S3E3: How to Make Pigs Fly (and Other PM Miracles) with Ali Rakhimov
In this insightful and entertaining episode, Karl Abbott sits down with Ali Rakhimov, author of Make Pigs Fly: Product Manager’s Bathroom Book. Ali shares his unconventional journey into product management, his philosophy of “blue-collar product management,” and how storytelling, curiosity, and resilience shape great product leaders.
Key Topics Discussed
- Ali’s Origin Story
- Blue-Collar Product Management
- Communication & Storytelling
- The Power of Idioms
- Features vs. Outcomes
- Building Confidence
- The Role of Humor
- Product Management Beyond Tech
About the Book
- Title: Make Pigs Fly: Product Manager’s Bathroom Book
- Where to Buy:
- Ali’s Website
- Amazon
- IngramSpark
Key Quotes
- “I didn’t stumble into product management—I tripped, fell, and landed face-first into it.”
- “You don’t need to speak louder—you just need to translate better.”
- “Good PMs ship features. Great PMs ship belief.”
- “You have to be fearless. You have to be hungry. That’s how you grow.”
Connect with Ali
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arakhimov/
Ali Rakhimov
Ali Rakhimov is a self-proclaimed "blue-collar product manager" who has spent more than a decade in tech, focusing on practical solutions that make a genuine impact on people's daily lives. After wrangling everything from payments and hardware to SaaS and eCommerce, he discovered that silly questions and deep empathy can move mountains-or at least Make Pigs Fly. As a bootstrapped founder with several exits and a product leader and coach, he believes anyone-regardless of pedigree-can build great products by staying curious and learning from others' mistakes. That philosophy led him to write "Make Pigs Fly" so readers can skip the painful lessons and focus on what works, while polishing their communication prowess. Swing by www.ali.ink to learn more, share your own idioms, or snag some MPF merch.