Ambassador Spotlight: Nujad on Listening Deeply, Building Strategically, and Leading with Empathy

PRODUCTBOARD

21st August 2025Product Management, Product Leaders, Product Excellence

As a PM at Aetos Imaging, Nujad is helping define the future of spatial intelligence—building digital twins of real-world environments that bring physical spaces online. But his real superpower? Turning user insight into product strategy, and stakeholder alignment into lasting impact.

In this spotlight, Nujad shares his evolution from accidental PM to startup trailblazer, the shift from feature-pushing to vision-setting, and how empathy and curiosity remain his most effective product tools.

Nujad’s Top 3 Lessons for Product Managers

1. Great product managers don’t ideate—they listen

Nujad learned early on that having the best ideas wasn’t the job. It was about uncovering the right problems and representing the customer’s voice inside the org.

“You’re not the ideator. You’re the listener. That’s how you build something that actually matters. Every time I ignored input or over-indexed on my ideas, the outcomes suffered. Listening isn’t a soft skill—it’s strategic.”

2. Influence requires stewardship, not control

PMs often feel pressure to “own” the roadmap, but Nujad found more success by facilitating alignment and driving clarity, not clinging to authorship.

“I started to shift from ‘I own the product’ to ‘I steward the process.’ At the end of the day, if your stakeholders don’t feel seen, your roadmap won’t stick.”

3. Execution Is Easier When You Build Real Trust

Speed, especially in startups, comes from trust. Nujad’s relationship with his CTO allows for respectful debate and fast iteration. Empathy isn’t soft, it’s what unlocks delivery.

“We have debates. But the strength of our relationship is what allows us to ship fast and get it right.”

Q&A with Nujad

Q: What’s your current product focus at Aetos Imaging?

Nujad: We’re defining how industrial spaces get digitized—think 3D, panoramic views of physical sites, but with deep product logic behind how data is structured and shared. It’s new, it’s messy, and that’s what makes it exciting.

Q: How did you get into product management?

Nujad: I fell into it. Started as a technical writer, ended up leading standups and roadmaps. I didn’t have a formal PM title at first, but I was already thinking in terms of user needs, friction points, and systems. Once I understood the problem space, I couldn’t not be a product manager.

Q: How do you gain alignment across technical and executive stakeholders?

Nujad: I stay close to both. I talk with our CEO regularly and challenge our CTO often, but always respectfully. Being valuable means offering context, not control. I fit into what works before trying to influence.

Q: Where do you see AI fitting into modern product workflows?

Nujad: We’re not just using AI to speed up backlog refinement—we’re experimenting. We’ve turned complaints into music, and now we’re exploring agentic AI that can do multi-step tasks across tools. That’s the next frontier. AI won’t replace product managers. But PMs who know how to orchestrate AI will outperform those who don’t.

Q: Why did you become a Productboard Ambassador?

Nujad: I’ve successfully lobbied to use Productboard at three companies now. At one company where we didn’t get it, I honestly thought: ‘this isn’t the place for me.’ Productboard helps me listen better, align faster, and deliver with more confidence.

Lead by listening

In a world that pressures PMs to be louder, faster, and more "visionary," Nujad offers a refreshing reminder: the best product managers lead through influence, clarity, and listening.

If you're striving to move from task master to strategic partner, take a page from Nujad: