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Today, we're talking with Aleks Bass, CPO at Typeform. In part one of this two-part episode, Aleks talks about: The exact methodologies for user research that she used to develop a complete product strategy in just 45 days Their discovery of “feature constellations” - sets of features that are worth 10x more when combined than just the sum of the parts How to break the rules of user research for even faster results Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksbass/ Resources How To Say "Not Yet" To Enterprise | Deepti Mendiratta, VP Of Products (HungerRush) | LaunchPod: https://youtu.be/WHapWGbuS0Q Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:54 Aleks Bass' Unique Career Path 02:07 Challenges at Typeform 06:49 Research-Driven Product Development 11:35 Understanding Customer Needs 33:07 Feature Constellations and Their Impact 40:05 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchPod.byLogRocket)! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Aleks Bass.
Today, we're talking with Dan McCarthy, VP of Product at Cyvl, an AI-powered mapping tool for transportation infrastructure. In this episode, Dan talks about: Using lessons from building digital products to improve the physical world around us Dan's repeatable playbook for launching into new industries—and the pitfalls to avoid. How a drop in data ingestion costs allowed Cyvl to open up a new, digitally enhanced way of looking at the world Why nailing the entire go-to-market strategy is just as critical as the product itself Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-mccarthy-24543436/ Cyvl: https://cyvl.com/ Resources Unlock revenue with the zone of benefit | Oji Udezue, CPO (Typeform, Twitter, Calendly): https://youtu.be/2WuAGcRwdv0 Build product like Linear | Nan Yu, Head of Product (Linear, Everlane, BOA): https://youtu.be/7ISWLoQtNOc Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:49 Understanding Digital Twin Architecture 02:40 Challenges and Opportunities in Infrastructure Management 04:27 The Role of AI and Machine Learning in Cyvl 08:24 Future Vision for Cyvl and Infrastructure Management 12:26 Navigating Vertical Markets and Go-to-Market Strategies 19:34 Learning from Industry Transitions 32:18 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchPod.byLogRocket)! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Dan McCarthy.
Retention expert Thomas Lalas joins Will Laurenson to discuss why most brands fail at keeping customers engaged and how to fix it. They cover pricing strategies that drive long-term subscriptions, why brands should focus on value perception in the first two weeks, and how tools like Klaviyo, Typeform, and ReferralCandy can be used in unexpected ways. Thomas also shares experiments on direct mail, personalised videos, and the impact of branding on retention. If you're struggling with churn or want to improve customer lifetime value, this episode is full of practical strategies you can implement right away.
Today, we're talking with Steve Nash, Director of Product for GumGum, an ad-tech platform that matches brands and consumers through AI-powered data and media solutions. In this episode, Steve talks about: How to tell your CEO that they're wrong — and not lose your career The story behind Playground's transition to a product-centric culture, and the pace of innovation it unlocked for the team Why unifying behind Playground's mission of being “the attention company” led to their successful exit and acquisition by GumGum Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenash/ GumGum: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gumgum/ Resources Navigating a digital reckoning in art | Elizabeth Van Bergen, Product Experience Lead (Phillips): https://youtu.be/Rf-7r3PMVuo Unlock revenue with the zone of benefit | Oji Udezue, CPO (Typeform, Twitter, Calendly): https://youtu.be/2WuAGcRwdv0 Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:04 Product challenges and shifts at Playground XYZ 04:38 How to implement product centricity 05:18 How to navigate conversations with CEOs 09:23 How to empower product teams and drive innovation 11:05 Adapting during COVID-19 20:08 Attention tracking and creative Insights 27:33 The role of design and raste in product development 33:01 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube We have a new YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchPod.byLogRocket)! Watch full episodes of our interviews with PM leaders and subscribe! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Steve Nash.
Thomas is a specialist in retention marketing for BIG brands area – those doing over 8 figures in annual sales. With a specialism in the CPG, health and wellness, and subscription-first sectors. In this episode, we discuss: Why the first 14 days after a sale can make or break retention The secret to turning buyers into loyal, raving fans How subscriptions do more than just drive repeat sales A genius way to boost social proof using excited customers Dive in: [05:23] Key to retention: product frequency. [09:21] Subscription vs. non-subscription loyalty. [11:48] Subscription strategies as product essentials. [16:04] Boosting ad engagement with enthusiastic emails. [19:27] Personalization through zero party data. [21:12[ Typeform vs. one-click polls. [23:50] Insider Tips from Thomas! Find the notes here: https://keepopt.com/244 Get your Personalised Retention Playbook from YOCTO >>> https://keepopt.com/yocto ****Get all the links and resources we mention & join our email list at https://keepopt.comLove the show? Chloe would love your feedback - leave a review here: https://keepopt.com/review or reply to the episode Q&A on Spotify.Interested in being a Sponsor? go here: https://keepopt.com/sponsor
What's up everyone, today we have the pleasure of sitting down with Meg Gowell, Director of Growth Marketing at Typeform. Summary: Marketing leadership in 2025 is a wild time. After years of learning martech and technical concepts to become a full stack marketer, you finally land that dream director gig... only to watch your hard-earned tech skills collect dust while you drown in meetings. Megan helps us see the way forward. She takes us on a ride that covers marketing measurement, experimentation and building brand momentum, all while having tons of fun. We get into how data warehouses are not so quietly changing the martech universe while most teams are still stuffing everything they can in their CRM. Welcome to the wild world of modern marketing leadership – where you somehow need to be both a tech wizard and a strategy genius just to keep up. And we're here to guide ya. About MegMeg started her career in wedding planning while she was in college, she also started a luxury branding business for high-end weddingsShe then worked at a marketing agency for 4 years where she focused on social media, paid media and budget managementShe switched over to a boutique agency where she got a breath of experience across all facets of marketing including web design, conversion rate optimization, project management and also got to lead a team of marketersShe then moved over to a real estate startup – which was one of her former clients – as VP of Marketing and automation where she helped grow the company from $9MM to $22MM in less than a yearShe then moved over to B2B SaaS at Appcues as Director of Growth marketing where she led funnel optimization, experimentation strategy and execution, event sponsorships, biz dev and moreToday Meg is Director of Growth Marketing at Typeform where she oversees paid, web/site, lifecycle, partner marketing and campaigns How Full Stack Marketers Drive Marketing ExcellenceFull stack marketing capabilities command premium compensation in today's market, mirroring the pattern seen with full stack engineers who rank among the highest-paid technical professionals. The comparison raises interesting questions about the relationship between full stack and T-shaped marketing skill sets, particularly regarding depth versus breadth of expertise.The distinction between full stack and T-shaped marketers centers on the distribution of knowledge and capabilities across different marketing disciplines. While T-shaped marketers typically possess deep expertise in one area complemented by broader surface-level knowledge, full stack marketers maintain substantial working knowledge across multiple marketing domains. This broader distribution of skills enables them to engage meaningfully with specialists and make informed decisions across the marketing spectrum.A critical advantage of the full stack marketing approach lies in its impact on team building and hiring decisions. When marketing leaders possess comprehensive knowledge across various disciplines, they can better evaluate potential hires and identify genuine experts in specialized roles. This knowledge framework helps prevent the common pitfall of making poor hiring decisions due to limited understanding of specific marketing functions or technologies.The full stack marketer's broad knowledge base serves as a foundation for effective collaboration and decision-making. Rather than requiring mastery in every area, the key is maintaining sufficient expertise to ask incisive questions, recognize genuine talent, and understand the interconnections between different marketing functions. This comprehensive perspective enables better strategic planning and more efficient resource allocation.Key takeaway: Full stack marketers need sufficient knowledge across marketing disciplines to recognize expertise, make informed hiring decisions, and drive strategic initiatives. Success in this role doesn't require mastery of every area but rather the ability to understand key concepts, ask relevant questions, and identify genuine expertise when building and managing teams.Balancing Technical Proficiency and Leadership in Marketing TeamsRemember getting that dream marketing leadership role? Corner office, eager team, the works. But then reality hits - you're spending more time in strategy meetings than actually doing the hands-on work you love.It's a weird spot to be in. The higher you climb, the further you get from the technical skills that got you there. Take Megan's story - she was crushing it at AppCues, deep in the technical weeds while leading cross-functional teams. Now at Typeform, she's managing 10 people and her calendar is packed with meetings while her technical skills collect dust.Here's the thing - you can't fake technical knowledge. Real understanding comes from getting your hands dirty - tweaking platforms, figuring out complex filters, and really getting how things work under the hood. The best marketing leaders are like chefs who still know their way around the kitchen, not just writing menus. Your team can smell it a mile away if you've lost touch with the technical side. The real magic happens when you can switch between big-picture thinking and nuts-and-bolts knowledge. It's like being bilingual in both strategy and technical speak.Some leaders live in the strategy clouds, others get lost in the details. The sweet spot? Knowing when to zoom in and when to step back. When you ask about campaign metrics or question technical decisions, your team knows if you're genuinely curious or just micromanaging. Feedback is a delicate art, you have to ask yourself if your input makes something better versus just different. Sometimes we suggest changes based on personal preference rather than what actually works. The key is knowing when to speak up and when to let your team run with it.Takeaways: Your technical skills got you the leadership role. Now they need to evolve, not evaporate. The future belongs to marketing leaders who keep one foot in the code and one in the boardroom – masters of both the how and the why.Trusting Your Gut vs Measuring All Of The ThingsThe marketing metrics obsession has gone too far. While CFOs salivate over spreadsheets demanding ROI calculations for every LinkedIn post and email blast, they're missing a crucial reality check: humans are gloriously unpredictable creatures who refuse to follow our carefully crafted attribution models. The digital advertising revolution sold us a compelling fantasy of perfect measurement, but reality stubbornly refuses to play along. After the "growth at all costs" party ended with a nasty hangover, companies sobered up and started demanding receipts for every marketing dollar spent. Logical? Sure. Realistic? Not even close. This myopic fixation on measurable channels creates a dangerous illusion of control. Paid search might give you beautiful conversion tracking, but try building a billion-dollar brand on Google Ads alone. Spoiler alert: it won't work. Real growth demands embracing the uncomfortable truth that some of your most powerful marketing moves will resist neat ROI calculations.Modern marketing success requires omnipresence, not just optimization. Your target audience bounces between platforms like a caffeinated pinball, interacting with your brand across countless touchpoints. Social media, influencer collaborations, and content marketing often defy precise attribution, yet they create the vital ambient awareness that drives long-term growth. The magic happens in the messy middle, where multiple channels work together in ways that no attribution model can fully capture.Getting leadership buy-in for this reality requi...
Send us a textUnlock the secrets to extraordinary customer experiences with our special guest, Blake Grewal, founder of Bold Growth. We explore the often-overlooked potential of data and technology in transforming how businesses interact with their clients. Through the lens of scorecards and critical metrics like net promoter scores, Blake shares how businesses can streamline their focus and unearth opportunities for growth. Discover how mapping every interaction across the customer journey not only identifies areas for improvement but also integrates technology seamlessly to enhance services, whether you're in the service or product sector.In a world increasingly dominated by technology, prioritizing customer experience is a game-changer for startups and small businesses alike. With Blake's insights, we navigate the delicate balance between leveraging AI for productivity and maintaining the human touch that's so vital to customer satisfaction. Avoid the chaos of tech bloat by fully utilizing existing tools before jumping onto the next shiny new thing. By automating low-priority tasks, your business can transition from a reactive to a proactive stance, leading to happier employees and more satisfied customers.We'll also dive into the common pitfalls small businesses face with technology adoption and how simplicity can lead to success. Blake shares his entrepreneurial journey and the significance of staying grounded in tangible goals while being agile in response to customer feedback. Experience firsthand the power of innovative tools like Typeform and Unsurvey in making feedback collection more interactive and insightful. This episode is packed with practical advice and strategies designed to elevate your business's customer experience through the effective use of data and technology. Join us for an engaging conversation that promises to redefine how you view customer interactions.
Descoberta de Produto: Desvendando as Necessidades dos Usuários A descoberta de produto é a fase inicial e crucial no desenvolvimento de um novo produto ou serviço. É nesse momento que as equipes se dedicam a entender profundamente as necessidades, desejos e comportamentos dos usuários, a fim de criar soluções que agreguem valor e resolvam problemas reais. Por que a descoberta de produto é importante? Alinhamento com o mercado: Garante que o produto esteja alinhado com as demandas do mercado e as expectativas dos clientes. Redução de riscos: Ajuda a identificar e mitigar riscos antes de investir em desenvolvimento. Melhora da experiência do usuário: Permite criar produtos mais intuitivos e satisfatórios. Aumento da competitividade: Diferencia o produto da concorrência. Etapas da Descoberta de Produto A descoberta de produto envolve uma série de etapas interligadas: Definição do problema: Identificação do problema: Qual problema o produto deve resolver? Público-alvo: Quem são os usuários que serão beneficiados? Contexto: Em qual contexto o produto será utilizado?Abre em uma nova janelavenngage.com User persona example Pesquisa: Pesquisa qualitativa: Entrevistas, grupos focais, observação de usuários. Pesquisa quantitativa: Questionários, pesquisas online. Análise de dados: Identificação de padrões, insights e oportunidades.Abre em uma nova janelawww.5staressays.com diagram showing different research methods Ideação: Brainstorming: Geração de ideias criativas e inovadoras. Mapas mentais: Organização das ideias de forma visual.Abre em uma nova janelawww.curtisfamily.org.uk mind map with various branches of ideas Prototipação: Criação de protótipos: Desenvolvimento de versões iniciais do produto para testes. Testes de usabilidade: Avaliação da experiência do usuário com o protótipo.Abre em uma nova janelamockflow.com lowfidelity wireframe of a mobile app Validação: Feedback dos usuários: Coleta de feedback sobre os protótipos. Análise dos resultados: Refinamento das ideias e definição das próximas etapas. Metodologias para Descoberta de Produto Existem diversas metodologias que podem ser utilizadas na descoberta de produto, como: Design Thinking: Foca na empatia com o usuário e na criação de soluções inovadoras. Lean Startup: Enfatiza a construção de um produto mínimo viável (MVP) e a obtenção de feedback rápido. Agile: Promove o desenvolvimento iterativo e incremental. Ferramentas úteis: Software de prototipação: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD. Ferramentas de pesquisa: SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, Typeform. Ferramentas de análise de dados: Excel, Google Analytics. Em resumo: A descoberta de produto é um processo fundamental para o sucesso de qualquer iniciativa de desenvolvimento de produto. Ao investir tempo e recursos nessa etapa, as empresas podem garantir que seus produtos atendam às necessidades dos usuários e se destaquem no mercado.
Today, our guest is Oji Udezue, AI product expert, author, and an innovation-focused, multi-disciplined business leader. Oji has had an extensive and successful career, spanning his time as CPO of Typeform, Head of Product for Creation and Conversation at Twitter, CPO of Calendly, and Head of Product at Atlassian. Key takeaways: The “Zone of Benefit,” which helps assess market disruptiveness and emphasizes the need for a high value to price ratio to drive change in customers The concept of “forest time,” a practice of stepping back to gain strategic perspective Insights on product-led growth (PLG), emphasizing the importance of solving customer problems and adaptive business strategies. Links “Building Rocket Ships”: https://shop.damngravity.com/products/building-rocketships-udezue Writing: https://ojiudezue.substack.com/ Consulting: https://productmind.co Twitter: https://x.com/ojiudezue LinkedIn: https://linkedin/in/ojiudezue Leader Spotlight: Taking advantage of how humans behave, with Oji Udezue: https://tinyurl.com/bdhwkj5t Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:19 The Multifaceted Role of Product Management 04:48 Importance of Frameworks in Product Management 06:36 Adapting Frameworks to Different Companies 11:15 Understanding the Zone of Benefit 17:12 The Unicorn Framework for B2B SaaS 21:30 Building Rocket Ships: A Book for Senior Product Managers 25:32 Calendly's Success Story 30:00 Discovery: Finding Big Problems in Workflow 31:12 Simplifying Solutions with Slack 33:27 The Creators Initiative at Twitter 40:26 Forest Time: Gaining Perspective 46:14 The Importance of Listening to Your Team 48:06 Product-Led Growth (PLG) in Today's Economy 55:14 A/B Testing: When and How to Use It 59:31 Outro Follow LaunchPod on YouTube! Did you know we have a new channel dedicated to LaunchPod? Check it out and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@LaunchPod.byLogRocket What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Oji Udezue.
This podcast interview focuses on the entrepreneurial journey to help all of us to have conversations that drive action and meaningful connections. My guest is Joaquim Lecha, CEO of Typeform. Joaquim (Kim) is a tech entrepreneur on a big mission, bringing over 20 years of experience in high-growth companies. He started his career in M&A, strategy, and financial advisory. In 2012 he joined the tech world as the CFO of Socialpoint, a world-renowned mobile game developer, later taking on the role of Chief Operating Officer. In 2018 he joined Typeform as Chief Operating Officer and quickly rose to become the CEO. Their mission: to create a world where conversations drive action and meaningful connections. Under his leadership, Typeform has grown impressively (+$1B valuation), now serving well over 150,000 paying customers worldwide and achieving profitability. He recently got recognized as one of the Top 50 SaaS CEOs of 2023 by The Software Report. This inspired me, so I invited Joachim to my podcast. We explore what it takes to profitably scale a SaaS business as it experiences rapid growth. He discusses what fueled their initial growth and what strategic changes he had to make to ensure growth won't stall. Last but not least he offers practical wisdom on product development, customer-centric innovation, and maintaining resilience in the face of challenges. Here's one of his quotes I was coming from games. I had not heard from those types of products so many times the word 'Love'. People love Typeform. So my most immediate reaction to all of that is, how can we make more people aware of this great product? And I even thought, since I come from a financial type of background; 'if we can find that scalable with quick feedback loop type of motion, and in addition to that, it's got a less than 12 month payback period. Then we can fund it.' So with that in mind, we got to work. We grew our customer base by 2.5x and our revenue by almost 4x. During this interview, you will learn four things: How to ensure your pricing reflects the true value your product provides to customers - so you don't undervalue your offering. How to choose marketing and sales approaches that can bring in thousands of new customers and provide quick feedback loops. How he found a segment in the market where Typeform provided the most value - and what that meant to their growth trajectory.. What to focus operations and hiring strategy on - if you aim to create a sustainable, resilient, and easily scalable business over time. For more information about the guest from this week: Joaquim Lecha Website: Typeform Subscribe to the Daily SaaS Reflection Get my free, 1 min daily reflection on shaping a B2B SaaS business no one can ignore. Subscribe here Yes, it's actually daily. And yes, people actually stay subscribed (Just see what peer B2B SaaS CEOs say) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Ep. 265 “Will AI replace human jobs by 2025?” Kipp and Kieran dive into the world of AI voice technology and its implications for business development and customer support. Learn more about how AI voice models like ChatGPT are transforming sales calls, the unique advantages and challenges of using AI in customer interactions, and the future landscape of AI integration in various professional applications. Mentions HubSpot's Marketing Hub https://www.hubspot.com/products/marketing/get-started WordPress https://wordpress.com/ Typeform https://www.typeform.com/ Ahrefs https://ahrefs.com/ Google Analytics https://developers.google.com/analytics Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We're on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don't forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934 If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends. We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat ‘Marketing Against The Grain' is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by The HubSpot Podcast Network // Produced by Darren Clarke.
In this episode of the RWS Clinician's Corner, we chat with Brian Maurer, co-founder of Bristle Health and an expert in oral microbiome testing. We explore the fascinating connections between oral health and overall well-being. Brian shares groundbreaking insights into how oral bacteria can impact everything from gut health to chronic inflammation and even cardiovascular health. You'll also hear practical tips for maintaining good oral hygiene, the influence of teeth grinding, and the novel ways oral microbiome testing is transforming both consumer and practitioner approaches to health. In this interview, we discuss: How translocated oral bacteria can cause gut inflammation The influence of hydrochloric acid on oral bacteria translocation Case studies on oral microbiome Various impacts of teeth grinding Links between oral bacteria and other systemic conditions Oral health tests offered by Bristle (test results, recommendations, etc.) Toothpaste options and nutrition recommendations to improve oral microbiome Timestamps: 00:00 Oral microbiome testing insights and practitioner offer. 04:26 Home oral microbiome collection with shotgun metagenomics. 07:44 Pathogenic interactions, not abundance, drive oral disease. 09:55 Assessing bacteria for tooth decay, gum disease. 15:26 Oral bacteria's role in nitric oxide production. 18:54 Health insights: scores, halitosis, gut impact, diversity. 21:57 High gum inflammation score; detailed bacterial analysis. 25:10 Clinical manifestations link oral and gut health symptoms. 27:21 Saliva tests detect comprehensive oral bacteria effectively. 32:28 Human biology reveals knowledge gaps; oral microbiome research. 35:15 H. pylori and oral bacteria transmission in families 37:36 Use mouthwash sparingly; consider diet, nutrients, xylitol. 41:24 Inflamed gut enables oral bacteria colonization. 45:23 Microbiome shifted with xylitol and lactobacillus regimen. 46:49 Clinicians need resources for interpreting test results. 49:55 Mouth breathing reduces saliva, increases oral disease. 55:48 HSA/FSA reimbursements; practitioner sign-up via Typeform. 56:39 Appreciation for innovation and thorough research updates. Speaker bio: Brian Maurer is a Co-founder at Bristle Health. Brian received his BA in International Business from the University of San Diego. After receiving his degree, Brian spent 9 years in the commercial organization of DNA sequencing companies, driving adoption of genomic technology and applications into new and emerging markets. He has a passion for applying novel technology in healthcare to improve patient outcomes. Connect with Brian Maurer: Website: https://www.bristlehealth.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianpmaurer/ Bristle Health is offering the test to RWS alumni at nearly 50% off ($90/test). To access it, alumni just need to sign up for our Provider Program through the link below, and the end screen will have the discount code and link to purchase: https://bristlehealth.typeform.com/to/JWRvEpws Keywords: Oral-gut bacteria translocation, oral microbiome, hydrochloric acid impact, oral dysbiosis, teeth grinding, chronic dental abscess, xylitol, Lactobacillus Reuteri, functional medicine, gum inflammation, tooth decay, bad breath types, nitric oxide production, oral health test, Bristle Health, gut health, systemic conditions, oral bacteria and gut, dental health, halitosis detection, consumer oral health test, practitioner training, H. pylori detection, toothbrush cleaning, probiotic treatment, dietary recommendations for oral health, oral microbiome research, saliva test, oral ecosystem, functional nutritionist applications Disclaimer: The views expressed in the RWS Clinician's Corner series are those of the individual speakers and interviewees, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Restorative Wellness Solutions, LLC. Restorative Wellness Solutions, LLC does not specifically endorse or approve of any of the information or opinions expressed in the RWS Clinician's Corner series. The information and opinions expressed in the RWS Clinician's Corner series are for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. If you have any medical concerns, please consult with a qualified healthcare professional. Restorative Wellness Solutions, LLC is not liable for any damages or injuries that may result from the use of the information or opinions expressed in the RWS Clinician's Corner series. By viewing or listening to this information, you agree to hold Restorative Wellness Solutions, LLC harmless from any and all claims, demands, and causes of action arising out of or in connection with your participation. Thank you for your understanding.
In Episode 165, we tackle the question: Can evaluation be done without an instructor, and if so, how? Will and Josh discuss the importance of instructors while exploring alternative evaluation methods. They delve into scenario-based learning, knowledge checks, and self-evaluation as ways to assess learning in a course. Additionally, they introduce Typeform as a powerful tool for evaluation. For more on our conversation, check out the episode page here. Want to build your business like we have? Join us over at Notion by signing up with our affiliate link to start organizing EVERYTHING you do. Head over to our website at hitechpod.us for all of our episode pages, send some support at Buy Me a Coffee, our Twitter, our YouTube, our connection to Education Podcast Network, and to see our faces (maybe skip the last one). Need a journal that's secure and reflective? Sign-up for the Reflection App today! We promise that the free version is enough, but if you want the extra features, paying up is even better with our affiliate discount.
Send us a textAbout This EpisodeWhat does it mean to truly take up space? Cristina Apple Georgoulakis, a trailblazing portfolio and founder outcomes partner, joins us in this episode to share her unique journey in boldness. Travel with Cristina as we explore the pivotal moments that shaped her career and confidence, including her adventure teaching English in Spain and upon returning to the U.S., her key role in Typeform's U.S. expansion during its hyper-growth phase. Cristina's journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, teamwork, and personal growth. Now with Seven Seven Six, she emphasizes the importance of helping others realize their entrepreneurial dreams, while reflecting on how international ventures contributed to her own self-belief and independence. Tune in to celebrate the bold mindset and the extraordinary stories that inspire us to make positive impacts in our lives. About Cristina GeorgoulakisSystems-thinking CX leader turned venture capitalist, Cristina Apple Georgoulakis values driving growth in people and organizations. She previously co-founded an e-learning SaaS platform in Barcelona. After seven years of building her career and community abroad, she moved to San Francisco to open Typeform's first U.S. office. She's held a number of leadership roles at hyper-growth SaaS startups where she built and operationalized teams from scratch. As an investor, Cristina is drawn to startups where technology meets human connection, emphasizing the approach to maximizing returns while keeping a keen eye on the triple-bottom line: profits, people, and process. While at 776, Cristina has invested in ScorePlay, Area 2 Farms, Givingli, Trala, LA Golf Club. Additional ResourcesLinkedIn: @CristinaGeorgoulakisInstagram: @cris.tinaappleX: @cristina_lakiSupport the show-------- Stay Connected www.leighburgess.com Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Leigh on Instagram: @theleighaburgess Follow Leigh on LinkedIn: @LeighBurgess Sign up for Leigh's bold newsletter
In this insightful episode of the CRO Spotlight Podcast, host Warren Zenna engages in a candid conversation with Kristen Habacht, the Chief Revenue Officer at Typeform. Kristen shares her unconventional journey into the CRO role, starting from an office manager position to leading revenue teams in top tech companies. She discusses the evolving nature of the CRO position, highlighting how her path was shaped by a desire to have a seat at the executive table and to lead organizations with a holistic approach to revenue generation.Kristen and Warren delve into the challenges and opportunities that come with the relatively new and undefined CRO role. They explore the importance of integrating marketing, sales, and customer success under one revenue umbrella, particularly in a product-led growth (PLG) environment. Kristen shares her strategies for building trust and collaboration among cross-functional teams, emphasizing the need for a CRO to be the CEO of the revenue operation, ensuring that every part of the funnel works seamlessly to enhance the customer journey.The episode also touches on the strategic importance of partnerships and integrations in scaling a company, especially within the PLG framework. Kristen offers valuable advice for aspiring CROs and business leaders on how to effectively navigate the complexities of the role, build strong teams, and maintain a customer-centric approach. Tune in to gain actionable insights on driving growth and fostering a unified revenue strategy.
Marketing Leadership Podcast: Strategies From Wise D2C & B2B Marketers
The world of no-code tools is revolutionizing how marketers build and manage their online presence. Without the need for extensive coding knowledge, marketers can now create, launch and optimize websites and apps, enhancing agility and innovation. Mario Tarouca, Co-Founder and COO of Framedrop, discusses the no-code revolution, diving into the benefits and practical applications of these tools for businesses of all sizes.Key Takeaways:(02:57) No-code platforms democratize web development, enabling anyone to create websites and apps without coding.(06:07) Early-stage businesses can leverage no-code tools to build awareness and gather leads before a product launch.(09:10) Interactive experiences, such as quizzes and polls, can be easily created with tools like Typeform and Tally.(10:00) While no-code is powerful, some customizations may still require minimal coding.(13:18) Templates save time and are often optimized for conversion, making them a smart choice for many projects.(16:22) AI can be used to further customize templates, ensuring they align with brand guidelines.(18:55) Seamless integration of no-code tools with CRMs like HubSpot and Mailchimp enhances marketing workflows.(20:14) Analytics platforms like Google Analytics 4 and Plausible are essential for tracking website performance.Resources Mentioned: Mario Tarouca -https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariotarouca/Framedrop | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/framedrop/Framedrop | Website -https://app.framedrop.ai/l/1022506901Insightful Links:https://cxl.com/blog/no-code/https://www.kentico.com/discover/blog/how-low-code-no-code-is-changing-the-gamehttps://www.lxahub.com/stories/how-the-low-code/-no-code-movement-helps-marketersThanks for listening to the Marketing Leadership podcast, brought to you by Listen Network. If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review to help get the word out about the show. And be sure to subscribe so you never miss another insightful conversation.#PodcastMarketing #PerformanceMarketing #BrandMarketing #MarketingStrategy #MarketingIntelligence #GTM #B2BMarketing #D2CMarketing #PodcastAds
Consistency is 80% of the battle when it comes to making it to the top of LinkedIn. So aside from showing up day in and day out, how else can you build authority and become a top voice on the platform? Daniel and Mark Jung, founder of Authority, discuss the strategies and tactics to grow your following and establish yourself as an authentic creator on LinkedIn. From optimizing your profile to creating engaging content, they share valuable insights on how to stand out and connect with your target audience. Plus, learn why being polarizing and authentic is key to building a strong personal brand on LinkedIn. If you're looking for how to cut through the LinkedIn noise and rise to the top, you won't wanna miss this ep! 00:00:03 - Building Authority on LinkedIn with Mark Young 00:02:24 - The Power of LinkedIn for B2B Companies 00:12:39 - How to Succeed on LinkedIn 00:15:16 - Be Bold on LinkedIn: Embrace Polarizing Content 00:17:11 - Authentic Writing Tips for LinkedIn 00:21:42 - Optimizing Your LinkedIn Profile Picture 00:28:37 - The Power of a Good Hook in Content Marketing 00:36:49 - Mastering Engagement on LinkedIn: Key Strategies 00:42:32 - The Power of Images in Marketing 00:45:11 - How to Grow Your LinkedIn Network 00:45:46 - The Power of LinkedIn for Career Transformation Typeform is a refreshingly different form builder. We help over 150,000 businesses collect the data they need with forms, surveys, and quizzes that people enjoy. Designed to look striking and feel effortless to fill out, Typeform drives 500 million responses every year—and integrates with essential tools like Slack, Zapier, and Hubspot. For more information, visit https://www.typeform.com/ Follow Mark: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpjung/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
Kabir is co-founder and CEO of Leen, which is creating a unified security API to enable simpler integrations of security tooling. As Kabir will immediately tell you, he has no background in cybersecurity. However, he does have extensive experience with growing partnerships and sales numbers in industries where he has no background. He worked in business development for the last 15 years across a variety of tech companies including NativeX, Kiip, and Typeform. As he tells in the episode, he very carefully and patiently assembled the founding team, and the problem Leen is addressing then emerged as the imperative from their extensive whiteboarding sessions. Now, after a hot start, the team is in the middle of key strategy decisions that will determine the future of the company. Website: Leen Sponsor: VulnCheck
How can the tech industry foster a more inclusive environment, and what role does diversity play in driving innovation? In this episode, I sit with Aleks Bass, Chief Product Officer at Typeform, to explore these critical questions and more. Aleks shares her experiences with gender bias throughout her career, offering valuable advice for women navigating the challenges of the tech world. With a commitment to diversity, Aleks discusses why having more women in leadership roles is essential and how companies can support this journey. At Typeform, diversity goes beyond gender; it creates a space where different perspectives and leadership styles thrive. Aleks reveals how Typeform, with a 50% female composition in its executive team, stays true to this commitment, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued. We also dive into Typeform's latest innovation, the Typeform for Growth suite, designed to help businesses capture, qualify, and convert leads more effectively. This new suite showcases how Typeform is leading the way in making data collection more engaging and intuitive, all while leveraging the power of AI to enhance customer acquisition. Aleks also highlights the broader impact of these technologies on the industry. As businesses increasingly rely on personalized, data-driven interactions, tools like Typeform for Growth become essential in staying competitive. With features like interactive video forms, automated data enrichment, and AI-powered analysis, companies can create more profound, meaningful connections with their audiences. As we wrap up the conversation, Aleks reflects on the future of tech and the importance of continuing to push for diversity and innovation. This episode sheds light on the challenges and opportunities within the tech industry. It leaves us with an important question: How can we all contribute to creating a more inclusive and innovative future in tech?
Patricia Rollins, Head of Marketing at Typeform, delves into marketing data and customer experience. Traditionally, marketers have relied on static audience personas and targeted advertising, but this approach doesn't take into account the nuances of individual customers. Consumers today expect a more personalized experience, and with our access to data diminishing, marketers will need to focus on user behavior to fuel personalization. Today, Patricia discusses where customer engagement and user experience intersect.Connect With: Patricia Rollins: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Revenue Generator Podcast: Sales + Marketing + Product + Customer Success = Revenue Growth
Patricia Rollins, Head of Marketing at Typeform, delves into marketing data and customer experience. Traditionally, marketers have relied on static audience personas and targeted advertising, but this approach doesn't take into account the nuances of individual customers. Consumers today expect a more personalized experience, and with our access to data diminishing, marketers will need to focus on user behavior to fuel personalization. Today, Patricia discusses where customer engagement and user experience intersect.Connect With: Patricia Rollins: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Patricia Rollins, Head of Marketing at Typeform, delves into marketing data and customer experience. The deprecation of third-party cookies and the rise of AI are prompting a shift in marketing strategies. Ultimately, this presents an exciting opportunity for marketers to get clever about creating engaging content that offers value to consumers in exchange for better personalization and targeting. Today, Patricia discusses the state of marketing data and analytics.Connect With: Patricia Rollins: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Revenue Generator Podcast: Sales + Marketing + Product + Customer Success = Revenue Growth
Patricia Rollins, Head of Marketing at Typeform, delves into marketing data and customer experience. The deprecation of third-party cookies and the rise of AI are prompting a shift in marketing strategies. Ultimately, this presents an exciting opportunity for marketers to get clever about creating engaging content that offers value to consumers in exchange for better personalization and targeting. Today, Patricia discusses the state of marketing data and analytics.Connect With: Patricia Rollins: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This episode features an interview with Aleks Bass, Chief Product Officer at Typeform, the web-based platform you can use to create anything from surveys to apps, without needing to write a single line of code. Aleks has over 18 years of experience in product marketing, product management and consumer insights in B2B SaaS and D2C. In her current role as Chief Product Officer, she leads product management, design, research, and product operations. Her priority is creating user-centric digital solutions. Aleks has previously held leadership roles at Momentive, Adobe and Qualtrics, which has since been acquired by SAP. In this episode, Aleks shares her insights on how product and product marketing can enhance customer experience. She discusses the importance of aligning product management with consumer insights, the role of design in digital CX, and trends in customer behavior. Aleks elaborates on Typeform's new product, Typeform for Growth, which aims to boost customer acquisition using AI. The conversation also touches on measuring digital customer experience, the balance between automation and human interaction, and the significance of diversity in tech leadership. Finally, Aleks discusses Typeform's future vision of creating a holistic customer experience and the essential role of AI in achieving this goal.Quotes*”Good design for me in digital CX is intuitive, accessible, and empathetic. But the number one thing it has to absolutely do is be usable. So I prioritize usability over anything that's new, aesthetically pleasing, keeping up with the trends, et cetera. Design's ultimate role is to anticipate user needs and remove friction points from the experience and remove them from having blockages in their ability to do the things that they need to do.”*”There is a difference between asking people for feedback and truly understanding what they're saying to you in the context of what their broader pain points are versus asking for feedback and taking that feedback at face value. Because if I don't understand the pain points that you personally experience, I might interpret the feedback that you're giving me differently, and I might not be solving for the true challenge that you are facing. Whereas if I deeply understand a marketer's workflow, what tools they're using, how they're using those tools, the gaps in those current tools, what they wish they could do, how certain tools are not playing nicely with other tools, it allows me to create solutions that are actually much more adaptable to their individual use cases. And so that's the piece within customer centricity, customer experience, and strategy that I feel like is really critical to create better experiences for our customers.”*”There's no shortcut in trying to figure out and learn about your customers. You have to do the work and you have to spend the time and you have to engage in the most effective way to get the most insight out of their patterns and pain points and challenges.”There's no shortcut in trying to figure out and learn about your customers. You have to do the work and spend the time and to get the most insight”.*”A gap in the customer experience is when automation serves the company, not the customer. Automation should ultimately keep people at the center. Yes, it can help companies improve efficiency. I think we all can see the benefits of that. But if it is hurting your customer experience, then that's a negative outcome for your business ultimately.”Time Stamps[0:01] Meet Aleks Bass, Chief Product Officer at Typeform[0:56] Connecting Product Marketing to Customer Experience[4:04] Designing for Digital Customer Experience[5:44] Trends in Customer Behavior[7:03] Introducing Typeform for Growth[9:22] Enhancing Lead Generation with AI[11:49] Fostering Exceptional Digital Customer Experience[27:59] Personalizing Customer Experience[33:18] Building Trust and Measuring Success[36:55] Balancing Automation and Human Interaction[39:22] Positive Customer Experience Examples[44:09] The Importance of Diverse Perspectives[46:03] Future of Typeform and TechnologyAbout our guest, Aleks BassAleks Bass is a product leader with an 18+ year career that includes product management, product marketing, and consumer insights for both B2B SaaS and D2C self-serve products. As the Chief Product Officer at Typeform, she leads product management, design, research, and product operations, steering a talented team to create innovative and user-centered digital solutions. Her role encompasses driving strategic product development from concept to market delivery, shaping the future of digital experiences. She is passionate about transforming ideas into impactful products that enhance the way we interact with data and information. By leveraging AI and expanding their communication formats, she aims to elevate Typeform's offerings and push the boundaries of interactivity within their platform.Her prior experience includes product leadership roles with Momentive, where she led a 15-member product organization, with overall responsibility for a product portfolio including SurveyMonkey, Wufoo, SurveyMonkey Apply, and SurveyMonkey Audience, that drove $500M in 2022 revenue. She has also held leadership roles at Adobe, Workfront (acquired by Adobe), Qualtrics (acquired by SAP), and product consulting to three startups – two that were acquired by Google and Walmart, and one that IPO'd. She has had success in building and managing high-performing teams, coordinating cross-functional collaborations, and driving revenue that has included a three-year growth from $10M ARR to >$55M.Thank you to our friendsThis podcast is brought to you by HGS. HGS is a digital customer experience leader dedicated to delivering winning customer interactions at scale that are prompt, personal, and positive. We continuously transform, optimize, and grow enterprises to exceed ever-rising customer expectations. HGS provides our clients with the right talent and technologies needed to champion every moment. Learn more at hgs.cx.LinksConnect with Aleks on LinkedInLearn more about TypeformCheck out HGS
Episode Summary: In this episode, hosts Ken Roden and Erin Mills talk AI and brand marketing with guest Karrie Sanderson. They discuss how AI is reshaping marketing and the importance of leveraging AI for customer research and deeper insights. Karrie emphasizes the need for brands to maintain authenticity and build trust with customers in the age of AI. She also shares strategies for safeguarding brand reputation, handling PR and crisis management, and educating customers about AI ethics. The conversation highlights the role of AI in enhancing media outreach, finding the right influencers, and differentiating brands in a crowded market. 00:53 AI in Everyday Life: Ken's Fashion Experiment 04:40 AI's Impact on Brand Marketing 16:58 AI in PR and Brand Protection 24:42 Navigating AI Adoption: Tips and Cautions 25:47 AI's Role in PR and Crisis Management 28:52 AI as a Differentiator in Recruitment 34:18 Practical AI Tips and Tools 41:10 Tech Review: Descript 44:51 Final Thoughts and Takeaways Key Takeaways: AI is reshaping marketing by providing valuable insights and streamlining processes across the entire marketing team. Leveraging AI for customer research can provide deeper insights and better brand positioning. Balancing AI and human creativity is crucial for maintaining authenticity and building trust with customers. Brands should be proactive in preparing for deepfakes and establishing crisis communication plans. Organizations should have AI ethics committees to ensure responsible and ethical AI usage. AI can optimize media outreach, monitor trends, and enhance PR efforts, but human judgment is still essential in PR and crisis management. About our Guest: Karrie Sanderson is a visionary marketing leader known for driving growth and innovation across industries, including SaaS, healthcare, consumer products, and more. With a background in engineering, Karrie leverages her data-driven approach to provide effective strategies for brand and market development. She is the founder of KES Consulting and has held leadership positions at companies such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Typeform, and Smartsheet. Notable Quotes: "Understanding that brand is about reputation and credibility is key when discussing AI and brand." - Karrie Sanderson "AI tools allow you to inject your brand voice and key messages, making it easier to stay on brand." - Karrie Sanderson "Humans are emotional decision-makers, so injecting emotion into your brand messaging is crucial for authenticity." - Karrie Sanderson "Using AI for proactive PR efforts can help identify emerging trends and topics to pitch and avoid oversaturation." - Karrie Sanderson "Educating employees about AI and encouraging them to report any suspicious content can help protect your brand." - Karrie Sanderson Resources: KES Consulting Marketing AI Institute Thank you for listening to the Future Craft Marketing Podcast. Please subscribe and give us a review if you enjoyed today's content. Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be considered advice. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own and do not represent those of any company or business we currently work for/with or have worked for/with in the past. Music: Far Away - MK2
Today, we continue our conversation with Oji Udezue, Principal at ProductMind, product expert, author, and an innovation-focused, multi-disciplined business leader. Oji has had an extensive and successful career, spanning his time as CPO of Typeform, Head of Product for Creation and Conversation at Twitter, CPO of Calendly, and Head of Product at Atlassian. On today's part two of Oji's two-part episode, we talk about his experience working on Twitter's creator initiatives, the concept of 'forest time,' a practice of stepping back to gain strategic perspective, and Oji's insights on product-led growth (PLG), emphasizing the importance of solving customer problems and adaptive business strategies. So here it is, the second part of our conversation with Oji Udezue. Links Pre-order link for Oji's book, “Building Rocket Ships” (https://shop.damngravity.com/products/building-rocketships-udezue) Writing: https://ojiudezue.substack.com/ Consulting: https://productmind.co Twitter: https://x.com/ojiudezue LinkedIn: https://linkedin/in/ojiudezue What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Oji Udezue.
On this installment of the pod, I dive into the five biggest mistakes I've made as a creative enterpreneur and some tips and tricks to overcome if you are in the same boat, or tips so that this does not happen to you! Sit down with a good cup of coffee, pen, and a notepad and lend an ear so you can learn from my mistakes. This episode is sponsored by Typeform. Discovery the endless posibiliies at Typeform to level up your business. And as always, follow us on instagram at: @_the5to9podcast
Today, our guest is Oji Udezue, AI product expert, author, and an innovation-focused, multi-disciplined business leader. Oji has had an extensive and successful career, spanning his time as CPO of Typeform, Head of Product for Creation and Conversation at Twitter, CPO of Calendly, and Head of Product at Atlassian. On today's part one of a two-part episode, LogRocket's VP of Marketing, Jeff Wharton, talks to Oji about his upcoming book, 'Building Rocket Ships;' the complexity of product management due to its multi-disciplinary nature requiring skills in engineering, design, psychology, and economics; and the 'Zone of Benefit' concept, which helps assess market disruptiveness and emphasizes the need for a high value to price ratio to drive change in customers. Links Pre-order link for Oji's book, “Building Rocket Ships” (https://shop.damngravity.com/products/building-rocketships-udezue) Writing: https://ojiudezue.substack.com/ Consulting: https://productmind.co Twitter: https://x.com/ojiudezue LinkedIn: https://linkedin/in/ojiudezue What does LogRocket do? LogRocket combines frontend monitoring, product analytics, and session replay to help software teams deliver the ideal product experience. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr)
Sid is the Head of Studio at Forum VC, a venture studio with a goal of building 8 AI companies per year. Prior to joining Forum VC, Sid started Broca, an AI software that generates ad copy and other forms of marketing content. He has also helped dozens of SAAS companies with their growth. Some companies he has worked with include Thinkific, LemonStand, Gorgias, Plato, Typeform, and ClickUp This episode is brought to you with the support of Oracle Netsuite, learn more at netsuite.com/uncharted --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/uncharted1/support
Join host Rahul Abhyankar and Aleks Bass, Chief Product Officer of Typeform on this episode. At Typeform, Aleks leads product strategy, development and execution. Typeform helps brands with thoughtfully-designed tools that turn digital interactions into lasting personal connections, with no-code forms, quizzes, surveys, and asynchronous videos. Aleks is a product leader with a 18+ year career that includes product management, product marketing, and consumer insights for both B2B SaaS and D2C self-serve products. Prior to Typeform, she led products at Surveymonkey, Qualtrics (acquired by SAP), Workfront (acquired by Adobe). Aleks' passion lies at the intersection of technology, insights, and strategy, and applying these disciplines to improve products, customer experiences, and marketing outcomes. As a leader her goal is to foster a culture of collaboration and accountability, instill a growth mindset, advocate for experimentation, and fully invest and respect the craft of creation. In this episode, Aleks talks about: the evolution of market research what product managers should learn about how their products serve customers how successful product managers overlap across product, engineering, design for maximum impact the skepticism some executives have about conducting market surveys her framework for the first 30-60-90 days in a new company in a new role building stakeholder relationships by being clear about how to address conflict how to give effective feedback and a lot more...
The Top Entrepreneurs in Money, Marketing, Business and Life
Typeform CEO Kim Lecha is in a war with Jotform, Surveymonkey, and other form providers. His 2024 top priority is a brand new marketing approach. Will it work? Will Typeform break $180m in ARR before Dec 2024?
Linus Ekenstam is a designer and serial entrepreneur who has founded and sold several companies. He has also been a design leader at Typeform, Bamboo Blockchain and Flodesk. He's currently building an AI-powered children's story generator at BedtimeStory.ai and a platform to track and improve mental health called Sensive. He is a partner and the father of two daughters. In today's conversation we discussed:* What it means to be an "AI Gardener"* Struggles with male infertility* Time and relativity* How to navigate the daily grind with two working parents and a 4 and 2 year old* A visit from his youngest daughter while recording* How he thinks technology will transform his daughter's lives* Optimism for the future with AI as a useful toolListen now on Apple, Spotify, Overcast and YouTube.—Where to find Linus EkenstamLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linusekenstam/Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/LinusEkenstamYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LinusEkenstamNewsletter: insidemyhead.aiWhere to find Adam Fishman- FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/—In this episode, we cover[1:47] Welcome[2:15] What do you do here?[3:08] AI Gardener[4:40] Childhood[6:18] Fav US kid's show[7:32] Difference between his and his kid's childhood[10:44] kids/partner[11:38] Pull to move back to Sweden during COVID[13:07] Male infertility[23:38] Advice[25:52] Earliest memory of being a dad[27:44] Manage daily grind/work/family[30:25] What did you do w/kids before preschool?[31:51] Most surprising thing about becoming a dad?[36:17] Time & relativity[42:24] Where do you and your partner not align?[45:25] AI change kid's relationship to tech/what are you working on?[50:11] How do you recharge your batteries?[51:37] What is a mistake you made as a dad?[53:39] Follow along[55:30] Rapid fire round[58:33] Thank you—Show references:Linus' Tweet on Male Fertility: https://x.com/linusekenstam/status/1696424299773485380?s=46&t=_JjHRNFJidzXB5axbw2gmQStar Wars: https://www.starwars.com/Encanto:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2953050/Baby Bjorn:https://www.babybjorn.com/TMNT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_TurtlesPower Rangers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_RangersTypeForm: https://www.typeform.com/Bamboo BlockChain: https://www.bamboonetworks.com/Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/Bedtime Story: bedtimestory.aiSensive: https://www.sensive.co/Ikigai: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai—For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron athttp://www.armaziproductions.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com
Linus Ekenstam is a designer and serial entrepreneur who has founded and sold several companies. He has also been a design leader at Typeform, Bamboo Blockchain and Flodesk. He's currently building an AI-powered children's story generator at BedtimeStory.ai and a platform to track and improve mental health called Sensive. He is a partner and the father of two daughters. In today's conversation we discussed: What it means to be an "AI Gardener" Struggles with male infertility Time and relativity How to navigate the daily grind with two working parents and a 4 and 2 year old A visit from his youngest daughter while recording How he thinks technology will transform his daughter's lives Optimism for the future with AI as a useful tool — Where to find Linus Ekenstam Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linusekenstam/ Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/LinusEkenstam Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LinusEkenstam Newsletter: https://insidemyhead.ai/ Where to find Adam Fishman - FishmanAF Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/ — In this episode, we cover [1:47] Welcome [2:15] What do you do here? [3:08] AI Gardener [4:40] Childhood [6:18] Fav US kid's show [7:32] Difference between his and his kid's childhood [10:44] kids/partner [11:38] Pull to move back to Sweden during COVID [13:07] Male infertility [23:38] Advice [25:52] Earliest memory of being a dad [27:44] Manage daily grind/work/family [30:25] What did you do w/kids before preschool? [31:51] Most surprising thing about becoming a dad? [36:17] Time & relativity [42:24] Where do you and your partner not align? [45:25] AI change kid's relationship to tech/what are you working on? [50:11] How do you recharge your batteries? [51:37] What is a mistake you made as a dad? [53:39] Follow along [55:30] Rapid fire round [58:33] Thank you — Show references: Linus' Tweet on Male Fertility: https://x.com/linusekenstam/status/1696424299773485380?s=46&t=_JjHRNFJidzXB5axbw2gmQ Star Wars: https://www.starwars.com/ Encanto:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2953050/ Baby Bjorn:https://www.babybjorn.com/ TMNT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_Mutant_Ninja_Turtles Power Rangers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Rangers TypeForm: https://www.typeform.com/ Bamboo BlockChain: https://www.bamboonetworks.com/ Flodesk: https://flodesk.com/ Bedtime Story: bedtimestory.ai Sensive: https://www.sensive.co/ Ikigai:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai — For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com. For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/
In this episode titled "Branding is Selling," I sit down with Alex Antolino, a renowned branding and content expert with a rich background as the creative director for Typeform and collaborations with top brands. We dive deep into the intrinsic connection between branding and sales, exploring how they feed off each other to drive success. Alex shares his insights on how impactful content not only shapes a brand but also plays a crucial role in the sales process. Our discussion illuminates the symbiotic relationship between branding and sales, asserting that one cannot truly thrive without the other.
Patricia Rollins, Head of Marketing at Typeform, delves into marketing data and customer experience. Traditionally, marketers have relied on static audience personas and targeted advertising, but this approach doesn't take into account the nuances of individual customers. Consumers today expect a more personalized experience, and with our access to data diminishing, marketers will need to focus on user behavior to fuel personalization. Today, Patricia discusses where customer engagement and user experience intersect.Connect With: Patricia Rollins: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Revenue Generator Podcast: Sales + Marketing + Product + Customer Success = Revenue Growth
Patricia Rollins, Head of Marketing at Typeform, delves into marketing data and customer experience. Traditionally, marketers have relied on static audience personas and targeted advertising, but this approach doesn't take into account the nuances of individual customers. Consumers today expect a more personalized experience, and with our access to data diminishing, marketers will need to focus on user behavior to fuel personalization. Today, Patricia discusses where customer engagement and user experience intersect.Connect With: Patricia Rollins: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Patricia Rollins, Head of Marketing at Typeform, delves into marketing data and customer experience. The deprecation of third-party cookies and the rise of AI are prompting a shift in marketing strategies. Ultimately, this presents an exciting opportunity for marketers to get clever about creating engaging content that offers value to consumers in exchange for better personalization and targeting. Today, Patricia discusses the state of marketing data and analytics.Connect With: Patricia Rollins: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Revenue Generator Podcast: Sales + Marketing + Product + Customer Success = Revenue Growth
Patricia Rollins, Head of Marketing at Typeform, delves into marketing data and customer experience. The deprecation of third-party cookies and the rise of AI are prompting a shift in marketing strategies. Ultimately, this presents an exciting opportunity for marketers to get clever about creating engaging content that offers value to consumers in exchange for better personalization and targeting. Today, Patricia discusses the state of marketing data and analytics.Connect With: Patricia Rollins: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Aye! Listen up ya eejits because Aidan here is about to tell ye a tale of a bonnie lass named Nessie, and a marketing stunt that fooled the world twice o'er. How did the town of Inverness rise to fame? And how did a tall tale of a monster in the local loch capture the imagination of the entire world? Aidan unpacks the myth of the Loch Ness monster, revealing how the curiosity gap principle has kept the myth alive and prosperous nearly 100 years after its creation. What can the myth of Nessie teach us about the differences between clickbaiting and capturing attention? And why do so many eager tourists flock to Scotland each year, knowing full well that Nessie is a hoax? Hold on to your haggis because Aidan's about to tell a wee, sleekit tale of Scotland's greatest marketing gambit. Typeform is a refreshingly different form builder. We help over 150,000 businesses collect the data they need with forms, surveys, and quizzes that people enjoy. Designed to look striking and feel effortless to fill out, Typeform drives 500 million responses every year—and integrates with essential tools like Slack, Zapier, and Hubspot. For more information, visit https://www.typeform.com. Follow Aidan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidanbrannigan/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BranniganAidan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aidan_brannigan Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
In today's episode I go over the 7 coaching application questions that you need to include on your application (Typeform, Google form, etc) to make sure that you only have sales calls with ideal clients who will stay with you for years and tell all their friends about you. If you do not have the document, just send me a DM on Instagram with the words "application questions" and I'll send it your way.
Join my LinkedIn besties/kickass product marketers Tamara Grominsky, Andy McCotter-Bicknell, and Jason Oakley, hosts of the podcast, “Ready for Launch,” as they take a deep dive into the world of product launches with me. We're chatting about everything product marketing and unleashing the BEST tips out there to help you nail your product launch from start to finish. Do your launches lack originality and planning? Having trouble knowing where to start when it comes to market research? Not sure about the best way to plan and manage your go-to-market strategy? Don't worry—we've got your back. Me, Jason, Tamara, and Andy are breaking down everything from the importance of product marketing, to the role of competitive intelligence in launch strategies, and the differentiation tactics that can make your launch stand out. By the end of this ep, I guarantee you'll have all the ingredients you need for a successful product launch. Typeform is a refreshingly different form builder. We help over 150,000 businesses collect the data they need with forms, surveys, and quizzes that people enjoy. Designed to look striking and feel effortless to fill out, Typeform drives 500 million responses every year—and integrates with essential tools like Slack, Zapier, and Hubspot. For more information, visit https://www.typeform.com/TMM 00:04:38 - Ingredients for a Successful Product Launch 00:12:23 - Choosing Personas for Product Launch 00:14:17 - Start with Your Launch KPI 00:15:48 - Product Launch Pricing Strategies Decoded 00:22:02 - Product Marketer's Role in Launch 00:25:31 - Prioritizing Product Launches for Success 00:29:09 - How to Align Product Management 00:30:32 - Poaching Customers: Growth Strategy Insights 00:33:46 - Standing Out in Product Launches 00:39:22 - Iterative Launch Strategy for Long-Term Success 00:44:23 - Differentiating Between a Release and a Launch 00:49:25 - Competitor Analysis: Key to Success 00:50:33 - Product Marketing: Not Just Marketing Learn More about Ready for Launch: Listen to the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ready-for-launch/id1730555701 Enroll in the Course: https://maven.com/course-crew/readyforlaunch Follow Andy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmccotterbicknell/ Follow Tamara: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaragrominsky/ Follow Jason: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oakleyjason/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
As marketers, it's easy to think AI is our #1 enemy. But what if I told you, it's actually your secret superpower? Stop thinking about AI as your arch-nemesis and start thinking of it as your new best friend. Ross Simmonds, the mastermind digital strategist behind some of the biggest SaaS and cloud companies in the world and the current founder of his digital marketing firm, Foundation, chats with me about the future of AI and content creation. Can AI turn a bad writer into a great one (first of all, let's hope not; second of all, have you read what Chat GPT writes lately)? And, what are the best AI hacks to repurpose your content for maximum distribution? Ross spills his deepest thoughts on how marketers should be optimizing AI usage before breaking down some of his top hacks for building trust and authority within your community. Isn't it time to bust out of obscurity and build your brand into a household name? Then Ross is ready to dish his playbook on exactly how. Tune in now. Typeform is a refreshingly different form builder. We help over 150,000 businesses collect the data they need with forms, surveys, and quizzes that people enjoy. Designed to look striking and feel effortless to fill out, Typeform drives 500 million responses every year—and integrates with essential tools like Slack, Zapier, and Hubspot. For more information, visit https://www.typeform.com/TMM Follow Ross: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosssimmonds/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
He almost died. Then the experience fueled him to CEO.Joaquim “Kim” Lecha, CEO at Typeform, shares the near-death experience he had that changed his life forever.He had 20 surgeries, months in the hospital, and two years before he'd walk again on two feet.His dream was ripped away.But….… just wait until you hear the incredible insight he had in these dark moments that ended up fueling his ascent to CEO of an exciting company that's changing the world.If we all learned to face adversity like Kim, the world would be a much better and brighter place!—---Typeform is a form builder and data collection platform that helps more than 150,000 businesses get the data they need with beautifully-designed, conversational forms that people enjoy responding to.LinkedIn Profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/joaquim-lecha-040136/Company Link: https://www.typeform.com/What You'll Discover in this Episode:Leadership Lessons from a Terrible Accident.A Step to Create a Culture of Life-Long Learning.How to Get Your Team to Think Bigger.A Strategy to Overcome Adversity.How to Instill Work Ethic.The Key to Building a Company That Matters.How “Forms” are Boosting Sales and Engagement.-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter
CEO Podcasts: CEO Chat Podcast + I AM CEO Podcast Powered by Blue 16 Media & CBNation.co
In this episode, we have Joaquim Lecher, the chief executive officer at Typeform. Kim talks about his career journey, his love for learning and making an impact, and why he chose to take roles in startup companies. He speaks extensively about Typeform's two main pillars: Respondent experience first and easy-to-use interface, relating it to the DNA of the company founders. Additionally, Kim shares his daily practice of reflection, his thoughts on achieving clarity, his idea of the CEO's role as the ultimate responsible individual, and the importance of a well-structured team in an organization. Kim revealed plans to transform their product and create more personalized, meaningful journeys for their customers. Website: www.typeform.com Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE. I AM CEO Handbook Volume 3 is HERE and it's FREE. Get your copy here: http://cbnation.co/iamceo3. Get the 100+ things that you can learn from 1600 business podcasts we recorded. Hear Gresh's story, learn the 16 business pillars from the podcast, find out about CBNation Architects and why you might be one and so much more. Did we mention it was FREE? Download it today!
Pedro Pascal might be America's favorite Daddy, but that didn't stop Ryan Reynolds from becoming the world's biggest marketing Zaddy with his wit, charm, and killer entrepreneurial instincts that managed to dominate pop culture over the last ten years. How did this once B-list comedian manage to rise to the top of the pop culture game? Aidan breaks down Ryan's scrappy climb to the top, starting with his ingenious grassroots campaign to fund the release of a little-known film called, “Deadpool” which brought his name to the top of the list of Hollywood's A-Game. But Reynolds didn't stop there. From Aviation Gin, Mint Mobile, and Wrexham AFC, what made him so successful at brand marketing where other celebrity influencers have failed? Aidan explains how Ryan's honesty, wit, and personal appeal captured the adoration of audiences everywhere and why he deserves to go down in history as one of the greatest marketers of all time. Typeform is a refreshingly different form builder. We help over 150,000 businesses collect the data they need with forms, surveys, and quizzes that people enjoy. Designed to look striking and feel effortless to fill out, Typeform drives 500 million responses every year—and integrates with essential tools like Slack, Zapier, and Hubspot. For more information, visit https://www.typeform.com/TMM Follow Aidan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aidanbrannigan/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BranniganAidan TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aidan_brannigan Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
In today's episode, Joshua Benadiva hosts Irana Wasti, Chief Product Officer at BILL. Irana was previously the Chief Product Officer at Typeform and President of GoDaddy EMEA. In this episode you will hear about: - How to be a successful product manager in fintech - How Irana measures and implements successful strategies for building for small businesses - Best practices for managing product organizations in fintech - BILL's strategy to provide value as a full-stack financial operations platform - How BILL leverages machine learning and AI throughout its product - How to lead a product-led growth team and how to measure success, activation rates, and customer value For more FinTech insights, follow us on WFT Medium: medium.com/wharton-fintech WFT Twitter: twitter.com/whartonfintech WFT Instagram: instagram.com/whartonfintech Josh's Twitter: @josh_benadiva Josh's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jbenadiva/
Forms. They may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to marketing, but did you know they're secretly one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal? Patricia Rollins, Head of Marketing at Typeform, chats with Daniel about how Typeform managed to modernize the survey form by harnessing the power of a customer-centric approach. Can more conversational forms improve customer engagement rates? Patricia shares her top insights on the importance of understanding your audience, optimizing the form experience, and leveraging data for more successful marketing campaigns. Discover the true impact of clear communication and learn how inclusivity can expand your customer reach beyond its typical limits. Tune in now! Typeform is a refreshingly different form builder. We help over 150,000 businesses collect the data they need with forms, surveys, and quizzes that people enjoy. Designed to look striking and feel effortless to fill out, Typeform drives 500 million responses every year—and integrates with essential tools like Slack, Zapier, and Hubspot. For more information, visit https://www.typeform.com/ 00:00:03 - Patricia Shares Marketing Insights Podcast 00:00:17 - From Pizza to Marketing Success 00:02:33 - Navigating Audience Understanding in Cookieless Future 00:05:29 - Optimizing Forms for Targeted Content 00:11:31 - Embedding Forms for Successful Lead Generation 00:13:46 - Segment Customers for Revenue Growth 00:23:20 - Innovative Marketing Strategies Using Data 00:25:29 - Optimizing Form Experience for Websites 00:30:05 - Marketing Hill: The Power of Inclusivity 00:31:28 - Typeform Users, Let Me Know Follow Patricia: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rollinspatricia/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com
In this episode of The State of Developer Education, Jon is joined by Nicolas Grenié, a Developer Advocate for Typeform. Join them as they discuss Nicolas' coding origin story, the evolution of developer advocacy over the past decade, and the impact of low-code/no-code tools. Nicolas shares valuable insights into the value of content creation and partnerships, as well as the role of AI in the developer ecosystem.
Josh Herzig-Marx, founder of Knect, discusses the latest developments in his startup journey since his last appearance on the show. He emphasizes the program's value in helping founders like himself refine ideas and strategies. He particularly notes the program's effectiveness in addressing challenges unique to startups, such as managing professional networks and dealing with the rapid growth of online presence. The conversation also delves into AI's technical aspects and potential applications and the practicalities and ethical considerations of using it in professional networking. Josh and Jordyn explore various AI use cases, distinguishing between beneficial applications and those they deem undesirable. Transcript: LINDSEY: We are back for our Incubator update with Josh Herzig-Marx and his startup, Knect. I'm Lindsey Christensen. I do marketing things at thoughtbot. We are also joined by Jordyn Bonds, who runs our incubator and does product strategy for thoughtbot. And today, we're going to be catching up with Josh and learn what's new since last we checked in. But before we get to that, we have an exciting incubator update: our application window has just reopened. JORDYN: Yes. LINDSEY: You could be the next Josh. JORDYN: You could. JOSH: Don't be me. You should join the incubator. [laughter] JORDYN: Go to thoughtbot.com/incubator and apply. It's just that easy. The application doesn't take long, even though it's in Typeform, and we have gotten some feedback, including from Josh, that it's challenging to plan your application efforts because, as you all probably know, Typeform just gives you one question at a time. So, sorry, maybe we'll update that. But it won't take you very long. It's a pretty brief application. And we are looking for pre-product folks, so you don't have to have a lot. Don't worry about what you do or don't have. Just apply. LINDSEY: Pre-product founder trying to figure out, is this problem worth solving? Who is it for? Jordyn and the team can help you out. thoughtbot.com/incubator. JOSH: And me. LINDSEY: And Josh. JOSH: And if, for some reason, you want to ask somebody about the program who isn't directly affiliated with thoughtbot, you should reach out to me. I'd be happy to talk about my experience. LINDSEY: You should. JOSH: I'd be happy to tell you what I think would be some reasons to join and some reasons that it might not be a good fit for you. And I'd be happy to chat about any of those things. It'd be my pleasure, in fact. LINDSEY: That is a great offer. JORDYN: It is a great offer. You all should take Josh up on that offer. He is an excellent sounding board and mentor. And additionally, if you get into the incubator, you'll just be in a Slack channel with Josh for the rest of time, inside of thoughtbot's Slack. So, that's another [crosstalk 02:05] JOSH: Statistically, there's a good chance you already are. [laughter] JORDYN: You mean in a slack with you. That's true. Josh is in a lot of Slacks, not [crosstalk 02:14]. LINDSEY: Yeah. Once you go through the incubator, you're family for life. JORDYN: You're family. You're here. You're with us. You can't get rid of us. LINDSEY: And you're able to hit us up with the questions, talk to the other founders, so that's another great benefit of participating. All right, but topic of the hour, Josh, hey, how are you? How you doing? JOSH: Lindsey, I am floating right now. We had our end of incubator session last official meeting. And we reviewed how we started, what we hope to accomplish, what we actually did accomplish, and next steps, and it feels really awesome. LINDSEY: It does. That's so great to hear. And can you, at the top here, maybe remind folks who haven't listened before, you know, what was that beginning point that you came in the incubator or the problem that you were looking to solve? JOSH: So, I had this Josh problem, which is that I am overwhelmed by the number of places that I am online and by the rapid increase in my professional network, professional social network, I guess you could say, but in my professional network, you know, see that comment a few minutes ago about how we're probably already in multiple Slacks together, whoever you happen to be online. Plus, if you're on LinkedIn, we're probably at least secondary connections on LinkedIn. Like, there's an awful lot of people, and it's growing really, really fast. And as somebody with a whopping case of ADD, which just feels like making an excuse, as somebody in, like, this modern world, I was feeling overwhelmed, and I felt like I was dropping the ball. And my problem was somebody must have a solution to this. I cannot be the only one. I could not find a solution myself. And I thought, well, maybe if there is no existing solution, maybe we should just go ahead and build it. And that was the genesis of my application to the thoughtbot incubator, which was that even though I've done this once before, I had never done this alone. I don't want to do this alone. And I thought that, you know, because of my experience with thoughtbot in the past and my understanding of, like, thoughtbot's unique organizational skills and capacities, this would be a particularly good fit for the thing that I wanted to figure out. And when I say figure it out, there was really four things I was hoping to get from this program. Let's see if I can remember them all in order. Number one, is this a Josh problem, or is this a broader problem affecting more people? Number two, this is, like, a ladder of problems, right? Like a cascading set. Number two thing I was trying to figure out: if this isn't just a Josh problem, is there at least one identifiable and addressable set of people who think about this problem in a similar way with whom I could engage? Number three, if there is such a group, are they willing, ready, and able to, like, spend money on solving this problem? And then number four, which I guess is kind of orthogonal to the other ones, it's kind of alongside, is this thing to solve even technically feasible, right? Because you can have this, like, amazing opportunity, but you just can't build it. And, you know, is this a thing that we could build or that I could get built within the resources that I might have? And I came in with some hypotheses, with some ideas. It's not like I had never done any research in this at all. But coming out of it, we have four pretty good answers. And I would not have been able to reach those answers with the same level of confidence, certainly not within eight weeks, if I hadn't gone through the incubator, and it's a really nice way to end the year. LINDSEY: With a bow on it. The last time we talked, you had narrowed in, I think, on your starting target market. And you had also recently introduced a prototype into the mix. How has the prototype evolved? JOSH: It's...and this is going to be no surprise to either of you or anybody who's listening. But, like, the difference between, like, talking about something in the abstract and actually having, like, a thing in your hand is night and day. So, the prototype actually evolved pretty rapidly. You know, it allowed us to try using it, like, to put on our own empathetic user analog hats and try it ourselves and be like, "Well, this doesn't quite make sense." This doesn't actually flow right. And it allowed us to show it to a lot of people. I'll say, we are, by far, our own strongest critics, which is good. Mostly, when we showed it to people, people are like, "This is amazing." And they would ask us, like, really specific, weird questions like, "Where's, you know, your about page? Could I see your privacy policy?" which is, like, a really, really good thing to hear. Because if the only thing...one way to interpret that is the only thing keeping them from maybe, like, diving in and using it right now, besides it doesn't actually exist as a product, is, like, some questions around privacy because it seems maybe too good to be true. Like, that's a pretty good buy sign. You know, we were expecting, like, "The screen makes no sense. Why are we swiping here? Where does this data come from? Is this really complete?" They're like, "No, I'm pretty much ready to go." So, that was good, helpful feedback, though we evolved it ourselves a lot internally. It's really nice having a thing. Do we use the term Pinocchio prototype or Pinocchio test [crosstalk 06:58]? LINDSEY: Yes, I did hear that. JOSH: Yeah, I like that. If this was like, you know, this wooden toy wanted to be a real boy, like, two weeks ago, it really, really wants...I don't know, Lindsey, we should, you know, get you in front of it. You're going to be like, "Why can't I use this today?" [laughter] JORDYN: That's definitely what we're hearing from people. JOSH: And my answer would be, "Well, you can't, but maybe in a couple of weeks." [laughs] JORDYN: Yeah, exactly. I will say I want to say for anyone listening in, though, that that was not, getting to what Josh just described where folks weren't really...they didn't have any hang-ups about the functionality or the value prop. They were basically just like, "What's your privacy policy? And when is it going to be ready for me to use?" It's not like the first draft of this prototype that was what we jumped to. I want to be clear. The first time we showed someone, there was this interesting problem, which is that we were still talking to the wrong people, somewhat. And the prototype hadn't evolved to be the slam dunk that it is now. So, at first, it was like, we'd have these kinds of muddled conversations where people were like, "Well, I don't really understand what this is supposed to be, and I'm not sure about that. And this seems interesting," but then their interpretation of what that thing was would be, like, wildly off from what it was intended to be. I just want to make it clear: this was work and effort. And the team did a really great job of iterating quickly based on, like, every time we talked to someone and showed it to them, we'd come back and say, "Here's what I heard." And it really pushed our thinking forward. Like Josh said, like, we are our toughest critics, so, like, every new version unlocked some new insights in ourselves about what it was we were actually driving toward. Really, just there's nothing like having a thing to look at and bang on to, like, clarify your thinking. LINDSEY: There's nothing like having a thing. Jordyn, you touched on you were talking to the wrong people, maybe. How has that exploration of the core market evolved? Is it still the startup enthusiasts? Are you even more narrow in that? What are the updates there as our chief market focus get everyone thinking about this all the time, officer? JORDYN: Yes. So, you know, startup enthusiasts is still the umbrella. What you're looking for with this is that you can guarantee pretty much every time you talk to someone in a segment or a sub-segment you will know how the conversation is going to go. And we've gotten there with two sub-segments of startup enthusiasts, which is repeat founders, key, key kind of nuance there. Founders, sure, but repeat founders really have this problem, for reasons we could talk about, and then chiefs of staff at startups, which is a relatively new role that's sort of emerged over the last sort of several years. But those folks are really the people that you ask them about this pain point, and they immediately are, like, yes. They use the same words to talk about the pain point. That's another really strong signal. When folks are using the same vocabulary, and they say the same sentences in the same order, and you start to feel a little bit creeped out, like, you're like, "Did you see these questions before I...? What? Did someone pay you to say that?" is, like, how you start to feel [laughs] [crosstalk 09:59] LINDSEY: Also, a marketer's dream. Oh my gosh, here comes the messaging, right? JORDYN: Exactly. LINDSEY: [inaudible 10:04] JORDYN: It feels like a cheat code because you just get to reflect their language back to them. You don't have to write copy. They wrote the copy. You just show them it, and they're like, yes. And everyone's like, "Yes," and it works. LINDSEY: Any thoughts to add to that, Josh? JOSH: It's really good. I would say the bummer or the good thing about this point is we're getting diminishing returns from testing everything other than the actual product, which is good that we got there in eight weeks. But we're not going to learn, you know, keep on adjusting the prototype and making little tweaks and more user research. But the truth is, we're not going to get anything substantial until we get this into some users' hands. JORDYN: Like you say, this is sort of bad news, but it's good news. JOSH: Right. JORDYN: It's how you know, right? When you get to the point where the thing is so clear, and the way to talk about it with folks is so clear that you're not learning as much anymore, diminishing returns is the right way to frame it. You really just need people to get in there and use it. That's the only way you're going to keep learning. That's the moment to build. Hey, everyone out there, don't build before that. That's when you build. And then you really build the smallest thing you can conceive of building, and then whatever that thing is that you've conceived of building that's very small, scope it back by 50% [laughs]. Do it. JOSH: And it's a little humbling as someone who considers himself a founder but who had reasonable success as a founder and who has had pretty good success as, like a very, very early-stage, you know, zero to one and 1 to 10 product leader, has done this a bunch of times and actually coaches people in doing this, and came in with, I'm not going to lie, a pretty good vision in my head for how this stuff was supposed to work together. And it's so much better now. Going through a process actually makes things better. This wasn't just, like, wasting time. Like, going through a process, a thoughtful process actually makes us much better. Like, the thing we're talking about building is much more likely to be successful than the thing I was originally thinking about building, right, Jordyn? JORDYN: Yes. I guess it bears sort of diving into that a little bit, which is, you know, for all the founders out there or folks with a product idea kicking around your head, you're apt to have a little bit of everything we've talked about already. You have an idea of the solution you want to build. You have an idea of who it's for. You have an idea of what their pain points are. And you might be sitting there thinking to yourself, I don't need to do eight weeks of discovery. I already know the answers to all of these questions. And it's possible Josh felt that way coming into the incubator, but doing the work, gathering the data, talking to a ton of people, what you can't understand before doing that is how much more confident and at ease you will feel once you have done it and how much clarity you'll have about what it is you need to build first because likely, you're sitting there with a vision in your head for this product that is fully featured, fully formed. It is the 18th month. We just went into a hidey hole and built a really complex thing, thing. Cool, don't throw that out. But you got to begin somewhere, and you got to begin somewhere meaningful and valuable. And it's really hard to know where to begin without this discovery, without focusing on a specific person, talking to as many of those folks as you can. And really, it sort of writes itself. It does feel easy. But you've got to set aside the time and the effort to do the research, market research, whatever we call this, customer discovery. And it thrills me to no end, Josh, to hear that that is how it felt for you, that you probably felt like you already knew the answer. But it just feels different, having talked to, I mean, how many people, 100-plus people? We were looking at the stats. JOSH: Well over 100. LINDSEY: Josh was talking to a bunch of people before he came to the incubator, and all the founders that we accept have been doing that. Like, we want to know that you've been doing that research. But then, I guess, coming into the incubator, you're continuing that process and maybe in a more structured or a differently structured way where the thoughtbot team is helping you, maybe zero in far deeper on the segment. Is that accurate to say? Just kind of the difference between, like, maybe some of the pre-research and then the thoughtbot-specific user interviews that happen. JOSH: Yeah. I think they were more focused. They're both more focused from the audience, but also more focused from if it's not just you doing it; it forces you to have a more clear, here's the questions we're asking, and here's what we're trying to learn, all these conversations. It's also really nice to have some diversity in who's asking the questions. As good or bad as I am at user research and user discovery, I am only one person. And having people with different backgrounds professionally, who live in different countries, who have different feelings about social media, basically, who are not me in a variety of really interesting ways, I think, made the entire process more interesting. Caro, who is our lead designer on the project, handed off basically the summary document of, like, everything we learned, and she pulled out, like, little snippets from the interviews. First of all, that is not something I would have done had it been just me, like, let's be very, very clear. This is an incredibly valuable document, particularly as we consider adding additional people onto this project to be able to, like, translate insights. But also, like, this is, like, summarized in a way that, like, takes some real expertise. And I would have walked away with vibes, and instead, we walked away with like, structured learning. LINDSEY: Awesome. So, the last time we checked in, also, you were very excited because you had just maybe started a technical spike and were starting to dig into the, okay, like, how technically feasible is this product? And I think, at that point, you all were looking at circling around this target market. Here are the main tools they use to communicate. What does it even look like to connect with those APIs? How possible is it? Can you give us an update on some of that work? JOSH: The way that I framed the question in the very beginning was, is this a science project, or is this going to be engineering? And, for the most part, the answer is, it's going to be engineering, right? Some are a little bit easier; some are a little bit harder. But it isn't, like, reinventing new stuff, with one exception, and that is connecting up with iMessages, which has been in the news a little bit. And I honestly just hope the ghost of Steve Jobs comes back and haunts, you know, the Apple headquarters at Cupertino because, come on, guys, interoperability is sort of the future, and you're ruining it for everybody. But other than that, I think we have a pretty clear path. I'd like to test out some of these. Like, you don't really know until you do it. I think that's kind of the next step of what we're doing is to, like, demonstrate that it is possible for a person to connect up a couple of different accounts. It is possible for us to extract data and turn that into information and insights in the kinds of ways we thought we could and then present that back in a meaningful way. I think that would be the next step for us to do. Mostly, everything seems feasible, except for iMessages. LINDSEY: I've also, I think, heard some whispers of artificial intelligence for Knect. Is that true? Have you all looked at, you know, what AI's role could be in the solution? And how does that research look? JORDYN: We assume it will be part of the mix. That said, I don't know how to frame it exactly. It's not like it's not an essential ingredient. I think the work with large language models and the democratization of that work recently is absolutely going to make this product way better than it would have otherwise been. But there are a lot of heuristics we've, like, been able to, you know, draw out and come up with that are, frankly, algorithmic, and they're not AI necessarily. Now, the line between big data plus an algorithm and AI in the popular lexicon, like, there's a big difference between those two things. But, like, as people talk about it, yeah, where does one end and the other begin? But we definitely will be making use of a lot of the newest technologies, and we've dabbled in them. I've dabbled in them. I know, Josh, you've been playing around with some of them, too, to the point where we're like, okay, yeah, we can make use of this stuff. It will be a valuable kind of tool in our toolkit, but it will not be the sole basis of value. I guess that's the sort of nuanced answer. But maybe Josh has a more bite-sized hype machine answer to this. Yeah, AI to the moon, right? JOSH: Um, no. My only answer would be more cynical. Would anybody rightfully start a company in 2023 without having AI in there someplace? Maybe I'll say something different. One of the things that we've wondered is, there's more than a handful of companies that are adjacent to what we're doing that are definitely looking at similar kinds of problems and that aren't building the solution that, clearly, some market is, like, desperate for. And these are not, like, wildly successful companies that have grown astronomically and changed the market. And, like, trying to figure out, like, why is that? And one of the reasons is...I sound like a tech bro, right? There has been a paradigm shift in the technology world, but there really has been. What do, you know, publicly available LLMs like, you know, OpenAI's ChatGPT, like, what have they done? They have taken a whole set of problems that were once really, really complicated and allowed you to do a reasonable job of solving them much more easily than you ever could before. And it takes some amount of imagination, to realize that, to realize that these things are more than just, I mean, every product I have on my computer has some kind of OpenAI ChatGPT-style thing in there, right? It's, like, 16 different variations on give me a prompt, and I'll write your essay for you, and they all kind of suck. But those aren't the really exciting uses that I've seen. It's the more subtle things. There's a company called Booklet, which tries to replace, like, noisy email lists or noisy communities to something more calm. And one of its features is it'll send you a summary of what's been going on in the community since, like, the last time you checked in. And it gives you, like, two paragraphs to read, and they're really chill and really informative, and they don't make you feel FOMO. They don't make you feel stressed up. Like, okay, stuff's happened in the community. This is really neat. And it's all powered by OpenAI's APIs. And it's really kind of magical. And, like, you have to have a slightly different perspective to imagine these kinds of magical moments. So, that's what I'm excited about. There's a set of things that we would have had to do with, like, terrible, complicated queries and, like, pattern matching, and freaking grep, or whatever old-school tools we would have had, you know, for doing things in the past. And now you just get to, like, shove text in one end, and say how you want the results structured and get the results back in the other end. And it doesn't have to be perfect, but that's okay. Like, we're talking about human relationships, which are inherently imperfect. So, I'm fine with this. And it's kind of exciting. But we'll see in, you know, if we end up continuing going down this path. Like, that's the goal of the next stage is to be, like, okay, what are the easy things which we can generate out of this? Is there an intersection between, like, easy and meaningful? And if there is, this is pretty exciting. JORDYN: Can I add something to that? Which is that the problem Knect is trying to solve and the way that we're trying to solve it, the way we've thought of solving it that's differentiated, lends itself really well to the current landscape of AI tools in that, and you were kind of getting at this, Josh, but I feel like it bears drilling into a little bit, in that what we are proposing here is not a set of deterministic things. We're not going to give you a to-do list. It's not, like, a linear...deterministic is really the right word. Like, there's a to-do list. There are things that make the cut. You got to go address them, et cetera. We're way more trying to approximate the way a slightly more put-together person with more time would approach nurturing their relationships, which is just to remember more of it more of the time. It doesn't mean we need to remember all of it every time. That's not the kind of task this is, which makes it a really good task for the place that AI is at right now. And I think where folks have failed in the past is that they've either tried to turn it into a deterministic set of tasks, which then just feels like another to-do list, another inbox in a series of to-do lists and inboxes that you have in your life that just make you feel guilty and inadequate. That doesn't seem fun to us. We don't think you need another one of those. Or other places we've seen this fall down, which is that it takes the current sort of state of AI and tries to actually do the deterministic thing for you, but it doesn't do a good enough job right now. But where we've kind of landed in the middle is that, again, what we're trying to solve for is solvable in a way more probabilistic way. Like, can we get more of this accomplished more easily for you? It's never going to, like, completely, you know, do the task in this perfect deterministic way. But it is going to make you feel more confident and more relaxed à la Booklet, it sounds like, how to do that for this particular problem, which is a different bar and one we think we can clear. And that really does provide value. People are really longing for this. LINDSEY: Jordyn and Josh, building on those descriptions of, like, kind of maybe bad AI use case, good AI use case, could you give some specific examples of, like, what that might look like for Knect, like, how AI could be used in a good way or maybe what you're trying to avoid, more specifically? JOSH: Yeah. First, I'm going to start with what I want to avoid, which is, there are tools out there, and these may be interesting to some people listening, and if so, go find them. Good luck. But there are tools out there that say things like, "Keep in touch with your network at scale." And will use AI to write a message which you can send out to people without you ever having to, like, review it. That seems like creepy, futuristic sort of, you know, there's, like, a Black Mirror episode about that. Like, the whole point of having, like, a professional network of people who you care about is actually interacting with them. And having some service, like, write some prompt, maybe in its own voice, maybe if it's really good in your voice to, like, let them know that you care about them, let them know that you're thinking about them is, like, that's just bad. I think that's bad. And we don't have any plans to do that kind of thing, even though most uses for AI in the products that I use are writing three or four paragraphs in response to, like, a prompt. So, certainly, that's the common use case. It's not very appealing to us, and, frankly, in the people we were talking to, that wasn't one of the things that anybody ever suggested. It's obvious, but as far as we can tell, uninteresting, right? Just because it's obvious and just because it's straightforward doesn't mean it's interesting. The things we're imagining, for example, is, talk about Jordyn. Jordyn and I have known each other since 2020, I think. And we have, like, a whole history of text messages going back and forth, which, by the way, we actually could integrate because we both have Android phones, you know, shout-out for Open Internet. It might be interesting to, you know, summarize some of that, like, I know Jordyn pretty well, but other people who I might have not talked with in a while, sure, you could present me with a whole timeline of our communication. But that isn't necessarily useful. I'll have to read every bit of it. Why not, like, take all that and summarize, here's things you guys talk about. Here's things that, like, prompted your past few conversations: job change, got laid off, started a company, got a cat. Whatever those topics happen to be like, share some of those things. Bring me up to speed a little bit faster without having to literally review every word that could have been going back multiple years. That's a pretty good use of it. If you think about the way that messages work, right? Like, my kids are now at the age where they have phones, and I can now text my kids during the day. I will just tell you, like, this is, like, an incredibly joyful thing for me to be able to send, like, stupid memes to my kids or, like, what's exactly the right emoji to, like, send to them or for them to send to me. If every one of these things were, like, pushed to some kind of timeline, and I'm like, "What's going on with my kids?" Like, that's just, like, going back and reading through, like, your WhatsApp thread, which is something that isn't interesting necessarily, at least not from, like, a professional perspective. And there's, like, thousands of these things. Like, why do I want, like, a record in my, like, database of people who I talk to that says, "OMG," or "K," or "lol," or those sorts of things? Like, that's, like, a phrase. It isn't a conversation. And we could use an LLM to go summarize what the conversation was all about, which is, by the way, a way more interesting thing to persist over time than, like, my daughter typing "JK, JK, JK," which I think is 15-year-old for laughing at me, but I'm not entirely sure. LINDSEY: [laughs] Okay, so as you are...you mentioned wrapping up, and you did your last meeting, and you've got your kind of takeaway docs. You know, one, I'm curious, like, if there's, for your last, you know, days, hours of the program, if there's any final morsels you're trying to get out of it, and then how that kind of leads you into, like, what's next. What are you planning? JOSH: Let's do another one of these things in two weeks. [laughter] LINDSEY: Oh, okay. JOSH: Yeah. I'm inviting myself back on your show. We have one more day of school then, like so many folks, we get in a plane or get in a car and go do some travel and try to disconnect a little bit from our professional networks. So, I'm consciously not trying to say what's going to happen next. I would love to have this conversation again, maybe in two weeks, in the new year, about what comes next. I don't know that I could have a meaningful one right now. JORDYN: I will say what we are trying to send Josh off with into his R&R is what's it going to take to get to a viable MVP, not merely viable, but actually viable? Given what we know, given all this, you know, work that we've done in the last eight weeks, we now have, you know, the ability to envision what version one of something might be. And so, making that kind of argument: here's why it is what we're imagining it to be; here's what it is; here's what it would take to build that thing, gives Josh a lot of stuff to think about in the meantime in terms of how to accomplish that. And the thing that will happen in two weeks is understanding a little bit more about, like, the actual, okay, here's the actual plan. But the ingredients are there, which is super valuable and is a thing we have done every time at the end of every incubator we've done. It's essentially a...it is that what's next plan and why, why that thing. What's the ultimate upside of pursuing this product, and what's the near-term upside? And what's it going to take to get there? Because that's often a thing that founders, especially for some founders, which Josh is not, but what they often can't get their heads around is there's this little feeling if you've got this big vision over here, and you've got, like, the set of things you could do tomorrow, really tasky things really, like, operational things, oh, I need to, like, set up a C Corp, but I need to...whatever those things are, right? What's in between? What's that near-term path that's going to directionally head in the direction of that big vision? It's, so far, always, what we have sent founders off with. LINDSEY: So, if you weren't here at the very beginning of our session, we mentioned that the applications are now open for session 1 of 2024. I'm curious, Josh, what kind of founders would you recommend for the thoughtbot incubator? What's the profile of someone you might send our way? JOSH: I'm going to say something, and I don't think I match that profile, which is interesting, and folks should think about that, what that means. But I would say that if I had to, like, pick a profile, having gone through this, I would say somebody with an idea, of course; ideally, it's one that they have some connection to. They have some personal passion for but, not just because it's an abstract idea but a personal passion that comes from their own experience. And it's really great for somebody who hasn't been inside of a tech company before, at least on the tech, half the business. Tech companies have three halves: one half is, you know, the product building side of bit of it or the tech half, which is engineers, and product designers, and product managers. And the other half of that is the go-to-market side, like sales, and marketing, and customer success. And the third half would be, like, operations like HR and finance. So, if you have experience in, like, the sales, or the marketing, or the customer success side, or the HR, or the finance, or corporate operations or that part of it, and, you know, you're familiar with tech coming from that perspective but maybe haven't been on the actually building stuff side of them before, this is a really, really good process. Because what does thoughtbot do? It does the building in tech side of things: designers, product managers, and especially engineers. And it has this, like, legacy and this history and expertise, therefore, with, like, the journeyman program where they help, like, level people up in those areas and now are applying this to founders. Because as the founder, you do need to develop some ability to converse around engineering and technical stuff. And you really, really, really, really need to get good at the discovery side, especially of, like, product design and product management. And those are the things you're going to get to do and you're going to get to do with people who are themselves really, really good at it. And that's awesome. The flip side is if you're, you know, a founder who is super attached to every bit of your vision, and you think you have the strategy all laid out and you're just looking for, like, warm bodies to build it, I mean, is it the insight team? What's the right level at thoughtbot? I forget the names of things, but, like, thoughtbot has, like, a startup program where you can give thoughtbot money, and they will build things for you. And they're also really, really good at that, but that's not the incubator program. The incubator program is probably a step earlier. So, I think it is worth thinking, are you at the I'm so confident of my vision; I'm so confident in my strategy that I just want to get this thing built, then maybe don't sign up for the Incubator. But if you're at the stage of I think this is a problem; I'm pretty sure this is a problem; I really want it to get solved; I have some vision, but I know it's going to change, then I think the incubator is really ideal, especially if you're looking to upskill yourself, too, because you're going to walk away with the ability to be conversant around the technology stuff. And you're going to walk away with a crap ton of experience with the discovery, qualitative discovery, like user interviews, quantitative discovery, like, you know, running ads, and landing pages, and all that stuff. Like, you're going to be really solid with that stuff after eight weeks because you will have done it. LINDSEY: Jordyn, any thoughts? JORDYN: I love all that. I think it's accurate. I would only say to those of you sitting out there who are thinking, I'm in that other camp; I'm very confident about what it is I want to build; I would ask you to do a little soul-searching as to whether that's actually true. Like, what evidence do you have? If you needed to stand up in court and defend your conclusions and your vision, could you? And I say that as the person who, as a first-time founder, was deluded in that way. I thought I knew exactly what I was doing and for whom and why. And, boy, howdy, could I have used a program like this to actually get me to sit down and, like, talk to people, listen to them, figure out what was valuable and what wasn't, what a valuable, you know, initial market offering was going to be like. Ah, I wish really, really badly that I'd had something like this because I was pretty deluded. I don't even know, like, what the right word is. I just didn't know what I didn't know. So, like the way you described it, Josh, I know Jordyn of 2017 would have been like, "That's me. I know this thing that I need to do. LINDSEY: [laughs] JORDYN: So, I don't need to apply to this program because I don't need to do any of that discovery work." But I was wrong [laughs]. I was absolutely wrong. I was wrong to the tune of, you know, two years and $150,000 of angel investment. So, consider, it is not idly that I say this to you, person sitting out there who feels very confident in your vision right now. Perhaps you have done all those things already; in that case, [inaudible 33:43] you don't need this. And you just need to [inaudible 33:46] with the thing you already know to be true. But ask yourself, how do you know what you know? LINDSEY: Yeah, even if you...we can help you build the thing. But we're probably, also, still going to push you on [laughs] some of those things we [crosstalk 34:01]. JORDYN: Yeah, we're still going to ask. We're going to ask to see the receipts. LINDSEY: Yeah [laughs]. JORDYN: And maybe you have the receipts, which is great, but we're still going to ask you for them, I guess, is my point. Every team at thoughtbot will ask you for the receipts, by the way, not just mine [laughs]. LINDSEY: The other interesting thing you touched on, Josh, was, I think, where we kind of started the incubator was with that target profile that you just described, which is, like, the less technical founder, and maybe even, like, a first-time founder. And then over time and seeing, like, applications, we broadened that as we saw, like, oh, you know, actually, also, technical founders and repeat founders do still need, like, help with this and can use guidance. So, we've expanded a bit, and maybe that is still, like, the person who gets the most value at the end of the day is the non-technical who hasn't really done this before. But yeah, we've kind of expanded to those other profiles as well. JOSH: There's a reason that repeat founders are no more successful on average than first-time founders, and it's something really important that Jordyn said, which is, you may think you've done all this, but we're going to ask you for the receipts. Just because you've done this before doesn't mean you're going to be good at it. Chances are, if you've done this before, it's mostly because you got really, really lucky; ask me how I know. So, it's nice to have. I mean, I described a profile, and I said that wasn't me. But I'll just tell you, as somebody who, like, spent his entire career, almost his entire career, in the tech side of tech companies, and I think I'm pretty good at it, I'm certainly not the worst at it, thinks I'm pretty good at it, it's still really nice to have a team backing you up in this early moment. It's really nice to have a team. JORDYN: Yeah, I will say another thing that we've heard from every founder we've worked with is just how much more real and actionable their idea feels when they have a team sitting there with them taking them seriously, which is another thing, you know, I really would have benefited from is, like, suddenly, when you've got three or more industry professionals sitting there in a Zoom call with you, like, okay, what are we doing? Why are we doing this? How do we know? The feeling of being taken seriously in that way and then having a bunch of people working full-time with you for eight weeks, they're in it with you; they're asking the questions; they're talking to people; they're coming back and saying, "I just had the most amazing conversation with someone. Here's what I learned," it just takes your project to a different level of reality. Like, we're humans. We're social beings. We create reality together. And when you're working alone, you know, through force of will, you can do a lot, but with a group, it really feels like you're creating something together. And, like Josh said, having those other brains with other experiences in other contexts percolating on your idea it's like bringing a team to bear on something. There's just nothing quite like it, and it's a huge value of the program. Like, we can give you the programming and, in fact, you can go run the programming. It is published in our handbook. The things that we do together you can go do, but it is a whole other matter to do them with a team. It just feels different. LINDSEY: Great. Well, I think that's where we're going to end today. I mean, Josh is leaving us hanging a little bit. So, we might need to...we're going to figure out a way to get your final thoughts, conclusions in a few weeks because I know everyone would love to hear what the plan is for Knect. Josh and Jordyn, as always, thank you so much. Any final thoughts or farewells from you today? JOSH: I've really enjoyed it. I'm going to miss these folks. Though, apparently, I get to hang out in a special Slack channel forever. LINDSEY: Yeah, you get to hang out. JOSH: Which is nice. LINDSEY: Exactly. You can't get rid of us just yet. JOSH: Good. I wouldn't want to. LINDSEY: All right. Thanks, y'all. And thanks, everyone, for tuning in. Special Guest: Josh Herzig-Marx .