Unsolicited Feedback

The AI Wild West just got wilder — and we're riding straight into the melee.In this episode, Brian Balfour, Fareed Mosavat, and special guest Aaron White crack open the three questions every builder is secretly sweating right now: Can you actually differentiate when every launch feels like a land-grab? Is “move fast” still an edge — or just table-stakes? What happens when OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic hoover up all the context you thought was your moat? Expect hot takes on speed-as-a-moat, why Apple's “slow and perfect” playbook suddenly looks brittle, and how vertical-niche founders can still carve out 10-to-100× markets hiding in plain sight. You'll hear: The Great Land Grab – Why OpenAI's next platform move could dwarf Facebook's 2007 dev-platform blitz. Speed vs. Strategy – If “move fast” is merely table stakes, what actually sets winning teams apart? Moats in 2025 – From data loops to brand trust, which defenses still work—and which are illusions? Niche Power Plays – How vertical micro-SaaS and “taste-driven” products can survive the AI tidal wave. The Dark & Bright Futures – Privacy nightmares, device wars, and the unexpected upside for founders who master context. If you're building, investing, or just trying to keep your head above the AI tidal wave, hit play. This convo will arm you with the mindset (and the memes) you need to survive the quicksand and still grab the crown. Strap in—let's ride.

Last week we talked about Everyone-versus-Everyone. That hasn't stopped. Before we could edit and publish the last episode, Google unleashed a “do-everything” AI bundle. Last week we talked about when everyone ships everything at once, how do you find the whitespace? This week we continue to discuss two more tectonic shifts: 1. The Great SEO Trade-Off ➜ The AI Answer Engine - Google's new AI-mode could nuke the blue-link economy that's powered the internet for 20+ years. If LLMs hoard the traffic, who keeps creating the content they need to stay smart? Expect hot takes on long-tail extinction, “answer-engine optimization,” and whether originality still pays. 2. Hiring Hangover Meets AI Reality - New-grad recruiting is down 50 %, senior talent is grumbling, and managers admit they'd rather spin up an LLM than onboard Gen Z. Brian and Fareed unpack why the entry-level pipeline collapsed, where the arbitrage is hiding, and how startups can weaponize AI-native rookies before incumbents wake up. We add a dash of labor-economics humor, a sprinkle of Shopify-meets-Stack-Overflow, and you've got an episode that will leave you rethinking your product, growth, and hiring strategy all at the same time.

In the last 30 days, Notion fired off three products, Figma morphed into a mini-Adobe, OpenAI gobbled Windsurf, and Loom, Atlassian, Anthropic, Cursor, and Granola pointed their AI cannons straight at one another. Welcome to ludicrous speed—a market where every launch feels like a direct hit on your roadmap and “competitive landscape” now means everyone vs. everyone.  In this episode Brian Balfour and Fareed Mosavat are joined by Ravi Mehta to talk about The Great Bundle Brawl, Granola's Escape Hatch, The AI Flywheel, and more.

The “AI memo” craze is officially here—and it's more than executive theater. In this episode, Brian Balfour and Fareed Mosavat break down how leading CEOs (Shopify, Duolingo, Box, Meta) are using public AI manifestos to jolt their companies into a faster, smarter future—and what product leaders must do next to turn those words into shipping velocity. What we cover: - The 5-Layer AI Memo Framework—ownership, expectations, directives, accountability, constraints—so your decree actually drives behavior. - Experiment → Learn → Share Loops that turn scattered tinkering into org-wide best practices. - Concrete “forcing-function” constraints (team-size caps, prototype-only reviews, head-count ceilings) that accelerate adoption. - Why value creation beats cost cutting—and how to put AI on the roadmap, not just the balance sheet. - Meta's new AI app: a real-time case study on distribution, context, and the missing zero-to-one spark. - Cultural fault lines—leaders, followers, laggards—and playbooks for bringing the middle 80 % over the line (before performance reviews do it for you). Whether you're drafting your own AI memo or figuring out how to implement the one that just landed in your inbox, this conversation delivers the practical moves to convert manifesto hype into measurable product momentum.

In this episode, Brian Balfour and Fareed Mosavat dive into the widening gulf between companies embracing AI and those drowning in corporate red tape. While some organizations are rewriting job descriptions and preparing to ax 40-50% of employees who can't adapt, others are taking MONTHS just to process a basic AI tool agreement. Plus: Glean's existential threat as OpenAI and Anthropic invade the enterprise space, why speed trumps perfection in AI coding tools, and OpenAI's curious social media play. The tech landscape is splitting between the innovators and the bureaucracy-bound—and the clock is ticking faster than ever.

In this episode, Brian and Fareed discuss the challenges facing product managers in the AI era with Shaun Clowes, CPO at Confluent. Many product professionals are questioning their future as traditional PM workflows—documentation, basic prioritization, and coordination—become increasingly automated. Yet this technological shift isn't eliminating the product management function; rather, it's elevating what has always differentiated exceptional PMs from average ones. While low-value processes are being automated away, the core elements that create product success—strategic vision, judgment, taste, and leadership—are becoming dramatically more valuable.

The Unsolicited Feedback podcast is back for a season 3. We kicked off episode 1 with Casey Winters going deeper on Product Market Fit Collapse. In this episode we discuss: Unlike previous tech shifts (mobile, internet), AI is causing exponential rather than linear increases in customer expectations The speed of both capability advancement and consumer adoption is unprecedented Competition is coming from all directions simultaneously. Incumbents are heavily invested and moving quickly. New startups are emerging. Foundation model companies are expanding rapidly Infrastructure and tooling are evolving weekly, making it hard to pick the right stack And as a result of these things: Traditional "disruption playbooks" may not work - this isn't classic low-end disruption Companies need to consider more radical self-disruption rather than gradual evolution The error rate on predicting winners is extremely high, even among experts M&A strategies are shifting where companies are acquiring AI-native leadership (e.g., Grammarly/Coda, Snowflake/Neva). Focus on acquiring both capabilities and adjacent use cases. More product-capability acquisitions vs. pure talent acquisitions In the end, even successful companies with strong product-market fit are vulnerable of getting side swiped.Check out more from Unsolicited Feedback! https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ Reforge Insight Analytics https://reforge.com/insight-analytics Product Strategy Courses https://www.reforge.com/courses/product-strategy/details https://www.reforge.com/courses/ai-strategy/details

AI Innovations & Growth Strategies with Andrew Chen | Unsolicited Feedback Live This is a special live episode of Unsolicited Feedback, as part of Reforge's ref:AI conference. Join Fareed Mosavat as he welcomes Andrew Chen from Andreessen Horowitz for an engaging discussion on AI's impact on product growth and innovation. This episode covers the significance of the S curve in technology adoption, the challenges and opportunities arising from rapid AI advancements, and what it means for startups and established companies alike. Andrew shares insights on how to differentiate in a competitive landscape, the evolving role of AI in various industries, and strategic approaches for maintaining relevance. Whether you're a product manager, designer, or tech enthusiast, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge to help you navigate the AI revolution. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons from this conversation at https://www.reforge.com/blog/strategies-to-beat-the-ai-s-curve Check out more from Unsolicited Feedback! https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/  00:00 Welcome  04:13 Understanding the S Curve 08:35 The Novelty Phase of AI Products 12:26 Challenges and Strategies in AI Product Development 23:19 The Future of AI and Product Innovation 27:44 Platform Shifts and AI Paradigms Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons from this episode at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/

Real-Time Feedback: Apple's WWDC 2024 w/ Aaron White & Fareed Mosavat In this Real-Time Feedback Episode, Fareed Mosavat and AI thought-leader Aaron White unpack Apple's strategic moves announced during WWDC, focusing on their approach to AI, their hardware ecosystem, and their long-term vision. We analyze Apple's iterative process, their integration of machine learning and AI, the implications of Apple intelligence, and the unmet potential of the Apple Vision Pro. We also revisited how Apple stacks up against its competitors, contrasting its strategies with those of Google and Microsoft. There's a lot to unpack. We hope you enjoy! Show Notes:  Reforge has just launched a brand new AI product, the Reforge Extension, now in public beta. Ever wish you could get expert feedback from leaders like Fareed, Brian Balfour, Andrew Chen, and Elena Verna while working on your documents? Now you can! Next week, we're excited for ref:AI, a full-day virtual conference delving into all things AI, featuring a special episode of Unsolicited Feedback with the legendary Andrew Chen. Secure your spot now as spaces are limited. Register here today. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons from this episode at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ 00:00 Introduction  00:40 Apple's Strategy and Market Position 05:23 Apple Watch and Health Ecosystem 12:58 Siri and Voice Interface Challenges 23:17 Apple's Vision for AI and Machine Learning 31:38 Apple's Strategic Integration of GPT and Siri 35:16 The Apple Ecosystem and User Experience 39:25 The Future of Apple Intelligence and Hardware 47:19 Apple's Approach to AI and Competitor Comparison 58:32 Advice for AI Startups in the Apple Ecosystem Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons from this episode at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/

The Future of AI in Marketing, Growth & Content: Season 2 Finale (Part 2) w/ Brian Balfour, Ravi Mehta, Joff Redfern, and Fareed Mosavat In part two of the Unsolicited Feedback Season 2 Finale, Brian Balfour, Joff Redfern, Ravi Mehta, and Fareed Mosavat return to discuss the challenges associated with marketing in the face of declining search trends. They also explore the growing significance of content licensing deals and contemplate the future as AI models become commoditized and our interactions with them (and expectations of them) evolve. Show Notes:  Fareed mentioned that Reforge has just launched a brand new AI product, the Reforge Extension, now in public beta. Ever wish you could get expert feedback from leaders like Fareed, Brian Balfour, Andrew Chen, and Elena Verna while working on your documents? Now you can! He also mentioned our free AI festival, ref:AI, a full-day virtual conference delving into all things AI, featuring a special episode of Unsolicited Feedback with the legendary Andrew Chen. Secure your spot now as spaces are limited. Register here today. And, last but not least, Rupa Chaturvedi & Polly Allen (renowned industry experts with expertise in Generative AI from Amazon's Alexa, Google and Uber) are teaching Generative AI Products: How to get from Idea to MVP for the 3rd time starting on June 14. It's a 3-week course designed to get you started on your journey of leading AI initiatives and projects that involve Generative AI. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons from this episode at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ 00:00 Season Finale Introduction (Part 2) 02:20 Decline of the S-Curve 07:10 SEO Unknowns 11:15 Modality Changes 13:05 Trouble Monetizing Traffic 14:15 Confusion Around Copyright Law 16:05 Licensing Content & Revenue Issues 17:30 LLMs In The Gray Area 19:08 Content As Supply for Generative Models 22:17 Hot Takes 22:40 AI Value Is Not In Foundational Models 24:42 AI Chatbots Are A Phase 27:56 What We Thought AI Would Be Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons from this episode at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/

Key Takeaways from H1 2024: Reflecting on Hardware, Unstructured Data, and the Future of Product Management In the season 2 finale of 'Unsolicited Feedback,' co-hosts Brian Balfour, Ravi Mehta, and Joff Redfern join Fareed Mosavat to reflect on the most compelling topics of the season. They start with discussions on how trends diverge between hardware and software markets, and the distinctions between luxury and premium products. The episode takes a deep dive into AI's role in revolutionizing unstructured data and its far-reaching effects on product management. Touching on methodology changes, the hosts contemplate how AI might transform the software development life cycle and what it means for the future roles of product managers, designers, and engineers, giving some Unsolicited Feedback to our friend Lenny Rachitsky along the way. Show Notes: Fareed mentioned that Reforge has just launched a brand new AI product, the Reforge Extension, now in public beta. Ever wish you could get expert feedback from leaders like Fareed, Brian Balfour, Andrew Chen, and Elena Verna while working on your documents? Now you can! He also mentioned our free AI festival, ref:AI, a full-day virtual conference delving into all things AI, featuring a special episode of Unsolicited Feedback with the legendary Andrew Chen. Secure your spot now as spaces are limited. Register here today. And, last but not least, Rupa Chaturvedi & Polly Allen (renowned industry experts with expertise in Generative AI from Amazon's Alexa, Google and Uber) are teaching Generative AI Products: How to get from Idea to MVP for the 3rd time starting on June 14. It's a 3-week course designed to get you started on your journey of leading AI initiatives and projects that involve Generative AI. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons from this episode at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ 00:00 Season Finale Introduction 03:50 Luxury in Software and Physical Goods 18:16 AI's Impact on Product Management 30:29 AI vs Human Intuition in Strategy 38:11 The Role of AI in Communication and Empathy 41:19 Revolutionizing the Software Development Life Cycle 52:25 The Rise of Full-Stack Product Leaders Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons from this episode at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/

Microsoft's Game-Changing Releases: Is Windows Poised to Dominate the AI Era? w/ Kurt Schrader In this episode of 'Unsolicited Feedback,' host Fareed Mosavat and guest Kurt Schrader, CEO and founder of Shortcut, dive into Microsoft's latest AI announcements, including the Copilot+ PC initiative and Windows Recall. We explore the potential impact of these innovations on the consumer market and reflect on how Apple should respond at the upcoming WWDC. We also debate the strategic strengths and weaknesses of both tech giants in the evolving AI landscape.  Before we dive in, Fareed mentioned in the podcast that Reforge has just launched a brand new AI product, the Reforge Extension, now in public beta. Ever wish you could get expert feedback from leaders like Fareed, Brian Balfour, Andrew Chen, and Elena Verna while working on your documents? Now you can! Install it for free today and elevate your work with Reforge experts by your side. Join us for refAI, a full-day virtual conference delving into all things AI, featuring a special episode of Unsolicited Feedback with the legendary Andrew Chen. Secure your spot now as spaces are limited. Register here today. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons from this episode at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ 00:00 Introduction 01:11 Microsoft's Big AI Announcements 04:46 Microsoft's AI-Powered Future 07:00 Copilot Plus PCs: A Full Stack Experience 17:59 Windows Recall: A Game Changer? 21:06 The Future of AI and Privacy 25:41 Speculations on Apple's Upcoming Surprises 27:34 Microsoft's Strategic Moves and Apple's Response 29:41 Apple's Potential AI and Voice Integration 31:30 The Developer Ecosystem: Microsoft vs. Apple 35:45 Hopes and Predictions for WWDC 

Sonos' Redesign Debacle: How to Avoid Common Pitfalls in Product Upgrades w/ Kurt Schrader Join host Fareed Mosavat on 'Unsolicited Feedback' as he delves into the latest Sonos app controversy with guest Kurt Schrader, CEO and founder of Shortcut, a platform that helps product and engineering teams unify to build collaboratively. This episode covers the major issues faced by Sonos power users, strategies for effective feature deprecation, the risks of big product redesigns, and how to manage user feedback and trust. Additionally, the episode touches on strategic pre-mortems, real-world scenarios from Slack and Shortcut, and insights into balancing innovation with user experience. Before we dive in, Fareed mentioned in the podcast that Reforge has just launched a brand new AI product, the Reforge Extension, now in public beta. Ever wish you could get expert feedback from leaders like Fareed, Brian Balfour, Andrew Chen, and Elena Verna while working on your documents? Now you can! Install it for free today and elevate your work with Reforge experts by your side. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons from this episode at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ 00:00 Introduction 01:44 Diving Into the Sonos App Update Controversy 05:16 The Challenges of Redesigning with Power Users in Mind 15:49 Learning from Slack's IRC Gateway Deprecation 18:26 Strategies for Managing Feature Deprecation and User Transition 24:31 Navigating the Challenges of Product Redesigns 26:18 Evaluating Redesign Feedback: Timing and Approach 28:50 The Pre-Mortem Strategy: Anticipating User Feedback 34:00 The Lock-In Factor: Navigating Customer Loyalty and Alternatives 37:33 Innovating in a Market Dominated by Incumbents

Evaluating AI Models, Unlocking Unstructured Data, and Achieving Reliability w/ Ben Kus Today on "Unsolicited Feedback," Fareed Mosavat dives deep into the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence with tech expert and Box CTO, Ben Kus. As AI continues to reshape industries, understanding its core mechanisms and potential applications has never been more critical. Ben sheds light on how AI can enhance productivity and decision-making within organizations while also sharing technical strategies he's implemented to ensure reliability for Box's enterprise customers. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ 00:00 Introduction 02:19 Rapid Fire Advice for AI Product and Technology Teams 05:25 Understanding and Navigating the World of AI Models 08:21 The Challenges of AI Change Management and Model Selection 14:29 Evaluating AI Quality and Performance in the Enterprise 25:23 Unstructured Data: The Next Frontier for AI 29:15 The Future of AI in Structuring Unstructured Data 43:55 Exploring the Potential of AI Agents and User Experience Thank you for listening to Unsolicited Feedback! Don't forget to hit subscribe on the podcast network of your choice: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unsolicited-feedback/id1706701340 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7FzVEIBamWnExyJpJ2LCwF And sign up for our mailing list at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review and tell a friend about the podcast!

Box CTO's Approach to Enterprise AI Tools & Insights from Google and OpenAI's Latest Releases w/ Ben Kus In the latest episode of "Unsolicited Feedback," Fareed Mosavat chats with Ben Kus, CTO of Box, to delve into the dynamic world of AI advancements and their implications for technology companies and users alike. This episode offers rich insights into how multimodal AI is transforming the tech landscape, driven by recent announcements from OpenAI and Google. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ 00:00 Introduction 02:07 Ben Kus: From Technologist to CTO of Box 04:08 AI Week Highlights: OpenAI and Google's Diverse Approaches 06:21 The Real-Time Magic of AI Demonstrations 11:43 OpenAI's Strategy: A Broad Yet Focused Approach 16:30 Google's AI Integration Strategy 19:49 Exploring the Potential of AI in Everyday Tools 23:39 The Enterprise Side of AI: Tailoring Technology for Business 32:39 Navigating Enterprise Needs and AI Innovation: A Case Study with Box 

MVPs are Officially Dead: Here's How to Launch and Find Market Fit in 2024 w/ Sachin Rekhi Welcome back to "Unsolicited Feedback," where Product-Market Fit (PMF) expert, Sachin Rekhi joins Fareed Mosavat to discuss the evolving thinking on Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and their impact on achieving PMF in competitive markets. We discuss Linear, Dropbox, and Airbnb, and reflect on this post by Linear co-founder, Tuomas Artman. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ 00:00 From MVP to Magical: Rethinking Product Launch Strategy 06:46 Narrowing the Market: A Key to Success 07:34 The Dropbox Story: A Lesson in Product Polish and Narrow Focus 14:00 The Importance of Craft, Taste, and Target Audience in Product Development 18:25 Linear's Approach: Strong Convictions and Narrow Focus 24:01 The Power of Closed Betas and Waitlists 27:48 Case Study: LinkedIn Sales Navigator's Journey from Zero to One 31:20 Validating Product Market Fit Before Building 36:06 Narrowing the Target Audience for Precise Market Fit 39:04 Key Takeaways on Product Development and Market Fit

This week on "Unsolicited Feedback," Fareed Mosavat welcomed Sachin Rekhi to explore the shifting landscape of media, focusing on the evolution from traditional, slower media forms to what's increasingly being termed "dopamine culture." We analyze how this change is not only profoundly affecting how we consume content but also how we should build and launch products. Sachin has created multiple Reforge courses, is the founder & CEO of NoteJoy, and the creator of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, a now $1B ARR business. And, he has a new video-native podcast you can watch on YouTube! Check out a full summary at UnsolicitedFeedback.co! We're back Thursday to discuss finding Product-Market Fit without MVPs!

Revolutionizing Productivity: Feedback on Loom, Linear, and Even LaunchDarkly w/ Claire Vo In part two of our "Unsolicited Feedback," host Fareed Mosavat and our esteemed guest, Claire Vo (CPO at LaunchDarkly, Founder of ChatPRD), explore significant advancements in AI and collaboration tools, with a spotlight on Loom and Linear's latest innovations. The episode delves into how these tools are not only enhancing productivity but also potentially reshaping communication norms in professional environments. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/ 00:00 Introduction 02:17 Exploring Loom's Innovations and Atlassian Integration 06:57 The Future of Collaboration: Video, Audio, and AI 14:42 Loom's Role in Atlassian's Ecosystem and Future Directions 17:33 Linear's Approach to Enhancing Product Development 20:55 The Challenge of Integrating Docs and Tasks 30:41 The Power of Being Your Own Customer 35:47 Embracing New User Experience and Onboarding Thank you for listening to Unsolicited Feedback! Don't forget to hit subscribe on the podcast network of your choice! And sign up for our mailing list at ➡️ https://www.unsolicitedfeedback.co/

Building ChatPRD and

Critiquing Disney's Strategic Moves & Bundling Choices; Navigating the Future of Streaming In this episode of 'Unsolicited Feedback,' host Fareed Mosavat and guest Mariah Muscato, a Director of Product at HubSpot, dive into a detailed discussion about Disney Plus, its bundle strategy, and the broader challenges facing streaming services. They explore Disney's transition from content creation to embracing technology, its battles with activist investors, and strategic decisions against the backdrop of evolving consumer expectations and the competitive landscape of streaming services. The conversation also touches upon the principle of the perfect bundle, Disney's potential shifts in strategy, the impact on and from platforms like YouTube, and broader discussions on the future of streaming content. Finally, the dialogue covers the pricing and packaging strategies of streaming, and speculates on the future direction of Disney Plus and its competitors. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons at unsolicitedfeedback.co. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome 01:00 The Evolution and Challenges of Disney's Streaming Strategy 02:27 The Superfan vs. Casual Fan Dilemma in Content Strategy 03:20 The Impact of Content Strategy on Subscriber Growth and Retention 06:59 Disney's Strategic Shift and the Role of Bundling 10:54 The Streaming Wars: A Battle for Content and Subscribers 19:00 The Future of Streaming: Consolidation, Content, and Consumer Choice 27:48 Disney Plus and the Challenge of Tech Transformation 30:41 The Challenges of Content Distribution and Monetization 39:49 YouTube and the Evolution of Content Consumption 50:24 The Streaming Wars: Predictions and Strategies for Survival Show Notes: ➡️ Shishir Mehrotra's Four Myths of Bundling ➡️ Disney's Original Bundling Strategy

Tinder's New Safety Feature Delivers More Than Just Security to the Legendary Swiping App

Feedback on Humane, Limitless, and AirChat: Positioning and Strategy Insights For Early Stage Companies In Part 2 of our conversation with Kieran Flanagan, CMO behind Zapier & HubSpot, we wanted to get back to our roots with some Unsolicited Feedback on the product launches of Humane AI, Limitless, and AirChat. Along the way, we uncovered a few key lessons for any early stage company navigating the complexities of market entry and product development. If you think we're wrong about any of this, we hope you'll tell us on LinkedIn! As always, a full summary is available at Unsolicitedfeedback.co!

The New AI Marketing Playbook Amid Google's Stumbles  This week on Unsolicited Feedback, Brian Balfour & Fareed Mosavat welcomed Kieran Flanagan, and within 30 seconds of taping, Kieran dropped a

Product Lessons from Netflix's "Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul" with Penelope Talbot-Kelly In a fascinating episode of our podcast, Penelope Talbot-Kelly & Fareed Mosavat dove deep into the Netflix documentary "Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul." The discussion revealed critical insights that resonate far beyond the e-cigarette industry, touching on fundamental issues relevant to all tech companies. But first, Fareed and Penelope discuss the broader tech landscape, discussing trends such as AI, layoffs, and how these elements influence the current work culture. Penelope shared firsthand experiences and observations about the changing dynamics in recruitment and employee experiences, especially during times of economic downturns. The tech labor market discussion starts immediately, and the Big Vape / Juul analysis begins at 15:30. Join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co for a full summary of the spiciest hottakes and most compelling lessons derived from the conversation!

Unpacking the Google-HubSpot Acquisition Rumors: Implications for the Future of CRM This week on "Unsolicited Feedback," host Fareed Mosavat welcomed Penelope Talbot-Kelly, GM of Platform & Services at DoorDash, and Austin Hays, a veteran in CRM and Martech, to discuss the buzzing rumors about Google potentially acquiring HubSpot. Austin previously joined us to chat about HubSpot's acquisition of Clearbit. Well, he's back to help us delve deeper into what this new merger could mean for the CRM landscape and digital marketing tools. Join us at Unsolicitedfeedback.co for a full summary!

Ever wondered how a game as old as chess could become a global sensation in the digital age? The answer lies in the power of product, growth, and, more recently, AI. In our latest episode of Unsolicited Feedback, Joff Redfern and Fareed Mosavat had an insightful conversation with Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com. This episode explores the intersection of technology, human behavior, and ethics in the world of online chess, focusing on how Chess.com leverages AI to revolutionize the game while confronting challenges like cheating and maintaining a fair competitive environment. Insights from the platform's journey illuminate broader lessons in innovation, user engagement, ethical considerations, and growth strategy.

In today's episode of Unsolicited Feedback, Fareed Mosavat, Joff Redfern, and Kipp Bodnar delve into the meteoric rise of Martech tools and the transformative role of AI, with a special focus on the innovative video creation platform, HeyGen. This discussion is very valuable for anyone leading marketing efforts in 2024 and beyond.

LinkedIn Games: A Brilliant Move or a Misstep?

In Part 2, of our Unsolicited Feedback with Adam Nash, CEO of Daffy, co-hosts Joff Redfern & Fareed Mosavat dove deep into the world of fintech, exploring the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. To frame the conversation, Adam looked to the past, revisiting Clay Christensen's Innovator's Dilemma. For a full summary of the episode's takeaways, join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co. 0:00 Introduction & AI's Impact on Fintech 17:31 Importance of Understanding Competitors 19:40 Adam's Spicy Take 28:09 Return to Value Creation 36:41 Revisiting Clay Christensen's Innovator's Dilemma 41:50 Innovator's Dilemma Applied to Fintech

Adam Nash Explores the Art of Process-Strategy Fit at eBay and LinkedIn, with a Side of Diet Coke and Legos On the latest episode of Unsolicited Feedback, hosts Fareed Mosavat and Joff Redfern are joined by the esteemed Adam Nash, CEO and Co-Founder of Daffy, a philanthropic platform championing the concept that everyone should get in the habit of giving back. Adam's illustrious career spans across tech giants like Greylock, Dropbox, LinkedIn, eBay, and Apple, and he's widely recognized for his insightful contributions on his blog, PsychoHistory. Our journey begins with a nostalgic look at the pioneering days at LinkedIn and eBay, where we discuss the intricacies of process creation and leadership dynamics. Stay tuned for our upcoming episode where we'll delve into the Fintech sphere, diving into the nuances of prioritization and competitive analysis. Full summary of the takeaways and links to Adam's infamous blog can be found at Unsolicitedfeedback.co

Shaun Clowes Analyzes Cognition Labs' Devin & Reddit's IPO We are joined by guest co-host Joff Redfern, Fareed Mosavat, and our guest Shaun Clowes. Today, we dive into two major stories: Devin and Reddit. Join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co for a full summary! Devin: The Future of Programming or Just Another Tool in the Box?

Shaun Clowes Riffs on Waymo, Legos, and Process Advancement This week, Fareed welcomed co-host Joff Redfern, Principle at Menlo VC and former CPO at Atlassian and guest Shaun Clowes, CPO at Confluent and former CPO of Mulesoft at Salesforce, CPO @ Metromile, and Head of Growth @ Atlassian. This week's Deep Dive drops Wednesday and we're focused on Reddit & Cognition Lab's Devin, but our riff this week is simply a classic happy hour conversation. Fareed, Joff and Shaun cover a wide range of topics dropping some brilliant nuggets along the way. Enjoy! For a summary of their takeaways, join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co.

Casey Winters is back with Fareed Mosavat and our guest co-host, Ravi Mehta. In this episode, we're discussing two recent articles from Casey Accidental, Casey's product & growth blog. In “Wood Grain Steering Wheels,” Casey writes about a misplaced prioritization pattern he sees time and time again.  We delve into these prioritization challenges and explore Meta's impressive history of decisive prioritization. Then, we jump into mishaps with second products - understanding signs of trouble and how to address them. Lastly, we delve into the impact of organizational structure on product expansions, analyzing the reasoning behind Square's recent organizational shift. For a full summary, join us at Unsolicitedfeedback.co.

Ravi Mehta teams up with Fareed Mosavat once more. This week, Ravi and Fareed are joined by Casey Winters, former CPO at Eventbrite and growth expert at Pinterest and Grubhub.

Apple's car project is dead, Tesla missed earnings, and Rivian's stock is down. So, what's going on here? We deep dive on this very topic with our guest Behzod Sirjani, our guest co-host Ravi Mehta, and of course, the one and only Fareed Mosavat!  We discuss Adjacent User Theory, the problem with Early Adopters, the risks of limited SKUs, and why Apple might want to avoid this commodity market. For a full summary of all of the insights from the episode, head to Unsolicitedfeedback.co!

Leveraging AI to Transform Qualitative Data into Scientific Insights

Navigating AI's Horizon: Future-Proofing Products in the Age of AI We're continuing our chat with AI enthusiast, Aaron White in part 2 of our series. This time, we're diving into how different AI products measure up against the ever-evolving S-Curve. Before we jump into it, following our podcast summary, we've got a BONUS (edited for time) chat where Aaron, Fareed, and Brian weigh in on the advantages of the top players in the AI race. That clip is exclusively posted to our Youtube page, so after you finish listening to this episode, make sure to check it out.

Our first guest for Season 2 is none other than Aaron White. Aaron, the recent CTO of Vendr, Co-Founder of ProfitWell, and Founder of Blissfully, is now in stealth mode with a new AI venture called AppyPeople. Besides his impressive credentials, Aaron has long been a passionate advocate and expert in all things AI. Having him as our inaugural guest this season was a perfect fit! But before we dive in, we're trying something a bit different this season. Every episode will be divided into two parts - a Riff and a Deep Dive. In this week's Riff, we delve into Aaron's spicy, slightly gloomy, yet probably on point glimpse of the future. Aaron's been coining some seriously sharp terms to help us talk about what the future of AI could look like. As we discussed in our AI-themed Season Preview a few weeks ago, we feel that the future is so unknown that all decision making should be based on a 2-3 year horizon. That said, the perspective shared by Aaron brings an intriguing twist to the discussion. Aaron argues that the S-Curve is undergoing a tightening phase, resulting from an unprecedentedly rapid pace of development. Thus, he feels ignoring the longer horizon is not only unproductive, but perhaps harmful to decision making. Aaron highlights that having foresight is crucial for making decisions in the upcoming years and he also points out that some of these futuristic concepts are already beginning to materialize today. For a full summary of the insights here, head to UnsolicitedFeedback.co.

Riffing on Superbowl Ads, New Products, and Temu's Future

We're back for Season 2, launching Feb 20! We recently held our first live Unsolicited Feedback taping where Brian & Fareed discussed Advancing Your Product Career in an AI World. They also had the opportunity to answer your questions live! We have more of these events planned, so if you're interested in attending, be sure to sign up for our email list at Unsolicitedfeedback.co. In today's episode, Brian revisits his now legendary blog post, How to Become a Customer Acquisition Expert. In short, the post focuses on enhancing your skillsets by adopting a "T" shape approach. In any role, such as product or marketing, it's crucial to have a broad understanding of key topics. This wide knowledge base helps you grasp the entire discipline, providing context, aiding in strategic comprehension, and linking the functional strategy to the company's overall strategy. It makes you a versatile player. However, it's equally important to delve deeply into a specific topic. Aim to position yourself among the top 10% of professionals in a particular skill or topic within your field. That framework became a core pillar of our Product Strategy program and has remained sound advice to this day… Now with the rise of AI, does anything about this framework change? And is AI PM going to be a thing? For a full summary of the key takeaways, head to UnsolicitedFeedback.co! 

We're back for Part 2 of our Season Finale with Andrew Chen, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Today, we're deep-diving into the lessons Andrew has gleaned from his years focusing on gaming

What's in store for 2024?

This week, Product Marketing experts Meghan Keaney Anderson (Jasper.AI, HubSpot) & Mary Sheehan (Author, AdRoll) joins us to discuss how to navigate and cut through the intricate clutter of Artificial Intelligence while contextualizing the most recent developments from Google's Gemini. We discuss how to tackle crowded markets, what makes a great marketer, and strategies that can help companies stand out amidst the AI chaos.  For a full episode summary, exclusive Youtube clips, and more, please join our newsletter at UnsolicitedFeedback.co!

This week, Nabeel Hyatt (GP at Spark Capital) joins us to discuss: Our version of a 2023 Wrapped: Tech Edition. Nabeel reflects on what he looks for in founders to bet on. Next, we perform a growth model breakdown on Midjouney's unconventional success. (Starts at 39:12) Finally, we discuss the viral SEO Heist and its implications for Google's future. (Starts at 1:24:50) For a full episode summary, exclusive Youtube clips, and more, please join our newsletter at UnsolicitedFeedback.co!

This week, our dynamic duo, Brian Balfour and Fareed Mosavat, have the pleasure of hosting Chris Savage, the Co-Founder & CEO of Wistia. Our post-Thanksgiving menu features a hearty discussion about InVision's fall (starts at 14:30), spiced up with Chris's “Savage” critique of Humane's product reveal (starts at 36:15). Of course, we couldn't resist visiting the OpenAI drama that's been simmering recently. To round off, Chris shares a product he is excited about, Ro.am. For a full episode summary, exclusive Youtube clips, and more, please join our newsletter at UnsolicitedFeedback.co!

Laura Schaffer Dissects Cameo's Rise and Fall; Plus New Benchmarks for Companies in 2024 This week, Brian Balfour and Casey Winters are joined by Laura Schaffer, the VP of Growth at Amplitude. Laura is bringing the heat as we unpack the rise and fall of Cameo and discuss what the latest SaaS benchmarks mean for companies braving the challenging waters ahead in 2024. Our discussion about Cameo begins at 4:30, and the conversation of the Openview VC Benchmarks starts at 39:14. We have a full summary of the episode available at UnsolicitedFeedback.co. Want to get a full summary and exclusive Youtube clips delivered to your inbox? Sign up for our new weekly email also at UnsolicitedFeedback.co.

Cem Kansu on OpenAI's DevDay and Airbnb's Strategy Join us with Cem Kansu, VP of Product at Duolingo, as we discuss Duolingo's expansion into math and music (starts immediately), OpenAI's DevDay (starts at 21:15), and Airbnb's bi-annual product announcement (starts at 1:03:05). We're covering the highlights from our OpenAI discussion below, but join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co for full episode summaries. OpenAI's GPT Store: A New Frontier or a Wild West?

Austin Hay Examines What's Next for HubSpot's Newest Acquisition, Clearbit; Plus a Defense of Freemium This week, we're thrilled to discuss the biggest bombshell acquisition in the marketing space - HubSpot's acquisition of Clearbit. To really understand the implications here, we tapped Austin Hay, a renowned expert in marketing technology. Austin, who currently leads MarTech at Ramp, has previously worked with prominent companies like Branch and Runway and advised industry leaders like Notion, Walmart, and Postmates on their marketing technology strategies. Today he joins us to discuss: 1️⃣ HubSpot's acquisition of Clearbit (Starts at 2:36) 2️⃣ A blog post by Bobby Pinero, the insightful CEO of Equals, where he tackles the complexities of Freemium (52:48) Below, we'll unpack the critical takeaways from our in-depth discussion on HubSpot's pivotal acquisition of Clearbit. For summaries of our rebuttal of Bobby's Freemium takedown and Austin's views on which Martech tools are underrated and which are overrated, you'll either need to subscribe to our new email list at Unsolicitedfeedback.co, or just listen to the episode

Darius Contractor Joins to Unpack Arc's Viral Loops and Show the Slack Redesign Haters They're Wrong This week, Brian and Fareed are joined by Darius Contractor, the current Chief Growth Officer at Otter.ai. Darius has a background in growth, product, and engineering, and his experience spans some of the world's most notable companies. These include early social media platform Bebo and renowned unicorns like Facebook, Dropbox, and Airtable. This week, we're all about the praise

This week, we are joined by Crystal Widjaja, a data-driven product expert. Crystal has held product and data leadership roles at various companies, including Kumu and Gojek, a super app and delivery and logistics platform in Southeast Asia. In these roles, she led data teams and product teams. Crystal is also a prolific contributor to Reforge, providing valuable insights through our programs, blog, and artifacts. If you enjoy what you hear in the podcast, you can find more of Crystal's rich insights at Reforge.com. This week, we will be discussing: Jason Cohen's blog post on "Metrics That Cannot Be Measured Even in Retrospect" and the challenges faced by data-driven product leaders.

This week, Unsolicited Feedback is thrilled to welcome Patrick Campbell. Patrick was founder and CEO of ProfitWell, an analytics tool for subscription companies, which was sold to payments company Paddle about a year ago for $200 million. This week's episode features: 1️⃣ Patrick Campbell's Pricing Corner as he dishes out hot-takes on Unity's pricing faux pa, AI's monetization challenges, and the state of the macroeconomy (starts at 12:22) 2️⃣ A Deep Dive into Loom's growth models in light of their acquisition by Atlassian. Plus, is the acquisition a win-win? (starts at 30:49) The Growth Loops that led to Loom's Acquisition Loom Growth Loops: Loom utilized several growth loops that contributed to their remarkable growth. One of the main loops was their viral acquisition engine, which was driven by their free account offering. It was a User Generated, User Distributed Loop consisting of the following steps: Entry: The user creates a Loom video. Trigger: The user shares that Loom video with a colleague or client. Action: The colleague or client views or comments on that video. Back to Entry: Some subset of those colleagues or clients will begin using Loom. Environmental & Manufactured Loops Power Loom's Retention Environmental loops are mechanisms that utilize the user's environment or external factors to strengthen and maintain engagement with a product or service. These loops rely on the context in which the product is used and create a seamless experience that encourages users to continue their interactions. Specifically, Loom is available in all the places where you might need to record: in your applications, on your desktop, and in your browser. It is constantly accessible, just one click away. Loom also offers a strong manufactured loop to combat camera anxiety: Trigger: The loop starts when a user creates a Loom Video and shares it with a colleague or client. Action: The colleague or client is then prompted to take an action, such as playing or commenting on the video. Reward: Every time someone comments on or views the video, Loom sends an email notification to the user, providing a little dopamine boost. This reward gives the user a sense of accomplishment and transparency. Trigger: This reward then triggers a new set of actions as the original user wants to create more videos, thus repeating the loop. Furthermore, Loom has reduced significant friction in the first step by adding AI as a step 1a in the process, which helps clean up the video and gives the core user additional confidence to share it. Looms Monetization Model fueled it's growth Loom's pricing model is designed to balance acquisition and engagement, with a free plan that allows for viral growth and a paid plan that offers additional features and removes limitations. They have strategically kept Loom's pricing high to maximize revenue from highly engaged users. And they have done a great job packaging it so that for lean-in users, the 5-minute video length cap, 25 videos per month maximum, and Loom branding are enough to encourage them to upgrade, but not so prohibitive that a newer or casual fan of Loom cannot use the product for free. Acquisition was a Win-Win: Atlassian gains a new front-door to sell its other products. "Loom drives the acquisition of logos. This is the next level of fuel for the business." Atlassian has already stated its plans to integrate Loom heavily into its other product lines. Atlassian gains access to new customers in education and customer success, which are slightly further from its core product. Loom achieves much deeper defensibility. Loom avoids the need to become a multi-product company. And, Loom delivers a healthy return for it's employees and investors! For more Unsolicited Feedback, join us at reforge.com/podcast/unsolicited-feedback!