ProductTank Newcastle July 2025 Meetup

Hello,
We hope you are having a great summer and keeping well hydrated in the latest heat wave.
We had a fantastic Product on the Tyne conference in June, and we can't believe how fast the time has flown. It is time again for our monthly meetup, and this July promises to be a special one.
As we seek to make ProductTank Newcastle to become even more inclusive of all individual domains that work as part of product teams (i.e design, development, researchers, analysts etc), we are pleased to have with 2 speakers this month, representing product management and development domains.

The event details are as follows:

Date: Wednesday, 30th July, 2025.
Time: 6PM-8:30PM
Venue: hedgehog lab, One Strawberry Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4BX

Speaker 1: Toby Rogers (Head of Product @hedgehoglab)
Talk title: Prototypes Are the New PRDs
What if you could test product ideas like Tony Stark builds Iron Man suits? Quickly, interactively, and without waiting on a full team?
In this lightning talk, Toby Rogers explores how AI prototyping tools like Lovable, Bolt, and Magic Patterns are reshaping product management.
PMs can now turn rough ideas into testable prototypes in minutes, supercharging learning, reducing waste, and making better bets. This isn’t about bypassing design or engineering, it’s about bringing sharper thinking to the table before the real building begins.

Speaker bio
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiasrogers
Toby Rogers is a seasoned product leader with over a decade of experience in driving innovation for product-led organisations. As Head of Product at hedgehog lab, Toby helps organisations design and deliver cutting-edge mobile and web solutions. His expertise spans product strategy, team leadership, and creating impactful processes that empower teams to deliver value more effectively. Previously a professional music journalist, Toby brings a unique perspective to product management, blending creative storytelling with practical execution.

**Speaker 2: Keeghan McGarry (**Head of Development (Retail Web) @Vertu Motors)
Talk title: When Product Development Hits Reality

Speaker bio
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keeghan-mcgarry
Keeghan is the Head of Development (Retail Web) at Vertu Motors, where he leads the team delivering digital transformation for the UK's fourth-largest automotive dealership group. With almost twenty years of experience progressing from self-taught programmer to technology executive, Keeghan combines deep technical expertise with strategic vision to drive business growth through innovative solutions. He's passionate about challenging traditional tech leadership stereotypes by fostering strong team cultures that emphasize both technical excellence and effective human interaction.
Originally from New Zealand and now based in Newcastle, Keeghan has a proven track record of managing multi-million pound digital portfolios and implementing transformative solutions across various industries. When he's not at work, or building one of his (too many) side projects, you'll find him training in the gym as a qualified personal trainer, playing competitive chess, or running D&D campaigns as a Dungeon Master.

The agenda for the evening:
18:00 – Arrival (Pizza and Drinks)
18:30 – Talk 1: Toby Rogers
18:50 – Feedback + Q & A
19:00 – Short break
19:20– Talk 2: Keeghan McGarry
19:50 – Feedback + Q & A
20:00 – Announcements
20:10 – Networking
20:30 – Closing

Special thanks for hedgehog lab (www.hedgehoglab.com) for sponsoring this Meetup.
We look forward to seeing you all there. If you have any questions, or want to suggest speakers for future events, please reach out to: tolukolawole.io@gmail.com