The Product Manager Behind Facebook News Feed and Disney+ Reveals What Went Wrong

🚀 What happens when your product launch affects 500 million users and the CEO is breathing down your neck?
Our guest Michael Cerda has been there. As a product leader at Facebook, Disney, Goldman Sachs, and more, he's launched products that millions use daily — and lived through the chaos, politics, and pressure that nobody talks about.
This isn't another "10 product management tips" interview. This is the real story behind billion-dollar product decisions from someone who was actually in the room.
In this episode, Michael reveals:

The Facebook Live launch crisis that nearly ended his career
Why Disney+ almost didn't happen (and how they pulled it off)
The Apple Card feature that Goldman Sachs executives hated
How to survive when your product gets killed after 2 years of work
The leadership mistake that cost him his dream job

KEY MOMENTS:
0:00 - From MySpace to managing Facebook's biggest bet
8:45 - The Disney+ launch that changed streaming forever
16:20 - Goldman Sachs politics and the Apple Card battles
24:10 - Why most product managers fail at the director level
31:15 - His biggest career mistake (and what he'd do differently)
🎯 Perfect for:

Product managers eyeing director/VP roles
Anyone launching products at scale
Leaders dealing with executive pressure and politics

Michael's new book "Build Something" dives deeper into these stories and frameworks.
📖 GET THE BOOK:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Build-Something...
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Build-Some....
💬 ENGAGE:
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#ProductLeadership #DisneyPlus #FacebookLive #AppleCard #TechJobberPodcast

Michael Cerda is author of "Build Something" and has led product teams at Facebook, Disney, Goldman Sachs, MySpace, and Vevo. He joins hosts Chris Schwenk on The Tech Jobber Podcast.