveraging AI responsibly, to benefiting from fractional expertise, to designing with ethics in mind, founders today face both more opportunity and more responsibility than ever before.
If you’re a founder or leader navigating the product journey, we hope this discussion offers a roadmap for thinking smarter, building better, and creating products that matter.
If you’re looking for support with building a brand to showcase your impact, reach out anytime.
I’ve got free resources for you, including The Founders Guide to Building an Effective Go-To-Market Strategy and activities from How to Align Your Brand Messaging with Your Startup Mission.
