Podcasts about innovatemap

Being an entrepreneur brings with it a special brand of loneliness. That's why it's incredibly important to create space for advice and support from others who can truly relate. It can sometimes mean the difference between success and failure.To expound on this, I (Daniel) interviewed Mike Reyolds, the CEO and a partner of Innovatemap. Among other pieces of advice, Mike talked about the need for ongoing support and how that fuels the grit it takes to make dreams and concepts a reality.“The loneliness… it's real. [That's why] about a fourth of the meetings I took in a week were therapeutic, meaning they were for me… I'll remember those forever.” -- Mike ReynoldsWhat You'll LearnEntrepreneurial lonelinessNetworking to learnConflict as a friendBusiness chaptersDeep thinking timeRecommended ResourcesConnect with Mike ReynoldsMike Reynolds is the CEO and a partner of Innovatemap. He believes in supporting digital solutions that solve real problems. And he knows the best products are marketable, valuable and usable. Mike built the Innovatemap team to bring unmatched talent to their clients and their products.Innovatemap.com Linkedin - Mike Reynolds || Linkedin - Innovatemap Connect with Daniel Fuller, Kyle Maloney and FullStack PEOA turnkey HR for emerging companies, FullStack PEO removes the human resource, compliance, and payroll headaches from a company's to-do list. FullStack also produces the Savage to Sage podcast, co-hosted by Partner and VP of Business Development, Daniel Fuller and Senior Account Executive, Kyle Maloney.Linkedin - Daniel || daniel.fuller@fullstackpeo.comLinkedin - Kyle || kyle.maloney@fullstackpeo.comSavagetoSage.com brought to you by FullStackPeo.com

Join us for an engaging conversation with Christopher Amrod, the fractional VP of Sales for InnovateMap. Christopher has a fascinating journey that took him from an accounting executive to a frontline manager for a Series C company. We'll unravel the secrets behind his disciplined, people-focused approach to sales and how his love for sports and appreciation for hard work have shaped his successful career. Christopher also gives us a peek behind the curtains of his time at Reebok and his unique experience with product fit testing. Navigating from the nuances of frontline management to the broader picture of executive leadership, we delve into the challenges of leading a team and the importance of empathy. Christopher shares invaluable insights from his own experiences as a frontline manager and offers advice for those seeking a mentor. He also emphasizes the importance of striking the right balance between work and life, underscoring the need to disconnect from work and focus on other aspects of life. Finally, we turn our discussion to the critical role of CRM in business growth. Christopher shares his hands-on experience with CRM rescues and highlights the need for setting up a CRM with the right business purpose in mind. We explore the common challenges that can arise in the absence of subject matter expertise and how to ensure alignment within departments. Whether you're a sales leader or an interested professional, this episode is packed with practical advice and insights. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation with one of the industry's best! Chris has 14 years of sales experience in B2B SaaS, starting as an individual contributor and methodically climbing the ranks from front-line manager to senior leadership. He has been part of the $2M to $10M ARR journey with a startup that was acquired for $100M. He has led sales teams for Series C and Series D companies that grew revenues from $20M to $40M ARR (in 2 years) and $17M to $23M ARR (in 6 months) respectively, and are currently valued at $1B and $1.5B. Most recently, as the CRO of a bootstrapped company, Chris grew topline revenue 78% by selling to Fortune 1000 companies. He is currently supporting early-stage companies as a Fractional VP of Sales, and he serves as an expert advisor for Primary Venture Partners' portfolio companies. Chris has a compelling track record of success building and leading high-performing revenue teams can be attributed to my disciplined approach to coaching and developing sales professionals, fostering team selling dynamics, and my knack for designing and implementing customer-centric sales processes reinforced by world-class sales methodologies.   Quotes:  "I think you were alluding to perspective, right? And my background is really in B2B SaaS. So I've spent the better part of 14 years with growing Stage B, two B software companies, and I've been part of several different journeys."    "And you don't necessarily need to operate in the B two B SaaS space to still build kind of like a healthy, sustainable business and to learn from other operators who have done it outside of your industry sector. So it's been really rewarding, taking some of the best practices in terms of how to build and scale A team with a software company, refine it a little bit so it reflects the nuance of either like a services based company or maybe a marketplace type environment, and then implement that there because they're all suffering from very similar self inflicted wounds, so to speak."    "Discipline will always trump motivation. I think motivation is a feeling, and feelings come and go. One day you could be motivated, and the next day you might not be, but discipline is like a way of operating."    "Leaders don't always have to make the best decision. They just need to make sure the best decision is made."  Links: Christopher.Amrod@gmailcom LinkedIn: Christopher Amrod Get this episode and all other episodes of Sales Lead Dog at https://www.empellorcrm.com/salesleaddog  

The investigation continues…with Sara Croft, professional innovator. Sara helps brands grow by thinking outside the box. As a marketing leader at Innovatemap, she applies instinct to problem-solving—and approaches her career the same way. Since life rarely goes according to plan, Sara says you may actually miss the best opportunities by being overly intentional. Intuitive decision-making is foundational to Sara. In this episode, she describes her unplanned journey from art history student to CMO, why alone time is mandatory for renewal and self-discovery, and how her best guide is her gut. Leading Joe and Reid to wonder: how do you practice the mindfulness and skills needed to live into the growth these interviews have uncovered so far?

Product marketing is at the intersection of many teams in a product company. The work of a product marketer supports the wider product team, sales, marketing, executive stakeholders, and most of all, buyers. It's for this reason product marketers tend to play a quarterback role, says Kimberly Biddings, VP of Product at BIO-key International. As Kim knows from experience, they're responsible for not just knowing a product in and out—they have to translate its selling points for others to use. Join Kim and Tina to hear more about the opportunities product marketers can bring to your growing organization. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.   Takeaways:   Product marketing starts from the second there's a business idea.  Growing a business without product marketing is like driving a car without direction: aimless and unpredictable.  There's more than one way to be a product marketer.    Things To Listen For:  [0:30] Icebreaker: Who is on your dream interview list (aside from the amazing guests we talked to for Unlock Product Marketing)?  [2:00] Why did we create this series? [4:00] Introducing today's guest, Kimberly Biddings of BIO-key International [6:00] Takeaway: there are different kinds of product marketers, not just one [7:00] Intro to Kimberly Biddings and her cybersecurity product marketing career [8:30] How Tina and Kim met with product marketing and brand work through Innovatemap [10:00] In the beginning, many people did product marketing in marketing roles [10:30] What is a regional product manager? And why teams still need PMM advocates. [12:00] What are the jobs to be done by product marketing? [14:00] Product marketers are like company quarterbacks [15:00] If you need product marketing from day one, why is it typically one of the last roles to be hired? [16:00] The seven stages of product marketing as a company scales [18:30] You have to market yourself as a product marketer so people understand it [21:00] Find bite-sized ways to inject product marketing strategy into your interactions [27:30] Product marketing's first question: does anyone actually care about this? [29:00] Don't start with the what, start with the why [31:00] Always consider “who are you talking to?” and “what are you saying?” [38:00] Be your product manager's best friend

One of the fundamental strategies product marketers must lead is positioning. It's what determines how you'll talk about your product, your company, and your brand as you scale. So why do so many people get it wrong? Catherine Spence, VP of Global Marketing at Microblink, joins Leanna to share her best lessons on brand and product positioning, from leading marketing at an international company to her own startup, Pomello. If you're looking to stay in your comfort zone, this isn't the episode for you. Catherine shows us why we need to use our positioning to pick a fight and take a stand, especially in B2B SaaS.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  Positioning gives you focus. You can't be everything to everyone.  Product positioning should make you think.  Brand positioning should make you feel.  Don't prioritize brand positioning until you have product-market fit.    Things To Listen For:  [2:00] Icebreaker: If you had to write an autobiography and name it after one of your guilty pleasures, what would you call it?  [3:00] What's the difference between brand positioning and product positioning? How do marketers and PMMs work together to define it?  [7:00] Introducing Catherine Spence and her role at Microblink  [9:00] PMM is the intersection of product, marketing, and sales [11:00] The ask of product marketing is simple. But it's difficult to do well.  [12:00] How Microblink thinks about brand positioning vs. product positioning when marketing AI when the world isn't familiar with it yet [13:00] The deceiving similarities between product positioning and brand positioning, and what unites them at the core  [14:00] Brand positioning should be internal and external  [15:00] How do brand positioning and product positioning work together? [16:00] All positioning should reflect your vision and who you want to be in the world. When are you willing to walk away?  [19:00] Why B2B product marketers and marketers need to position products that “pick a fight and take a stand” for their products [22:30] Clear positioning doesn't just make sense. It makes dollars.  [23:00] When is the best time to focus on brand positioning? [26:00] Use your vision statement to anchor your brand positioning  [28:00] The role of employer brand in positioning  [36:00] The future of PMM: how do we find great product marketers?

In today's world, building a great product isn't enough. You have to master your go-to-market strategy by telling a story that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. Product marketing gets you there, according to long-time product marketer and Costanoa Ventures partner Martina Lauchengco.    Martina is the author of the latest book from the esteemed Silicon Valley Product Group, LOVED: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products. Alongside Tina and Leanna, she explores how her career start as a product manager equipped her with the product curiosity and technical competence needed to thrive when marketing digital products. She shows us today how to think about product marketing as the discipline it is and how companies should be leveraging it if they want their product to be recognized and adopted.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.   Takeaways Product marketing tells the world why your product matters and why it's distinct from something similar.  Product marketers must be genuinely interested in what products do and why the product exists to make it meaningful for the market. Things To Listen For [0:30] Introducing our guest hosts, Innovatemap's Tina Hafer and Leanna Adeola [2:00] Why did we create the Unlock Product Marketing series? [3:00] Icebreaker: If you had the time to write a book, what would it be about? [4:00] Previewing our conversation with Martina Lauchengco [10:30] An introduction to Martina Lauchengco, starting her career in product management at Microsoft, and the evolution of product marketing [15:00] Why Martina wrote LOVED: companies need a template for PMM [15:30] Product marketing's evolution: it's now a discipline central to organizations [16:30] Introducing Martina's four fundamental roles of product marketing: Ambassador — product marketers connect customer and market insights  Strategist — product marketers direct a product's go-to-market  Storyteller — product marketers shape perceptions of product Evangelist — product marketers empower others in your company to represent and share the product  [17:30] “You do not need the title ‘product marketer' to be driving forward the most important product marketing” [18:30] In early-stage companies, founders tend to lead product marketing [19:00] Growth requires using product marketing to shape markets [20:00] The importance of product curiosity and technical competence [25:30] Why good product marketers share many qualities with good product managers [29:00] Data is essential to finding your product marketing focus, especially as you enter your growth stage as a company [30:00] There's never just one obstacle to growth, and PMMs give us the high-level perspective we need to see where problems intersect  

Product marketing is the foundation for better product. It should play a strategic role in your business from day one. It's a product discipline to master and respect—not just a list of jobs to be done.  But product marketers continue to struggle with recognition. Because the discipline is still new, the way product leaders think about product marketing is continuously evolving.  That's why Innovatemap's Tina Hafer and Leanna Adeola are taking over the Better Product podcast for a special series on the power of product marketing. Alongside fellow industry experts, they'll explore why digital products need product marketing to accelerate growth, how company leaders can best equip product marketers, and the potential product marketers have as the translation point between product, sales, marketing, executives, and most of all, your audience.  We're exploring product marketing's past, present, and future with:  Martina Lauchengco, author of LOVED: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products, and partner at Costonoa Ventures Catherine Spence, VP of Global Marketing at Microblink Kim Biddings Johnson, VP of Product at BIO-key International Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.

In this week's episode of Product Marketing Life, host Mark Assini is joined by Meghan Pfeifer, Senior Product Marketer and Brand Strategist at Innovatemap. The pair discuss the relationship between product design and product marketing, how product marketing operates at a digital product agency, and why Innovatemap has put product marketing and brand on the same team.

In this week's episode of Product Marketing Life, host Mark Assini is joined by Meghan Pfeifer, Senior Product Marketer and Brand Strategist at Innovatemap.  The pair discuss the relationship between product design and product marketing, how product marketing operates at a digital product agency, and why Innovatemap has put product marketing and brand on the same team.

How you position your product can help you connect with the people who most need it, unlocking rapid growth for your company. But first, you need a solid foundation. Today, Christian and Meghan discuss what product leaders get right vs. wrong when positioning their products. Led by Meghan's insights in product marketing, we'll also walk through a process any team can use to find a position that will give you a cutting edge while letting you stay true to who you are.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  To create a positioning strategy, you need:  A foundational statement that is the truth of your product  Benefit pillars that focus on your differentiators  A description of your product features as proof  Positioning work is internal, but it should inform the external.  Test your positioning's effectiveness by asking if it's simple, meaningful, repeatable, and relevant.  Things To Listen For:  [1:30] Friday recordings, turning 40, and why smart people have worse memories  [2:30] Icebreaker: if you could debate anyone, real or not, who would it be?  [3:00] Meghan's hot take: “90% of cars are so much uglier than they have to be” [4:00] Christian's defense of minivan designs and the 2014 Toyota Sienna  [9:30] Today's topic: how we shape perceptions of our product with positioning  [10:00] Positioning says who you are and why you matter [11:00] “Positioning at its core is your north star; it should set the course”  [12:00] How appreciation for positioning in product has evolved over time  [12:30] Increasingly, product marketers and product designers are working together to bring positioning to life (see our episode on Pinterest) [13:30] Can you tell if a product is positioned well from an outside perspective?  [14:30] Your positioning works if it's simple, meaningful, repeatable, and relevant  [15:00] Positioning statements must be factual and true to who you are  [16:30] Positioning explains why your designers are designing, and for whom  [18:00] How to start applying your positioning to a product roadmap  [20:00] What to do about positioning when you're an in-house product marketer [24:00] Why to revisit positioning as your company grows and hires new leaders [25:30] Consider changing your positioning when something foundational shifts [28:00] Previewing our upcoming series, Unlock Product Marketing

For better and for worse, ego follows us all into our work lives. But leaders must pay special attention to what role ego plays in building a product. Sometimes, ego can be the charisma an early-stage founder needs to get attention for what they're creating. Other times, ego is a roadblock that can lead to ignoring critical perspectives from users and the product team. Using Elon Musk's Twitter purchase as a case study, today's show explores what role ego plays in product, when to use it to your advantage, and when to empower others to take charge.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  Ego can help people believe in your product, but it can't guide everything.  Strive to create a “cabinet of rivals” to balance your product perspective.  How you position your product should be true AND feel true.  Things To Listen For:  [1:00] A new room for Erica's new role: “product therapist” [4:00] Our icebreaker: what company would you buy if you had the money?  [10:00] Twitter's new features and overall progress in the digital product space  [14:00] Ego can have an outsized influence in spaces that are driven by people, including social networks like Twitter [16:00] “You can't scale human behavior the way that you scale battery factories” - and social platforms scale “the best and the worst” of humanity  [20:00] How to think about ego in your own product career [23:30] Strive to have a “cabinet of rivals” to keep your ego in check  [24:00] You need ego in the early stage to rally people around your product vision [25:30] You need a little bit of ego to sell a new or unusual idea—because if you don't believe in it, no one else will  [26:00] How to think about ego when creating your positioning statement [28:00] Positioning statements about your product can be like “Tinker Bell” [29:30] Don't be a dictator; trust your product team to create to the vision

Everything has to start somewhere. But in product and in life, the beginning tends to be awkward. We have room to grow, and glow, up. The real question isn't about whether we'll glow up, but when. Christian & Meghan walk us through their answers from working in UX, product marketing, and brand to help us all find the best moment to embrace the “product glow-up” while staying true to our vision.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  Don't be afraid to get started and make a mess.  Before you can glow up, you have to find product-market fit.  Your first users are your strongest advocates; learn from them.  If you only make tweaks but avoid the overall experience, you fall behind.    Things To Listen For:    [3:00] Icebreaker: what's something that gives you a sense of nostalgia?  [6:00] When nostalgia gets complicated and the “worst decade for style”  [7:00] Our apologies to Dave Grohl, if you're listening out there  [8:00] Introducing the product glow-up  [10:00] The big question: when is the right time for a product glow-up? [11:00] The awkward phase is when you're trying to find product-market fit  [11:30] Why not to glow up your product or brand too early  [12:30] You shouldn't invest everything in creating a great brand until you know what your product is  [13:00] In the beginning, you need to be focused on what people will buy  [14:30] Lessons from tech boom companies that invested in brand upfront  [15:30] How product glow ups are like an episode of What Not To Wear  [17:30] Early adopters don't buy because you have a good brand or UX; they buy because they connect with your vision  [20:00] If you're going to be trendy, make sure your choices are intentional  [23:00] The influence of tech debt on when you need a glow-up  [24:00] Signals (and red alarms) for when it's glow-up time

Product research is a discipline that's transformed in recent years. The days of waterfall testing are over. Today, research is happening at every stage of a product's life cycle, and there are more tools than ever before to help. But how do product teams stay focused on what truly matters? How do we single out real insights from an outpouring of data? Christian & Meghan unpack their lessons learned about product research and examine how the field has evolved. They'll also explain why research isn't actually about finding answers; it's about limiting uncertainty.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  Product research has evolved from a waterfall approach to a continuous approach; research is happening at more stages, and more often.  Research is about limiting uncertainty, and not finding the answer.  It's best to “measure twice to cut once” in product research.    Things To Listen For:    [3:00] Icebreaker: what's your best/worst research paper from school? [8:30] The evolution of product research and how it continues to change  [9:00] Research is what makes better products possible  [10:00] From Christian: In the beginning, research focused on what happened after your product made it into the world  [10:30] Now, research is happening earlier and contributing idea [11:00] The difference today: research is about insights, not just data  [12:00] When stakeholders disagree on the importance of research  [13:00] Overcoming the fear of research (and the ideas it might diminish)  [13:30] “Once you know what the research tells you, you have to act on it”  [14:30] Barriers to research in startups include time, the founder's connection to the market  [16:00] The shift from waterfall research to continuous research [16:30] Who does research and the rise of digital products for research   [17:30] “Measure twice to cut once” when conducting research  [19:30] You need both good research products and research professionals (as we explored with Amplitude's Justin Bauer in supporting PMs with data)  [22:00] Let your product research be experimental  [23:00] Don't over-index the voice of your customer 

Today we're talking about love—but not in the way you think. We're looking at the intersection of product and a timeless human experience: falling in, and out, of love. Forget couples counseling as you know it. Ours co-founders Liz Earnshaw, Jessica Holton, and Adam Putterman are using their relationship wellness platform to reduce stigma and build “software for love.” In conversation with Christian & Meghan, the Ours founders will help you cherish the couple experience (and building great products) all over again.    For more insights on how product is shaping modern health and wellness, revisit our series on Health Tech.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community. Takeaways Experience-driven products keep people at the center of tech.  A brand plays a big role in reducing stigma around health products.  Try a consumer look that will get your audience excited.  Use symbolic language to show your audience the bigger picture. Things To Listen For [2:00] Introductions & our fave love stories, from Jim & Pam to Bride Wars [8:00] How the idea for Ours was born from personal experiences in relationship counseling, from the patient and therapist POV  [8:30] The intention: make couples therapy something worth celebrating  [9:30] Why couples therapy can be like going to a spa or yoga retreat  [10:30] The role of technology in creating better therapy, from patient onboarding to tracking  [13:00] There are enough therapists in the world, but not enough ways to get connected with the patients who need them [13:30] The difference between proactive and reactive couples therapy  [15:00] What it means to create an experience-driven product [16:00] Ours should feel like a hot yoga class: challenging but worthwhile [16:30] How Ours blends live guided sessions with asynchronous “loveware”  [19:30] How the Ours brand breaks down barriers to relationship wellness [20:30] Balancing playfulness & expression in the Ours brand with sincerity  [24:00] Making relationship wellness normal by making it public  [27:30] Why Ours primarily focuses on engaged couples  [33:30] “Our closest relationships are the number one predictor behind health and happiness”

Messaging is the story we tell about our product. But how do we know if we're telling the right story? To talk about your product, you need to learn from the audience you serve, while never losing sight of the bigger picture your market provides. Christian & Meghan will share their observations on product messaging best practices and red flags to avoid; plus, they'll explain why the best messaging is often the simplest. They'll also attempt to message their own lives, as inspired by quotes from comment section fights and the great Humphrey Bogart.    Revisit our episode with Peep Laja of Wynter for more insights on product messaging and how to get better, faster feedback on its effectiveness.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  Positioning is the north star that guides your product decisions; it's the foundation that leads to good messaging.  Successful messaging allows you to share specific messages with the different personas in your audience.  Good messaging isn't just clear about who you are; it says who you are not.  Things To Listen For:    [1:30] Messaging our own lives with internet quotes and actor mottos [5:00] The power of pumping brakes, on Twitter and in real life  [7:30] Positioning is the most truthful description of what your product does [8:30] Messaging is born from positioning, organized around benefit pillars [9:00] Focus on messaging your top three benefits or differentiators  [10:00] Why positioning tends to be more challenging than messaging  [11:00] Positioning doesn't have to be pretty; it just has to be true  [12:00] Why the exact same message won't work for your entire audience [14:00] The attributes of good messaging: clarity & a distinct voice  [14:30] Great messaging requires more than a fun tone; not everyone can be Dollar Shave Club… [15:00] …but B2B companies also aren't sentenced to being boring  [17:30] The paradox of claiming a niche [20:00] Good messaging is hard to identify; that's what makes it good. [21:00] Examples of early-stage messaging from Clay and Ozone [25:00] Why analogies and metaphors are so powerful in messaging  [28:00] Red flags and common traps to avoid when messaging your product

Product marketing is an evolving field with much left to define about what product marketers can actually measure and support. Peep Laja founded his company, Wynter, on the belief that product marketers do better work with swift, real-time feedback on their product messaging. In today's conversation, he explains why taking weeks (or even months) to do critical testing and validation puts your product in a losing position. He'll also describe how Wynter is helping B2B product marketers get impactful insights on their product's messaging & positioning, without wasting time on KPIs that keep you looking in the rearview mirror.    Want to get even better at B2B product marketing? Follow along with Peep's How to Win podcast and the Wynter newsletter.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  If you wait to test and validate your product marketing, you lose. Product marketers should prioritize the speed of feedback.  When marketing your product, prioritize function over form.  The best differentiation is to actually be different.    Things To Listen For:    [1:30] An introduction to Peep (and a callback to an episode he inspired) [2:00] Better copy leads to conversion. But how do you know if your copy is good?  [3:00] How Wynter can give you direct feedback from your target customer  [6:00] Product marketing is ultimately about finding common ground between opinions—from your marketers, your sales team, your CEO,  and your customers [7:30] Wynter's goal is to speed up feedback loops; no more waiting for insights [9:00] Wynter democratizes user research, even if you're not a research expert  [9:30] Product marketing is troublesome because it's a new & evolving role [10:00] Don't let your product marketers be “deck monkeys”  [13:00] Revenue as a metric is like looking through the rearview mirror [14:30] Peep's 5 buckets for understanding product messaging:  Clarity - does your audience “get it”? Do they want it? Relevance - are you speaking about things that are a high priority? Desirability - is your product's value understood? Do people want it? Differentiation - have you made clear how your product stands out? Brand - are you creating the right perception for your product?  [17:00] “Messaging and copy are the manifestations of your positioning” [21:00] Clarity in messaging is key: “if they don't get it, they're not going to buy it” [23:30] Don't treat your website homepage like Netflix  [24:30] What it looks like to sell a category vs. sell a narrative  [30:00] Differentiation also comes down to how you see yourself

Opportunities in product today are seemingly endless. But if you're new to the industry or looking to break in, it can be hard to know what skills you need to succeed. Many roles don't have precise requirements, and product itself is continuously evolving. Today, Christian & Meghan will share their takes on the habits and mindsets that will serve product people at any stage of their careers. We're talking about the impact of good taste, critical thinking, ego vs. insecurity, and how knowledge of other product disciplines can accelerate your own work.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community. Takeaways:  If you focus only on adhering to the process, you'll lose sight of the why.  Design isn't just art; it's a problem solver.  Success in product requires us to keep ego & insecurity in check. Things To Listen For:    [0:00] A re-introduction to our moderator, Erica Irish, and what role she'll serve [3:00] Breaking the ice with an alternate universe: what would Christian & Meghan be doing with their careers if they hadn't chosen a path in product? [9:00] Post-retirement aspirations, a better design school, and NFT PhDs  [11:00] How Christian & Meghan first found their careers in product  [15:00] Knowledge of good design applies regardless of the medium  [17:00] What we mean by good taste, stolen ideas, and an Ira Glass reference  [22:00] The importance of critical thinking and learning from other product roles [24:30] How ego and insecurity impact your product work—and why to never keep a tight grasp on anything you've created  [26:30] Earn trust so you to make the decisions in the product area you own  [28:00] Strive to separate yourself from the features  [29:00] Questions you can ask about product in the face of critique  [30:00] A multidisciplinary product perspective gets us closer to where the truth is [35:30] “If you were the friend who made the study guides, you'd probably make a good product marketer,” and other product personas

Mapping the Road to Innovation, w/ Mike Reynolds On Today's episode special guest Mike Reynolds defines digital product and the genius behind InnovateMap. Mike explains that businesses must go digital if they touch a consumer or risk losing relevance. While most consumer-facing companies have embraced this tenant, many B2B companies just haven't accepted this yet and those who have are advancing quicker than ever. Rob and Mike also discuss Covid bonding and the pattern analytics that helped companies ride the storm. Revisiting the past couple of difficult years, the takeaway is clear, Covid19 was a wake-up call for businesses to expand their digital product and their office flexibility. Finally, Mike, Rob, and Tom discuss the great remote work migration and why it works for some and not for others, and the future of remote work. As an added bonus, during the conversation, Rob shares the history of Mullet Man and his connection to Mike and InnovateMap. You too can learn how the great icon of Raw Data by P3 Adaptive was created. Also on this episode: Mad Men: The Wheel Wordle Seinfeld water cooler Buck Rogers robot, Twiki Far Side Thumb wrestler March Data-Ness - The Method Behind the Madness Jack In the Box Commercial

It's the series finale of Power to the People Ops, and today, we've got a real treat. We're speaking with Mel Skochdopole, co-founder of Parkday—a.k.a. “the Tinder of food.” Using the power of data, Parkday curates personalized workplace meals that are tailored to everyone's food preferences. As a result, Parkday is saving people ops leaders valuable time and protecting them from the awkward (and potentially damaging) mistake of ordering food someone on their team can't eat. Meghan and Mel explore how food is a small but powerful way to affect work culture and how people ops products can get personalized perks right.   Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways Don't just add workplace perks—personalize them with product.  Food quality can directly affect team productivity and health.  Things To Listen For   [1:30] Introducing Mel & Parkday's mission of building data-driven food programs [2:00] How Parkday personalizes meals, as inspired by the founders' own food preference journeys  [4:00] As companies return to the office, food is something that will always be impactful; it unifies teams across departments  [5:00] The issue for people ops leaders: food is important, but it takes a lot of time and effort to curate the best meals for every person in a company  [7:00] Good food is a matter of team productivity and health  [9:30] 85% of people are looking to eat healthier or follow a specific diet today, and that preference is even stronger among young workers   [12:00] Why Parkday is “the Tinder of food” and how to use it to find your food type (anyone else out there a spicy vegetarian?

Employee engagement is at the core of what keeps people motivated, productive, and happy at work. But unlocking what keeps people engaged is easier said than done. That's why Julie Jeannotte, senior researcher at Officevibe by GSoft, is on a journey to create a product that measures and responds to engagement. Using pulse surveys and curated conversation starters, Officevibe is measuring human nature with science and creating a space for real talk at all levels of the workplace.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  In people ops, asking questions is what matters most. But how you ask will determine what you uncover.  When employees are more engaged, they're more productive & innovative.  Recognition and sense of purpose are drivers of engagement that people ops products can harness.    Things To Listen For:   [1:30] Introducing Julie Jeannotte and her experiences in HR and people ops  [5:00] How product thinking and agility found its way into the HR industry [7:00] The people ops mantra: finding ways to “put employees first”  [7:30] Considering people ops as an approach vs. a business function [8:00] Why people ops products need to introduce more than cosmetic changes, like fun title changes (“chief happiness officer”)  [9:00] The original people ops definition from Laszlo Bock: helping employees be “productive, healthier, and happier”  [10:30] How Officevibe shapes employee experiences through pulse surveys  [11:00] How Officevibe's parent company, GSoft, embraces a “fail, adapt, learn, build, and grow” philosophy [12:00] Why Officevibe's product features strive to build “cultures of feedback”  [16:00] The science behind Officevibe's pulse surveys, illustrated by a tree   [19:30] Without good relationships, engagement efforts in product fall apart  [26:30] Expectations in the employee-employer contract are changing

With an uptick in challenges like the Great Resignation and remote work, companies who are hiring today must understand people—their users—in order to thrive. Tim Pröhm, vice president at the KellyX Digital Innovation Lab, recognizes this opportunity and is using it to introduce agile product thinking and a significant digital transformation to the 75-year-old recruiting firm Kelly. Kelly impacts thousands of workers around the world each year and is setting the example for how to attract and retain talent at a critical moment. In this episode, Tim shares how his team encourages startup strategy in the enterprise world, and how they are bringing the people ops wave to new heights through Kelly's reach.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  People ops products only succeed if they are customized to the holistic employee experience.  The job of people ops is to ask, “what do the people in your organization need to be successful?” Things To Listen For:   [1:30] Tim's journey to product & his career intersections with the service industry [3:30] Background on Kelly and its global influence in the staffing & talent industry  [4:30] How technology & product thinking emerged in Kelly's work in recent years [5:00] “It's not about the human interaction anymore” in a digital world  [5:30] Innovation emerged through rapid prototyping, being responsive to users [7:00] Lessons from Laszlo Bock's book, “Work Rules!” on people ops vs. HR  HR focuses on compliance and traditional administration  People ops focus on “the full, real experience” in the organization [8:00] Why you shouldn't exclude people ops leaders from strategic product decisions  [8:30] If you can't retain or attract talent, your org will fail; people ops can help  [11:30] HR professionals tried to “rebrand” as people ops before, but it didn't work  [12:30] COVID made companies realize workforce strategy needs to be holistic [13:30] The reality of “the overwhelmed employee” experience (hint: it's more common than you might think) [21:00] The importance of real-time visibility in business and people ops  [23:00] How automation, hiring, and people ops go hand-in-hand [25:00] The growing importance of qualitative research  [27:00] “Digital transformation is a neverending exercise” [30:00] Why startups and corporations need to “cross-pollinate”

Imagine a world where every person in a company is understood. They have engaging 1:1s with managers where their voices are heard, and consistent opportunities to connect with their peers—whether they work together or not. This is the future people ops products are building; and, it's the same future John Wetzel is defining as CEO & co-founder of Gather. He explains how people ops is transforming companies, how product leaders in the space can get necessary feedback, and most importantly, how Gather strives to get people ops leaders at early-stage companies “off their islands” to deliver a better employee experience.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community. Takeaways:  People ops is owning more and more of what HR once covered.  The best outcomes of people ops products happen in real life.  Effective people ops leaders think like product managers.    Things To Listen For: [2:00] How Gather got started, with inspiration from 2019  [3:00] John's past experiences in hardware and software before founding Gather [5:00] How John defines “people ops,” and how the category differs from HR  [5:15] The three functions of traditional HR: talent acquisition, logistics, people operations (a.k.a culture, communications, DEI)   [6:00] The reality: people operations is owning “more and more” of HR  [6:15] Is people ops going to become the “new HR,” or something else?  [7:00] Explaining how the Gather product automates people ops work  [8:30] How Gather integrates with Slack as a “workflow builder” [9:00] Why Gather leverages & automates HRIS, the “CRM” of people ops  [10:00] Exploring Gather's unique product features, like the onboarding buddy  [11:30] The best outcomes of Gather happen in real life, not through automation [13:00] Why John & Gather believe “the future is people ops”  [14:00] How marketing a people ops product relates to category creation [15:30] Why does the world need people ops?  [16:00] How John pairs his personal brand with Gather's in marketing people ops [17:00] How the Great Resignation is affecting people ops products  [19:00] People ops is about harnessing the small moments in the workplace [20:00] For people ops leaders, their product is the employee experience  [24:00] Community can give you early feedback on your product and priorities     

Many employers are coming to a huge realization: there's power in investing in people. But keeping teams happy, organized, and engaged at work can be easier said than done. That's why in recent years, dozens of digital products have emerged to give rise to the challenge. So-called people operations, or people ops, products exist to give workers better processes that can help them believe in (and stay) at their companies amid challenges like the Great Resignation. In this series of Better Product, we're exploring how people ops products are one way employers can ensure their teams are seen, heard, and respected, and why these products are growing in popularity.    We're talking to leaders in the people ops space, including:  John Wetzel, CEO & Co-Founder of Gather  Tim Prohm, VP at the KellyX Digital Innovation Lab  Julie Jeannotte, Employee Engagement Expert & Senior Researcher at Officevibe by GSoft   Our producer Erica is joining the conversation to ask the tough questions and be an advocate for you, our listeners. Want to add your own take? Write a note or record a voice memo, and send it to erica.irish@innovatemap.com to join the conversation.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community. Takeaways:  People ops products are multiplying, but the shift from HR isn't new.  Companies that take people ops seriously keep their employees at the center and create a culture with them in mind.  Product leaders in people ops are trying to measure and respond to human nature with tech.    Things To Listen For: [3:00] Why we're talking about people ops, vibe shifts, and the future of work [6:30] How we define people operations vs. HR [7:30] “People ops is about creating a better holistic experience for teams” [8:30] Exploring our different levels of work experience  [12:30] Tying today's people ops products back to 2006, Laszlo Bock, and Google [13:00] People ops products ask: how can companies fit the way they operate into people's lives—not the other way around [14:30] Design to design ops, security to security ops, and people to people ops  [16:00] In the age of remote work, companies have to consider, “what else do I have to offer?” [17:00] People ops lets companies “create the canvas for culture to emerge” [19:30] People ops products have to be intentional about fostering interactions [20:00] How the people ops transformation is “making the attention to people and experience more systemic”

Growth design is a powerful concept. It's how we bring the goals of product marketing into focus and activate those goals through great design. As Christian puts it, it's about evolving the areas of your product that grow metrics like revenue and users. But too often, growth design is reduced to a buzzword; to make the most of the practice, you have to consider the context in which you're working. This episode explores what growth design looks like today, what it is not, and how it takes the best of two product disciplines, PMM and UX, to accelerate change.    Oh, and we're trying something new with the show. Today you'll hear a new voice: our producer Erica is joining the conversation to ask the tough questions and be an advocate for you, our listeners. Want to add your own take? Write a note or record a voice memo, and send it to erica.irish@innovatemap.com to join the conversation.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  Growth design is about building features that accelerate growth in your product, like increasing revenue and users.  At its core, growth design is the intersection of product marketing and UX.    Things To Listen For:    [0:30] Introducing our moderator & producer, Erica Irish  [3:00] Why Christian & Meghan were initially skeptical about growth design   [4:00] Growth design is a layer on top of UX design meant to help the product accelerate growth, in revenue, users, etc.  [4:30] Hear more from Pinterest's growth design team in our 2020 episode [6:00] Growth design brings product marketing into focus (e.g., microcopy)  [8:00] Growth design leads to “users supporting other users” (product-led growth) [9:30] How web3 and decentralization could affect growth design (or not)  [12:30] Growth design accelerates users who are beyond the “hesitancy phase” [13:00] Products need a category foundation before they get to growth design  [14:00] Examining NFTs, community membership…and an NFT vending machine [16:00] A case study: Coinbase's experimental Super Bowl commercial  [17:30] Why “marketing is never responsible for education,” but PMM can be  [20:00] Growth design as understood through Andrew Chen's “cold start problem” [20:30] The early stages of a product should be different from your later stages  [21:00] The goal of your first stage: figure out if your product is valuable, so you have something good to grow from  [23:30] How to define and think about “growth design features”

Some of the most popular digital products today, including the world-recognized FAANG stocks, are platforms. They are spaces that facilitate communication, connection, or a specific activity core to your lifestyle or business—and in almost every case, platforms have succeeded so much because they've monetized the interactions that happen on them. It's because of this achievement that many in product strive for the platform model, in what Jonathan Knee describes as “the platform delusion.” To win in product, you actually don't need a platform; instead, Christian & Meghan explain, you can learn from the way platform leaders think, and apply those lessons to your own product vision.    Want to add your own take? Write a note or record a voice memo, and send it to erica.irish@innovatemap.com to join the conversation.    Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.    Takeaways:  All platforms are products, but not every product should be a platform. Three core lessons from platforms to apply to your product:  Platforms excel at brand & PMM; they leverage FOMO and blur the line between marketing and features.  Platforms make strategic decisions about new features.  Platforms use great UX design to create, then enhance, experiences.    Things To Listen For:  [0:30] Christian's Startups To Watch newsletter and how it inspired this episode  [1:00] A summary of Jonathan Knee's book, “The Platform Delusion” [3:00] Too many tech leaders see platforms as the “end all, be all”—without recognizing everything that it takes to build them  [6:00] Platforms think about product differently from most products [6:30] How we define platforms: “products that facilitate communication, connection, or some kind of activity that you make part of your lifestyle”  [7:30] The platform types that meet our definition, from Spotify to Salesforce [8:30] Examining consumer-oriented vs. B2B-oriented platforms, like Twilio [12:00] How platforms approach product differently, from three perspectives:  Brand & PMM  Product Management  UX Design  [15:00] Platforms tend to blur the line between features and marketing campaigns   [18:30] “The buyer of B2B software is still a consumer”  [19:00] A quick detour to our previous discussion on category creation

In today's digital product landscape, the possibilities seem endless. We're watching new products emerge to serve completely new categories—many of which, like web3 and the decentralized internet, have yet to be totally defined. Finding the answers and taking charge of a new product category, Christian and Meghan share in this episode, is up to you as the product leader. And any good journey in category creation starts with thinking about how the product you're building can set the standard. When done well, your product becomes “the proof” new categories need to survive and thrive.  Want to add your own take? Write a note or record a voice memo, and send it to erica.irish@innovatemap.com to join the conversation.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.  Takeaways:  Creating categories is all about timing & awareness. Use tools like Gartner, ProductHunt, and expert newsletters to figure out where to start.  Product is “the proof behind the category you're trying to create.” Things To Listen For:  [0:00] Exciting news - the Better Product Community is on Slack!  [1:30] A primer on why we're talking about category creation [2:00] What category creation is, what it isn't, and categories vs. industries [4:30] How & why to use tools like Gartner to validate your product's category  [5:00] What to do if you're an early-stage company in an emerging category  [7:00] Overview: How should you start thinking about category creation?  Understand your business in the context of the wider market Think about your current growth stage and your growth trajectory Consider the resources available to you  [7:30] Understand positioning to uncover your category creation potential  [10:00] How to think about your growth trajectory, with lessons from “Play Bigger” [11:00] The advantages of building your product in an emerging category [12:00] Even if you're creating a new category, use familiar interaction patterns [14:30] Product is “the proof behind the category you're trying to create.” [16:00] You need resources to support the content you need to build a category [18:00] You have to tell people “over and over again” what your category means

Show Description: Mike Reynolds is the CEO and founder of Innovatemap, a digital and product agency that provides solutions to firms in the form of market research, strategy, product marketing, product management, and design and user experience. With over 20 years of experience in product management, user experience, and product marketing, Mike joins us to discuss the motivation behind his company, how he establishes an innovative culture, and key lessons he has learned along the way. Show Highlights: 3:45-9:45: Mike describes the concept behind Innovatemap, the "why" behind starting the company, and how he transitioned into being the face of an organization. 9:45-18:15: Mike talks about the purpose of establishing mentors, seeking out advice from others, and providing value through conversation. 18:15-32:15: Mike discusses how he refined his company's service offering, listened to what the market needs, and some of the largest pivots his organization had to make, especially with the pandemic. 32:15-43:45: We ask Mike about the process with scaling, and how Innovatemap has expanded while keeping its company culture strong. 43:45-48:15: Mike highlights what an ideal user experience looks like, and how his company goes above and beyond for its customers. 48:15-52:30: Mike reflects on key lessons learned in previous roles, as well as what he has learned about himself as a leader in his current role. 52:30: We ask Mike how he wants to be remembered when it is all said and done.

One year ago, an online movement on Reddit led GameStop stock to skyrocket. The moment awakened a widespread conversation about retail investment, meme stocks, and who actually has power over the markets. Now, everyday retail investors are demanding more transparency and education in investing—and they've embraced community to get there.  Urvin Finance Head of Design Sly Tanenbaum came from that community to his current role building The Terminal, a digital product that will connect investors and provide them with the in-demand resources they need to make smarter decisions. In this episode, Sly walks through the compelling link between digital communities and product, and how product leaders can be responsive to a new public desire for community-led products. Want to add your own take? Write a note or record a voice memo, and send it to erica.irish@innovatemap.com to join the conversation. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.  Takeaways:  Communities can lead to products “bigger than the sum of their parts.”  The challenge in creating community-led products comes in sifting through “signals” vs. “noise.”  Things To Listen For:  [1:30] Background on Urvin Finance and what the company hopes to achieve [2:30] Exploring the origins of the online investor community [5:30] Understanding how the community talks and APEs (“all people equal”) [12:00] Community is appealing because “conversations are free” [13:30] Comparing the Urvin Finance community to what Reddit is missing  [15:00] The cost to building a community outside of Reddit [15:30] Understanding the costs and benefits of building community-led products    [17:00] Identifying common pain points in the online finance community [17:30] What Urvin means by “distributed financial analysis”  [18:00] How community can create something “bigger than the sum of its parts” [21:00] How The Terminal is trying to bring data to one place  [25:00] The challenge: managing a community-led product design process [26:30] Understanding “signal vs. noise”  [28:00] “You have to push into the bubble without breaking the bubble” [29:00] “How much do you need to know about the industry you're designing for to be good at design?” [31:00] Learn from the people who represent or have influence in the community you're building for [36:00] How Urvin thinks about Andrew Chen's “cold start problem” [36:30] Why education will be The Terminal's product “wild card”

To show—or not to show—your software is a question we hear a lot working in digital product. It's not only a big question with many answers, but one with high stakes that ultimately depends on many intersecting parts of your product process. As inspired by a LinkedIn post from Wynter's Peep Laja, Christian & Meghan unpack the critical decision to show your product to potential users, and all the smaller choices you'll have to make along the way around your messaging, brand, product usability, and selling potential.     Want to add your own take? Write a note or record a voice memo, and send it to erica.irish@innovatemap.com to join the conversation.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community. Takeaways:  You have a choice when deciding when & how to preview your product: Will you rely on good salespeople, or a good product?  Focus on conveying value, not trends, when showing off your product.  Don't just describe the product; describe the problem it solves.  Your team should do four things before showing your product:  Make your messaging & brand tell a valuable story Make your product easy to use  Make your product easy to learn  Make your product easy to buy Things To Listen For:  [0:00] Introducing Peep Laja's “show me the software” LinkedIn post  [2:00] A comparison to car commercials  [2:50] Why there needs to be a process to “showing the software”  [4:00] What's different—and complicated—about previewing B2B SaaS products  [5:30] What to know about showing your product at different stages of growth  [6:00] Realtors, ghosts, and raccoons  [7:50] How most preview software is counter to product-led growth  [9:30] Messaging & brand should guide how you choose to preview a product [12:00] How to marketize your product previews  [13:00] Avoiding a bait and switch with the “uncanny valley”  [14:45] “What's the line between marketing and catfishing?”  [15:45] Overview: The four steps to follow to preview your software well  [16:30] What to consider about messaging & brand in software previews  [17:40] But what about “design for design's sake?”  [19:00] What to do when you need to explain a complicated product  [21:00] How to think about your product's functionality before showing it off  [23:00] You have to be honest with your community about where your product is [23:30] Why absence can say a lot to your audience  [24:30] Why you must make your product easy to learn when sharing it  [27:30] Don't forget to make your product easy to buy  

Social media has been called “the people's platform.” But for all its benefits to the public, many challenges still exist. Misinformation is widespread, and for women & non-binary users, harassment is a common experience. Emma Bates, the co-founder & CEO of Diem, a “social universe” for women & non-binary people, shares the alternative answer her product is offering to those who want a better experience on social media. As she explores with Christian, much of the answers lie in how we foster empathy online and how we encourage people to “pass their power.”  This episode is part 2 of our two-episode exploration of social media products. Visit part 1 to hear Christian & Meghan's thoughts on how social media products are evolving, and to hear what we mean when we say “anti-social media.”  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.  Takeaways:  There's a difference between building a “social network” and a “social universe” that values learning and intentional knowledge-sharing.  A person's lived experience will influence how they build digital products—and it will impact how users interact with your product.  Because most social media is about “hiding our shadows,” users don't tend to have a balanced experience.  Things To Listen For: [1:30] The story behind Diem and the motivation for building it [2:00] Why Diem isn't trying to create a “new social network”  [3:00] Why women and non-binary people need a dedicated social space  [4:00] How Diem sees opportunity in building products that are more empathetic  [6:00] Why considering lived experience matters when building products  [8:00] If you don't have the same experience, you have to be open to others'  [9:30] Does technology “not allow empathy”?  [10:30] Challenges on social media can be tied to what the platforms value  [12:00] What happens when most social media is about “hiding our shadows”  [13:30] How Diem is changing incentives to create a different social experience  [14:00] Why Diem is tying its “social universe” to a higher purpose: passing power  [18:00] What Diem means when it describes itself as a “social universe”  [20:00] Building community is not the same as building technology  [23:00] Why the product world needs alternative answers  [26:30] How Diem is different from social media as we know it  [29:00] Exploring the long-term vision for Diem as it continues to evolve  [32:00] How Diem is creating a brand that is “exclusively inclusive” [38:00] A reflection on how social media impacts children & teens  [43:00] How Diem is ultimately about gender & power

Today we have a special episode, Community Manager Appreciation Day, where our guests reveal what they are grateful for and proud of about their communities: Katie Ray, Head of Customer Community at Clari, shares her accomplishments of growth and engagement from her time managing the Saleshacker community. She also discusses her current work, hyper-growth, and engagement growth in the Clari community. Next, Diane Yuen, the new Community Manager at Alation, has extensive organic community experience after building her gaming community for seven years. Diane shares her story of taking on her first full-time community role. Jennifer Serrat, Associate Director of Community Engagement at IE University and Community Moderator at CMX, shares a story about some out-of-the-box thinking that led to the revival of her community in the middle of COVID. Kaleem McGill is the Community Manager at The Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. He shares how he and his team audited and revamped their onboarding process for new members. And finally... Neha Agarwal, Head Community at Quora India, shares the strategy she and her team used to launch Spaces in Hindi.

Changing a company or product name in a rebrand is a big decision. That's because renames are usually seen as a way to cement a changed identity. But what if we told you that names are only as valuable as what we build around them? We're exploring the concept through the recent Square-to-Block rename, and what to consider when putting a name to your own product.  Want to add your own take? Write a note or record a voice memo, and send it to erica.irish@innovatemap.com to join the conversation.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.  Takeaways:  Names are significant, but what you build around them matters more.  It's the burden of brand & positioning to make a name mean something.  Big Tech names are trending towards generic words—but does that actually limit creativity for others?  Things To Listen For: [1:00] How Meghan & Christian got their own names  [2:30] A name change isn't just about a word; it's about an evolved identity [2:50] What really matters to a name is the strength of your brand & positioning  [3:00] Good names don't have to make sense, but they should be memorable... [4:00] …and what you do with your name usually matters more than the meaning [5:20] Introducing the Square story through a book, The Innovation Stack  [6:20] Why Square chose the new name Block [9:30] An established name should influence how you think about brand & product  [10:20] Why there's no “one way” to name your company  [11:00] It's the burden of brand & positioning to make names mean something  [11:15] Revisiting the Mailchimp & Surveymonkey rebrand  [14:00] Names don't always reflect the product—and that's OK  [15:00] Names tend to evolve with how they'll be used  [15:45] When it might be time for a company to consider a rename  [17:00] Understanding how names and renames can influence growth  [19:00] Are current trends in Big Tech names “land grabs”? 

Social media is one of the most popular and well-used kinds of digital products out there—but of course, it's not without its problems. That's why we're talking about a new trend in the social media world, where digital product creators are building alternatives to the Facebooks and Twitters of the world. In these “anti-social media” products, creators are paving the way for a new future and building distinct communities through tech.  This episode is part 1 of our two-episode exploration of anti-social media. Listen to part 2 when it releases on Jan. 25.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community. 

Mike Reynolds revisits the big idea behind our show: why the business of product is never just about the product. As the co-founder & CEO of Innovatemap, a full-service digital product agency in Indianapolis and NYC, Mike explores from decades of personal experience what it takes to build a successful product business. Spoiler: Doing so takes so much more than a good product idea. In today's environment, Mike explains that success hinges on knowing which ideas are worth building a business around. This episode will give you the roadmap you need to make that big decision.   Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest from the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.  Takeaways:  It might be easier to become an entrepreneur; it is NOT easier to be one.  Building a business requires going beyond product ideas.  Seek product experts to build the right business around your product.  Things To Listen For: [1:30] What founders need to consider after finding their product idea  [2:00] How to think about product-market fit and product differentiation [2:30] When to balance building your product with promoting your product  [3:30] The pros & cons of more entrepreneurs coming from specialized industries, not just tech   [6:00] Why you need a team of product experts to advance your business—and what to look for when building one of your own  [8:00] The difference between becoming and being an entrepreneur [11:00] Mike's predictions for the future of digital products & business

We saw a LOT happen in product in 2021. After digital products responded to the immediate problems of 2020, this year, we saw them innovate on unexplored opportunities, build communities, and in some cases, just have fun. Today's episode brings us Meghan & Christian's observations from the year, and their predictions about how current trends could continue to show up in 2022.  Want to add your own take? Write a note or record a voice memo, and send it to erica.irish@innovatemap.com to join the conversation.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.

2021 was the year cookies died, and the year the public started paying more attention to how their data was being used online. These movements also introduced new considerations for product leaders who rely on data to make their digital products better and informed by users. Take it from Justin Bauer, senior vice president of product for Amplitude Analytics. Amplitude went public this fall after expanding as the leading data analytics tool for product managers at GoFundMe, Intuit, and others. Justin shares more about Amplitude's growth path and how it's helping product managers find “insight to action” opportunities. Listen to Justin's first appearance on Better Product from 2019.  Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.

Christian Beck is the Executive Partner at Innovatemap, where he focuses on growth strategy and design. He is also the host of the podcast Better Product.  While Christian doesn't consider himself a marketer, he and Alan discuss design, user experience, and how marketing is tied closely to his role. Throughout the rest of their conversation they also touch on how technology scale is outpacing human cognition, why that matters, and what making a good product is all about. According to Christian, a “better product is marketable, valuable, and usable.” Since technology is evolving rapidly, companies must be really intentional about sticking to the fundamental design principles — designing around human behavior. What can marketers learn from design and vice versa? Listen to the full conversation to find out. In this episode, you'll learn: How technology scale is outpacing human cognition Why better product is marketable, valuable, and usable  The push for community in product spaces Key Highlights: [01:24] Why Christian doesn't see himself as a marketer [02:15] Why he started with design  [06:20] Technology scale outpaces human cognition [11:47] Who is Innovatemap? How did it begin? [15:10] What makes a good product? [18:36] How the Better Product podcast was born [22:22] The push for community [26:32] An experience that defines Christian, makes him who he is today [28:22] Christian's advice for his younger self [30:02] What marketers should be learning more about [33:58] The brands and organizations Christian follows [36:35] The biggest threat and opportunity marketers face Resources Mentioned:  Innovatemap Christian Beck Mike Reynolds Share Your Genius Better Product Community Better Product Podcasts Martin Siegel, Indiana University Design with Ethics Robinhood Blockchain (Wikipedia) Subscribe to the podcast: Listen in iTunes (link: http://apple.co/2dbdAhV) Listen in Google Podcasts (link: http://bit.ly/2Rc2kVa) Listen in Spotify (Link: http://spoti.fi/2mCUGnC ) Connect with the Guest: Christian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Christian Twitter: https://twitter.com/cmbeck_ Innovatemap Twitter: https://twitter.com/innovatemap/ Connect with Marketing Today and Alan Hart: http://twitter.com/abhart https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanhart http://twitter.com/themktgtoday https://www.facebook.com/themktgtoday/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-today-with-alan-hart/ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/marketingtoday See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Product Design Podcast, Seth Coelen interviews Jon Moore, the Product Design Principal at Innovatemap, a digital product agency in Indianapolis, where he leads a team of product designers. He's passionate about design systems, tooling, and helping new designers grow in their craft.During our interview with Jon, you will learn more about how he built his career path to product design and the leadership role he is currently in today. He provides excellent advice and tips, including:Tips for new and aspiring product designersTop two areas to focus on when navigating through a career in product designHow to best support a team when you have become a leader in product design

Today's guest on The Sales Vitamin Podcast is Christian Beck. Christian is the Co-Founder and Executive Partner of Growth Strategy & Design for Innovatemap.  Innovatemap is a team of experts in digital product research, branding, marketing and design. Christian began his career as a user experience (UX) designer at Autodesk, a top Silicon Valley firm, which set his foundation in and passion for digital products and high-growth tech companies.  As a co-founder and Executive Partner, Christian owns revenue growth operations, including sales and marketing.   He is also the co-host of Innovatemap's Better Product podcast and also owns the vision for the Better Product Community.Christian is passionate about bringing ideas to life, from creating a UX strategy to innovating alongside non-tech companies.   Christian is one of the industry leaders in helping organizations ideate, strategize and design digital solutions.  Here's what we discuss in this episode: Christian's background.UX (User Design). Digital Products vs Physical Products.A shoe example. What comes first in creating products?The connection between sales and design. Creating simplicity in the user experience. Two key mistakes companies make in the design stage.The hidden cost of design. Designing for different interfaces. Design and scalability. Design team interactions with sales teams. One sales vitamin. Connect with Innovatemap and Christian BeckInnovatemap official website.Innovatemap LinkedIn Innovatemap Twitter Christian's TwitterChristian's LinkedIn

We speak with Mike Reynolds of Innovatemap about the ways he uses product storytelling to create successful marketing campaigns. Mike discusses the ways all types of products, from simple commodities to technical services, can harness storytelling to communicate with their customers on an emotional level. Mike also gives great advice on the ways leaders can integrate a unifying vision into their organization by utilizing storytelling.  Mike Reynolds LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-reynolds-8594932/ Mike's BetterProducts Podcast: https://betterproduct.community/podcasts/ For more information, visit our website: https://untoldcontent.com/ You can also find us on Instagram: @untoldcontent

Better Product has a new co-host! Meet Meghan Pfeifer, Senior Product Marketer & Brand Strategist at Innovatemap. In this newly updated Better Product, Meghan will bring her perspective of art, product marketing, messaging, and brand to the show...as well as challenge Christian every once in a while.  Hear what else is coming to the Better Product feed in this episode of The Minute.

How can product innovation help your business navigate uncertainty? In 2020, the move to remote work led to a massive increase in innovations and the adoption of new technologies. The question is, how did these transformations help businesses navigate the challenges of 2020? In this episode, Kevin Galang digs into the product innovations of the past year with expert insights from Anna Eaglin, formerly Principal Product Manager at Innovatemap, now Co-Founder and Head of Product at Uncovered, Phil Simon, author of the new book, Reimagining Collaboration, and Grant Peterson, Chief Product Officer at Conga. If you’d like to learn more, visit https://conga.com/podcast In this Episode, You’ll Learn: The importance of continuous innovation Collaboration is the key to effective innovation How to avoid making mistakes by gathering feedback What to Listen For: [01:32] – What is product innovation? [07:16] – How to avoid complacency in your business [10:47] – Mistakes to avoid in innovation [13:36] – What happens when innovation fails [17:53] – How to make your product stand out [26:16] – What is the future of work culture? [31:24] – Pro tips for collaboration [32:27] – Agent in the News with Amy Bartner

Mike Reynolds is the CEO and Executive Product Partner of Innovatemap.  Innovatemap is a product agency helping companies of all sizes dream, design and scale digital products and services.  Mike has been ideating and delivering digital products to market for over 20 years! In this episode:1. Mike shares his experience in product management.  He saw a rise in a need for product management differentiation to help leaders & founders "do product well".  As a result, he developed a product management as a service model.2. Mike describes the process that InnovateMap uses to partner with companies to define goals and outcomes.  3. The InnovateMap team is made up of  both product management/UX design as well as product branding & marketing.  4. Mike shares his lessons learned.  He talks about "know the mode you are in" and keep the focus on fine tuning product market fit. 5. Some of the trends Mike sees include "product led growth" where the product itself introduces new features as well as digital product marketing focused on consistent branding across all digital products.Learn more by going to InnovateMap  or connect with Mike Reynolds on LinkedIn.  

Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Today’s Daily Dose is being taken over by Mike Reynolds, the CEO of Innovatemap. Resources:  Innovatemap: https://innovatemap.com/ Better Product podcast: https://betterproduct.community/podcasts/ HRD Advisory Group: https://hrdadvisorygroup.com/ Being [at Work]: https://hrdadvisorygroup.com/podcasts/

Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Today’s Daily Dose is being taken over by Mike Reynolds, the CEO of Innovatemap. Resources:  Innovatemap: https://innovatemap.com/ Better Product podcast: https://betterproduct.community/podcasts/ HRD Advisory Group: https://hrdadvisorygroup.com/ Being [at Work]: https://hrdadvisorygroup.com/podcasts/

Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Today’s Daily Dose is being taken over by Mike Reynolds, the CEO of Innovatemap. Resources:  Innovatemap: https://innovatemap.com/ Better Product podcast: https://betterproduct.community/podcasts/ HRD Advisory Group: https://hrdadvisorygroup.com/ Being [at Work]: https://hrdadvisorygroup.com/podcasts/

Being [at Work] offers a daily dose of leadership focused on helping you, the leader. During challenging times we need all of the encouragement we can get. Sometimes there’s simply no playbook and we just need to do the best we can. Today’s Daily Dose is being taken over by Mike Reynolds, the CEO of Innovatemap. Resources:  Innovatemap: https://innovatemap.com/ Better Product podcast: https://betterproduct.community/podcasts/ HRD Advisory Group: https://hrdadvisorygroup.com/ Being [at Work]: https://hrdadvisorygroup.com/podcasts/

In this episode, I sit down with Mike Reynolds, CEO at Innovatemap (https://innovatemap.com/). We dive into how Mike started the company and how the customer landscape has changed. Hint: Digital products are not exclusively for the tech scene. We go deeper into how Mike's company has adapted well to digital innovation and the workplace. Mike goes deeper on new digital trends but the importance of keeping customer experience as a primary focus in product messaging, design, and technology. Mike's enthusiasm about digital products and his team is evident of Innovatemap's success and how passion can come success. Special Guest: Mike Reynolds.

What comes first the product or the audience? For Dave Gerhardt, formerly CMO of Drift, now CMO for Privy, the audience. In The Minute, Anna and Christian are joined by Mike Reynolds, CEO of Innovatemap to talk about how to build an audience before you launch a product. With his experience, Mike provides insight on how to approach building an audience first while creating momentum.

Data is often a complicated topic wrapped around confusing jargon and direction on how to analyze it effectively. Our series on how to use data provides a narrative on the subject, highlighting organizations thinking differently from the implications AI has to why your gut has to guide more than just the vision.    The wrap-up episode pulls out key takeaways from the guests featured in the series, including Kat Kennedy from Degreed, Marieke McCloskey from Humu, Dennis Mortenson with x.ai, and Kendra Clarke, sparks & honey.  Series Takeaways:  Understanding data is an evolutionary process  Bias begins with the source, not the model  Why time spent defining data before development pays off  What data-driven start-up founders need to consider  User research will save on the development, reducing wasted efforts  What it means to have a “North Star” guiding your product  Start with the question, not the data Resources Offered: And if you’re a startup founder, we want to invite you to join our office hours. Founders are matched in one-on-one sessions with an Innovatemap team member to answer your product questions.    Spots are limited to a first-come, first-served basis. You can secure your spot by going to https://form.typeform.com/to/D5ef8V7h

Twitter recently announced their rebrand, but don't worry the bird lives on. What can we learn from this iconic product?  In The Minute, Christian invites Meghan Pfeiffer Senior Brand Designer and Product Marketer of Innovatemap to discuss the Twitter rebranding strategy. You’ll hear how to think about product rebrands and how to apply it.

Today’s episode is a little different because instead of revisiting the past, we want to highlight something coming up that our listeners might want to know more about.  Today, Tina Hafer of Innovatemap joins Better Product to talk about the upcoming webinar she’s hosting on January 26. The topic is a foundational aspect of product marketing: product hierarchies. Whether you’re thinking about positioning, presentation decks, or even onboarding, product hierarchies can give you a common language and framework to refer to as you figure out how to market and sell your product.  Interested in attending? Go to innovatemap.com/events to sign up.

Despite more than 20 years as a software product leader, Mike Reynolds, CEO of Innovatemap,  wasn’t prepared for the loneliness he experienced when starting his digital product agency.  Yet, Mike received encouragement and guidance from experienced entrepreneurs who took the time to invest in a relationship with him. These informal mentorships taught him “relationships are all that matter,” a lesson that has permeated the culture of Innovatemap.  As he shares his story, you’ll hear how Mike learned to make relationships the priority both at work and at home, and the impact it’s had on his family and his company.

On this episode, we interview Michael Reynolds of InnovateMap. His firm's expertise has been in assisting businesses to develop digital products and experiences. The pandemic has forced a transition of virtually every business to go digital with every aspect of their business. Whether it's their marketing efforts where in-person meetings and conferences have shut down, sales processes and meetings via online video conferencing, or even remote delivery of services... businesses have been forced to adapt and adopt new methods if they hope to survive. Michael's firm is proficient at researching behaviors and developing products and roadmaps that meet the markets' needs. Now, more than ever, traditional businesses need to be listening to their prospects and customers to better understand how they can respond with changes in their processes and products to not just survive these difficult times... but to transform their business for the future. Michael provides sage advice for business leaders to plan this digital transformation. Special Guest: Mike Reynolds.

What do you think users think about your product? Their opinion may have more to do with its look and feel than its functionality.  As we kick off our new series on product brand, Andy Kennedy, Principal Brand Partner at Innovatemap, joins the show helping to define product brand and discussing its influences on the perception of your product. To learn more and connect with other product professionals you can join the conversation at betterproduct.community.

Our newest series, The Business Impact of Product Design,  is near and dear to both hosts, Anna Eaglin and Christian Beck’s hearts. If it weren’t for product design, there would be no Better Product.  Join us over the next five weeks as we explore the impact strong product design has on the business. To help kick off the conversation, Evan Tank, Senior Product Designer with Innovatemap sits down to share his product design definition while distinguishing it from the user experience.  To never miss an episode and gain exclusive access to additional resources head over to betterproduct.community. 

Leaving a stable job at a reputable company with a one-house income of five kids to launch your venture is not something many would have the courage to do. Mike Reynolds, father, husband, and digital product agency owner, took a leap of faith when launching Innovatemap seven years ago.  How did he decide to do something that inevitably takes up more mental and physical bandwidth? He made Zero Excuses. And by pursuing passions vigorously with a supportive network,  you can too.  I’m Nick Smarrelli. And here’s the conversation with Mike.   Connect with Mike:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-reynolds-8594932/ Learn more about Innovatemap: https://innovatemap.com/ Join the betterproduct.community  Connect with Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smarrelli/ Learn more about GadellNet Consulting Services: https://gadellnet.com/

Innovatemap runs on pure innovation. So how do you keep collaboration at its height without whiteboards and windows? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week on the podcast, Cam and Yonas welcome Anna Eaglin to the show! Anna works at Innovatemap as a Principal Product Owner, and she chats with the boys about her transition into product from UX, the ins and outs of product at Innovatemap, and what it's like being the host of the Better Product Podcast!

Mike Reynolds is the CEO of Innovatemap, a digital product agency helping companies dream, design, and deliver digital products and services. In this episode, Mike joins Nikki to share insights on how he's built a culture that innovates constantly and moves fast to get things done.  Listen in to hear the unique way team structure affects speed and relationship building. Truth You Can Act On   1. Feed the prospective employee pipeline constantly, not just when you are ready to hire.   [00:05:33] I'm always and our team is always out looking for incredible talent, incredible people. You know, it's almost like we've got maybe a potential pipeline in mind. And then candidly, when the business is at a point where we need to grow or possibly add a team member for a particular need or set of jobs to be done, who comes to mind that was wonderful at that, and that we'd love to work with? [00:05:57]   2. Build capacity in your calendar to think.   [00:11:51] The client work comes first. But that being said, we're very comfortable when someone's plate has a little capacity because capacity for service individuals will fluctuate. We encourage that capacity to be turned inward and to think about Innovatemap. And, you know, we'll have individuals share new ideas all the time. [00:12:13][21.7]   3. Build cross-functional teams in your organization to move things fast and help your people bond.   [00:19:02] that's how we get stuff done fast. And it's as simple as I just described, which is, hey, we need to spin up a team. And this is happening in hours...we always are very nimble to rally around a business need. And if the business finds that it's more permanent and needs a more solidified permanent team around it we will do that. [00:19:43][40.6] Sponsor: Ascentis –  Ascentis is a SaaS-based Human Capital Management software that offers easy-to-use HCM, HRIS, online payroll, talent management, recruiting, and timekeeping solutions. Request a complimentary review of your processes and policies at https://www.ascentis.com/gutscience  

When it comes to launching a new business there’s not someone quite as experienced as Mike Reynolds, CEO of Innovatemap. Through his work at Innovatemap, Mike and his team focus on helping leaders bring digital products and services to life.  In today’s episode, Mike shares his insights for building and launching his current company with practical application for any aspiring entrepreneur and leader.

Mike Reynolds is the CEO of Innovatemap, a digital product agency located in Broad Ripple. Mike has been ideating and delivering digital products to market for over 20 years. He is an expert in product management, user experience, and product marketing. Mike believes there is a digital solution to every problem. Mike brings a fresh perspective on product strategy and guides clients to find the right product-market fit.

On this week's episode, we sat down with the Executive Design Partner of Innovatemap, Christian Beck. Innovatemap is an Indianapolis-based design firm that helps companies of all sizes design & build digital products and services. In this episode, we focus heavily on the importance of good design. Christian walks us through what early stage companies should be doing in regards to design, and also shares lots of wisdom about the role that good design plays in building successful digital products. Listen to more from Christian at his podcast, Better Product. Visit us at middletechpod.com YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UC5CsRH8pKpWqMuj9Hpika0Q Twitter: www.twitter.com/middletechpod Instagram: www.instagram.com/middletechpod Facebook: www.facebook.com/middletechpod LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/middletech/ Evan: www.twitter.com/EvanKnowles_ Logan: www.instagram/lojo22

What would happen to your product if you could shift your roadmap from growth-oriented features to making those improvements you know are needed? Eric Prugh, Chief Product Officer and Co-founder of PactSafe share with us how they’ve looked at their product roadmap in light of the recent pandemic. While the business objectives for the company haven’t changed, they’ve made it a priority to focus on retention and serving existing customers. For them, that means slowing down growth and making improvements to the product.  As always we invite you to connect with us at Innovatemap and other product leaders. You can reach out directly to Anna and Christian on Linkedin or join our growing product community:  https://betterproduct.community

What are some of the common misconceptions when it comes to product-led growth? How should you lean into the methodology? What can the Midwest learn from other product-led growth organizations?  We discuss the answers to these questions and more by bringing on Innovatemap’s Katie Lukes. She is our resident PLG expert along with being one of our principal production managers and product researchers.  While this episode debunks many of the commonly held beliefs around PLG, it also sheds light on how exactly a specialized SaaS company can use it effectively. Join the conversation.  Connect with Christian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Connect with Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-eaglin/ Connect with Katie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharinelukes/ Join the Better Product Community: https://betterproduct.community/

We find that conviction often leads to great product stories, and today’s is no different. Christian came across our guest on Twitter, and the more digging he did, the more interested in her story he became. Claire Lew is the CEO of Know Your Team, a software that helps you become a better manager. Claire is passionately focused on helping leaders become better at leading, and her story to success is driven by a philosophical approach. In fact, that approach led to some unexpected turns that have transformed the possibilities for what Know Your Team could actually become. As the company changed - and as you’ll hear, quite literally everything changed - the pricing model transitioned right along with the philosophy of the company. But How? Why? These are the questions we ask Claire Lew on the latest episode of Better Product. Connect with Claire  Learn more about Know Your Team Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

There is nothing quite like those early days of product success. Seeing your vision come to life as customers begin to adopt your services is not only validating, it can lead to new opportunities to scale. Of course, scaling has its own challenges. what happens when you wake up and realize that your target customer has changed? How do you move your product up-market, targeting a completely new audience while maintaining the customers that you already have? We talked with Justin Bauer, VP of Product at Amplitude Analytics, which helps people use customer data to build great product experiences that convert and retain users. Justin shares about how an up-market move impacted he and the team at Amplitude while helping the company grow in ways that made sense for both their current customer and the customer of tomorrow. Listen in to hear Justin’s experience in transitioning from serving start-ups to serving enterprise companies. Connect with Justin  Learn more about Amplitude Analytics Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

A great product story always starts with a vision. But as we all know, it is those next steps that can be challenging and ultimately dictate whether a product becomes a success. And what exactly are those next steps and what is the best way to approach them? We spoke with Hubert Palan, Founder and CEO of productboard, a product management system that enables teams to get the right products to market faster. Hubert is passionate about product strategy and has worked to fill a need was hearing repeatedly: that there was no clear definition of what a successful product strategy looked like. So what has Hubert learned about product strategy through his experience with ProductBoard? And why does starting with the right product idea make all of the difference? Listen in to hear Hubert’s insights on product strategy that moves product makers from vision to execution. Connect with Hubert  Learn more about productboard Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

Big announcement from Better Product: There will be no Season 3. But that’s just because we love this podcast so much, we want to do it without the constraint of seasons! Sorry, was that misleading? We hope you’ll join us over the coming weeks as Anna and Christian take us on a journey into stories of how community and product intersect and what product teams can learn from their community of users. We’ll also be exploring a variety of other themes in upcoming episodes, as well as sprinkling in full-episode interviews with some of our guests that our listeners have come to love. We hope you’ll join us on this new adventure! Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

Should what a founder wants to build take priority over what the customers want?    Well, for Pieter Omvlee, CEO of Sketch, it was really one and the same. Sketch was created to solve a real problem he and his co-founder were experiencing. While the company has grown in response to its users' high demand, they have been able to stick to their original goal - solve their own problem by creating a better product.    In this episode, you’ll learn how the best products are built and how to have a growth reluctant mindset, which may sound counterintuitive. Yet, this mentality could be the reason Sketch has found itself growing rapidly with a community of evangelists (Innovatemap being one of them).  Connect with Pieter Learn more about Sketch Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap Products mentioned:  Invision  Slack

How are great products built? What is a good product culture? How can you get started in product management when there’s no blueprint for the role?  So many questions for this week’s guest, Marty Cagan, Partner at the Silicon Valley Product Group and author of INSPIRED (a book that ‘inspired’ the creation of Innovatemap). In this conversation, Christian and Anna dig into the details of what it takes to be a successful product manager and how it impacts the company’s product culture. Yep, product culture is a real thing and affects how a company delivers value.  In this episode, you’ll hear how product culture can harbor and produce great (or not so great) product managers regardless of where you’re located. This is an episode you may want to listen to more than once as Marty also breaks down the difference between a great idea and a scalable product company.  Connect with Marty  Learn more about Silicon Valley Product Group Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap Past Episodes Referenced:   Identifying Product Market Success in the Public Sector | Dan Moyers Resources mentioned:  Pendo Inspired: how to Create Products Customers Love

Are you making product assumptions that are misguided?    When you launch a product startup, making assumptions is par for the course. These assumptions often come in the form of who your end user is, what they want and that they want it bad enough to pay for it to be fixed.    Today, Christian and Anna are talking with Eric Prugh, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of PactSafe, about the assumptions he made that paid off - and the ones that didn’t.   You’ll hear how Eric was able to determine the best way to describe the product and position the company for growth and how, at the end of the day, assumptions can quickly be validated(ornegated) through one simple task. What is it? Take a listen.  Connect with Eric Learn more about PactSafe Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap   Past Episodes Referenced:  What to Do When the Product Doesn’t Sell Itself | Jon Gilman  What's in a (Digital)Product Name? | Cara Wagner    

How do you determine if your brand messageis resonating with your audience?    This was the question Christian and Anna asked Jill Casey, VP of Marketing and Business Development at Renaissance Electronic Services, a.k.a. Dental Hero. When Jill joined the company in 2015, she knew that in order to take the company to the next level, she needed to make changes to their marketing.    In this episode, Jill describes the brand’s broken identity and how this realization gave her the ability to not only create new messaging but onboard a new marketing team to help rebuild.  Having a great product meansnothing if your audience doesn’t understand how it adds value to their lives. Tune in to uncover how you can determine whether your messaging resonates,and what to do if it’s not.  Connect with Jill Casey Learn more about Dental Hero Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap  

What happens when your audience doesn’t use your product like you anticipated they would? If you’re like Stephanie Ragozzino, you evolve your solution to deliver the right user experience. Stephanie is the EVP of Product Development at PERQ, which leverages Artificial Intelligence to help guide buyers through complex purchase decisions. PERQ wasn’t always a digital product company, but they had a vision for how a product could elevate their existing service business. When Stephanie joined, she took this vision and turned it into a usable and marketable product. However, the journey to identifying and building the right product didn’t happen overnight. In this week’s conversation, you’ll hear how Stephanie was able to continually evolve PERQ’s product offering to deliver true value to its end user. She also shares her insights on how a great product may be great, but without the right support staff (i.e. sales and marketing), the product means nothing: It just becomes another tool.  Connect with Stephanie Learn more about PERQ Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

Having a product-market fit doesn’t guarantee sales, and sometimes, founders find out the hard way. Jon Gilman started Clear Software with a clear vision of who his end users were. That vision had to shift as he quickly learned he was selling to the wrong audience. His messaging wasn’t resonating, and his demos weren’t converting. Instead of closing up shop, he changed his go-to-market strategy to deliver in the enterprise space.   Join Christian and Anna as they discuss how Jon navigates the complex sale to drive value for his end users. Connect with Jon Learn more about Clear Software Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

Throughout Season One of Better Product, we’ve been fortunate to have some amazing guests on our show from product marketers, to head of products, to the CEOs who run these organizations. One thing we ask all our guests is, what is better product? We’ve sourced some amazing answers and as a way to close out our first season, we are sharing the answers to this now infamous question with you. So, what does Better Product mean to you? Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap  

Today on Obsessed Show we're chatting with Christian Beck, leader of the UX design team at Innovatemap, and host of the Better Product Podcast.  The Innovatemap team in Indy was my connection to Anna Saraceno at Trello, and Art Viger at Peak Design, so I'd like to say a big thank you to Innovatemap for making those initial connections!  

Can you turn a services business into a digital product company without losing the human element? Sally Reasoner had this same question when Ascend decided to build a product with the goal of serving their customers better. Ascend’s mission is to connect college students to the right job opportunities. Join Christian and Anna on this week’s show as they discuss how companies can use products to scale without sacrificing personalization. From Sally’s viewpoint, the product enabled their growing organization to provide better service without losing the personal touch, which drives partnerships and relationships. In this episode, you’ll hear Ascend’s approach to taking customer feedback and how they use it to fuel improvements on all levels of the business. We go beyond the product to uncover how technology and people can truly work together to deliver on the company’s value proposition.   Connect with Sally Learn more about Ascend Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

Mike Reynolds, CEO and founder of Innovatemap, talks about his company and describes their mission. As a digital product agency, Innovatemap helps businesses bring their product ideas to life, take them to the next level, and help non-tech businesses use technology to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.

How do you start a tech company when you don’t have a tech background? That’s the position Carrie Griffith was in when she started Little Nugget, a baby photo app that helps parents personalize, organize and treasure their favorite moments. This week on the Better Product podcast, we’re breaking down the process of bringing a product vision to life when you’re not a ‘tech person.’ Carrie was her own user case study, yet she quickly learned the power of research and connecting with a community outside of her existing circle. So before a line of code was ever created, she spent nine months asking questions, seeking feedback, and understanding her audience. Some of the best tech companies have non-tech founders. In this episode, you’ll hear what unique advantage you may have and how you, too, can bring your product vision to life. Connect with Carrie Learn more about Little Nugget Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

How do you balance the old with the new? For product companies, knowing your audience and continually evaluating your portfolio is key to driving value for your users. This week on Better Product, we are talking with Amy Reitz (@AmyReitz), General Manager of the Intersect™ product line at Hobsons, which offers a recruitment optimization platform for higher ed admissions offices. On this episode, you’ll hear why Hobsons was forced to take a step back because their portfolio, made up of more than 80 products, was in conflict - the story no longer made sense. Going beyond the financial drivers for scaling down their product line, Amy shares how the team reexamined its vision and mission to differentiate in the marketplace. Find out how Amy and her team decided which products to keep, which ones to retire, and why.   Connect with Amy Learn more about Hobsons Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

How do you build an audience when you don’t yet have a product? This week on the Better Product podcast, we’re talking with Dave Gerhardt (@davegerhardt), VP of Marketing at Drift and author of Conversational Marketing. When Dave, a.k.a “DG”, started with Drift, there was no product. Yet his first assignment was to build an audience. So, how did he do it? He started by asking questions. Just like when you go to build your product, you talk to who you think the end user is. You ask them questions, you seek to understand their pain. Then you build, or, in this case, you create the content. You’ll learn how DG focused his content to serve their future product users. In doing so, he built an established audience who already trusted Drift as a brand. So when it was time to launch the product, they already had users in place. If you feel like you’re fighting a product feature war - or just struggling with marketing in general - this episode is a must-listen. Connect with Dave Learn more about Drift Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

How can you build a product based on feedback and observations, all while staying true to the problem you’re trying to solve in the first place? On this week’s episode of Better Product, you’ll hear from Rod Feuer, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Costello, an AI-driven software platform designed to help salespeople sell better. When it comes to Rod’s target market, he knows his users. He understands exactly what they do, how they do it, the way they make decisions, and what is important to them. In this episode, you’ll learn how Rod and his team eagerly seek feedback - listening to their customers and not just doing what they say, but taking it a step further, interpreting it based on their knowledge of these users’ behavior and needs. If you’re struggling with your product-market fit - or what that even means - this episode is for you. Connect with Rod Learn more about Costello Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

What matters most when it comes to digital product? Is it design? Is it the features? The functions? Or is it marketing? Cara Wagner (@cara_saur) is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Mimir, a software company that grows the software engineering workforce through its core product, Mimir Classroom. In this episode, Cara digs into how to develop marketing strategies for your product. You’ll also hear a brand new perspective on how product companies should think about marketing and PR. If you’re part of a startup or product company, you should start thinking about incorporating PR into your long-term marketing plans. If you’re looking to learn how to develop compelling marketing methods for a highly technical product, this episode is a must-listen. Connect with Cara Learn more about Mimr Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

In this Martech Zone Interview, we speak to Mike Reynolds, founder of Innovatemap (http://innovatemap.com), a digital product agency. Mike has been ideating and delivering digital products to market for over 20 years. He is an expert in product management, user experience, and product marketing. Innovatemap helps companies of all sizes dream, design, and scale digital products and services. Innovatemap works with startups looking to build their product roadmap, scale-ups that are shifting or taking their company in another direction, and tech-enabled businesses that wish to leverage technology to enhance their non-technology company. We discuss a couple of shared clients and the impact that Innovatemap's work with them. Innovatemap has also launched A Better Product Podcast (http://innovatemap.com/podcast/) to share their knowledge with the industry. Special Guest: Mike Reynolds.

In this Martech Zone Interview, we speak to Mike Reynolds, founder of Innovatemap (https://innovatemap.com), a digital product agency. Mike has been ideating and delivering digital products to market for over 20 years. He is an expert in product management, user experience, and product marketing. Innovatemap helps companies of all sizes dream, design, and scale digital products and services. Innovatemap works with startups looking to build their product roadmap, scale-ups that are shifting or taking their company in another direction, and tech-enabled businesses that wish to leverage technology to enhance their non-technology company. We discuss a couple of shared clients and the impact that Innovatemap's work with them. Innovatemap has also launched A Better Product Podcast (https://innovatemap.com/podcast/) to share their knowledge with the industry. Special Guest: Mike Reynolds.

When is the right time to build a new product? And who should lead the charge: Sales or product? What features should you build and when? These are the questions we explore in this week’s episode. We’re talking to Jeremy Leventhal, Chief Product Officer for Springbuk, a health analytics software company. You’ll hear product management best practices and Jeremy’s insight when it comes to first to market versus best in market. Learn how he managed a complex roadmap for launching a new product. You’ll also hear from Innovatemap’s Lacey Lavies (Innovatemap’s product management and strategy expert) on how to handle and react to customer feedback. No matter what your level of experience, this conversation with Jeremy is a must-listen for product managers. Connect with Jeremy Learn more about Springbuk Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap  

The product development process needs far more than just an exciting idea and money. Your idea is just the beginning. You also need a team to get it out of the dream phase, and a plan to keep it on track. Not to mention, a marketing strategy that clearly defines the problem to your audience—and why your product is the solution. Today on the Igniting Startups podcast, you’ll learn how to take a product from concept to market. Joining us are two veterans in the field of new product development. First up, we have Mike Reynolds, founder and CEO of digital product agency Innovatemap. In just five years, Innovatemap has helped more than 125 startups, scale-ups, and tech-enabled large businesses launch, manage, and market beautiful digital products. In fact, six clients have already reached an exit. Joining Mike is Christian Beck, executive partner at Innovatemap. There, he has built a successful career working with tech companies and startups to build out design teams. Beck also helps startups strategize the right approach to get them through the product development life cycle. Between these two, you’ll get a master class in understanding the product development process. We will cover how to find out if your idea has any legs, what a product agency can do to help that idea develop, and the different roles design, management, and marketing play in developing a product. In this episode on the product development process, you will learn: -- What a results-driven product development process is … and isn’t. -- How to go through product design and development with success. -- The advantages of using a digital product development agency. -- How to decide if going through a new product development process is worth it. -- The importance of feedback throughout the product development cycle. -- Why the idea needs to be drawn out to some degree before beginning. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

Where does digital product fit in a market that traditionally relies on manual processes? In this episode with Dan Moyers, Vice President of Product and Solutions for 120WaterAudit, we dive into a digital product in the public sector and how to build product features that are customer informed - not customer driven. You’ll learn the difference. You’ll also hear how Dan leverages design deliverables for both the product development team and sales and how to use those mockups for product iteration. And if that’s not enough, you’ll also learn how to identify product market success in business to consumer (B2C) and apply those learnings to business to business (B2B). Connect with Dan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmoyers Learn more about 120WaterAudit - https://120wateraudit.com/ Connect with Christian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Connect with Anna - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-eaglin/ Learn more about Innovatemap - https://innovatemap.com/podcast

What would happen if the engineers who created the product  actually spent time with the end users? That’s what Myles Grote, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, and Tyler Hill, Chief Design Officer, of Upper Hand, wanted to find out. Hear how an off site experience gave new perspective and drove innovation for this digital product company. Join us as  our hosts dig into the details of what it takes to transform a product company to find the right market fit. You will learn how design drives decisions, what to consider, and how to educate users when changes are made. We end the episode with a conversation with special guest and designer at Innovatemap,  Jon Moore, who provides key insights on how to design new features by looking both ahead and behind. Connect with Myles - https://www.linkedin.com/in/myles-grote-b613a57 Connect with Tyler - https://tylerhill.me/ Learn more about Upper Hand -https://www.getupperhand.com/ Connect with Christian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Connect with Anna - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-eaglin/ Learn more about Innovatemap - https://innovatemap.com/

How do you go from your first user to your millionth? How can product integrations be strategic for growing a company’s user base? And how do you decide what integrations are worth creating? These questions and more are explored in this episode with Dan Hanrahan, (@danhanrahan8), Founder and President of Sigstr. Dan gives us insights on packaging, pricing, and when to make the decision to build again. If you’re looking to evolve your product and take your company to the next level, then this is one conversation you don’t want to miss. Connect with Dan - https://twitter.com/danhanrahan8 Learn more about Sigstr - https://www.sigstr.com/ Connect with Christian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Connect with Anna - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-eaglin/ Learn more about Innovatemap - https://innovatemap.com/

The product pitch deck is often the ‘thing’ you need to fundraise, to share the vision and to secure buy-in. For many, the pitch ends up guiding the development of the product. On this episode, we’re talking with Chelsea Linder. She’s the Director of the gBeta Indy program - a seven week accelerator program for early stage companies. A common misconception we explore is that people think it’s easy to 1) develop a product and 2) raise money. But she’s telling us right now, those people are wrong. It’s a full-time job - and you’ll hear why. You’ll also hear from our resident expert Brittany Young on the right way to think about your pitch deck. Regardless of where you are in your product development - from your first one to refining features - this conversation will give you the roadmap of what to include in your pitch deck. Connect with Chelsea - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseaclinder Connect with gBeta - https://www.gbetastartups.com/indy/ Connect with Christian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Connect with Anna - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-eaglin/Learn more about Innovatemap - https://innovatemap.com/

Does product lead marketing or does marketing lead product? This is the question we set out to answer on this episode with Kyle Lacy, VP of Marketing at Lessonly. Outside of exploring this question, you’ll learn how Kyle launched the brand’s first user conference that didn’t feel like a user conference, and how they doubled down on their brand messaging while making sure the company never lost the voice of its founder - Max Yoder. In this episode, you’ll learn why Lessonly’s do-better work position is consistent through their product brand, messaging and product experience. You’ll also hear how this business-to-business product company refocused its brand message with an emphasis on connecting with its audience on a human level. Learn more about Lessonly Learn more about Kyle Connect with Kyle Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

What is better product? And how do we create it? From Innovatemap, hosts Christian Beck and Anna Eaglin are on a mission to answer these questions. In its first season, Better Product will feature product leaders and product practitioners from marketing to design. This podcast was created based on the belief that the better products we have in the marketplace, the better experiences we create, the better work we inspire, and the better our lives become. Connect with Christian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Connect with Anna - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-eaglin/ Learn more about Innovatemap - https://innovatemap.com/

A company’s product is its lifeblood. It’s the one thing most responsible for a company’s success or failure, which is why smart product design is an absolute must for every business. And truly expert-level product design goes much deeper than nailing the visual aesthetic for your website. I called in help from Aman Brar and Mike Reynolds, two respected Indianapolis-area CEOs, to unpack this very loaded and very important topic. Brar is the founder of Canvas, the first ever recruitment platform based on text messaging. Reynolds heads up Innovatemap, a product design agency that has helped more than 75 clients dream, design and scale digital products and services. The connection here is that Innovatemap worked closely with Canvas during its own product design phase, helping Brar and his team craft a stellar application and raise $1.7 million in early-stage seed funding. The story behind how Canvas got its start is a great case study for every tech company that’s in the middle of product design or is preparing to tackle it in the future. In our conversation, Aman, Mike and I cover the journey from product ideation to launch, with a strong focus on the fundamental concepts of design. We also discuss why and how to conduct high-quality market research and the important ways that product interacts with brand and culture. In this episode with Aman Brar and Mike Reynolds, you’ll learn: -- The very first steps you should take when designing a product -- Three things you should keep in mind while planning your features -- How to get the most value out of conversations with potential customers -- Specific strategies for conducting user research and blind interviews -- How to create a cohesive brand that powers your product -- Why you need to distill your “big idea” into a narrower initial product --- If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes