Product Momentum Podcast

When product development teams build new software tools and systems, they like to start with the end in mind by nudging quality assurance and security scanning closer to the early stages of the process. Paul Connaghan, Principal Application Security Consultant at RiverSafe in London, UK, says this “shift left” approach goes straight to the heart of business operations by embedding a security mindset in the underlying architecture, in UX and UI design, and in the QA and app hosting apparatus. In this episode of Product Momentum, Paul sat down with Paul Gebel and Jonathan Coupal, ITX’s VP of Infrastructure, stressing the importance of moving security considerations to the earliest possible phase of the SDLC (software development life cycle). Shift Left“Shift left has been something of focus for clients a few years now,” Paul says. “Once we’ve actually written some code, we want to test that code as soon as we can.” Paul’s passion for app and system security, and threat modeling specifically, is obvious. It’s a task typically performed by security folks, Paul adds, as it can be quite involved to produce threat models for things that we don’t entirely understand. Nonetheless, he advocates for teaching product teams to do this for themselves. Build a Security-Focused Culture“It helps us address the skill challenge, because there’s just not enough people in cyber to effectively secure all the applications and products that are out there,” Paul shares. “But it also gets teams into the habit of having daily conversations about security, which is fundamentally really the thing that’s going to help close the [security knowledge] gap and build a security-focused culture.” Question: within each sprint, how much capacity does your team allocate for security? None? 5%? More? Be sure to catch the entire episode to learn Paul Connaghan’s expert recommendation. Learn more about application security and threat modeling by catching our earlier Product Momentum episode, with guest Chris Romeo. You can also watch our conversation with Paul Connaghan on the Product Momentum YouTube channel! The post 131 / Shift Left: Integrating a Security Mindset Early in the Software Development Life Cycle, with Paul Connaghan appeared first on ITX Corp..

Product strategy is the guiding light that illuminates the path to success for any product. However, articulating and executing this strategy is often easier said than done, says product management expert Roman Pichler. In this episode of Product Momentum, Roman shares valuable insights into the essence of product strategy and how to effectively navigate its complexities. Defining Product Strategy Strategy means different things to different people, Roman says. “I would suggest the strategy is a high-level plan: it describes the approach that we’ve chosen to make or keep a product successful.” Strategy and vision are not the same, he notes. “Strategy encompasses crucial elements such as the value proposition, target markets, business goals, and standout features. Without a clearly articulated strategy, product teams risk missing out on the benefits that strategic alignment brings.” Responsibility, Ownership, and Influence Traditionally, product strategy formulation has been viewed as the sole responsibility of top management. Roman advocates for a different, more inclusive approach, where product managers and cross-functional teams actively participate in strategic decision-making. “A single person hardly ever has all the right information, the right data to make the right decisions,” Roman says. “I find it’s better to delegate the product strategy – or the decisionmaking authority around product strategy – to the people who are in charge or who work on those products, and then coach them. “Empowering product managers to own and evolve strategies not only fosters motivation, but also prevents bottlenecks and promotes continuous adaptation.” Empowerment and Trust When it comes to empowerment, two factors are at play, Roman offers. “One we refer to as ‘personal power; that’s aligned with the organizational aspect. But when we look into what individual contributors and  product people can do to empower themselves, that would be strengthening our expert power: the ‘referent power.’ The better we are at earning and exhibiting referent power – at crafting and setting a vision, creating and evolving a product strategy, and at understanding the specific markets and market segments our product serves – the more people are likely to trust us. Be sure to check out our episode with Roman Pichler on the Product Momentum YouTube channel! The post 130 / Discovering the Essence of Product Strategy, with Roman Pichler appeared first on ITX Corp..

When Jared Spool first visited Product Momentum a few years ago, he talked about the struggle designers feel when they’re directed to add new features to a design without first understanding the problem to be solved. “Great designers don’t fall in love with their solutions,” he advised us. “They fall in love with their problems.” In today’s episode, Jared chats with Paul Gebel and co-host Christina Halladay, Director of UX at ITX. With his trademark wit and wisdom, he doubles down on that advice by describing what he’s been up to since we last spoke, as a Maker of Awesomeness at Center Centre. “I’ve been helping UX leaders function at that strategic level, bringing out the value of their contribution and helping them think about the right problems.” Strategic UX vs. Tactical UX “Most of the UX practiced these days is tactical UX,” Jared adds, “by the folks who have really great skills who can create designs and do usability tests and write fantastic content. But there’s a limit to how much they can contribute to the organization.” On the other hand, he says strategic UX helps us get to the root of our users’ problems. It’s about introducing the power of UX early in the product development process and focusing on shipping the right thing. Before we can do that, though, we first need to make sure we’ve identified the right problem. Strategic UX Drives Outcomes Tactical UX is output-driven; strategic UX is outcome-driven. “With strategic UX, we’re finally applying all the great things that UX people do – their skills and talents, the capabilities, the knowledge, the experience, the expertise – to make sure the organization is being competitive and that we’re actually solving big problems for their users.” Leaders + Vision Be sure to catch the entire episode to hear Jared Spool discuss leaders (as opposed to managers) and vision: “Leaders inspire others to rally behind a compelling Vision, which is the story that articulates a possible future (as opposed to a ‘do-nothing’ future) and inspires action from all levels of the organization.” You can also watch our conversation with Jared Spool on the Product Momentum YouTube channel! The post 129 / Strategic UX: The Path to Outcome-Driven Design, with Jared Spool appeared first on ITX Corp..

Agile data strategist Scott Ambler discusses the importance of data quality in AI, managing bias, and the role of humans in harnessing AI's potential and risks. Clean and high-quality data is crucial for successful AI implementation. Understanding and addressing biases in data is necessary. The podcast also explores the challenges faced by product managers when integrating AI tools and provides book recommendations on deep learning, machine learning, and AI.

In this episode, Building Better Games co-founders Ben Carcich and Aaron Smith join Product Momentum, offering an inside look at the contributions the video game industry has brought to enterprise tech – and vice versa. Specifically, Ben and Aaron share a fresh take on how holistic leadership and product management help us build things that matter to the people who use our products. Aaron shares his personal journey where games provided a safe space for him to reinvent himself, shaping him into the leader he is today. And Ben reflects on how his experiences in game development nurtured his thinking and approach to holistic leadership; he emphasizes the challenges and responsibilities of leading a team of gamers tied to the experience only by their ongoing desire to participate. “Here I was,” Ben says, “bringing together a group of people with disparate interests, and disparate skill levels…. I wasn’t paying them to be there. They were there by choice. I was leading them, and they were following me by choice. There’s all this stuff that you accept as a responsibility, … but you don’t view it as a burden because you’re happy to be there with that group of people.” Aaron uses the analogy of a 3-deck ship to explain holistic leadership, with the top deck representing process, the next level is product, and the lowest level – below the water line – is culture: how people are actually behaving. “As leaders, we have to care about culture first, that lowest level,” Aaron adds. “That’s what holistic leadership means: start at the most foundational level and work your way up. Don’t start with challenges at the most surface level and work your way down. By the time you think about what’s truly important, your ship will have sunk. Leaders need to internalize responsibility for that to be a holistic leader.” Catch the entire conversation with Ben Carcich and Aaron Smith , and how they talk about the value product managers contribute to their enterprise tech roles – but also how that same value might be realized in the video games world where the term is rarely used. You can also watch our episode with Ben and Aaron on the Product Momentum YouTube channel! The post 127 / How Holistic Leadership Builds Better Games – and Product Teams, with Ben Carcich and Aaron Smith appeared first on ITX Corp..

On the eve of its 20th anniversary, Flickr’s approach as a community-centric product continues to propel the company forward. For Stephanie Cantor, Flickr’s Senior Director of Product, the Flickr community extends beyond its 112 million global users; it is integral to the product itself. From ideation to prototyping, Flickr involves its users in every step, sustaining a platform that fosters creativity, connection, and serendipity. In this episode of Product Momentum, Paul and Stephanie reminisce about her “amazing journey” to Flickr and reflect on the impact she has made in just her first year on the job. Leading a team of smart, talented people presents challenges at any organization, no matter its scale. But imagine joining a team where the average tenure of your new colleagues is 6-8 years. This was Stephanie’s challenge when she arrived a little over a year ago. Her approach was simple, straightforward, and powerful. “Everyone knows that I don’t do anything in a vacuum,” she explains. “I’m open and transparent…and very much into collaboration. Back in the day it was just me, an engineer, and I would make really horrible wireframes. And now, I love collaborating with everyone and I think that that’s like the biggest part of my product management philosophy.” Listen to this episode to hear more from Stephanie Cantor, including: The future of Flickr – remote work, a mobile platform, and sustainability How Agile is reshaping Flickr Inspiring old and new users The “creative past lives” of all PMs Her product management philosophy The post 126 / Community First: Flickr’s Approach to Product Management, with Stephanie Cantor appeared first on ITX Corp..

Product managers seem to enjoy talking about how tough it is to be a product manager. And it is no matter the context of your specific business. Fortunately, as the role becomes more professionalized – and more populated – product communities are popping up and providing ready access to others we can learn from, network with, and vent our frustrations to. All of which, Petra Wille says, underscores the significance of product communities and the need for a collaborative mindset. Petra is a product coach, author of STRONG Product People and STRONG Product Communities, and co-organizer of the Product at Heart conference, in Hamburg, Germany. The fact is, “we can’t innovate without involving,” Petra says, emphasizing the collaborative nature of successful innovation. It’s the sense of belonging, of being in the same game and facing similar struggles, that draws product managers to one another at community events, Petra adds. “Before you decide to join a product community or even attend a meetup,” Petra advises, “make sure you know what you want to get out of it. Understand your personal and professional goals.” Some product managers want to learn a new technical skill. Others are looking to benchmark their organization’s product management practice against others. And some just want to vent, Petra continues. Find the right fit, she jokes, “because there’s nothing more frustrating than getting a lot of helpful tips when the only thing that you wanted to do was release some steam.” Petra tailors her coaching and guidance in ways that align as well with veteran product leaders as with freshly minted ones. The one constant is that no matter where you are in your career, great product people are always learning and collaborating with others. Be sure to catch the entire episode with Petra Wille for take on upcoming trends in 2024, including: Profitability and the sustainability of ‘digital business models’ Moral & ethical concerns around AI Regulatory compliance with ecological restrictions, especially in the EU First principles thinking, now from the perspective of a ‘global product community’ You can also watch our conversation with Petra Wille on the Product Momentum YouTube channel! The post 125 / Product Management Communities of Practice, with Petra Wille appeared first on ITX Corp..

Shelly Kalish discusses the importance of 'zooming out' in product management, focusing on market trends, technology, and business goals. She emphasizes the need for communication skills and a zoom-in, zoom-out approach for product and career growth. The episode also explores lateral career growth, resilience in post-pandemic work environments, and fostering innovation through trust and collaboration.

“I have Cerebral Palsy,” says Dave Dame, Senior Director of Product Accessibility for Windows at Microsoft®. “But my money doesn’t. So if you want my money, you better build a product or a service I can use, or I’m going to spend my disposable income somewhere else.” Imagine hearing that from the estimated 2 billion individuals worldwide who identify as having a disability. Not to mention those have a disability but don’t identify as such.“ So that’s 2 billion minimally that we know of,” Dave adds. The fact is, he continues, we’re all going to be disabled someday. “It’s just that some of us beat you to it. So when we design products for someone like me today, we’re also designing for everyone else in the future. So why not get ahead?” In today’s conversation with Paul Gebel and co-host Emma Rizzo, a UX Writer and Content Strategist at ITX, Dave explains that we’ve all needed accessibility features – and will need them again in the future –  whether our disabilities are permanent, temporary, or situational. Accessibility features allow those of us in the disabled community to do things they were never able to do before, Dave says. They can be innovative, and frankly, life changing. And for everyone else who is not yet disabled, these features open more options for use and often allow product people to discover the routes with the fewest pain points. All this can be intimidating to consider. Dave Dame offers the following advice: “Don’t worry about saying the wrong thing; worry about saying nothing.” As product people, we are bound to make mistakes, that is when the learning occurs. Interested in more on the subject of inclusive design and digital accessibility? Check out the following content from Product Momentum and ITX: A 3-part blog series, authored by Susana Pallero, ITX Accessibility Consultant and a CPACC-certified Accessibility Solutions Specialist. Digital Accessibility: Making the Case to Protect a Human Right The Business Case for Accessible Design Accessible Design Inspires Innovation for All Product Momentum’s conversation with Sheri Byrne-Haber. Digital Accessibility & Inclusive Design: Understanding the Why Q&A with Antonella Iselli, a Senior UX Designer at ITX. Becoming a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies The post 123 / Essential Lessons in Digital Accessibility and Inclusive Design, with Dave Dame appeared first on ITX Corp..

Quincy Olatunde, VP of Products at Peacock, discusses the importance of data in product development. He emphasizes the distinction between being data-driven and data-informed, and the need for curiosity and vulnerability in product leadership.