CRAFTED.

Matt Flannery and Branch have done something the banks have not: learned how to profitably lend to people who have little to no credit history. Matt is the founder and CEO of Branch, which issues small loans to millions of people in India, Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania. He's also the founder of Kiva, a microfinance pioneer that skyrocketed from a small project into a worldwide nonprofit that Oprah and President Clinton loved talking about. On this episode of CRAFTED., we learn how Branch uses data from people's phones to confidently make loans to people who don't have traditional credit scores. Plus, how they prevent fraud and avoid bias. We'll also explore the wild ways that Branch is experimenting with Generative AI, including how they are creating “future synthetic data” that they believe will predict how users will save and spend in the future. Takeaways:Branch uses AI to confidently lend to people without traditional credit scoresBranch was built on traditional machine learning models – the name “Branch” derives in part from the “random forest” approach – and now is adding Generative AI approaches to the mixBranch is using GenAI to create “future synthetic data” that predicts how people will spend and save in the years to come. As Matt says, “it’s kind of a wild idea” and it’ll take a few years to see how predictive the approach isTo avoid bias, lend to lots of people no matter what the data says. It will teach you what the “natural loss rate” is and prevent you from training your model on customers you’ve already selected as creditworthy.Preventing fraud is the biggest challenge. And you can go from zero fraud to massive fraud over a weekend if fraudsters discover a vulnerability.Branch is hugely successful in India, because of the approach it developed in Africa: lend very small amounts to lots of people and, as people repay, offer them larger loans. Branch failed in Mexico, because the user experience of repaying the loan (visiting a local shop) was too difficult; meanwhile another reason for success in India is the country’s recent rollout of a nationwide mobile payments system (UPI). Plus, willingness to repay in India is naturally very high. Key Moments:(02:33) - Founding Kiva and its rise from a side project to a worldwide non-profit (06:31) - Founding Branch and the impact of lending to people that banks won’t (10:03) - Scaling Branch, and why it can grow better as a for-profit than Kiva could as a non-profit (14:28) - Why fraud is the biggest challenge to Branch and how they prevent it (16:17) - How Branch got really good at making quick lending decisions and why it’s critical to approve lots of people (18:41) - Why Branch failed in Mexico, and how those lessons led to their outsize success in India (21:34) - How Branch uses AI to make lending decisions and how it’s experimenting with GenAI to create “future synthetic data” (25:40) - How to prevent bias – and why Branch automatically approves lots of people for loans no matter what the data says about them (29:04) - What’s next for branch (29:57) - How being in a rock band helped Matt gain confidence — and how that served him when he’d later appear on Oprah (30:59) - Outro CRAFTED. is brought to you in partnership with Docker, which helps developers build, share, run and verify applications anywhere – without environment confirmation or management. More than 20 million developers worldwide use Docker's suite of development tools, services and automations to accelerate the delivery of secure applications. CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Learn more at modernproductminds.com Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 crafted.fm

Nithya Ruff is an expert on open source. As the head of AWS’s Open Source Program Office and the Chair of the Linux Foundation, she has a wide view on all things open source. On this episode of CRAFTED., we discuss:Why Open Source AI is so tricky, but also so essential, to defineHow open source needs to evolve for the next generation of developersWhat an Open Source Program Office is — and why companies like AWS have themThe questions, benefits, and risks that arise when a company is considering using open source technologiesWhy contributing to open source (“giving back”) is not always so selfless: relying on a successful, well-supported open source technology can be very advantageous to companiesWhy you need need to be deliberate when growing an open source project – just let it grow organically is not a great recipe for success todayHow open source draws on so many skills beyond coding, such as community management, marketing, and legalHow open source is not just for software. Social change, agriculture, and other domains often use open source approachesNithya’s path, and why she loves with open sourceKey Moments:(02:20) - The state of open source today (04:47) - Teaching a new generation the values of open source, increasing diversity (07:38) - Open source AI, why we need a definition of it, and why we should insist on it or else live in a “black box” future (11:34) - Open source is full of possibilities (13:08) - What an OSPO (Open Source Program Office) is and why companies have them (16:18) - Common open source questions developers face (21:24) - How to balance risk vs. reward when using open source (24:01) - Why (most) open source projects should not grow organically, and the value of community management (25:53) - Open source is not just for code. Social good, agriculture, and other applications… (27:40) - Nithya’s story: how she got into tech and why she fell in love with open source because it draws on so many skills, beyond just coding (32:01) - Outro CRAFTED. is brought to you in partnership with Docker, which helps developers build, share, run and verify applications anywhere – without environment confirmation or management. More than 20 million developers worldwide use Docker's suite of development tools, services and automations to accelerate the delivery of secure applications. CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Learn more at modernproductminds.com Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 crafted.fm

Mario Rodriguez, GitHub's Chief Product Officer, discusses the transformative power of AI in software development. He envisions a future where one billion people, including non-professionals, can create apps with ease, reminiscent of playful childhood experiences. Mario emphasizes the return of creativity in coding, the importance of hands-on learning, and the need for adaptability in product management with AI. He also shares insights on user interactions with AI, encouraging iterative testing and the significance of understanding user psychology.

Henrik Werdelin is on an AI-fueled mission to launch thousands of startups a year. He is the founder of BARK, which went public, and prehype, a studio that has incubated several unicorns. With Audos, Henrik is building AI agents that can coach founders how he would — if he had infinite time to do so. And Audos is not just for the cliche founder looking to launch a unicorn… It’s for entrepreneurs of all stripes. With AI making things easier, Henrik expects to see lots more “DonkeyCorns,” i.e. highly profitable businesses operated by just one or two people. “DonkeyCorns party like unicorns, but they grind like mules.”Check out this episode for lots of practical tips for how you can get more out of AI. Plus, we’ll peer into the weird future we’re building. Takeaways from this episode: AI enables new businesses to be created, launched, and tested very quickly. Henrik shares how Audos uses AI to help founders focus on their customers, launch, and get customersHenrik talks to his AI agents like they’re people: He gives them names and backstories. By doing so, he finds he has a better partner than a bot or Google search would be. The more creative you are with prompts, the better the AI will be. e.g., Ask for “ten ideas that will definitely get me fired”“Customer-founder fit” is the most important ingredient to Henrik Use “signal mining” to prove there is real demand for your product“The swipe” proves there is real intent for your product, i.e. get people to pay for it, even if you haven’t built it yet.BARK succeeded (it’s gone public) by following its mission (be “Disney for dogs”) not by following its utility (boxes of stuff for pets)“Relationship capital” and “humanity” will be more important, as AI continues to excel at technical jobs. Take AI seriously right now. And Henrik says senior leaders need to be using it themselvesIt’s weird out there: We discuss the uncanny valley of talking to AI agents (including those that impersonate your dead spouse) Rock and roll – Henrik tells the story of his career break: As an intern, he pulled an on-air stunt at MTV that he was sure would get him fired, but instead got him a huge promotion.Henrik is the author of The Acorn Method: How Companies Get Growing Again. And he’s writing a new book, Me, My Customer, and AI. He also co-hosts the podcast Beyond the Prompt, which features the interesting, weird, and uncanny-valley ways people are using AI in their day-to-day lives, as well as practical tips for how you can go beyond “beginner mode” in your own use of AI. CRAFTED. is brought to you in partnership with Docker, which helps developers build, share, run and verify applications anywhere – without environment confirmation or management. More than 20 million developers worldwide use Docker's suite of development tools, services and automations to accelerate the delivery of secure applications. CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early-stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 crafted.fmKey Moments (00:00) - Intro (02:56) - Henrik’s method for launching startups (04:08) - Why “customer-founder fit” is the first thing he looks for and how it manifested at BARK (06:43) - How to use “signal mining” to prove there is real demand for your product (08:42) - Launching BARK Air, “a totally real airline for dogs” (12:28) - Launching Audos and using AI to launch thousands of startups a year (17:05) - “DonkeyCorns!” Why we will see more highly profitable companies run by just one or two people (21:30) - How Henrik uses AI, why he personifies his agents, and the creative prompts he uses (27:50) - The stunt that nearly got Henrik fired at MTV, but instead was his career break (31:00) - Why big companies need to take AI seriously right now (34:27) - How Henrik advises entrepreneurs looking for their next play (37:12) - “Pursue interestingness” (38:24) - The uncanny valley of AI embodying people (39:50) - Outro

Sports, and the way we experience them, is changing. And AI, 5G, 3D, and all the other buzzy acronyms are why. Behshad Behzadi is the CTO and Chief AI Officer of Sportradar and on this episode of CRAFTED., we explore ways sports and technology are intersecting in novel, weird, and amazing ways. Sportradar creates immersive experiences and data products for sports fans, players, leagues, and bettors. Behshad joined after 17 years at Google where he co-founded Google Assistant, Google Lens and more. He's been building with AI and voice for way longer than most and has lots of practical advice on how to get the most out of AI. Takeaways from this episode:AI enables incredibly precise levels of personalization — and that’s coming to a sports experience near you“GenAI is like a hammer…” but don’t use it like one. Traditional coding is often more effective, and you may want a mix of GenAI and old school code for different parts of the same problemYou don’t always need the latest greatest GenAI models – save costs by using smaller models when you canTo build moats, look to your data and customer relationships; less so to your GenAI modelsWhen adopting GenAI, corporations need good governance and oversightGoogle Assistant, which Behshad helped launch, promised too many things in its earliest versions, leading to user confusionIgnore the competition and focus on user needs (not easy when there is a race to dominate a market, as there was with the rise of Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa)Behshad says the “ultimate assistant” is coming within the next 20 yearsBehshad says AI will help cure many diseases in the next 20 yearsKey Moments:(02:42) - Why this (AI) moment is so exciting in sports and beyond (04:04) - Personalizing the fan experience (06:09) - How GenAI can give you a competitive advantage (and where it won’t) (08:05) - How companies can succeed with GenAI, and pitfalls to avoid (10:48) - When to use GenAI and when to use old school coding (11:59) - midroll (13:10) - Adopting GenAI internally for writing code and more (16:06) - Building Google Assistant and early AI + voice products (18:09) - Why you should ignore the competition, and other hard moments from scaling Google Assistant (20:58) - Why Behshad believes “ultimate assistant” will soon be reality and many diseases will be cured thanks to the rise of AI (22:32) - Outro CRAFTED. is brought to you in partnership with Docker, which helps developers build, share, run and verify applications anywhere – without environment confirmation or management. More than 20 million developers worldwide use Docker's suite of development tools, services and automations to accelerate the delivery of secure applications. CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Learn more at modernproductminds.com Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 crafted.fm

Jeff Birkeland is the SVP of Product and Platform at Included Health, a company that aims to be the app on your phone that you first think of when you have a healthcare need.On this episode of CRAFTED., we explore why “the integration itself is the innovation.” Included Health has more than 2,000 employees across both technology and clinical care, and its services are used by many top companies and their employees. The goal: create an integrated experience that brings it all together… from insurance to diet to doctors to drugs and more… The disjointed nature of healthcare is something Jeff has experienced personally. Such as when he asked his surgeon about food: “ He told me directly like, ‘Hey, the dietician stuff is not my thing…’ Our challenge at Included health is how do we make those connections?”To make those connections, Jeff relies on skills he learned before he got into product: He used to make documentaries. We'll hear how Jeff applies this power of narrative at Included Health and at Headspace, where he used to lead the consumer product team. Takeaways from this episode:Often, the “integration itself is the innovation.”Consider the “in-between” times: What is your user doing before and after they use your product? What should they do? Personalization: How small product details for you add up to a great product experienceGenAI: How to build and test new AI-powered experiencesSpeed matters: the quicker you make something, the more your user will want to do it (an old lesson from Google, that also applies at Included and many more things)Key Moments:(02:35) - “Like a movie” — How Jeff applies his storytelling skills to user experience (03:58) - Consider the “in-between moments” – What is your user doing before and after they use your app? And how Jeff applied this thinking at Headspace (05:42) - “The dietician stuff is not my thing,” said Jeff’s surgeon. Included Health is trying to prevent its members from that sort of disjointed experience (08:12) - Lessons from leading the consumer product team at Headspace (11:10) - About Included Health and what is surprising Jeff about healthcare innovation (14:34) - Personalization: How Included Health is creating personalized experiences to serve members better (17:10) - AI and product development: experimenting with using AI to answer members’ questions about their insurance coverage (20:29) - Evaluating the AI product and considering whether it’s ready for a wider roll out (22:18) - Outro CRAFTED. is brought to you in partnership with Docker, which helps developers build, share, run and verify applications anywhere – without environment confirmation or management. More than 20 million developers worldwide use Docker's suite of development tools, services and automations to accelerate the delivery of secure applications. CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 crafted.fm

April Dunford is an expert at product positioning. She’s advised hundreds of B2B companies on how they can make their products Obviously Awesome  — that’s also the title of her bestselling book on positioning. On this episode of CRAFTED., April shares tips on how you can make your product standout and how you can drive more sales — that’s the focus of her latest book, Sales Pitch.April says great positioning starts when you truly understand the answer to this question: “If you didn't exist, what would a customer do?” And the answer may surprise you: “We lose half of our deals in B2B to ‘do nothing!’” Do nothing – the status quo – is a fierce competitor and April has identified ways to help customers gain the confidence they need to make a scary purchase decision (e.g. buying a new CRM). Key here: don’t sell to your customer; help them buy. April is fun and has a knack for sharing colorful anecdotes and analogies that will stick with you. e.g. Tune in to find out what buying a toilet has to do with B2B SaaS. Takeaways from this episode:Positioning defines how your product is the best in the world at delivering something to a defined group of peopleGreat positioning starts with understanding the competition. Not what you think the competition is, but what your customers actually evaluate you against. e.g. Is your product cake (dessert) or a muffin (breakfast)? They’re both made of bread and pretty similar, but they’ve got totally different competitors.Startups often have great positioning at the outset, but then it slips over time as new competitors copy what you do and your uniqueness gets lost. You need to pay attention to your positioning as the market changes.Don’t sell! Help your customers buy. Don’t assume they know how to! Imagine you’re selling a CRM… When was the last time your customer bought one? Ten years ago? If ever. Help them contextualize your product among the others out there.Lead with business outcomes! Not features.Key Moments:(00:00) - Introduction (02:20) - - Working with founders, being "the positioning expert", and why positioning is so tricky to get right (05:22) - - How to make your product "Obviously Awesome" (07:18) - - The five elements of great positioning (15:59) - - Why "do nothing" is your strongest competitor: 50% of B2B deals are lost to "do nothing" (17:43) - - Don't sell: Rather, "help your customers buy" (and what buying a toilet has to do with this) (29:50) - - April positions herself: How she grew her personal brand and narrowed in on her solopreneur offering (33:16) - - Outro CRAFTED. is brought to you in partnership with Docker, which helps developers build, share, run and verify applications anywhere – without environment confirmation or management. More than 20 million developers worldwide use Docker's suite of development tools, services and automations to accelerate the delivery of secure applications. CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 crafted.fm

Matt Monahan, president of Arc XP at the Washington Post, dives into the complexities of modern media creation and distribution. He discusses the pivotal role of content management systems and how they can transform from cost centers to profit generators. The conversation explores the impact of generative AI on reducing journalists' workload, and the influence of Jeff Bezos's practices on the Post's operations, particularly the famed six-page memo. Monahan also shares valuable lessons about navigating business challenges and the importance of adaptability.

Dr. Kristen DiCerbo is Khan Academy’s Chief Learning Officer, where she sets the company's product, teaching, and learning strategy — with AI at the forefront. Khanmigo is amazing. It’s the GenAI-powered product from Khan Academy that helps students learn and teachers teach — and could revolutionize education. Khan Academy is used by 12 million students a month! And they’ve been an early adopter of GenAI. Khanmigo coaches students in math and English, helps teachers prepare lesson plans, enables parents to get help as they help their children with their homework, and much more… On this episode of CRAFTED., Kristen shares how they build with Generative AI  — and how you can learn from their experiences to build your own AI experiences. We dig into how Khan Academy:Builds with GenAI’s unpredictability in mindHelps GenAI get good at math (and also built a UX that masks the ways it is bad at it)Gave Khanmigo an “inner monologue” that helps it slow down and better tutor studentsBuilt a “prompt playground” where they can evaluate various promptsBuilt a “prompt library” where they can keep track of promptsEmploy fine-tuning, red teaming, hackathons, and more…Sal Khan’s new book is entitled “Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing)” – On this episode we explore how and why!***(00:00) - Introduction (02:04) - Education + technology: Kristen early experiences (05:10) - Khan Academy primer: 12M students a month! (07:36) - Getting early access to GPT4 (09:02) - GenAI: early experiments with tutoring (11:40) - GenAI is bad at math! How Khan Academy grappled with this (15:42) - Building an AI-powered writing tutor (19:49) - How AI can free teachers from grading homework and help students learn more quickly (21:20) - Prompt chaining: why you need to break up your prompts to get good results (22:48) - Preventing AI-powered plagiarism (26:30) - The role of teacher in an AI world (30:26) - Outro ***CRAFTED. is brought to you in partnership with Docker, which helps developers build, share, run and verify applications anywhere – without environment confirmation or management. More than 20 million developers worldwide use Docker's suite of development tools, services and automations to accelerate the delivery of secure applications. CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Learn more at modernproductminds.com Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 crafted.fm

Kelsey Hightower, a legendary developer and Kubernetes pioneer recently retired from Google, shares his insights on innovation and storytelling. He discusses the emotional aspects of software development and the importance of authenticity in live demos. Kelsey emphasizes that true craftsmanship shines during incremental innovations and reflects on his busy retirement, promoting engagement in the tech community. He explores the creative parallels between software and music, and the necessity of maintaining an open mindset to adapt and grow.