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Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, LG or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.Devin: What is your superpower?Jane: If something goes poorly, I'm like, okay, how can we fix this?Rob: I don't really accept constraints... I want to always find a way around the issue.Imagine a drive-thru where you can order your favorite coffee with a single app click, arrive at the pickup spot, and leave in seconds—no line, no waiting, no tipping. This seamless experience is the vision of Jane Lo and Rob Whitten, co-founders of p!ng, a fully automated drive-thru system designed to solve the inefficiencies of traditional drive-thrus.The idea was born out of frustration. Rob, a robotics expert and father of three, described how bad drive-thru experiences with his daughters inspired the project. “My three daughters made me go through a bunch of drive-throughs. It was a terrible experience, and Jane told me to stop complaining one day and just fix it,” he shared. Jane, a marketing and customer experience expert, immediately saw the potential. Together, they combined their skills to create what Rob calls “the nerd's revenge for bad drive-throughs.”The technology behind p!ng is as impressive as its simplicity. Customers use an app to place their orders, which are prepared only when they approach the pickup location. Sensors and geofencing track vehicles, ensuring orders are ready precisely when needed. Rob explained, “We wanted you to leave p!ng feeling victorious and like you're living in the future. It's nice and simple on the surface, but underneath, there's a bunch of really cool tech happening.”Jane and Rob's innovative system is already making waves among consumers, who appreciate the speed and ease of the experience. “Our customers were like, ‘This is amazing. Why doesn't this already exist?'” Jane said. Yet, traditional venture capitalists often didn't understand the scope of the problem. “If you're someone wealthier, you probably have an assistant or a fancy espresso machine. You're not likely to be in that drive-thru lane,” she explained.To fund their vision of revolutionizing drive-thru convenience, the pair turned to regulated investment crowdfunding on Wefunder, where everyday people can invest in their mission. “It's awesome because good customers make great investors and vice versa,” Rob noted.By combining cutting-edge robotics with a deep understanding of customer needs, Jane and Rob aren't just solving a problem—they're creating an entirely new experience. p!ng shows how innovation and impact can work hand in hand to redefine convenience.tl;dr:Jane Lo and Rob Whitten founded p!ng to create a frictionless, fully automated drive-thru experience.They combined expertise in robotics and customer experience to revolutionize how people get coffee.Traditional VCs didn't see the problem, so they turned to crowdfunding to fund their vision.Jane's adaptability and Rob's determination to overcome constraints drive their ability to innovate.p!ng's technology simplifies the customer experience while showcasing the potential of robotics.How to Develop Adaptability and Problem Solving As a SuperpowerJane and Rob's superpowers center on adaptability and a refusal to accept limits. Jane describes herself as an “adapter,” someone who embraces change and thrives in uncertain situations. “If something goes poorly, I'm like, okay, how can we fix this?” she explained. Rob, on the other hand, described his ability to challenge constraints: “I don't really accept constraints... I want to always find a way around the issue.” Together, these superpowers enable them to tackle challenges head-on and innovate in ways others might overlook.When Jane was recovering from hip replacement surgery, she adapted by learning to solder at home so she could contribute to p!ng's pilot project. “We made like a hundred of them or something,” she said, referring to the wiring components she assembled. Meanwhile, Rob shared his story of running a two-football-field-long hose to solve a water shortage during a robotics test at Amazon, demonstrating his determination to overcome obstacles quickly and creatively.Tips for Developing the Superpower:Push your boundaries by tackling things you fear or find uncomfortable.Embrace change as an opportunity for growth rather than something to avoid.Interrogate constraints instead of accepting them—ask “how can I solve this?” rather than “can I?”Use AI tools creatively to brainstorm and find out-of-the-box solutions.Focus on the next step instead of dwelling on failures or setbacks.By following Jane and Rob's example and advice, you can make adaptability and problem solving a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Invest in Ending Organ Shortages!Guest ProfileJane Lo (she/her):Co-founder, p!ngAbout p!ng: p!ng is the fastest autonomous coffee drive-thru in the galaxy — a compact, robotics and AI-powered pod that serves premium specialty drinks in under a minute with virtually no wait and a radically better customer experience. Designed by veterans of Amazon Robotics, iRobot, and SharkNinja, p!ng delivers the speed, consistency, and convenience today's on-the-go consumers crave, whether that's during the chaotic morning rush or afternoon beverage side quest.Website: pingthru.comCompany Facebook Page: facebook.com/pingthrucoffeeCompany Instagram Handle: @pingthrucoffee Other URL: wefunder.com/pingBiographical Information: I grew up in the Bay Area and after graduating from UC Berkeley, began my career in healthcare consulting and biotech. These experiences made one thing clear: I wanted to work as close to the end consumer as possible. I returned to school to earn my MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, then moved into product marketing, brand marketing, and media production for consumer brands including Samsonite and SharkNinja. I met Rob, my co-founder, at SharkNinja, working on the same kitchen appliances development team. I found my true passion in Customer Experience analytics at Forrester Research, heading up a team of analysts and working as an advisor to Fortune 500 executives. I used data to show companies how well they are delivering for customers (or not), and what they could do to improve. Over time, I realized that even with good intentions and well-resourced teams, many companies struggle to create real change. Today, I use my love of working with and understanding customers to build joy-inducing experiences that make everyday life better.LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jane-lo-pingRob Whitten (he/him)Co-founder, p!ngBiographical Information: Rob Whitten is the co‑founder of p!ng, the wicked fast robotic coffee drive‑thru. Raised in Loudon, NH, he attended West Point and served as an Army infantry officer before settling in Billerica, MA in 2004.With a degree in Systems Engineering and a Master's in Program Management, Rob has spent his career solving complex problems across defense, consumer electronics, and e‑commerce. He has led high‑performing teams at BAE Systems, iRobot, SharkNinja, and Amazon Robotics, working on projects including autonomous manipulation, robotics sortation, and grocery automation.In 2023, frustrated by long drive‑thru experiences with his daughters, he co‑founded p!ng to reinvent the model through automation.Outside of work, Rob enjoys riding his Harley with Jane, competing in triathlons, skiing, hiking, traveling, cooking, and crafting epic Star Wars lawn decorations.LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rob-whitten-pingthruInvest in Career Success!Support Our SponsorsOur generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today's advertisers include rHealth, Frontier Bio, and Rise Up at Work. Learn more about advertising with us here.Max-Impact Members(We're grateful for every one of these community champions who make this work possible.)Brian Christie, Brainsy | Cameron Neil, Lend For Good | Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Hiten Sonpal, RISE Robotics | John Berlet, CORE Tax Deeds, LLC. | Justin Starbird, The Aebli Group | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Mark Grimes, Networked Enterprise Development | Matthew Mead, Hempitecture | Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Mike Green, Envirosult | Nick Degnan, Unlimit Ventures | Dr. Nicole Paulk, Siren Biotechnology | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Sharon Samjitsingh, Health Care Originals | Add Your Name HereUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.Superpowers for Good Live Pitch – Private Investor Session: Immediately following the March 17, 2026, live broadcast at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT, investors are invited to join an exclusive private Zoom session to engage directly with the presenting founders—BRG Therapeutics (Dale Walker), GigaWatt (Deep Patel), My Diabetes Health (Dr. Prem Sahasranam), and rHEALTH (Eugene Chan). In this dedicated off-air environment, participants can ask deeper questions about strategy, traction, deal terms, and impact while exploring their active Regulation Crowdfunding campaigns in real time. Watch the live pitches on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, LG Smart TVs via e360tv, LinkedIn, YouTube, or Facebook—then continue the conversation in the private investor session where capital and clarity come together. Register free to get access to both events.SuperCrowd Impact Member Networking Session: Impact (and, of course, Max-Impact) Members of the SuperCrowd are invited to a private networking session on March 17th at 1:30 PM ET/10:30 AM PT. Mark your calendar. We'll send private emails to Impact Members with registration details. Upgrade to Impact Membership today!SuperCrowdHour March: This month, Devin Thorpe will explore how investors can align profit with purpose in a powerful session titled “Why You Should Make Money with Impact Crowdfunding.” As CEO and Founder of The Super Crowd, Inc., Devin will share practical insights on generating financial returns while driving measurable social and environmental impact through regulated investment crowdfunding. Register free to get all the details. March 18th at Noon ET/9:00 PT.SuperCrowd26 featuring PurposeBuilt100™: This August 25–27, founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders will gather for a three-day, broadcast-quality global experience focused on disciplined capital formation, regulated investment crowdfunding, and purpose-driven growth. We're bringing together leading voices in impact investing, compliance, digital marketing, and circular economy innovation to deliver practical frameworks, real-world case studies, and actionable strategies. The event culminates in the PurposeBuilt100™ Showcase, recognizing 100 of the fastest-growing purpose-driven companies in the U.S. Register now to secure your seat and get all the details. August 25–27, streaming worldwide.Share the application for the PurposeBuilt100™: Purpose-driven founders deserve recognition. The PurposeBuilt100™ application window is now open—celebrating the fastest-growing companies building profit with purpose. If you know a founder creating real impact and real growth, please share this opportunity. Applications are free and confidential. Explore the program and apply today: PurposeBuilt100.com.Community Event CalendarSuccessful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.Nominate your MedTech, BioTech or Life Sciences company for the prestigious TAG Awards. The deadline is quickly approaching! Apply before March 13! Use the discount code SUPERPOWER to save 20%!Save the Date! October 20th and 21st will be the Crowdfunding Professional Association Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit for 2026. This is the event of the year for everyone in the crowdfunding ecosystem.If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 10,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.Manage the volume of emails you receive from us by clicking here.We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe
In this episode, Ricardo discusses the importance of maintaining rhythm, not hysteria, for projects to be sustainable. He explains that many organizations confuse productivity with a chaotic environment full of emergencies, constant meetings, and changing priorities. This scenario only creates the sensation of movement but doesn't guarantee real progress. For Ricardo, rhythm means consistency, cadence, and continuous advancement with focus and energy, while hysteria puts the project in a permanent state of emergency. This generates fatigue, worsens decision-making, and reduces the quality of work. He emphasizes that projects are made by people and that exhausted teams lose motivation and make more mistakes. Therefore, leaders must define clear priorities, respect the team's capacity, and create a sustainable environment to achieve consistent results. Listen to the podcast to learn more about!
Neste episódio, Ricardo fala sobre a importância de manter ritmo, e não histeria, para que os projetos sejam sustentáveis. Ele explica que muitas organizações confundem produtividade com um ambiente caótico, cheio de urgências, reuniões constantes e mudanças de prioridade. Esse cenário cria apenas a sensação de movimento, mas não garante progresso real. Para Ricardo, ritmo significa consistência, cadência e avanço contínuo com foco e energia, enquanto a histeria coloca o projeto em estado permanente de emergência. Isso gera cansaço, piora as decisões e reduz a qualidade do trabalho. Ele destaca que projetos são feitos por pessoas e que equipes exaustas perdem motivação e cometem mais erros. Por isso, líderes devem definir prioridades claras, respeitar a capacidade do time e criar um ambiente sustentável para alcançar resultados consistentes. Escute o podcast para saber mais!
In this episode, Ricardo Vargas celebrates International Women's Day while reflecting on the importance of diversity in projects. He explains that projects often fail not because of technical issues but because teams fall into uniform thinking, where everyone analyzes risks and decisions from the same perspective. Complex projects require contrasting viewpoints, experiences, and interpretations. The participation of women strengthens decision-making, risk analysis, communication, and stakeholder engagement. Ricardo emphasizes that diversity is not only about fairness but about performance, collective intelligence, and better results. When women can fully participate, challenging ideas, leading, and influencing decisions, projects become more robust and complete. He concludes that real inclusion means ensuring women's voices are heard and that diversity should be treated as a fundamental condition for delivering better projects. Listen to the podcast to learn more about!
Neste episódio, Ricardo celebra o Dia Internacional da Mulher refletindo sobre a importância da diversidade em projetos. Ele explica que muitos projetos fracassam não por problemas técnicos, mas pelo group thinking, quando todos pensam da mesma forma e deixam de questionar decisões. Projetos complexos precisam de diferentes perspectivas, experiências e formas de interpretar riscos. Nesse contexto, a participação das mulheres contribui para melhorar a qualidade das decisões, a comunicação e o relacionamento com stakeholders. Ricardo destaca que diversidade não é apenas uma questão de justiça, mas de desempenho e inteligência coletiva. Quando mulheres têm espaço para participar, liderar, questionar e influenciar, os projetos tornam-se mais robustos. Ele conclui incentivando líderes a tratar a diversidade como um fator essencial para alcançar melhores resultados em projetos. Escute o podcast para saber mais!
In this episode, Ricardo explains that many projects fail not because of technical issues, but because the global context changes during execution. Elections, wars, sanctions, and trade tensions can shift priorities, block suppliers, and unexpectedly increase costs. Geopolitics goes beyond armed conflicts; it includes global supply chains, interest rates, exchange rates, and environmental regulations. Trade restrictions can halt infrastructure projects, export limitations can delay the delivery of critical equipment, and regional conflicts can raise material costs. Higher interest rates affect project financing, while currency fluctuations can quickly make contracts unviable. Regulatory changes also impact scope and timelines. So, project managers must include macroeconomic risks in planning, work with multiple scenarios, and involve leadership when the context changes to stay aligned with strategy in a globally unstable environment. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo explica que muitos projetos falham não por problemas técnicos, mas porque o contexto global muda durante a execução. Eleições, guerras, sanções e tensões comerciais podem alterar prioridades, bloquear fornecedores e elevar custos inesperadamente. Geopolítica vai além de conflitos armados: inclui cadeias globais de suprimento, taxas de juros, câmbio e regulações ambientais. Restrições comerciais podem paralisar obras, limitar exportações e encarecer materiais. A alta dos juros afeta o financiamento, e variações cambiais podem tornar contratos inviáveis rapidamente. Mudanças regulatórias também impactam escopo e prazos. Por isso, o gerente de projetos deve considerar riscos macroeconômicos, trabalhar com cenários e envolver a liderança quando o contexto muda, garantindo alinhamento estratégico em um ambiente de instabilidade global. Escute o podcast para aprender mais!
What does a Technical Program Manager actually do & and why is the role so often misunderstood?In this episode of Dev Life, Brooke and Matt go inside Technical Program Management — unpacking the misconceptions, the mindset shift from engineer to TPM, and how engineers can work more effectively with the role.We explore:• What a TPM really owns (and what they don't)• Where engineers misunderstand the role• Fair criticisms TPMs need to hear• What great TPM support actually feels like• Staying technical without writing production code• When making the switch makes sense — and when it doesn'tWhether you're considering the move to TPM or simply want to collaborate better with one, this conversation brings clarity to one of the most misunderstood roles in tech.CONNECT WITH US:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jedibravery/https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewbchristiansen/Follow us onX: @DevLifePodcastX: @AngularShowBluesky: @theangularplusshow.bsky.socialThe Angular Plus Show and The DevLIfe Podcast are a part of ng-conf. ng-conf is a multi-day Angular conference focused on delivering the highest quality training in the Angular JavaScript framework. Developers from across the globe converge every year to attend talks and workshops by the Angular team and community experts.JoinAttendXBluesky ReadWatchStock media provided by JUQBOXMUSIC/ Pond5
In this episode, we break down the upcoming Single BPA for Information Technology Program Management Support (ITPMS) with the Department of Homeland Security - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). With an anticipated value of $50M–$100M and a Full & Open competition, this opportunity covers enterprise IT portfolio management, governance, financial oversight, acquisition management, scheduling, and PMO support for HSI systems.Listen now to understand the scope, competition landscape, and how to prepare before the solicitation drops.Contact ProposalHelper at sales@proposalhelper.com to find similar opportunities and help you build a realistic and winning pipeline.
In this episode, Ricardo explains that the true enemy of a project is not risk, but illusion. Although teams dedicate significant effort to risk management—creating registers, assessing probability and impact, and defining mitigation plans—many failures arise from collective self-deception. Unrealistic schedules, underestimated budgets, and overly ambitious scopes are often accepted to satisfy expectations and gain approval. Unlike uncertainty, which is natural in complex environments, illusion is culturally constructed and reinforced by pressure, incentives, and overconfidence. The planning fallacy drives teams to underestimate time and cost. Effective project leadership means confronting illusions early, making trade-offs explicit, and protecting reality. Projects fail not because of known risks, but because uncomfortable truths are ignored. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo afirma que o verdadeiro inimigo de um projeto não é o risco, mas a ilusão. Embora dediquemos muito esforço à gestão de riscos, muitos fracassos decorrem do autoengano coletivo: cronogramas otimistas e irreais, orçamentos ajustados para viabilizar o business case e escopos sustentáveis apenas no papel. Diferente da incerteza, que é natural em ambientes complexos, a ilusão é construída pela cultura organizacional e pela pressão por aprovação e velocidade. A falácia do planejamento nos leva a subestimar prazos e custos por incentivos e excesso de confiança. Liderança em projetos não é agradar, mas proteger a realidade, explicitar trade-offs e confrontar ilusões cedo. Projetos fracassam não pelo que sabemos, mas pelo que escolhemos ignorar. Escute o podcast para saber mais!
Cisco is bringing renewed focus to wireless certifications — and major updates are coming in March 2026. In this episode of the Cisco Learning Network Podcast, Cisco Learning Network Community Manager Tanner Swift sits down with Andrew Richter, Content Engineering and Program Management lead focused on Wireless and Enterprise Networking, to discuss what's changing across the wireless certification track. Together, they break down the introduction of the new Wireless Core exam, updates to the CCNP Wireless pathway, changes to the CCIE Wireless practical exam, and what these updates mean for current certification holders. They also explore why these changes are happening now, how industry feedback shaped the new direction, and where learners can find study resources to prepare. Whether you're already working toward a wireless certification or just curious about where Cisco wireless learning is headed, this episode gives you the context and clarity you need to navigate the road ahead.
Pour un fois, je suis toute seule face à vous pour analyser les apprentissages communs partagés par les leaders du Product Marketing interviewés dans cette dernière saison.Les invité.es de la saison 6 :Julien Sauvage, CMO chez Cordial, ex VP PMM Clari et GongJulie Shaffer, PMM Director chez SmartlyBertrand Hazard, Consultant PMM, Ex VP PMMShannon Vettes, CEO & CPO chez UsersnapAxel Kirstetter, VP PMM chez GuidewireHarvey Lee, Fractional PMM & Advisor, Ex VP PMM chez Product Marketing AllianceÀ travers leurs parcours et leurs prises de position, une vision plus exigeante du métier se dessine.Mes 5 apprentissages :Le rôle PMM reste mal comprisLien entre PMM et revenuClarté et simplification comme levier stratégiqueLes parcours non linéairesFocus marché vs focus produitJ'espère que ce nouveau format vous plaît, n'hésitez pas à m'écrire sur Linkedin pour me dire ce que vous en avez pensé ! ça me fait toujours hyper plaisir de lire vos retours.INVITATION WEBINAR: On se retrouve le 26 février à 11h pour parler de feedback-loop et Voice of Customer? Pour en savoir plus et s'inscrire c'est iciDurant ce webinar, nous analysons comment les équipes B2B peuvent reconstruire une compréhension commune de leurs acheteurs à partir de la Win-Loss analysis, plutôt que de multiplier les signaux fragmentés. Une approche concrète pour aligner Sales, Marketing et Product autour d'une même réalité business.RESSOURCES
During Carnival week in Brazil, Ricardo connects celebration with project management. Carnival, one of the world's largest cultural events, symbolizes creativity, energy, discipline, and months of preparation. Behind the music and parades lies structured planning, budgeting, rehearsals, and well-defined roles—just like in projects. However, in professional life, teams often move from one milestone to another without celebrating achievements. Projects demand resilience, discipline, and sacrifice, and each victory deserves recognition. Celebrating is not a waste of time; it's emotional fuel. It reinforces positive behaviors, strengthens the sense of belonging, reduces burnout, and highlights progress. Just like in Carnival, successful projects deliver results and build stronger, more motivated teams along the way. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Durante a semana do Carnaval no Brasil, Ricardo relaciona celebração e gestão de projetos. O Carnaval, uma das maiores manifestações culturais do mundo, simboliza criatividade, energia, disciplina e meses de preparação. Por trás da música e dos desfiles existe planejamento estruturado, orçamento, ensaios e papéis bem definidos — assim como nos projetos. Porém, na vida profissional, as equipes frequentemente passam de um marco a outro sem celebrar conquistas. Projetos exigem resiliência, disciplina e sacrifício, e cada vitória merece reconhecimento. Celebrar não é perda de tempo; é combustível emocional. Reforça comportamentos positivos, fortalece o senso de pertencimento, reduz o esgotamento e evidencia o progresso. Assim como no Carnaval, projetos bem-sucedidos entregam resultados e constroem equipes mais fortes e motivadas ao longo da jornada. Escute o podcast para saber mais!
In this episode, Ricardo presents Cloud Cowork, an agentic AI model from Anthropic that goes far beyond traditional conversational assistants. It is designed to execute complete tasks within real contexts such as files, folders, documents, reports, and workflows. Ricardo highlights its strong applicability to project management and other forms of structured knowledge work, where a large amount of time is spent on operational activities like organizing documents, consolidating data, reviewing information, and preparing reports. By delegating these tasks to an AI agent that plans and executes work in a structured way, professionals can shift their focus from execution to orchestration, decision-making, and strategy. Speaking as a satisfied user with no affiliation to Anthropic, Ricardo strongly recommends testing Cloud Cowork to understand the real impact of agentic AI on projects, PMOs, and organizations. Catch the full episode to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo apresenta o Cloud Cowork, um modelo de agente de IA da Anthropic que vai muito além dos assistentes conversacionais tradicionais. Ele foi projetado para executar tarefas completas em contextos reais, como arquivos, pastas, documentos, relatórios e fluxos de trabalho. Ricardo destaca sua forte aplicabilidade ao gerenciamento de projetos e outras formas de trabalho intelectual estruturado, em que grande parte do tempo é gasta em atividades operacionais como organizar documentos, consolidar dados, revisar informações e preparar relatórios. Ao delegar essas tarefas a um agente de IA que planeja e executa o trabalho de forma estruturada, os profissionais podem mudar o foco da execução para a orquestração, a tomada de decisões e a estratégia. Falando como um usuário satisfeito, sem qualquer vínculo com a Anthropic, Ricardo recomenda fortemente testar o Cloud Cowork para entender o impacto real dos agentes de IA em projetos, PMOs e organizações. Ouça o episódio e confira todos os detalhes!
In this episode, we're joined by Deepika Manglani, VP of Product and Program Management at the LA Times. Deepika's career in media spans over 15 years, culminating in her current role, where she's bringing the 140-year-old institution into the future. In this episode, Deepika shares: How her team is using AI to preserve a unique trove of historical data, over 12 million pages of news archives from as far back as the 1800s What this digital archive and maturation of AI enables for future storytelling, media innovation, and news personalization Why combining product and program management was critical to navigating massive transformation at the LA Times through a period of heavy M&A activity Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepikamanglani/ LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:15 Deepika's career journey in media and product leadership 01:25 Building from scratch at LA Times 05:06 Digitizing historical archives 08:40 Challenges and innovations in AI and OCR 19:54 Future prospects and personalization in news 24:33 Conclusion Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket's Galileo AI watches user sessions for you and surfaces the technical and usability issues holding back your web and mobile apps. Understand where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com.Special Guest: Deepika Manglani.
AlabamaGovernor Ivey supports two companion bills that address public safetyThe ALGOP steering committee rejects residency challenges against Tommy Tuberville and John Wahl as they run for state officesA lawsuit is filed against 3 employees at Trinity child center re: recent sex abuse arrestTuskegee basketball coach hires lawyers after he was cuffed at Atlanta gameMajor General Terry Grisham to lead Program Management at SpaceCOMNationalFederal judge seeks to stop DHS from ending Temporary Status for HaitiansPresident Trump and India Prime Minister reach trade deal to end tariffsSAVE Act to be brought to a vote on Senate floor according to John ThuneWSJ to publish hit pieces against DNI's Gabbard after FBI raid in GAThe Clintons say they are NOW willing tobe deposed by House Oversight committee to avoid contempt chargesBen Swann says the latest Jeffrey Epstein doc release completely vindicates his report on "Pizza Gate" from 10 years ago
In this episode, Ricardo explains the difference between Generative AI, AI Agents, and Agentic AI—topics that are widely discussed but often misunderstood. He draws on a clear explanation by Filipa Peleja, presented during the O'Reilly Super Stream on Generative AI. Generative AI, based on large language models, responds to prompts and produces text, ideas, and analysis, but it has no initiative, goals, or independent decision-making. AI Agents, on the other hand, are given a goal and can plan tasks, use tools, interact with systems, and execute actions in sequence, with operational autonomy within defined rules. Finally, Agentic AI involves systems of agents working together, with memory, adaptability, and evolving strategies, raising major challenges around governance, ethics, and accountability. Catch the full episode to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo esclarece a diferença entre IA Generativa, Agentes de IA e IA Agêntica, um tema muito falado, mas ainda confuso. Ele se inspira em uma explicação de Filipa Peleja, apresentada no O'Reilly Super Stream sobre IA Generativa. A IA Generativa, baseada em modelos de linguagem, responde a prompts e produz textos, ideias e análises, mas não tem iniciativa, objetivos ou tomada de decisão própria. Já os Agentes de IA recebem um objetivo e conseguem planejar tarefas, usar ferramentas, interagir com sistemas e executar ações em sequência, com autonomia operacional dentro de regras definidas. Por fim, a IA Agêntica envolve sistemas de agentes que cooperam, possuem memória, se adaptam e ajustam estratégias, trazendo desafios de governança, ética e responsabilidade. Ouça o episódio e confira todos os detalhes!
In this episode, Ricardo analyzes the 21st edition of the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2026, highlighting the end of predictability and the beginning of the so-called "era of competition." The report points to a more turbulent global scenario, with 50% of leaders predicting instability in the next two years, driven by geoeconomic confrontation that threatens global supply chains. Ricardo explains that in the economic field, high global debt and increased spending on defense, energy transition, and artificial intelligence make capital more expensive and scarcer, requiring extreme financial rigor in projects. Misinformation intensifies social polarization. As a strategic response, the report proposes a "coalition of the willing": moving forward with truly committed groups, without waiting for total consensus. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo analisa a 21ª edição do Relatório de Riscos Globais 2026, do Fórum Econômico Mundial, destacando o fim da previsibilidade e o início da chamada “era da competição”. O relatório aponta um cenário global mais turbulento, com 50% dos líderes prevendo instabilidade nos próximos dois anos, impulsionada pela confrontação geoeconômica, que ameaça cadeias globais de suprimentos. Ricardo explica que no campo econômico, o elevado endividamento global e o aumento dos gastos com defesa, transição energética e inteligência artificial tornam o capital mais caro e escasso, exigindo rigor financeiro extremo nos projetos. A desinformação intensifica a polarização social. Como resposta estratégica, o relatório propõe a “coalizão dos dispostos”: avançar com grupos realmente comprometidos, sem esperar consenso total. Escute o podcast para aprender mais!
In this episode, Ricardo warns against a common mistake in organizations: believing that more tools and software mean more maturity. Many companies invest in expensive platforms, dashboards, and impeccable reports, but continue to make poor decisions. Tools don't create maturity; they only highlight what already exists. If there is no prioritization, clear criteria, and decisions, technology only organizes the confusion. Teams end up spending more time feeding systems than thinking about projects. Abundant indicators do not compensate for the absence of priorities. Maturity is not about having the best software, but about knowing who decides, based on what criteria, and what changes when something deviates from the plan. Without this, any tool becomes just a digital ornament. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo alerta para um erro comum nas organizações: acreditar que mais ferramentas e softwares significam mais maturidade. Muitas empresas investem em plataformas caras, dashboards e relatórios impecáveis, mas continuam tomando decisões ruins. Ferramentas não criam maturidade; elas apenas evidenciam o que já existe. Se não há priorização, critérios claros e decisões, a tecnologia só organiza a confusão. Times acabam gastando mais tempo alimentando sistemas do que pensando nos projetos. Indicadores abundantes não compensam a ausência de prioridades. Maturidade não é ter o melhor software, mas saber quem decide, com base em quais critérios e o que muda quando algo sai do plano. Sem isso, qualquer ferramenta vira apenas um enfeite digital. Escute o podcast para aprender mais!
In this episode, Ricardo reflects on his participation at CES 2026 through the lens of project management, highlighting a structural shift rather than new gadgets. Using LEGO's smart bricks as an analogy, he explains how projects today extend, not replace, traditional foundations by integrating data, AI, and digital capabilities. He highlights Project AVA, a holographic AI advisor, as an example of projects becoming complex ecosystems where hardware, software, data, governance, ethics, and security must work in harmony. From AI-powered consumer products to robotaxis like Zoox, projects now continue beyond delivery into ongoing operation. Ricardo concludes that project managers are evolving into value orchestrators who connect technological possibilities with meaningful, responsible value for organizations and society. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo compartilha os principais aprendizados da sua participação na CES 2026, destacando que o mundo entrou definitivamente na era da Physical AI, a combinação entre inteligência artificial e o meio físico. Ele usa o exemplo do smart brick da LEGO para mostrar que nenhuma empresa está imune à tecnologia e que projetos de transformação digital passaram a ser uma questão de sobrevivência estratégica. Outro destaque é o Projeto AVA, um holograma com IA e presença física, que transforma projetos em sistemas vivos, exigindo integração de hardware, software, experiência do usuário, ética e governança. A CES também evidenciou a presença da IA em produtos cotidianos, robôs e robótaxis como o Zoox. Ricardo conclui que o gerente de projetos evolui de executor para orquestrador de valor, conectando tecnologia, estratégia e sociedade. Escute o podcast para aprender mais!
In the first episode of 2026, Ricardo warns about the biggest mistake that ruins projects early in the year: saying yes to everything. January brings optimism, pressure for fast results, and a belief that everything is possible, leading to overloaded portfolios and teams working far beyond capacity. Projects are planned under unrealistic assumptions, confusing hope with real capacity. Failures don't happen at the end of the year, but at the beginning, when wrong choices are made. Strong projects start with focus, tough decisions, and renunciation. The key question is not what to start, but what not to do. Saying no early is less painful than canceling projects later. Projects fail not due to a lack of ideas, but an excess of promises. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
No primeiro episódio de 2026, Ricardo alerta para o maior erro que arruína projetos no início do ano: dizer sim a tudo. Janeiro traz otimismo, pressão por resultados rápidos e a crença de que tudo é possível, levando a portfólios sobrecarregados e equipes trabalhando muito além da capacidade. Os projetos são planejados sob premissas irreais, confundindo esperança com capacidade real. Os fracassos não acontecem no final do ano, mas no início, quando escolhas erradas são feitas. Projetos sólidos começam com foco, decisões difíceis e renúncia. A questão fundamental não é o que começar, mas o que não fazer. Dizer não no início é menos doloroso do que cancelar projetos mais tarde. Os projetos fracassam não por falta de ideias, mas por excesso de promessas. Escute o podcast para aprender mais!
In this final episode of 2025, Ricardo proposes a reflection on changes that will profoundly impact projects in 2026. He presents five central insights: the end of projects as isolated islands, which will operate as parts of a continuous value stream; the radical fragmentation of teams, marked by high fluidity between people, partners, and AI agents; the silent transfer of authority, with decisions distributed among boards, algorithms, and teams; the emergence of cognitive risk, caused by flawed mental models and excessive reliance on automated responses; and the silent obsolescence of the traditional project manager. For Ricardo, 2026 will be the year of repositioning, requiring the courage to unlearn, assume new responsibilities, and lead in ambiguous environments, focusing on real impact and conscious choices. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste último episódio de 2025, Ricardo propõe uma reflexão sobre mudanças que impactarão profundamente os projetos em 2026. Ele apresenta cinco insights centrais: o fim dos projetos como ilhas isoladas, que passam a operar como partes de um fluxo contínuo de valor; a fragmentação radical das equipes, marcadas por alta fluidez entre pessoas, parceiros e agentes de IA; a transferência silenciosa de autoridade, com decisões distribuídas entre conselhos, algoritmos e equipes; o surgimento do risco cognitivo, causado por modelos mentais equivocados e confiança excessiva em respostas automatizadas; e a obsolescência silenciosa do gerente de projetos tradicional. Para Ricardo, 2026 será o ano do reposicionamento, exigindo coragem para desaprender, assumir novas responsabilidades e liderar em ambientes ambíguos, com foco em impacto real e escolhas conscientes. Escute o podcast para aprender mais!
In this episode, Ricardo looks back at the year in projects with a mature and deeply reflective perspective, focusing on the lessons learned. He describes an intense year, marked by strong pressure for results, shorter deadlines, and increasingly tight budgets, where good planning ceased to be a differentiator and became a matter of survival. Execution took center stage, and mistakes became more costly. At the same time, artificial intelligence ceased to be a promise and became part of the daily routine of projects, bringing real productivity gains. AI did not replace the project manager; it replaced improvisation. Even so, the biggest challenge remained human: fatigue, overload, burnout, and failures caused by human exhaustion. The dispute between methods lost its meaning; those who knew how to adapt to the context won. Projects became more strategic, guided by value, purpose, and conscious choices for the future. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo faz uma retrospectiva do ano em projetos com um olhar maduro e profundamente reflexivo, focando no aprendizado. Ele descreve um ano intenso, marcado por forte pressão por resultados, prazos mais curtos e orçamentos cada vez mais apertados, em que planejar bem deixou de ser diferencial e passou a ser questão de sobrevivência. A execução ganhou protagonismo e o erro ficou mais caro. Ao mesmo tempo, a inteligência artificial deixou de ser promessa e passou a fazer parte do dia a dia dos projetos, trazendo ganhos reais de produtividade. A IA não substituiu o gerente de projetos, substituiu o improviso. Ainda assim, o maior desafio seguiu sendo humano: cansaço, sobrecarga, burnout e falhas causadas pelo desgaste das pessoas. A disputa entre métodos perdeu sentido; venceu quem soube adaptar ao contexto. Os projetos ficaram mais estratégicos, guiados por valor, propósito e escolhas conscientes para o futuro. Escute o podcast para aprender mais!
What does a non-golfer who loves Radiohead and once worked in a nightclub bring to the PGA Tour? A fresh perspective that drives groundbreaking innovation. In this long-awaited conversation, host Colin Weston sits down with Devon Fox, the Senior Director of Digital Programs at the PGA Tour. After eight years of connecting on LinkedIn, they finally dive into Devon's unique journey from NASCAR and Nike to leading digital innovation in golf. Devon shares how her initial (and only) disastrous golf experience became a strategic advantage, allowing her to ask the questions no one else would. She pulls back the curtain on building the PGA Tour's first Fan Council, the decade-long process that led to the stunning Apple Vision Pro app, and how she intentionally "worked herself out of a job" to bake innovation into the Tour's DNA. Beyond technology, Devon opens up about the deeply personal motivation behind founding the PGA Tour's LGBTQ+ employee resource group, PRISM, and her advocacy for meaningful, policy-driven inclusion. This is a story about challenging tradition, the power of process, and building a future for golf that engages every fan. https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/1/1ea879c1-a4a2-4e10-bea4-e5d8368a3c7a/MxkicXvQ.jpg Key takeaways in this episode with Devon that you will discover: "Golf Ignorance" as an Innovation Superpower: Devon explains how not being a golfer allowed her to challenge sacred traditions and ask fundamental questions that insiders might overlook, leading to truly fresh thinking in digital fan engagement. Innovation is a Process, Not a Department: Learn how Devon moved the PGA Tour from having a small innovation team to baking innovative thinking into the product development process itself, ensuring it becomes a sustainable part of the culture. Inclusion Starts with Internal Policy, Not External Marketing: Devon shares her impactful, criteria-driven approach to LGBTQ+ advocacy to create PRISM within the PGA Tour workplace, focusing first on tangible employee benefits and education before any public-facing campaigns, creating lasting structural change. Episode Chapters: 00:00 - 02:10: Introduction and a Connection Eight Years in the Making 02:10 - 04:20: Devon's First (and Only) Golf Experience: A Hot, Hungry Disaster 04:20 - 07:20: The Strategic Advantage of Being a Non-Golfer & Asking "Weird" Questions 07:20 - 11:20: Building the Fan Council & Sourcing Ideas Directly from Fans 11:20 - 13:30: Learning from the NBA and the Two Rules of Sports Tech Innovation 13:30 - 16:30: Bridging Generations: Using New Tech to Showcase Golf History 16:30 - 19:15: The Innovation Process: From Design Thinking to Working Herself Out of a Job 19:15 - 23:35: Career Journey: From Soul-Sucking Banking to NASCAR and Global Retail at Nike 23:35 - 30:40: Advocacy in Action: Founding PRISM & Driving LGBTQ+ Inclusion from the Inside Out 30:40 - 33:00: The Size and Scope of the PGA Tour Organization 33:00 - 37:00: A Decade-Long Win: The Journey to the Apple Vision Pro App 37:00 - 38:15: Fostering a Culture of Ideas: The Annual Hackathon 38:15 - END: Closing & Teaser for the YouTube Candy Taste Test Quotable Moments from Devon: On bringing an outside perspective: "I really held on to this lack of golf experience and knowledge to give me permission to ask those weird questions that nobody else would ask. It really benefited me." On the purpose of technology: "You don't just do innovation and emerging technology for the sake of doing it. It has to have some value for the fan. You have to dig deep and find out what that is." On the long game of innovation: "One win I'm really proud of is the work that led up to the Apple Vision Pro app. It's this progression of 'let's see what we require to create it and let's go get after that, then build it in and operationalize that.'" Want to see Devon's reaction to tasting Thrills, a truly bizarre Canadian "soap-flavoured" gum from the 1970s while trying to carry on a conversation with Colin? Then check out our exclusive and fun bonus segment on The ModGolf YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/cq61CGBB7no). Click on this link (https://youtu.be/cq61CGBB7no) or the image below to watch. https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/1/1ea879c1-a4a2-4e10-bea4-e5d8368a3c7a/ajXva8cb.jpg (https://youtu.be/cq61CGBB7no) Devon Fox's bio page >> https://modgolf.fireside.fm/guests/devon-fox Beyond technology, Devon is a passionate advocate for meaningful inclusion within the sports industry. Driven by a personal commitment to creating safer, more supportive workplaces, she founded and leads PRISM, the PGA Tour's LGBTQ+ employee resource group. Under her leadership, the group has driven substantive policy changes, including the expansion of benefits and resources, demonstrating her belief that true progress is built on internal structural change. Through her dual focus on operational excellence and human-centric culture, Devon Fox plays a pivotal role in shaping both the digital future and the inclusive ethos of the PGA Tour. https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/1/1ea879c1-a4a2-4e10-bea4-e5d8368a3c7a/TOGEFzLg.jpg (https://www.golfbusinesstechnologyconference.com/) Join our mission to make golf more innovative, inclusive and fun... and WIN some awesome golf gear! As the creator and host of The ModGolf Podcast and YouTube channel I've been telling golf entrepreneurship and innovation stories since May 2017 and I love the community of ModGolfers that we are building. I'm excited to announce that I just launched our ModGolf Patreon page to bring together our close-knit community of golf-loving people! As my Patron you will get access to exclusive live monthly interactive shows where you can participate, ask-me-anything video events, bonus content, golf product discounts and entry in members-only ModGolf Giveaway contests. I'm offering two monthly membership tiers at $5 and $15 USD, but you can also join for free. Your subscription will ensure that The ModGolf Podcast continues to grow so that I can focus on creating unique and impactful stories that support and celebrate the future of golf. Click to join >> https://patreon.com/Modgolf I look forward to seeing you during an upcoming live show!... Colin https://files.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads/images/1/1ea879c1-a4a2-4e10-bea4-e5d8368a3c7a/q_IZwlpO.jpg (https://patreon.com/Modgolf) We want to thank Golf Genius Software who have supported The ModGolf Podcast since 2019! Are you a golf course owner, manager or operator looking to increase both your profit margins and on-course experience? https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/1/1ea879c1-a4a2-4e10-bea4-e5d8368a3c7a/K9NPjjAv.jpg (https://www.golfgenius.com) Golf Genius powers tournament management at over 10,000 private clubs, public courses, resorts, golf associations, and tours in over 60 countries. So if you're a golf professional or course operator who wants to save time, deliver exceptional golfer experiences, and generate more revenue, check them out online at golfgenius.com (https://www.golfgenius.com). Special Guest: Devon Fox - Senior Director of Digital Programs at the PGA Tour.
In this episode, Ricardo highlights the importance of milestones, baselines, and control points in project management, using December 31st as a powerful example of a milestone, both personally and organizationally. Just as individuals reflect on decisions and plan the future at the end of the year, projects and organizations use milestones to review budgets, compare goals, and consolidate results. Although the calendar is a human convention, milestones provide essential reference points for comparison and control. Without a clear baseline, it is impossible to assess real progress. Projects without milestones rely on perception, while projects with milestones rely on facts. Milestones are not bureaucracy; they are moments of reflection, decision-making, and adjustment that help prevent gradual and unnoticed project deviation. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo explica a importância dos marcos, das linhas de base e dos pontos de controle na gestão de projetos, usando o dia 31 de dezembro como exemplo de um marco poderoso, tanto pessoal quanto organizacional. Assim como as pessoas reavaliam decisões e planejam o futuro no fim do ano, projetos e empresas utilizam marcos para revisar orçamentos, metas e resultados. Embora o calendário seja uma convenção humana, os marcos são essenciais porque permitem comparação e controle. Sem uma linha de base clara, não é possível saber se há progresso real. Projetos sem marcos vivem de percepção; com marcos, vivem de fatos. Marcos não são burocracia, mas momentos de reflexão, decisão e ajuste, fundamentais para evitar desvios graduais e silenciosos nos projetos. Escute o podcast para saber mais!
In this episode, Ricardo wraps up the discussion on the PMBOK Guide 8th Edition by highlighting the role of artificial intelligence in project management. PMI included AI in Appendix X3, presenting three adoption strategies: automation (making tasks faster), assistance (AI as a partner helping with scheduling and resources), and augmentation (expanding managers' capabilities and decision-making). The appendix provides practical use cases for governance, risks, resources, scheduling, and other areas. Ricardo emphasizes that AI evolves rapidly, so some examples may soon become outdated, but project managers must understand and leverage AI to remain competitive. Recent research indicates that organizations are already saving significant money by utilizing AI. He encourages readers to study the appendix carefully and stay adaptable. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo conclui a discussão sobre o Guia PMBOK 8ª Edição, destacando o papel da inteligência artificial (IA) na gestão de projetos. O PMI incluiu a IA no Apêndice X3, apresentando três estratégias de adoção: automação (tornando as tarefas mais rápidas), assistência (IA como parceira, auxiliando no planejamento e na alocação de recursos) e aumento (expansão das capacidades e da tomada de decisão dos gestores). O apêndice fornece casos de uso práticos para governança, riscos, recursos, planejamento e outras áreas. Ricardo enfatiza que a IA evolui rapidamente, portanto, alguns exemplos podem se tornar obsoletos em breve, mas os gestores de projeto precisam compreender e aproveitar a IA para se manterem competitivos. Pesquisas recentes mostram que as organizações já estão economizando quantias significativas com o uso da IA. Ele incentiva os leitores a estudarem o apêndice com atenção e a se manterem adaptáveis.
The Transformation Ground Control podcast covers a number of topics important to digital and business transformation. This episode covers the following topics and interviews: India's New Data Privacy Rules, Q&A (Darian Chwialkowski, Third Stage Consulting) Digital Transformation Trends and Predictions For 2026 The Difference Between Project Management and Program Management We also cover a number of other relevant topics related to digital and business transformation throughout the show.
What if the hardest part of reliability has nothing to do with tooling or automation? Jennifer Petoff explains why real reliability comes from the human workflows wrapped around the engineering work.Everyone seems to think AI will automate reliability away. I keep hearing the same story: “Our tooling will catch it.” “Copilots will reduce operational load.” “Automation will mitigate incidents before they happen.”But here's a hard truth to swallow: AI only automates the mechanical parts of reliability — the machine in the machine.The hard parts haven't changed at all.You still need teams with clarity on system boundaries.You still need consistent approaches to resolution.You still need postmortems that drive learning rather than blame.AI doesn't fix any of that. If anything, it exposes every organizational gap we've been ignoring. And that's exactly why I wanted today's guest on.Jennifer Petoff is Director of Program Management for Google Cloud Platform and Technical Infrastructure education. Every day, she works with SREs at Google, as well as with SREs at other companies through her public speaking and Google Cloud Customer engagements.Even if you have never touched GCP, you have still been influenced by her work at some point in your SRE career. She is co-editor of Google's original Site Reliability Engineering book from 2016. Yeah, that one!It was my immense pleasure to have her join me to discuss the internal dynamics behind successful reliability initiatives. Here are 5 highlights from our talk:3 issues stifling individual SREs' workTo start, I wanted to know from Jennifer the kinds of challenges she has seen individual SREs face when attempting to introduce or reinforce reliability improvements within their teams or the broader organization.She categorized these challenges into 3 main categories* Cultural issues (with a look into Westrum's typology of organizational culture)* Insufficient buy-in from stakeholders* Inability to communicate the value of reliability workOrganizations with generative cultures have 30% better organizational performance.A key highlight from this topic came from her look at DORA research, an annual survey of thousands of tech professionals and the research upon which the book Accelerate is based.It showed that organizations with generative cultures have 30% better organizational performance. In other words, you can have the best technology, tools, and processes to get good results, but culture further raises the bar. A generative culture also makes it easier to implement the more technical aspects of DevOps or SRE that are associated with improved organizational performance.Hands-on is the best kind of trainingWe then explored structured approaches that ensure consistency, build capability, and deliberately shape reliability culture. As they say – Culture eats strategy for breakfast!One key example Jennifer gave was the hands-on approach they take at Google. She believes that adults learn by doing. In other words, SREs gain confidence by doing hands-on work. Where possible, training programs should move away from passive listening to lectures toward hands-on exercises that mimic real SRE work, especially troubleshooting.One specific exercise that Google has built internally is Simulating Production Breakages. Engineers undergoing that training have a chance to troubleshoot a real system built for this purpose in a safe environment. The results have been profound, with a tremendous amount of confidence that Jennifer's team saw in survey results. This confidence is focused on job-related behaviors, which when repeated over time reinforce that culture of reliability.Reliability is mandatory for everybodyAnother thing Jennifer told me Google did differently was making reliability a mandatory part of every engineer's curriculum, not only SREs.When we first spun up the SRE Education team, our focus was squarely on our SREs. However, that's like preaching to the choir. SREs are usually bought into reliability. A few years in, our leadership was interested in propagating the reliability-focused culture of SRE to all of Google's development teams, a challenge an order of magnitude greater than training SREs. How did they achieve this mandate?* They developed a short and engaging (and mandatory) production safety training* That training has now been taken by tens of thousands of Googlers* Jennifer attributes this initiative's success to how they“SRE'ed the program”. “We ran a canary followed by a progressive roll-out. We instituted monitoring and set up feedback loops so that we could learn and drive continuous improvement.”The result of this massive effort? A very respectable 80%+ net promoter score with open text feedback: “best required training ever.”What made this program successful is that Jennifer and her team SRE'd its design and iterative improvement. You can learn more about “How to SRE anything” (from work to life) using her rubric: https://www.reliablepgm.com/how-to-sre-anything/Reliability gets rewarded just like feature workJennifer then talked about how Google mitigates a risk that I think every reliability engineer wishes could be solved at their organization. That is, having great reliability work rewarded at the same level as great feature work.For development and operations teams alike at Google, this means making sure “grungy work” like tech debt reduction, automation, and other activities that improve reliability are rewarded equally to shiny new product features. Organizational reward programs that recognize outstanding work typically have committees. These committees not only look for excellent feature development work, but also reward and celebrate foundational activities that improve reliability. This is explicitly built into the rubric for judging award submissions.Keep a scorecard of reliability performanceJennifer gave another example of how Google judges reliability performance, but more specifically for SRE teams this time. Google's Production Excellence (ProdEx) program was created in 2015 to assess and improve production excellence (aka reliability improvements) across SRE teams.ProdEx acts like a central scorecard to aggregate metrics from various production health domains to provide a comprehensive overview of an SRE team's health and the reliability of the services they manage. Here are some specifics from the program:* Domains include SLOs, on-call workload, alerting quality, and postmortem discipline* Reviews are conducted live every few quarters by senior SREs (directors or principal engineers) who are not part of the team's direct leadership* There is a focus on coaching and accountability without shame (to elicit psychological safety)ProdEx serves various levels of the SRE organization through:* providing strategic situational awareness regarding organizational and system health to leadership and* keeping forward momentum around reliability and surfacing team-level issues early to support engineers in addressing themWrapping upHaving an inside view of reliability mechanisms within a few large organizations, I know that few are actively doing all — or sometimes any — of the reliability enhancers that Google uses and Jennifer has graciously shared with us. It's time to get the ball rolling. What will you do today to make it happen? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit read.srepath.com
In this episode, Ricardo explains that in the PMBOK® 8th Edition, you do not need to memorize all 40 processes. Many of them are very similar, especially in the planning phase, which alone contains 19 processes. He shows that processes like Plan Scope Management, Plan Schedule Management, Plan Financial Management, and Plan Risk Management follow the same logic: they define the “rules of the game” for each performance domain. If you understand one, you know the others. Ricardo advises candidates for CAPM or PMP to focus on understanding the logic and flow of the processes rather than memorizing them, which is less effective for real-world project management. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo explica que, na 8ª edição do PMBOK®, não é necessário memorizar todos os 40 processos. Muitos deles são bastante semelhantes, especialmente na fase de planejamento, que sozinha contém 19 processos. Ele demonstra que processos como Planejamento do Escopo, Planejamento do Cronograma, Planejamento Financeiro e Planejamento de Riscos seguem a mesma lógica: definem as “regras do jogo” para cada domínio de desempenho. Se você entende um, entende os outros. Ricardo aconselha os candidatos às certificações CAPM ou PMP a se concentrarem em compreender a lógica e o fluxo dos processos, em vez de memorizá-los, o que é menos eficaz para a gestão de projetos no mundo real. Escute o podcast para saber mais.
In this episode, Ricardo discusses a key change in the PMBOK® Guide 8th edition: the relationship between stakeholders and communication. In previous editions, communication was a separate knowledge area, but now it is considered part of stakeholder management. This shift is significant because communication only exists when there are stakeholders with different needs. If a project had no stakeholders besides yourself, communication would be unnecessary. Therefore, communication is a tool to support stakeholder engagement. In the new PMBOK® structure, stakeholders remain a performance domain that includes planning, execution, and control activities. Ricardo encourages PMI members to download the PMBOK® Guide PDF and explore these updates to improve project value and delivery. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo discute uma mudança fundamental na 8ª edição do Guia PMBOK®: a relação entre as partes interessadas e a comunicação. Nas edições anteriores, a comunicação era uma área de conhecimento separada, mas agora é considerada parte da gestão das partes interessadas. Essa mudança é significativa porque a comunicação só existe quando há partes interessadas com necessidades diferentes. Se um projeto não tivesse partes interessadas além de você, a comunicação seria desnecessária. Portanto, a comunicação é uma ferramenta para apoiar o engajamento das partes interessadas. Na nova estrutura do PMBOK®, as partes interessadas permanecem um domínio de desempenho que inclui atividades de planejamento, execução e controle. Ricardo incentiva os membros do PMI a baixarem o PDF do Guia PMBOK® e explorarem essas atualizações para melhorar o valor e a entrega do projeto. Escute o podcast para saber mais.
This week's guest tells us that in the United States between 2020 and 2024, there were 115 separate billion dollar disasters. The take away? In the resilience industry, we can no longer afford to be reactionary. Hello everyone and welcome to episode 211 of the Resilient Journey Podcast, presented by Anesis Consulting Group! This week we're joined by Todd Livingston, Training Coordinator, for the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. Todd explains "The Four C's" of good program management, which are: Capability - what can our program do when it matters? Capacity - can we do it to scale? Collaboration - which could be one of the most critical elements of our program, because you can't build resilience in isolation, AND - Credentialing - Do we have the right people in the right roles? Todd also talks about the EMAP international standard. =============================================================== Be sure to follow The Resilient Journey! We sure do appreciate it! Check out the Resilient Journey Hub! Want to learn more about Mark? Click here or on LinkedIn. Special thanks to Bensound for the music.
In this episode, Ricardo discusses the new edition of PMBOK 8, which brings important changes more aligned with the real work of project managers. Based on nearly 48,000 data points and two rounds of global feedback, it has become more practical, clear, and value-oriented. The old 12 principles have been condensed into six more focused ones, while maintaining good project practices. The traditional five process groups return and now apply to predictive, agile, and hybrid projects. The old knowledge areas have evolved into seven performance domains: governance, scope, schedule, finance, stakeholders, resources, and risks. This edition also features 40 updated processes with integrated ITTOs and reinforces tailoring with practical examples, making the guide more applicable and balanced. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo fala sobre a nova edição do PMBOK 8, que traz mudanças importantes e mais alinhadas ao trabalho real dos gerentes de projetos. Baseada em quase 48 mil dados e duas rodadas de feedback global, ela se tornou mais prática, clara e orientada a valor. Os antigos 12 princípios foram condensados em seis mais focados, mantendo o bom comportamento em projetos. Os tradicionais cinco grupos de processos retornam e passam a valer para projetos preditivos, ágeis e híbridos. As antigas áreas de conhecimento evoluíram para sete domínios de desempenho: governança, escopo, cronograma, finanças, stakeholders, recursos e riscos. A edição também traz 40 processos atualizados com ITTOs integrados e reforça o tailoring com exemplos práticos, tornando o guia mais aplicável e equilibrado. Escute o podcast para saber mais.
In this episode, Ricardo discusses the role of luck and probability in project management. He explains that while luck can influence outcomes, it favors those who are prepared. Probability, he says, is not a prediction but a decision-making tool that helps manage uncertainty. Effective project managers turn randomness into results through preparation: identifying risks, creating contingency plans, defining triggers, and building buffers. Ricardo also warns against hindsight bias, which makes us underestimate luck after success. He recommends modeling uncertainty with scenarios, using simulations for high-risk decisions, protecting the critical path with buffers, and designing flexibility into projects. True management, he concludes, is not about eliminating luck but shaping how it affects outcomes—turning uncertainty into smarter choices and opportunities. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
Neste episódio, Ricardo discute o papel da sorte e da probabilidade na gestão de projetos. Ele explica que, embora a sorte possa influenciar os resultados, ela favorece aqueles que estão preparados. A probabilidade, segundo ele, não é uma previsão, mas uma ferramenta de tomada de decisão que ajuda a gerenciar a incerteza. Gerentes de projeto eficazes transformam a aleatoriedade em resultados por meio da preparação: identificando riscos, criando planos de contingência, definindo gatilhos e construindo reservas. Ricardo também alerta para o viés da retrospectiva, que nos faz subestimar a sorte após o sucesso. Ele recomenda modelar a incerteza com cenários, usar simulações para decisões de alto risco, proteger o caminho crítico com reservas e incorporar flexibilidade aos projetos. A verdadeira gestão, conclui ele, não se trata de eliminar a sorte, mas de moldar como ela afeta os resultados — transformando a incerteza em escolhas e oportunidades mais inteligentes. Escute o podcast para saber mais.
In this episode, Ricardo explains why executives need to understand the logic of project management to make informed strategic decisions. Projects drive organizational changes, such as digital transformation, new products, entry into new markets, and mergers. Without understanding how projects add value and manage risk, leaders may fail to connect strategy to execution. Many focus only on "normal functioning," but the future depends on "business as change." By understanding the dynamics of projects, executives ask better questions, support teams effectively, and build a results-oriented culture. This knowledge helps them keep pace with the organization, prioritize efficiently, and see failures as learning opportunities. True leadership requires learning to think like a project, not like tools, but like governance, critical thinking, and value creation. Listen to the podcast to learn more!