Process that leads to new products
POPULARITY
Categories
Design isn't a straight road. It's more like a maze with moving walls. In this episode, strategist Jen Briselli shows us why learning, relationships, and hidden networks matter more than best practices when navigating complex organizations.How do you thrive as a designer when the org around you is unpredictable, political, and constantly changing?Most designers hit a wall at some point in their career: their skills are strong, but the system they're working in feels impossible to navigate. Best practices don't seem to work, processes break down, and “design maturity” feels like a buzzword no one can actually define.That's where Jen Briselli comes in. With a background in physics, teaching, and design strategy, Jen helps teams understand what complexity really means and why learning is the only way through it. In our conversation, she explains how complicated and complex are not the same thing, how informal networks drive influence more than org charts, and why the real work of design is creating the conditions for growth rather than forcing outcomes.If you've ever felt stuck in a low-maturity team, frustrated by org politics, or burned out by chasing “best practices,” this episode will reframe how you see your role. Thriving in complexity and ambiguity is not about having all the answers. Instead, it's about learning how to sense, adapt, and build the great relationships that make great software possible.Take a listen to learn how to stop fighting complexity and start working with it.Topics:• 02:41 – Understanding Complexity in Product Design• 04:06 – Jen Belli's Journey into Complexity Science• 04:41 – Exploring Complexity Science in Design• 11:55 – The Difference Between Complex and Complicated Systems• 16:56 – Navigating Complex Systems in UX Design• 30:56 – The Role of Learning in Complex Systems• 34:58 – Formal and Informal Networks in Organizations• 40:57 – Understanding the Metaphor of Soil, Seeds, and Sunlight• 41:54 – Exploring Design Maturity and Emergent Properties• 43:33 – Creating Conditions for Psychological Safety and Design Maturity• 44:46 – The Role of Affordances in Design Maturity• 45:06 – Nurturing Growth in Unpredictable Environments• 50:00 – Balancing Work and Mental Health• 54:18 – The Importance of Identity and Letting Go• 57:33 – Final Thoughts on Complexity and LearningHelpful Links:• Connect with Jen on LinkedIn• Learning is the Engine // Jen's Rosenfeld Talk• Jen's YouTube channel—Thanks for listening! We hope you dug today's episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you really enjoyed today's episode, why don't you leave a five-star review? Or tell some friends! It will help us out a ton.If you haven't already, sign up for our email list. We won't spam you. Pinky swear.• Get a FREE audiobook AND support the show• Support the show on Patreon• Check out show transcripts• Check out our website• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts• Subscribe on Spotify• Subscribe on YouTube• Subscribe on Stitcher
After 50 conversations with Ampersands, host Jessica Wan sits down to answer one big question:Why do we keep doing what we do?It's not easy to juggle multiple careers, identities, or passions. In this solo episode, we synthesize what we've learned from leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, and creators who make their mark in multiple fields.Along the way, you'll hear anecdotes from past guests like Rich Lyons (Chancellor of UC Berkeley & Musician), Christina Wallace (Storyteller & Entrepreneur), and Craig Perry (Recovery Advocate, Guitarist & Firefighter).Whether you call yourself a multi-hyphenate, a slashie, or an Ampersand, this episode will help you reconnect with the deeper reasons behind why you keep going.We want to hear from you! Here's the prompt: What's your Ampersand, and why do you keep going? Leave us a voicemail at theampersandmanifesto.com/voicemail or email us at j@jessicawan.com.~Come hear Jessica sing, live in Berkeley on Sunday October 5th, 2025 at 4pm. RSVP here~Join us for The Ampersand Summit live event in San Francisco on Sunday, October 19th, 2025 from 3-6:30pm at the SF Community Music Center: Register here This in-person event will bring together people who straddle multiple worlds to meet each other, share what we're working on, and talk openly about what it's like to lead a multi-passionate life.~Are you a high achiever, a leader, or an Ampersand looking for a sounding board? Jessica helps executives, leaders, and founders like you gain clarity and lead bravely. As your trusted advisor and growth partner, she works with you to make the invisible visible and develop an action plan to fulfill your goals. For nearly two decades, Jessica led marketing teams, launched products, and grew businesses at places like Apple, the San Francisco Opera, Smule, and Magoosh. As an Ampersand in many facets, she knows personally what it's like to hold many roles simultaneously, to sit on the executive team, and to find fulfillment. With a BA in Music and a BS in Product Design from Stanford, coupled with an MBA from UC Berkeley and coach training from the Center for Executive Coaching, her unique mix of analytical & creative allows her to bring both depth and breadth of perspective into the coaching process.As a coach, Jessica works to champion you – the full, multifaceted you – so you can thrive.Visit jessicawan.com or BOOK AN INTRO CALL: https://calendly.com/jessicawancoaching/intro-call-coachingCreditsProduced and Hosted by Jessica WanCo-produced, edited, sound design, and original music by Carlos SchmittWant to support this show in a small way? Rate and review it at theampersandmanifesto.com, or buy me a coffee: coff.ee/jessicawan
A young inventor has taken home the top honours at the James Dyson Awards for a pair of glasses made to tackle epilepsy. University of Canterbury engineering student Mark Campbell has developed ‘Lensare', which uses smart LCD lenses that detect harmful light patterns and instantly darken, providing protection for people with epilepsy and photophobia. Campbell told Mike Hosking it's still in the early stages of development, but the aim is to make it as bulletproof as possible. He says the next steps are to make the prototype as robust and unobtrusive as possible, but after that there's the potential to commercialise it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Découvrez la formation UX France sur https://uxfrance.com ou en prenant directement contact à commercial.uxfrance@gmail.com
Dans cet épisode de Head of Design, Paul Menant reçoit Jules Mahé, Design Director chez PayFit. Avec un parcours entre agences, startups et éditeurs, Jules partage sa vision d'un design transversal qui mêle design system, brand, content et IA au service de la cohérence produit.
Julie Zhuo is the former VP of Product Design at Facebook, where she rose from intern to executive as the company scaled into a global powerhouse. Renowned for her human-centered approach to leadership, Julie is the co-founder of Sundial, a startup that leverages data and AI to help companies make better decisions. She's also the bestselling author of "The Making of a Manager," an essential guide for new managers navigating the changing landscape of leadership. Julie is passionate about building thoughtful cultures, empowering people, and tackling big, meaningful problems with teams she loves. Takeaways: Managers (and Leaders) Aren't Born, They're Made: Julie stresses that effective management is a skill that can be learned and developed—what matters most is a desire for growth, self-awareness, and the willingness to focus on team outcomes rather than just individual output. The Power of Culture and Removing Toxins: Julie highlights the importance of a healthy team culture and the danger of tolerating toxic behaviors—even from high performers—because doing so stifles the potential of the whole group. AI Is Redefining Leadership: As AI and automation increasingly handle outputs, the value of managers will be in guiding teams through change, reinforcing core human values, and focusing on outcomes that matter most. Sound Bites: “The most important thing is to put people first, because nobody can do anything amazing on their own.” “Feedback is a gift—being direct, open, and supportive is what drives growth in a team.” “The one thing you should never tolerate on your team is the asshole; their presence will always limit your culture and your people.” Connect & Discover Julie: Website: https://www.juliezhuo.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joulee/?hl=en X: https://x.com/joulee?lang=en Substack: https://substack.com/@joulee?utm_source=global-search Book: The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks at You
On this episode of Skin Anarchy, host Dr. Ekta sits down with Kat Burki to explore biochemistry as a smarter approach to skincare formulation. With a background spanning epidemiology and healthcare, Kat brings a unique lens to beauty: treating the skin as a living organ with its own complex needs.What makes her philosophy stand out is the insistence on synergy. Rather than chasing “hero ingredients,” Kat focuses on how ingredients interact—pairing vitamins, peptides, and cofactors in ways that mirror how the body naturally processes them. She emphasizes that delivery systems and supportive bases are just as important as what's in the formula. For Kat, skincare is about networks of ingredients working together, not isolated actives.Listeners will also hear her perspective on the skin's own microbiome, and why protecting its balance is critical to resilience and long-term health.From her cult-favorite Vitamin C Intensive Face Cream to her innovative focus on scalp health, Kat shares how biochemistry can transform not just product design but the way we think about skin itself. She leaves us with practical advice: read labels wisely, look for biome support, and always ask whether a formula makes biological sense. Tune in to discover how skincare can move beyond hype to real healing with Kat Burki.To learn more about Kat Burki, visit her website and social media. CHAPTERS:(0:00) Introduction & Guest Welcome(0:51) Kat's Background & Path to Skincare(1:48) Gut Health, Nutrition & Skin Connection(4:13) Nutritional Biochemistry & Skincare Synergy(7:22) Misconceptions in Nutrition & Topical Delivery(9:02) Formulation Philosophy & Product Design(12:04) Biome-Focused Products & Healing Approach(14:03) Vitamins, Co-Factors & Biotech Trends(16:25) Peptides, Hype & Real Science(22:03) Brand Philosophy, Labs & First Hero ProductPlease fill out this survey to give us feedback on the show!Don't forget to subscribe to Skin Anarchy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred platform.Reach out to us through email with any questions.Sign up for our newsletter!Shop all our episodes and products mentioned through our ShopMy Shelf! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of Building Better Developers with AI, hosts Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche revisit a classic topic: The Power of Clickable Demos in the Software Development Lifecycle. This time, they reframe it through the lens of demo-driven development, exploring how lightweight prototypes align teams, validate ideas, and reduce costly missteps. What is Demo-Driven Development? Demo-driven development utilizes interactive prototypes early in the lifecycle to demonstrate how an application might function before coding begins. These demos link wireframes or screens together into a simple, clickable flow. Low fidelity: Basic wireframes to test flow and logic. High fidelity: Polished UI mockups that look like production. Best practice: Begin low fidelity and add detail only as needed. “Demo-driven development gives stakeholders something to touch and test—without weeks of coding.” How Interactive Demo-Driven Development Improves Alignment Instead of static diagrams, teams can walk clients through interactive experiences that make requirements tangible. This approach helps uncover gaps, clarify assumptions, and prevent misunderstandings. Even a rough demo can save hours of rework by sparking conversations that written requirements alone often miss. Benefits for Developers, Managers, and Clients Prototypes provide value across roles: Developers: Spot design flaws early and estimate with more confidence. Product managers and designers: Validate ideas quickly and secure buy-in. Clients and end users: Interact with something realistic, making feedback far easier. “Many times, a demo exposes what was never written in requirements—but was always assumed.” Common Pitfalls to Avoid As Michael points out, demos can sometimes create false direction. Stakeholders may perceive the prototype as production-ready, prompting teams to release features that are rushed or incomplete. To prevent this: Emphasize that prototypes are exploratory. Focus on solving the problem, not polish. Avoid over-engineering features that may never be built. Using Prototypes for A/B Testing One strength of this approach is the ability to test multiple designs quickly. By creating different variations of a flow, teams can gather real feedback and compare preferences. For instance, rotating two demo versions on a website gives instant insight into which design resonates most, ensuring decisions are based on evidence rather than guesswork. Tools and Workflow for Demo-Driven Development Rob and Michael highlight practical ways to make demos effective: Start with wireframes – concentrate on flow, not design. Choose the right tools – Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, or basic HTML/CSS. Test before presenting – nothing derails a meeting faster than broken links. Guide discussions – keep clients from getting stuck on minor details, such as colors. Keep it lean – focus on essentials that prove the concept. “Solve the problem first. Make it pretty later.” Why This Approach Still Matters Today Revisiting this topic highlights the continued value of demo-driven development. It accelerates feedback, ensures alignment, and keeps projects focused on real user needs before heavy development begins. When used wisely, it reduces risk, minimizes wasted effort, and helps teams deliver software that both functions effectively and delights users. Stay Connected: Join the Developreneur Community We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting, there's always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let's continue exploring the exciting world of software development. Additional Resources Building Out Your Application From a Demo How to Create an Effective Clickable Demo Successful Presentation Tips for Developers: Effective Demo Strategies Transform Your Projects: The Ultimate Guide to Effective User Stories The Developer Journey Videos – With Bonus Content Building Better Developers With AI Podcast Videos – With Bonus Content
Send us a textIn this episode of UX Leadership by Design, host Mark Baldino is joined by three members of Pendo's design team—Senior Product Design Manager Holly Reynolds, Senior Product Designer John Incampo, and Product Design Intern Ryan Markley—to explore how AI is reshaping real-world design work from the ground up.They discuss how leadership at Pendo has created a culture of experimentation and empowerment, how AI tools like Bolt, Cursor, and Claude are integrated across the product and design process, and what it takes to balance speed with quality. Whether you're a new designer, an experienced leader, or somewhere in between, this episode is full of honest takes, practical tips, and forward-thinking insights into what AI actually looks like in a modern design team.Key Takeaways:1. Culture of Empowerment: Pendo's leadership doesn't just allow AI exploration—they encourage it, creating space for experimentation, risk-taking (without risking users), and team-driven innovation.2. Hands-On AI Tools & Integration: From interns to senior designers, team members are actively using tools like Cursor, Claude, Bolt, and Figma's AI features to accelerate research, prototyping, documentation, and collaboration.3. Collaborative Learning Environment: Weekly product + AI sessions and open Slack channels create a culture of shared discovery where everyone contributes wins, tools, and ideas.4. Practical Guardrails: While AI is everywhere, the team reinforces foundational UX process—reminding each other not to skip steps, misread data, or forget critical thinking in the rush to ship.5. Real Wins in the Workflow: AI is unlocking richer prototyping, better animation handoff, faster research synthesis, and scalable documentation through tools like custom GPTs.6. Design Ops Meets AI: The team is rethinking design systems and documentation with AI—exploring ways to automate OOUX structures, update components, and turn dead docs into dynamic tools.7. Advice for AI Newcomers: Whether you're overwhelmed, underexposed, or unsure where to start, the team shares practical tips for getting started, experimenting safely, and staying ahead of the curve.Chapters00:00 – Welcome + Meet the Pendo Design Trio01:00 – Career Paths and AI Exposure05:30 – How Pendo's Leadership Encourages AI Exploration08:00 – Internal AI Forums, Slack Channels, and Culture of Sharing10:50 – Guardrails, Trust, and Responsible Use13:00 – Balancing Speed with UX Process15:30 – Cost, Tool Chaos, and What's Next17:20 – When AI Skips the Process (and How to Handle It)20:00 – AI in Design Education: A Student's POV25:10 – Real Wins: Richer Prototypes and Faster Handoffs27:50 – Using AI for Hiring, Microcopy, and Design Systems33:00 – Turning Design System Docs into Chatbots36:00 – Advice for Hesitant Designers and AI Newbies42:30 – Wrap-up + Final ThoughtsLinks:Connect with Holly on LinkedInConnect with Ryan on LinkedInConnect with John on LinkedIn Connect with Mark on LinkedIn Fuzzy Math - B2B & Enterprise UX Design Consultancy
Send us a textDid you know that in India, almost 45% of STEM graduates are women? Yes, you heard that right! Yet when we look at the global tech industry, women still make up only a small percentage of leadership roles. For years, technology was seen as a man's world. But let me tell you, this is changing — and changing fast.Connect With Kapeel Guptaor Click on the link: http://bit.ly/4jlql8sWhat You May Learn00:00 Introduction02:03 Mission Statement02:50 #1: AI and ML Specialists04:29 #2: Cybersecurity Analysts & Ethical Hackers06:13 #3: Product Managers in Tech Driven Sectors07:37 #4: UX / UI Designers & Human Centered Technologists09:12 #5: Women as Tech Leaders10:24 Conclusion11:20 Call to actionSupport the show
Aujourd'hui, je reçois François De Caro, Global CX & Design Lead chez Swissquote. Ensemble, nous revenons sur la construction d'une culture design dans un environnement historiquement tech et développeur, les défis d'un Design System partagé, et les leviers pour fédérer une équipe éclatée dans plusieurs départements.
Abi Way recently graduated from Product Design Engineering in Queen's University and is the first student with a significant visual impairment to complete the course. She has graduated with multiple awards and honours and is forming the charity 'Boomerang' to support blind and partially sighted young people to enter into Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine (STEM). Amelia spoke to her about her passion for design, overcoming barriers on her course and her plans for Boomerang. Image shows the RNIB Connect Radio logo. On a white background ‘RNIB' written in bold black capital letters and underline with a bold pink line. Underneath the line: ‘Connect Radio' is written in black in a smaller font.
Making a Scene - AI for Merch & Fan Product Design: Turning Ideas into Unique Fan ExperiencesMerch has always been one of the most powerful tools indie artists have. Not only does it bring in money, but it also builds identity. A shirt, a vinyl sleeve, or even a sticker isn't just an object—it's a way for fans to carry your music into the world. The problem for many artists has always been cost. Professional designers can be expensive, and trying to do it yourself often feels limited.That's where artificial intelligence comes in. Generative AI tools like Midjourney, Ideogram, and Stable Diffusion aren't here to take creativity away from artists. They're here to amplify it. Instead of thinking of AI as a replacement for human imagination, think of it as a creative partner that can unlock ideas you never would have thought possible. http://www.makingascene.org
This week Peter, & Mike have a design discussion about minimum viable product. What is it, and when should you make it. _________________________ YouTube - www.youtube.com/channel/UCrOtGhui_jdLdoQNI7PU4Pg X - @onestopcoopshop Discord - discord.gg/p4jX8AF Merch: one-stop-co-op-shop.creator-spring.com/ Donate to One Stop Co-op Shop - www.patreon.com/onestop Email - onestopcoopshop@gmail.com
What does it look like to advance your career in the age of AI? That's what this week's episode with Dan Winer (Director of Product Design at Kit) is all about. He shares insights from his top-rated Maven course "Strategy and Influence for Product Designers" (https://join.dive.club/dan-winer-course) So if you want to learn how to go from pixel pusher to strategic partner then this is the episode for you
This week, Jessica speaks with Marianne Poon, Financial Advisor, Piano Teacher, and Registered Piano Technician. The child of immigrants, Marianne grew up playing the piano and earned her diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music. She won third place in the national finals of the Canadian Music Competition.Marianne studied finance and economics at the University of Toronto and built her expertise in corporate finance, where she helped manage 4 billion dollars in institutional pension funds. Along the way, she earned her CFA credential and an MBA from UC Berkeley. Today, she works as a financial advisor, piano teacher, and tunes and repairs pianos. Marianne lives in Bethesda, Maryland, where she enjoys swimming, attending the opera, and spending time with her wife and their dog, Honey. Learn more about Marianne at www.OnyxFN.com and www.mariannepoon.com. ~Join us for The Ampersand Summit live event in San Francisco on Sunday, October 19th, 2025 from 3-6:30pm at the SF Community Music Center: Registration + more details here This in-person event will bring together people who straddle multiple worlds to meet each other, share what we're working on, and talk openly about what it's like to lead a multi-passionate life.All are welcome, not just people who currently identify as Ampersands, but also aspiring Ampersands and supporters. :)~Are you a high achiever, a leader, or an Ampersand looking for a sounding board? Jessica helps executives, leaders, and founders like you gain clarity and lead bravely. As your trusted advisor and growth partner, she works with you to make the invisible visible and develop an action plan to fulfill your goals. For nearly two decades, Jessica led marketing teams, launched products, and grew businesses at places like Apple, the San Francisco Opera, Smule, and Magoosh. As an Ampersand in many facets, she knows personally what it's like to hold many roles simultaneously, to sit on the executive team, and to find fulfillment. With a BA in Music and a BS in Product Design from Stanford, coupled with an MBA from UC Berkeley and coach training from the Center for Executive Coaching, her unique mix of analytical & creative allows her to bring both depth and breadth of perspective into the coaching process.As a coach, Jessica works to champion you – the full, multifaceted you – so you can thrive.Visit jessicawan.com or BOOK AN INTRO CALL: https://calendly.com/jessicawancoaching/intro-call-coachingCreditsProduced and Hosted by Jessica WanCo-produced, edited, sound design, and original music by Carlos SchmittWant to support this show in a small way? Rate and review it at theampersandmanifesto.com, or buy me a coffee: coff.ee/jessicawan
How Onneke Grew Her Illustration Brand to 350 Shops Across the UK In this episode of Let's Talk Shop, I'm joined by illustrator and brand founder Onneke, whose coastal and nature-inspired designs have found their way into 350 shops across the UK. From her beginnings in Sussex with a gift shop and a small collection of greeting cards, to building a nationwide wholesale business stocked everywhere from city boutiques to island gift shops, Onneke's journey is both inspiring and practical. We talk about the realities of scaling wholesale, the power of collections, how innovative products like her logbooks transformed her business, and what it takes to plan strategically while staying true to your creative roots. If you have ever wondered how to grow wholesale beyond a handful of stockists, this conversation is packed with lessons and encouragement. Time Stamps 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:39 Meet Onneke: The Journey of a Coastal Brand 03:21 Expanding the Brand: From Local to National 05:47 Challenges and Growth in Wholesale 08:25 Innovative Products and Market Response 15:35 Strategic Planning and Future Goals 21:22 Reflecting on Smaller Shows 21:36 Preparing for Top Drawer 21:52 Product Design and Market Trends 23:52 Wholesale Business Strategy 26:36 Advice for Aspiring Wholesalers 32:46 Proudest Wholesale Moments 36:11 Where to Find My Work Connect with Onneke Website: onneke.uk Faire direct link: faire.com/direct/onneke Instagram: @onnekestudio Wholesale website: onneke.orderspace.com Free Resource for Listeners Want to send stronger, more confident wholesale emails? Grab my Email Pitch Checklist. It is quick, clear, and helps you pitch without second-guessing every sentence. Download the checklist Connect with me Website: smallbusinesscollaborative.co.uk Instagram: @small_business_collaborative Subscribe to Let's Talk Shop on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred podcast platform.
Joe is joined by Peter Carroll, Associate Professor at the School of Architecture & Product Design in UL, to discuss Limerick's One City Revisted. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AI as a Designer: 6-week Bootcamp
In this episode of The Healthy Project Podcast, host Corey Dion Lewis talks with Pamela Oren-Artzi, COO and co-founder of GRIN, a digital oral health platform reimagining how care is delivered for underserved communities. Pam shares her journey from technology leader to health innovator, the challenges of addressing oral care deserts, and how GRIN's accessible, affordable tools are transforming the way providers reach patients—no broadband required.We explore why oral health must be recognized as a core social driver of health, the connection between oral disease and chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, and the ripple effects that poor access to dental care can have on individuals, families, and the economy. Pam also offers valuable insights for health tech innovators on how to build equity into products from the ground up.
Amanda Calabrese is the co-founder of Sequel, the first engineering re-design of the tampon in 80 years. A six-time national champion in lifesaving, Amanda met her co-founder, Greta Meyer, at Stanford University. There, the two turned a capstone project into a venture capital backed design that's revolutionizing women's sports. In this episode, Amanda discusses:How she and Greta's athletic journeys led to founding Sequel;How they maintained confidence in their idea when others questioned the marketplace need;How they financed the initial research and design of the product to go from a capstone project to established company;Advice for early-stage companies to fundraise pre-seed rounds and identify investors to work with;Why they're partnering with teams like the Indiana Fever and how sport sponsorship can grow women's sports; andWhat it will take to keep the trajectory of women's sports growth moving forward.Learn more about Sequel here.Get the Ruling Sports Newsletter: https://rulingsports.com/newsletter/Follow Ruling SportsInstagram: www.Instagram.com/RulingSportsTwitter: www.Twitter.com/RulingSportsFacebook: www.Facebook.com/RulingSportsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/RulingSportsTikTok: www.tiktok.com/@RulingSports
Send us a textIn this episode of UX Leadership by Design, Mark Baldino is joined by veteran UX strategist Paul Boag to explore what's holding design organizations back—and how to fix it. With over 30 years of experience across sectors, Paul shares why small, underfunded UX teams must stop trying to “own” design and instead empower others through training, standards, and strategic leadership. From breaking down the four pillars of a strong UX practice to candid takes on titles, culture change, stakeholder influence, and democratizing design, this conversation is packed with perspective and practical advice.Key TakeawaysDesign isn't yours to own: UX teams need to stop trying to control everything and instead focus on enabling others across the organization to improve user experience.Democratizing UX scales your impact: A Center of Excellence (CoE) model empowers non-designers to participate in UX while design leaders maintain standards and guidance.Perfection is the enemy of progress: You can't scale UX by insisting on pixel-perfect quality. Impact at scale comes from breadth, not control.Influence comes from empathy: We do user research for customers, but not for stakeholders. Understand your colleagues like users to gain traction.Start with working policies: You may not be able to enforce org-wide UX standards—but you can set boundaries for how you work effectively.Design leaders must become culture hackers: Changing design maturity in an organization means shifting how teams think, work, and value UX over time.Chapters00:00 – Introductions and background05:45 – Designer Is the Problem Word08:36 – UX Teams Are Too Small to Own Everything10:58 – Democratizing UX at Oxford13:09 – Letting Go of Pixel Perfection17:02 – 4 Pillars of UX Leadership23:51 – From Working Policies to Org-wide Standards26:57 – Tailor UX Messaging to Stakeholders29:49 – Culture Hacking Through UX32:26 – Resources & Where to Find PaulResources & LinksConnect with Paul Boag on LinkedInPaul's WebsitePaul's Awesome Podcast (Latest episode covers his Oxford University case study) Connect with Mark on LinkedIn Fuzzy Math - B2B & Enterprise UX Design Consultancy
Send us a textIn this episode, we dive into the concept of the "illusion of innovation" in business and marketing—where companies make cosmetic changes without solving real consumer problems. We explore the difference between change for the sake of change and true innovation driven by market insight and user needs. Through real-world examples and practical stories, we break down how to make thoughtful decisions that create lasting impact and preserve consumer trust. A must-listen for marketers, designers, and product developers alike.في هذه الحلقة، نناقش مفهوم "وهم الابتكار" في عالم الأعمال والتسويق، حيث تسعى بعض الشركات إلى إجراء تغييرات شكلية دون معالجة مشكلات حقيقية يعاني منها المستهلك. نسلّط الضوء على الفارق بين التغيير من أجل التغيير، والابتكار الحقيقي القائم على فهم السوق وحاجات الناس. من خلال أمثلة واقعية وقصص عملية، نتعمّق في كيفية اتخاذ قرارات مدروسة تُحدث أثراً حقيقياً وتُبقي العلامة التجارية في موقع ثقة لدى جمهورها. حلقة غنية لكل من يعمل في التسويق، التصميم، أو تطوير المنتجات. Support the showSupport the Podcast on:https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/okuwatly?locale.x=en_UShttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/MaBa3refSubscribe to Maba3ref Newsletter:https://maba3refbranching.beehiiv.com/Connect with Maba3ref Podcast:https://www.instagram.com/maba3refbyomarConnect on TIKTOK:https://www.tiktok.com/@okuwatly
In this episode of Prodity: Product by Design, Kyle Evans interviews Andrew Amann, CEO and co-founder of NineTwoThree AI Studio. Andrew shares his extensive experience in entrepreneurship, product development, and the challenges of building AI products. We discuss the importance of understanding product-market fit, the patent process, and the journey of founding multiple companies. Andrew emphasizes the significance of focusing on a specific audience and the value of holistic entrepreneurship, where success is measured not just by financial gain but also by personal fulfillment and work-life balance. We also explore the future of AI, its applications across various industries, and the evolving landscape of technology.Andrew AmannAndrew Amann is the CEO and co-founder of NineTwoThree AI Studio, an AI Agency building products for funded startups and established brands, such as Consumer Reports, Simplisafe, and Experian. He is the founder of 14 companies with 3 exits, owner of 2 patents, and founder of an Agency Intelligence Community.Links from the Show:Company: NineTwoThree LinkedIn: Andrew Amann Book: The Alchemist More by Kyle:Follow Prodity on Twitter and TikTokFollow Kyle on Twitter and TikTokSign up for the Prodity Newsletter for more updates.Kyle's writing on MediumProdity on MediumLike our podcast, consider Buying Us a Coffee or supporting us on Patreon
I speak with Vadym Grin about his forthcoming book on good, bad, and ugly design for digital products and services.Find the book here: https://www.manning.com/books/emotional-digital-designUse the voucher "CSgrin" to get 40% off the bookText based video and audio editingAre you looking to make editing audio and video easier and more powerful with a suite of AI-powered features? Try Descript, I use it for editing all my podcasts and you can to!https://go.chrischinchilla.com/descript For show notes and an interactive transcript, visit chrischinchilla.com/podcast/To reach out and say hello, visit chrischinchilla.com/contact/To support the show for ad-free listening and extra content, visit chrischinchilla.com/support/
Ioana and Anfi discuss what constitutes good design quality.This episode was recorded in partnership with Wix Marketplace.In this episode: • Is it still important to prioritize UX design and maintain high design quality?• How do some companies manage to succeed despite having poor design?• How would you define quality in the context of design?• Should designers always aim to work within a mature UX organization, or can design quality sometimes be secondary?• How do you define good design quality?Check out these links:Join Anfi's Job Search community. The community includes 3 courses, 12 live events and workshops, and a variety of templates to support you in your job search journey.Ioana's AI Goodies NewsletterIoana's Domestika course Create a Learning StrategyEnroll in Ioana's AI course "**AI-Powered UX Design: How to Elevate Your UX Career"** on Interaction Design Foundation with a 25% discount.Into UX design online course by Anfisa❓Next topic ideas:Submit your questions or feedback anonymously hereFollow us on Instagram to stay tuned for the next episodes.
Welcome back to another episode of the Allison J. Taylor LIFT Podcast. What does it take to succeed as a product manager? It's not just about building great products, but also about leadership -- piloting people, processes, and change. In this episode, Alison J. Taylor speaks with Chris Naunheimer about building and making the product and also about selling the product so that it's profitable because it fulfills an unmet need. They explore the topic through the lens of their new book Power Up Product Management, a quick-start guide that includes stories, practical exercises, and ready-to-use templates, designed to help product managers thrive in the first 90 days of their product management journey. In their conversation, Allison and Chris discuss common misperceptions about product management and share practical advice for new and seasoned product managers. They explore why success is not purely about the product, why the process is rarely linear – more chaotic, and why emotional intelligence (EQ) matters as much as IQ. They also delve into the customer, whoever is going to either use, buy, or influence the product and how critical it is to manage those stakeholders. Finally, they discuss the often-overlooked skillset that product managers should have – emotional intelligence. The reality is that you must sell people on your idea and to convince people to invest – whether it's with their physical money, emotional energy, or time and effort. Their book delves into what product managers need to know to perform successfully – the tools and the people management. Tune in now! Key Points from This Episode: • Discover why product management is about more than just the product itself. • Explore why stakeholder mapping is a critical skill for product managers to learn. • Learn why product development is rarely linear and the importance of embracing flexibility. • Find out what a common misperception is surrounding the Agile framework and how Agile may be more disciplined than the Waterfall framework. • Unpack why EQ and persuasive communication are essential skills. • Hear ways technology has impacted the development of products and processes. • Learn how AI can be a tool within product management and what it cannot replace. • Hear a real-world example of a simple tool that delivers great value and how. • Find out what Chris and Allison hope to achieve with their book. Chris Naunheimer Guest Biography: Chris Naunheimer is an adjunct faculty member and a capstone project advisor in the Masters of Product Design and Development Management program at Northwestern University. Along with a Master's of Product Design and Development Management, Northwestern University, and a bachelor's in mechanical engineering, University of Illinois, Chris has more than 20 years of experience at multi-national Fortune 500 industrial companies with leadership roles in engineering, R&D, strategic marketing, new product ventures, and user-centered design. Chris holds 25 patents and brings this innovation and continuous improvement mindset to teaching. This mindset, coupled with his user experience, design education, and industry experience, brings a broad cross-functional skill set to his roles at Northwestern University. Chris is passionate about design and has a deeply held belief that we can use design to develop insights and solutions that can change people, cultures, and the world. Tweetables: “One of the most common misperceptions about product management is that product management is all about the product.” — Chris Naunheimer [0:01:59] “The user, the customer, or whoever is going to either use, buy, or influence the product; those stakeholders are critical. And if you want to be a good product manager, that's part of what you have to manage.” — @allisonthought [0:05:01] “Product and product development can be very, very chaotic. It doesn't always follow a linear path.” — Chris Naunheimer [0:06:45] “Agile adds complexity as much as it is helpful for pivoting in smaller increments.” — @allisonthought [0:12:54] “One of the motivations for us even writing this book is to be able to help other people. And that's why we created it. I like tools like that.” — Chris Naunheimer [0:26:50] “We put the stakeholder map in the book to make sure product managers were aware of what potential bumps could occur. Who is the team that you're going to work with and make sure they're inspired, they're understanding why, and they're motivated, not just informed.” — @allisonthought [0:15:20] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Chris Naunheimer on LinkedIn Thought Marketing LLC Power Up Product Management Strava Kool Stop Email Listener feedback to info@thoughtmarketing.com Allison J. Taylor on LinkedIn Allison J. Taylor on X
In a special interview, Jessica speaks with her voice teacher of 20+ years, Susan Gundunas. Susan is a renowned singer and actor, voice teacher, and mom. Consistently praised for her consummate vocal talent and stage presence across the US and internationally, her notable roles include Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Lucia di Lammermoor, Madama Butterfly, Violetta in La Traviata, and Carlotta in the Phantom of the Opera. A voice teacher for over 25 years, Susan has taught hundreds of students 1:1 in her private studio and at UC Berkeley, as well as in her Complete Package Performer Boot Camps. Susan studied Theatre Arts at Santa Clara University and began her career with San Jose Repertory Theatre and Opera San Jose. She is a proud mom of two boys, a stepson, and a stepdaughter.Learn more about Susan at www.susangundunas.com and Susan's vocal studio at www.susangundunasvocalstudio.com. ~Join us for The Ampersand Summit live event in San Francisco on Sunday, October 19th, 2025 from 3-6:30pm at the SF Community Music Center: Registration + more details here This in-person event will bring together people who straddle multiple worlds to meet each other, share what we're working on, and talk openly about what it's like to lead a multi-passionate life.All are welcome, not just people who currently identify as Ampersands, but also aspiring Ampersands and supporters. :)~Are you a high achiever, a leader, or an Ampersand looking for a sounding board? Jessica helps executives, leaders, and founders like you gain clarity and lead bravely. As your trusted advisor and growth partner, she works with you to make the invisible visible and develop an action plan to fulfill your goals. For nearly two decades, Jessica led marketing teams, launched products, and grew businesses at places like Apple, the San Francisco Opera, Smule, and Magoosh. As an Ampersand in many facets, she knows personally what it's like to hold many roles simultaneously, to sit on the executive team, and to find fulfillment. With a BA in Music and a BS in Product Design from Stanford, coupled with an MBA from UC Berkeley and coach training from the Center for Executive Coaching, her unique mix of analytical & creative allows her to bring both depth and breadth of perspective into the coaching process.As a coach, Jessica works to champion you – the full, multifaceted you – so you can thrive.Visit jessicawan.com or BOOK AN INTRO CALL: https://calendly.com/jessicawancoaching/intro-call-coachingCreditsProduced and Hosted by Jessica WanCo-produced, edited, sound design, and original music by Carlos SchmittWant to support this show in a small way? Rate and review it at theampersandmanifesto.com, or buy me a coffee: coff.ee/jessicawan
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Fernando Fanton is one of the most respected product leaders in Europe, having held Chief Product Officer roles at Monzo and Just Eat. He previously led product and tech at Rappi, one of Latin America's most valuable startups. Today, Fernando is the CPO @ Property Finder; one of the biggest breakout unicorns from MENA. Agenda: 00:00 – Is “having a vision” actually killing great product teams? 03:15 – Why do most products suck—and what separates the great ones? 07:20 – Should we kill the PM role entirely? Fernando says maybe. 11:45 – Is Monzo's obsession with trust more powerful than speed? 16:10 – What's the #1 reason internal tools will never replace SaaS? 21:00 – Will AI wipe out the need for designers and PMs? 26:30 – Is it arrogant for product teams to protect users from “bad” choices? 32:15 – What's the future of product when OpenAI controls the whole stack? 37:40 – What Monzo product blew up—and why no one saw it coming? 42:55 – Can a bank built on principles really become a $100B company?
In this design-driven episode of That Will Nevr Work, Maurice Chism is joined by UX/UI expert and startup advisor Mary Borysova to explore one of the most critical (and often misunderstood) pieces of launching a successful startup:Product design.Mary breaks down the process of turning ideas into intuitive, user-friendly, and scalable products that don't just function—they delight. From wireframes to feedback loops, she shares her step-by-step insights on how early-stage founders can avoid costly design mistakes and focus on solving real problems for real people.Whether you're building your MVP or refining your next release, this conversation will shift how you think about design—and its power to make or break your product.
Last month we did the ultimate Raycast Deep Dive, but there's a lot in there… so this week I want to highlight just the segment from the product design team.We go deep into how they collaborate, why they've started shipping more code, and what it takes to build a culture obsessed with craft.Don't forget to use code DIVE20YT to get 20% off your first purchase of any Lovable plan ❤️ Valid until August 21, 2025. Go to dive.club/lovable to start creatingFull Raycast episode - The Raycast Deep Dive
Shopify Masters | The ecommerce business and marketing podcast for ambitious entrepreneurs
How Aerflo disrupted sparkling water with portable design, sustainable refills, and a cofounder duo solving big problems with bold ideas.For more on Aerflo and show notes click here. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.
Figma is central to most designers' workflow these days (certainly is here at Design Better). So it's important to get familiar with all of the latest features. Who better to give us the back story of the releases announced at Config than Noah Levin, VP of Product Design at Figma. Join us for a conversation with Noah and a closer look at how Figma is helping designers design better. In this AMA, Noah demo'd some of Figma's newest tools and featured, and we discussed topics including: Hiring and scaling design teams in the AI age Emerging trends in design Career growth for junior UX designers Fostering better designer-developer collaboration Improving table design workflows in Figma AI's impact on design and development roles Support for print-focused workflows Staying up to date with Figma tools and features Lessons from designing the new Figma Bio Noah Levin is the VP of Product Design at Figma. Before that he led the UX team at ClassPass in NYC, and before that he was at Google working on Mobile Search in Mountain View. He also spent some time teaching designers to code as an early advisor at Framer, and building a digital assistant for Astronauts at NASA. He studied Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon and is from Pittsburgh originally. Watch the recording on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/ama-noah-levin-on-figmas-latest-release *** Learn more about Figma's recent product launches at https://www.config.new/
Durant un process de recrutement, le case study design est souvent une étape cruciale… Beaucoup de possibilités, peu de contexte, voici quelques conseils qui pourront vous aider à mieux performer !
Jessica speaks with Emily Holland, co-founder of Wild Poppy Creative Consulting, a podcast consulting company that helps small business owners hone and increase their impact on the world. She loves spending time outside rock climbing, trail running, running ultramarathons, hiking, skiing, or just watching her rescue pup Kayda frolic in the woods. Through her work on The Stokecast she told stories of how top outdoor athletes, adventurers, and entrepreneurs build their lifestyles and careers while in pursuit of adventure, purpose, and stoke. And in her podcast Nature Untold, she explored the intersection of addiction, recovery and sobriety with the outdoor community. Emily is based in Boulder, CO with her partner and pup. Follow Emily at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilylholland/Learn more about Wild Poppy Creative Co at https://www.wildpoppycreativeco.com/ Learn more about Founded Outdoors, where Emily serves as Community Manager: https://foundedoutdoors.com/ ~Are you a high achiever, a leader, or an Ampersand looking for a sounding board? Jessica helps executives, leaders, and founders like you gain clarity and lead bravely. As your trusted advisor and growth partner, she works with you to make the invisible visible and develop an action plan to fulfill your goals. For nearly two decades, Jessica led marketing teams, launched products, and grew businesses at places like Apple, the San Francisco Opera, Smule, and Magoosh. As an Ampersand in many facets, she knows personally what it's like to hold many roles simultaneously, to sit on the executive team, and to find fulfillment. With a BA in Music and a BS in Product Design from Stanford, coupled with an MBA from UC Berkeley and coach training from the Center for Executive Coaching, her unique mix of analytical & creative allows her to bring both depth and breadth of perspective into the coaching process.As a coach, Jessica works to champion you – the full, multifaceted you – so you can thrive.Visit jessicawan.com or BOOK AN INTRO CALL: https://calendly.com/jessicawancoaching/intro-call-coachingCreditsProduced and Hosted by Jessica WanCo-produced, edited, sound design, and original music by Carlos SchmittWant to support this show in a small way? Rate and review it at theampersandmanifesto.com, or buy me a coffee: coff.ee/jessicawan
What if you could access a personalized career coach anytime—one who remembers your goals, understands your tendencies, and gives you thoughtful, actionable guidance?In this episode of Supra Insider, Marc and Ben sit down with Kavita Anand, a product leader at NewtonX, to explore how she built her own AI-based career coach using tools like Claude and ChatGPT—and then taught 30+ women at her company how to do the same. She breaks down the exact system she used: crafting a system prompt, running a kickoff conversation, and curating relevant context to create a truly helpful AI co-pilot.They also explore how to avoid common pitfalls like getting generic advice or triggering confirmation bias, and why voice-based AI interfaces are changing how people reflect and communicate with AI. Whether you're a product leader, an early-career PM, or just AI-curious, this episode will show you how to start designing an AI coach that works the way you want—even if it takes a little tinkering.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox
S 6, EP 191 Meet Your Actor Series - Amy SelmaThis week Gaby brings Amy Selma to the Chaos table! We get to hear all about Amy's journey into voiceover - from a tiny town on the boarder of Mexico and Belize in the jungle, to the fields of Minnesota, and then to the Hollywood lights in LA! Meet Amy Selma an award winning, bilingual Spanish/English voice actor, who was born in Mexico and raised in the Caribbean by her Belizean parents. She is celebrated for her clear, neutral accent in both languages with a versatile and engaging deliver! Amy jumped into the great wide world of voice over thanks to the suggestion of her husband, Nico Selma, an Animation director at Nickelodeon. However she did not originally set out to become a voice over actor, Amy has a degree in Industrial & Product Design from el Tech de Monterrey along with many cool job experiences before getting started as a Voiceover artist. We hear all about Amy's journey, along with her refreshing perspective on the life of a voice actor, her insightful mind set choices to tap into, how following your path but also eventually listening to those who support you & gently push you to actually going for your dreams is an important part of the journey as well. When Amy is not in the booth she is in the backyard playing with her two kids, watching a webtoon, playing a video game, planning a road trip or happily buried in a book learning something new!Join us at the Chaos table for this next episode of our signature Meet Your Actor Series with Amy Selma! More about Amy - https://linktr.ee/amyselmavohttps://x.com/amyselmaVOhttps://www.facebook.com/amyselmavoiceoverhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/amyselmavo/https://www.instagram.com/amyselmavo/Hi thx for listening in on the Creative Chaos conversation! Text us your thoughts on pieces of this conversation that inspired you or was relatable in your creative journey! Support the showThis is a shareable podcast, with a group of creatives, documenting their creative voice over & on-camera journeys to inspire all of us as we navigate our own paths! This pod may bring some amazing moments of inspiration, ah-ha break throughs or a feeling you're not the only one...but it is for entertainment and not educational purposes! Enjoy and thank you for listening to our Creative Chaos! *Have a creative story or journey to share, we'd love to hear it - email us at chaoskeepers411@gmail.com or jozlynrocki@gmail.com Follow all the Chaos - Website - https://www.keepingupwithchaos.net/ FB - https://www.facebook.com/keepingupwithchaospodcastIG - https://www.instagram.com/keeping_up_with_chaos/
AI can make therapy more accessible—but only if it's done right. In this episode, ex-Google and Amazon product leader Seth shares his journey from panic attacks to building Volo Health, an AI-powered tool for anxiety, depression, and addiction. He breaks down how most therapy tools get it wrong, what makes human-centered AI actually safe, and how product teams can reconnect with the humans they serve—even at scale. Seth opens up about leaving Silicon Valley, his personal journey with emotional healing, and the limits of traditional therapy. Along the way, we explore the ethics of AI in mental health, the value of 12-step recovery models, and the risks of over-validating users with AI. If you're a founder, product lead, or designer thinking about building in healthcare, mental wellness, or with generative AI—this conversation is a must. Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge. In this episode... Why AI validation isn't always helpful—and can sometimes be harmful How Volo Health uses opinionated AI, clinical oversight, and anonymized data to personalize support The difference between optimizing for scale vs. building for emotional impact What Seth learned from working at Amazon, Google, and in recovery circles How founders can build teams and products that don't lose sight of the human Mentioned in this episode... Volo Health LangChain / LangGraph ChatGPT / GPT-based therapy models 988 Crisis Line SVS Subwoofers (yes, really) Subscribe to the Convergence podcast wherever you get podcasts including video episodes to get updated on the other crucial conversations that we'll post on YouTube at youtube.com/@convergencefmpodcast Learn something? Give us a 5 star review and like the podcast on YouTube. It's how we grow. Follow the Pod Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/convergence-podcast/ X: https://twitter.com/podconvergence Instagram: @podconvergence
AI Software, Web and Mobile Apps, Product Design and more! Discover what Michigan company has been custom building software for 200+ Organizations since 2001.In this episode we welcome Jonah Bailey, Managing Partner at Atomic Object, as he talks about the future of AI and software technology. Atomic Object is a software development and design consultancy that customizes programs for each unique client. With offices from Ann Arbor to Grand Rapids, Chicago and North Carolina, they are developing in industries including health tech, real estate, agriculture, sports and more.
Tayloe Stansbury was just your average home entertainment consumer when he first met the Kaleidescape team. Their mission and commitment—and product—ultimately won him over to the point that he became Chairman and CEO of the company. We sat down with Stansbury to dive into the brand's newest product and learn more about how the commitment to design excellence, which was recently rewarded with a Red Dot Desgin award, permeates throughout the company and is reflective of who they are and who they aspire to be—and serve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-Z8bli0v2U
Jessica speaks with Alyssa Jarrett, a romance author and content marketer based in the San Francisco Bay Area — where the only thing funnier than working in tech is writing about it. She's currently writing and self-publishing a 5-book series of Silicon Valley rom-coms. Her latest novel, Book 3 in the series, is an Armenian bakery romance titled LOVE AND PAKLAVA. As a content marketer, she worked for a decade in B2B marketing roles for tech companies, including Rockerbox, Iterable, and Ripple. Alyssa holds a B.A. in Literature from UC Santa Cruz and an M.A. in Mass Communication and Journalism from Fresno State. Learn more about Alyssa and find her books at https://www.alyssajarrett.com, and follow her on Substack at https://alyssajarrett.substack.com. ~Are you a high achiever, a leader, or an Ampersand looking for a sounding board? Jessica helps executives, leaders, and founders like you gain clarity and lead bravely. As your trusted advisor and growth partner, she works with you to make the invisible visible and develop an action plan to fulfill your goals. For nearly two decades, Jessica led marketing teams, launched products, and grew businesses at places like Apple, the San Francisco Opera, Smule, and Magoosh. As an Ampersand in many facets, she knows personally what it's like to hold many roles simultaneously, to sit on the executive team, and to find fulfillment. With a BA in Music and a BS in Product Design from Stanford, coupled with an MBA from UC Berkeley and coach training from the Center for Executive Coaching, her unique mix of analytical & creative allows her to bring both depth and breadth of perspective into the coaching process.As a coach, Jessica works to champion you – the full, multifaceted you – so you can thrive.Visit jessicawan.com or BOOK AN INTRO CALL: https://calendly.com/jessicawancoaching/intro-call-coachingCreditsProduced and Hosted by Jessica WanCo-produced, edited, sound design, and original music by Carlos SchmittWant to support this show in a small way? Rate and review it, or buy me a coffee: coff.ee/jessicawan
Epinephrine auto-injectors, first developed in the 1970s, are the most common emergency treatments for anaphylaxis, often deadly allergic reactions. The limitations of liquid epinephrine and the device's decades-old technology have kept these life-saving devices out of patients' hands. Austin-based startup Windgap Medical, Inc. plans to break these barriers with a more convenient, shelf-stable alternative.In Episode 41 of the MedTech Speed to Data podcast Key Tech's Andy Rogers and Thomas James sit down with Windgap's co-founder and Chief Business Officer, Brent Buchine, to discuss the data-driven development of the company's life-saving technology.Need to know· Epinephrine auto-injectors are big business — A $1.3 billion market at Windgap's founding, sales of epinephrine auto-injectors exceeded $3.1 billion in 2024.· Few eligible patients get these life-saving devices — Only 52% of American food allergy patients ever receive prescriptions, and epinephrine auto-injectors are only available in 32% of the world's 195 countries.· Traditional auto-injectors are relatively large and inconvenient — Only 55% of patients with prescriptions report having immediate access to their auto-injectors.· Liquid epinephrine is thermally unstable — Doses lose their effectiveness with prolonged heat exposure, forcing patients to refill their prescriptions more frequently.The nitty-grittyBuchine and his co-founders saw an opportunity to make epinephrine delivery more convenient and accessible. “We developed a freeze-dried version of epinephrine to make it more stable and double, if not triple, the shelf life,” Buchine explains.However, lyophilization introduces an extra step in the treatment process. The dried epinephrine must be rehydrated and mixed in a solution before injection.“If you have a rescue product for emergency use, you have to get it very quickly,” Buchine says. “With modest training, you need to make sure people know how to use the product because their life is at risk if it doesn't work.”Windgap's ANDI® platform is a small, highly portable single-dose auto-injector, Buchine explains. “Simply twisting the cap automatically rehydrates that dose in a couple of seconds — no shaking, no swirling required. It's ready to inject by pressing the device next to the injection site.”Windgap and its pharmaceutical clients are still in the commercialization phase, but the company is already looking at the future of complex injectables.“We see that, fundamentally, formulation pipelines are getting more and more challenging,” Buchine says. “You have multiple injections, you have mixing, you have high viscosity/high volume. The conventional options out there are not as suitable anymore. We're solving those problems specifically because we think there's an opportunity to be best in class in that area.”Data that made the difference:Developing combination products is a multi-stakeholder problem. “It's drug, it's device, it's patient, it's prescriber, it's payer. You've got to think about all of those stakeholders along your development.”Get in front of stakeholders to understand the problem. “We did a lot of surveys and uncovered the opportunity. Patients weren't getting prescriptions filled or weren't even going to the doctor to get prescriptions. It was that segment that we spent a lot of time talking to.”Listen to your customers. “We'll talk to pharmaceutical companies [and ask] what are some of the biggest challenges you're facing in your pipeline? And then you just listen. Over time, you look for that recurring theme. That's what really drove our product strategy.”Use data to convince investors. “There was a vastly underserved market. Our ability to communicate that to investors and help them understand the opportunity of taking [at the time] a $1.3 billion business to something substantially above that.”
UX leader Alexis Mook joins us to talk about breaking bias in product design, defending the role of behavioral research inside corporate structures, and making the leap from academia to tech. From wrongful convictions to third-party testing, this conversation reveals why saying “no” might be a researcher's greatest superpower. Topics [0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Alexis Mook [7:50] Alexis's Role and Journey at IBM [20:58] Challenges and Biases in UX Research [22:03] Impact of Research on Product Development [31:49] The Shift from Academia and Career Satisfaction [43:10] Grooving Session: Reducing Bias and Challenging Overconfidence ©2025 Behavioral Grooves Links Alexis on LinkedIn Join the Behavioral Grooves community Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube Musical Links Miley Cyrus - Flowers Blink-182 - All the Small Things
In this episode of Crazy Wisdom, I, Stewart Alsop, speak with Andrew Einhorn, CEO and founder of Level Fields, a platform using AI to help people navigate financial markets through the lens of repeatable, data-driven events. We explore how structured patterns in market news—like CEO departures or earnings surprises—can inform trading strategies, how Level Fields filters noise from financial data, and the emotional nuance of user experience design in fintech. Andrew also shares insights on knowledge graphs, machine learning in finance, and the evolving role of narrative in markets. Stock tips from Level Fields are available on their YouTube channel at Level Fields AI and their website levelfields.ai.Check out this GPT we trained on the conversationTimestamps00:00 – Andrew introduces Level Fields and explains how it identifies event-driven stock movements using AI.05:00 – Discussion of LLMs vs. custom models, and how Level Fields prioritized financial specificity over general AI.10:00 – Stewart asks about ontologies and knowledge graphs; Andrew describes early experiences building rule-based systems.15:00 – They explore the founder's role in translating problems, UX challenges, and how user expectations shape product design.20:00 – Insight into feedback collection, including a unique refund policy aimed at improving user understanding.25:00 – Andrew breaks down the complexities of user segmentation, churn, and adapting the product for different investor types.30:00 – A look into event types in the market, especially crypto-related announcements and their impact on equities.35:00 – Philosophical turn on narrative vs. fundamentals in finance; how news and groupthink drive large-scale moves.40:00 – Reflection on crypto parallels to dot-com era, and the long-term potential of blockchain infrastructure.45:00 – Deep dive into machine persuasion, LLM training risks, and the influence of opinionated data in financial AI.50:00 – Final thoughts on momentum algos, market manipulation, and the need for transparent, structured data.Key InsightsEvent-Based Investing as Market Forecasting: Andrew Einhorn describes Level Fields as a system for interpreting the market's weather—detecting recurring events like CEO departures or earnings beats to predict price movements. This approach reframes volatility as something intelligible, giving investors a clearer sense of timing and direction.Building Custom AI for Finance: Rejecting generic large language models, Einhorn's team developed proprietary AI trained exclusively on financial documents. By narrowing the scope, they increased precision and reduced noise, enabling the platform to focus only on events that truly impact share price behavior.Teaching Through Signals, Not Just Showing: Stewart Alsop notes how Level Fields does more than surface opportunities—it educates. By linking cause and effect in financial movements, the platform helps users build intuition, transforming confusion into understanding through repeated exposure to clear, data-backed patterns.User Expectation vs. Product Vision: Initially, Level Fields emphasized an event-centric UX, but users sought more familiar tools like ticker searches and watchlists. This tension revealed that even innovative technologies must accommodate habitual user flows before inviting them into new ways of thinking.Friction as a Path to Clarity: To elicit meaningful feedback, Level Fields implemented a refund policy that required users to explain what didn't work. The result wasn't just better UX insights—it also surfaced emotional blockages around investing and design, sharpening the team's understanding of what users truly needed.Narrative as a Volatile Market Force: Einhorn points out that groupthink in finance stems from shared academic training, creating reflexive investment patterns tied to economic narratives. These surface-level cycles obscure the deeper, steadier signals that Level Fields seeks to highlight through its data model.AI's Risk of Amplifying Noise: Alsop and Einhorn explore the darker corners of machine persuasion and LLM-generated content. Since models are trained on public data, including biased and speculative sources, they risk reinforcing distortions. In response, Level Fields emphasizes curated, high-integrity inputs grounded in financial fact.
People consistently overestimate their ability to predict whether a new product or feature will be a success. Instead of blithely going forward with a project that takes up lots of resources and yields minimal results, today’s guest says we should get our ideas into contact with external reality as quickly as possible, and maybe do... Read more »
People consistently overestimate their ability to predict whether a new product or feature will be a success. Instead of blithely going forward with a project that takes up lots of resources and yields minimal results, today’s guest says we should get our ideas into contact with external reality as quickly as possible, and maybe do... Read more »
In the first episode of /ideas, Chief Product Officer Paul Adams talks with Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer Des Traynor about how AI is reshaping everything: how we build products, structure teams, and go to market.Follow the peoplehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/destraynor/https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauladams/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/fin/X: https://x.com/intercomhttps://fin.ai/ideas/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Bob Baxley is a design leader who has shaped products used by billions at Apple, Pinterest, Yahoo, and ThoughtSpot. During his eight years at Apple, he led design for the online store and the App Store, and witnessed the iPhone's transformative launch while working under Steve Jobs. A student of history turned software craftsman, Bob discovered his calling after exploring photography, filmmaking, and music, ultimately recognizing software as the most powerful creative medium of our time. Bob champions the moral obligation designers have to reduce frustration in people's daily digital interactions.What you'll learn:• Why design should report to engineering, not product• The “Beatles principle”—why the best products come from teams of 4 to 6, not 40 to 60• How to create design tenets vs. principles (with real examples)• The counterintuitive reason to delay drawing or prototyping as long as possible• Why software is fundamentally a medium, like film or music (not just a tool)• Why Bob “bounced off the culture” at Pinterest, and lessons from failure• The lunar landing story that teaches us about championing radical ideas• How to evaluate if a company truly values design before joining• The moral obligation of software makers to build great products—This entire episode is brought to you by Stripe—helping companies of all sizes grow revenue.—Where to find Bob Baxley:• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baxley/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbaxley/• Website: http://www.bobbaxley.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Bob Baxley(03:52) Apple's lasting culture(06:15) Navigating unique company cultures(13:19) Finding a company that truly values your role(15:46) What is design?(17:17) How to help founders understand the value of design(23:08) How to align product managers and designers(26:31) Design reporting to engineering(30:54) Integrating engineers early in the design process(33:43) The maker mindset(35:14) Challenging the assumption that design is time-intensive(38:04) Design tenets vs. design principles(45:25) The moral obligation of great design(51:48) Understanding software as a medium(01:01:20) Reducing ambiguity for product teams(01:07:04) Giving designers space for creativity(01:08:48) The "primal mark" concept(01:12:05) AI prototyping tools: benefits and risks(01:17:00) AI as a life coach(01:21:22) Life lessons from the Apollo program(01:28:24) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• Steve Jobs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs• Walt Disney: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/• X: https://x.com/• Uber: https://www.uber.com/• Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/• Slack: https://slack.com/• Ed Catmull on X: https://x.com/edcatmull• John Lasseter on X: https://x.com/johnlasseter5• Apple patented a pizza box, for pizzas: https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/16/15646154/apple-pizza-box-patent-come-on• Humane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humane_Inc.• Jony Ive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jony_Ive• Tony Fadell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyfadell/• Hiroki Asai on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiroki-asai-a44137110/• Tim Cook on X: https://x.com/tim_cook• ThoughtSpot: https://www.thoughtspot.com/• Ben Silbermann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silbermann/• Ajeet Singh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajeetsinghmann/• Honeywell: https://www.honeywell.com• IDEO: https://www.ideo.com/• Nutanix: https://www.nutanix.com/• Lego: https://www.lego.com/• Leica: https://leica-camera.com/• Porsche: https://www.porsche.com/• Patagonia: https://www.patagonia.com• Brian Eno's website: https://www.brian-eno.net/• Scenius: why creatives are stronger together: https://thecreativelife.net/scenius/• The Beatles website: https://www.thebeatles.com/• Disneyland: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/destinations/disneyland/• Tomorrowland: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/destinations/disneyland/tomorrowland/• Unconventional product lessons from Binance, N26, Google, more | Mayur Kamat (CPO at N26, ex-Binance Head of Product): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/unorthodox-product-lessons-from-n26-and-more• Larry Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Page• Sergey Brin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Brin• Design Principles: https://principles.design/• Tableau: https://www.tableau.com/• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Target self-checkout: https://corporate.target.com/press/fact-sheet/2024/03/checkout-improvements• Everyone's an engineer now: Inside v0's mission to create a hundred million builders | Guillermo Rauch (founder and CEO of Vercel, creators of v0 and Next.js): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/everyones-an-engineer-now-guillermo-rauch• eBay: https://www.ebay.com/• Williams Sonoma: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/• Monument to a Dead Child | Raw Data: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/monument-to-a-dead-child/id1042137974• Toast: https://pos.toasttab.com/• The Primal Mark: How the Beginning Shapes the End in the Development of Creative Ideas: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/publications/primal-mark-how-beginning-shapes-end-development-creative-ideas• The Plant: https://pixar.fandom.com/wiki/The_Plant• Microsoft CPO: If you aren't prototyping with AI you're doing it wrong | Aparna Chennapragada: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/microsoft-cpo-on-ai• How have I been complicit in creating the conditions I say I don't want? | Jerry Colonna (CEO of Reboot, executive coach, former VC): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jerry-colonna• Joff Redfern on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mejoff/• John C. Houbolt: https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/langley/john-c-houbolt/• The Apollo program: https://www.nasa.gov/the-apollo-program/• Archive clip: JFK at Rice University, Sept. 12, 1962—“We choose to go to the moon”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXqlziZV63k• Alan Shepard: https://www.nasa.gov/former-astronaut-alan-shepard/• Blue Origin: https://www.blueorigin.com/• Yuri Gagarin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Gagarin• Wernher von Braun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernher_von_Braun• Yuri Kondratyuk: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Kondratyuk• John Houbolt's memo: https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/2823/text-of-john-houbolts-letter-proposing-lunar-orbit-rendezvous-for-apollo• Severance on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/severance/umc.cmc.1srk2goyh2q2zdxcx605w8vtx• Lawrence of Arabia on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Lawrence-Arabia-Peter-OToole/dp/B0088OINTU• Leica M6: https://leica-camera.com/en-US/photography/cameras/m/m6• Habitica: https://habitica.com/static/home• Andor on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-faba988a-a9f5-45f2-a074-0775a7d6f67a• Edward Tufte quote: https://quotefancy.com/quote/1449650/Edward-Tufte-Good-design-is-clear-thinking-made-visible-bad-design-is-stupidity-made• Ansel Adams quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/ansel_adams_106035• It Takes a Village to Determine the Origins of an African Proverb: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/07/30/487925796/it-takes-a-village-to-determine-the-origins-of-an-african-proverb• Henry Modisett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrymodisett/• Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/• Golden State Warriors: https://www.nba.com/warriors/• Steph Curry: https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3975/stephen-curry—Recommended books:• From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism: https://www.amazon.com/Counterculture-Cyberculture-Stewart-Network-Utopianism/dp/0226817423• Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind: How Intelligence Increases When You Think Less: https://www.amazon.com/Hare-Brain-Tortoise-Mind-Intelligence/dp/0060955414• The Elements of Typographic Style: https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Typographic-Style-Robert-Bringhurst/dp/0881791326• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values: https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060589469• Time and the Art of Living: https://www.amazon.com/Time-Art-Living-Robert-Grudin/dp/0062503553/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
When consumers can get AI-generated designs completely customized to their needs, what does this mean for the future of brands and the customer experience? I have two guests on my show today: one is the founder of one of the world's most iconic shoe brands, and the other is the co-creator of the first AI-designed commercial shoe. Today we're going to talk about what it takes to innovate and grow a brand and how things are both similar—and different since Reebok launched its brand in 1960, and now Syntilay brings a whole new era of AI-based design to the market. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Joe Foster, the founder of Reebok and Ben Weiss, the CEO of Syntilay. About Joe FosterJoe founded Reebok in 1958 with his late brother Jeff, following their family heritage back to 1895. Joe's Grandfather, also Joseph W Foster, pioneered the spiked running shoe and famously made shoes for the Worlds best athletes of the early 20th century, with World records and Olympics Gold Medals.Wearing (pumps) made by J W Foster & Sons Ltd, Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell won Olympic Gold Medals in the 1928 Paris Olympics and were immortalised in the film ‘Chariots of Fire'.With Reebok they followed in his footsteps, with Olympic, Commonwealth and European medals and World record breaking performances, represented now by the range of Reebok Classics. About Ben WeissBen is building the future of sneakers, shoes designed with Artificial Intelligence that are entirely 3D printed, accompanied by an excellent team and set of advisors including the legendary Reebok Founder, Joe Foster, original Shark Tank Shark, Kevin Harrington, and others. He hosts the business podcast, LegendsNLeaders, which breaks down the steps it truly takes to become successful and have a positive impact in the world. The podcast has featured outstanding guests like Kevin O'Leary, Shark Tank Shark, Howie Mandel, Steve Madden, Miss Universe, R'Bonney Nola, and has been viewed in the millions. RESOURCES Syntilay: https://www.syntilay.com/ https://www.syntilay.com/ The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsOnline Scrum Master Summit is happening June 17-19. This 3-day virtual event is open for registration. Visit www.osms25.com and get a 25% discount off Premium All-Access Passes with the code osms25agilebrandDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150Shoe Maker by Joe Foster: https://www.jwfosterheritage.com/shop-online/p/ohi30b1x63ghyj2him04suqx1ju4z5 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Elaina Natario returns to talk with Joël about what makes good quality product design and the priorities that shape development. The pair discuss the importance of certain elements such as security and accessibility, maintaining certain standards throughout development, as well as judging the practical applications of prototypes within a project and the broad role they play. — The Sponsor for this episode has been Judoscale - Autoscale the Right Way (https://judoscale.com/bikeshed). Check out the link for your free gift! You can read more about about inaccessable prototypes here (https://localghost.dev/blog/ai-and-the-trouble-with-inaccessible-saas/), or listen to the episode Joël mentioned with Aji about different typescripts here (https://bikeshed.thoughtbot.com/458)! Your guest for this week has been Elaina Natario (https://www.linkedin.com/in/elainanatario/) and you host has been Joël Quenneville (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-quenneville-96b18b58/). If you would like to support the show, head over to our GitHub page (https://github.com/sponsors/thoughtbot), or check out our website (https://bikeshed.thoughtbot.com). Got a question or comment about the show? Why not write to our hosts: hosts@bikeshed.fm This has been a thoughtbot (https://thoughtbot.com/) podcast. Stay up to date by following us on social media - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@thoughtbot/streams) - LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/) - Mastodon (https://thoughtbot.social/@thoughtbot) - BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/thoughtbot.com) © 2025 thoughtbot, inc. — Credit: Ad-read music by joystock.org