Katherine Chong
York University Product Management Educator | August 24, 2026
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Jeff for several years through the Product Management program at York University, where he has become one of my favourite guest speakers to bring into the classroom.
What I appreciate most about Jeff is his judgment and candour. He has a way of cutting through the mechanics and frameworks of product management and getting back to what actually matters: understanding the problem, making thoughtful tradeoffs, and recognizing when the right answer might be simpler than the product you initially imagined.
His sessions are practical, funny, and grounded in real experience. Students respond to his honesty because he doesn’t present product as a tidy discipline. He talks about the ambiguity, relationships, judgment, and occasional messiness that make the work interesting.
I keep inviting Jeff back because he brings a perspective that students don’t always get from coursework alone. He’s thoughtful, approachable, and incredibly generous with what he’s learned over the course of his career.
And then there’s the banana bread. Jeff has shown up with homemade loaves for me on more than one occasion, which feels oddly representative of who he is. He is generous with his experience, generous with his time, and quite literally generous with baked goods.
Jeff is a thoughtful product leader and, more importantly, a genuinely kind person. I’m very glad our paths crossed.
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