Everything has to start somewhere. But in product and in life, the beginning tends to be awkward. We have room to grow, and glow, up. The real question isn’t about whether we’ll glow up, but when. Christian & Meghan walk us through their answers from working in UX, product marketing, and brand to help us all find the best moment to embrace the “product glow-up” while staying true to our vision.

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Takeaways:

Don’t be afraid to get started and make a mess.
Before you can glow up, you have to find product-market fit.
Your first users are your strongest advocates; learn from them.
If you only make tweaks but avoid the overall experience, you fall behind.

Things To Listen For:

[3:00] Icebreaker: what’s something that gives you a sense of nostalgia?
[6:00] When nostalgia gets complicated and the “worst decade for style”
[7:00] Our apologies to Dave Grohl, if you’re listening out there
[8:00] Introducing the product glow-up
[10:00] The big question: when is the right time for a product glow-up?
[11:00] The awkward phase is when you’re trying to find product-market fit
[11:30] Why not to glow up your product or brand too early
[12:30] You shouldn’t invest everything in creating a great brand until you know what your product is
[13:00] In the beginning, you need to be focused on what people will buy
[14:30] Lessons from tech boom companies that invested in brand upfront
[15:30] How product glow ups are like an episode of What Not To Wear
[17:30] Early adopters don’t buy because you have a good brand or UX; they buy because they connect with your vision
[20:00] If you’re going to be trendy, make sure your choices are intentional
[23:00] The influence of tech debt on when you need a glow-up
[24:00] Signals (and red alarms) for when it’s glow-up time 🚨
[28:00] A quick case study: Peloton and products in COVID

Episode 105: Year of Sinbad with Ed Larson