People of Product

Does your organization look the same today as it did two years ago? You’re likely stalling in “zombie mode” because you’re de-prioritizing innovation. Elvin Turner is an innovation advisor & best-selling author on a mission to elevate organizations to “unicorn status” by placing learning at the center of all. In this episode, George Brooks & Elvin cover where leaders have to start in their journey towards innovation, the mentalities that hinder growth, and how to scale the practice of learning across an organization.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

It’s not a coincidence that some of the most successful leaders are funny. Balanced humor in a professional setting is how you build trust and have a significant impact. Andrew Tarvin is the Founder & CEO of Humor That Works, a well-traveled comedian, and keynote speaker. In this week’s episode, George & Andrew talk about the cross-section of humor and the workplace and tips for how to infuse comedy into your organization to work more efficiently.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Kai Haley is head of UX Methods and Research at Google. She leads a highly unique internal program that systematizes UX practices across many groups within the monolithic organization. In this episode, George Brooks & Kai discuss methods for creating alignment across product lines, the challenge of creating a shared language, and how to best manage alignment as a distributed team. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Knowledge is power - and to gather more knowledge you have to gain access to different conversations and experiences throughout your life and career. It’s about tuning yourself into the opportunities that present themselves or just taking advantage of the access you already have. In this week’s episode, George & Dan talk about how to empower yourself and others to collect insight and open up access to conversations within your organization. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

C. Todd Lombardo, Author, Consultant, and VP of Product & Experience at Openly, joins George for a conversation around product roadmaps, implementing change within your organization, and the dangers of building features that never get used. Hear how he got started as an author and the learnings he’s gleaned throughout the process. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Author, Silicon Valley Product Group Partner, and former product leader at eBay Marty Cagan shares his views on empowered product teams and the leadership required to make these teams possible in our latest episode. Learn why it’s important for product teams to serve customers first, how to encourage accountability on your teams, and the main reason to partner with a digital product agency. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Director of Design Pamela Porto sits down with Dan and George to share how her craft team created design principles tied to a mindset rather than a specific product, how keeping on client work in her new leadership role helps her empathize with her team, and how she plans to incorporate more user research into the design workflow going forward. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Crema’s Director of Development Rob LaFeve shares the challenges and opportunities that he’s discovered in his new role, touching on the shift from tangible output to more high-level decision-making and how he acts as a ‘switchboard’ for his team.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Self-proclaimed ‘super user’ and Crema’s Director of Testing Courtney Johnston von Nieda describes a day in the life of a test engineer in our latest People of Product interview. Though finding broken things and saving the day is a fun perk of the job, there’s a much larger mission to integrate with developers, improve the business overall, expand testing knowledge across the team, and so much more. Whether you’re a test engineer yourself or a product newbie, you won’t want to miss this one.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Get a sneak-peek into the daily functions and strategies of being a product manager. In this episode, Crema’s Director of Product Management Michael Luchen shares what the role entails, how to manage priorities, the hardest part of the job, favorite tools, and more! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us