Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

The Risk of Investing in Non-Critical Features That Remove Focus From the Core Experience, A Product Leadership Story | Eli Goodman

Sep 30, 2024

Eli Goodman, the Head of Product at Tuple, shares his journey from software development to product leadership, featuring lessons learned from a failed community initiative. He discusses the challenges of launching non-critical features that distract from the core user experience. Eli emphasizes the importance of aligning product development with user needs and understanding when to pivot away from ambitious ideas. His insights on focusing on essential features offer valuable guidance for anyone in product management.

13:23

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Episode guests

Eli Goodman

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Eli Goodman highlighted the critical importance of ensuring new features align with the core user path to avoid wasted resources.

The podcast emphasized skepticism around the effectiveness of digital communities in fulfilling human connection needs compared to in-person interactions.

Deep dives

Tupple: A Unique Remote Pair Programming App

Tupple is a specialized remote pair programming application designed to create an environment that mimics in-person collaboration. It stands out among typical screen-sharing tools by incorporating developer-specific features that enhance the user experience. Well-known companies like Figma and Shopify have adopted Tupple, which highlights its effectiveness in supporting remote software development teams. The app provides a focused solution for development teams looking to overcome the challenges of remote work by offering seamless collaboration capabilities.

Intro

3min

The Challenges of Building Community in Product Offerings

5min

Focusing on the Critical Path in Product Design

2min

Navigating the Risk of Non-Critical Features and Community Engagement

4min

Eli Goodman: The Risk of Investing in Non-Critical Features That Remove Focus From the Core Experience, A Product Leadership Story

NOTE: We want to thank the folks at Tuple.app for being so generous with their stories, and supporting the podcast. Visit tuple.app/scrum and share them if you find the app useful! Remember, sharing is caring!

In this episode, Eli Goodman, Head of Product at Tuple, shares a compelling failure story that transformed his approach to product development. Eli reflects on a time when he ambitiously pursued building a community feature that seemed like a perfect addition to the product. However, the project didn't take off, leading to a realization about investing in features that aren't critical to the core user path. How do you identify which features truly belong in your product? And when is it time to pull the plug on an idea?

About Eli Goodman

Eli Goodman has been working on software teams for 17 years. He’s been a full-stack developer and engineering manager at both large and small companies, including Etsy and Headspace. A few years ago, Eli transitioned to product management and is now the Head of Product at Tuple, a remote pair programming service used by companies such as Figma, Shopify, and many others in the software industry.

You can link with Eli Goodman on LinkedIn, or email Eli at Eli@Tuple.app.

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Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile storytelling from the trenches

The Risk of Investing in Non-Critical Features That Remove Focus From the Core Experience, A Product Leadership Story | Eli Goodman

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Tupple: A Unique Remote Pair Programming App

Lessons from a Community-Focused Failure

Skepticism Towards Digital Communities

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts