The Product Podcast

Jessica Hall, Chief Product Officer at Just Eat Takeaway, illustrates her transformative journey in food delivery, steering a global giant that serves over 84 million customers. She discusses the importance of customer-centric innovation, emphasizing adaptability in expanding markets and integrating diverse team cultures post-acquisition. Hall highlights future trends like self-driving cars, AI, and virtual kitchens, while advocating for simplification in processes before automation. Her insights reflect a commitment to enhancing user experience and navigating the evolving landscape of delivery.

Mario Queiroz, Chief Product Officer at Hinge Health and former VP at Google known for co-inventing Chromecast, shares his fascinating journey from tech to healthcare. He discusses the innovative fusion of hardware with software that led to the creation of Chromecast. Mario also elaborates on how Hinge Health is revolutionizing chronic pain treatment through personalized AI solutions. He emphasizes the critical need to align product success with patient outcomes and navigates the complexities of scaling healthcare innovations.

Vinod Suresh, US Chief Product Officer at GoDaddy, shares his remarkable journey of adaptability, having attended 13 schools. He emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning and effective time management in shaping his leadership. Vinod discusses GoDaddy’s Entrepreneur's Wheel, designed to assist small businesses in establishing a digital presence. He shares insights on creating a connected ecosystem through seamless product integration and reveals how GoDaddy fosters innovation through a culture of experimentation and the innovative 'Aero' initiative.

Tom Wang, the Chief Product Officer at Turo, shares insights from his journey in scaling Turo into a billion-dollar peer-to-peer car-sharing marketplace. He discusses the significance of creating emotional connections with customers through unique vehicle offerings. Tom emphasizes the role of AI in driving product innovation and how vital high-quality hosts are for marketplace success. Additionally, he highlights the importance of customer feedback in refining product strategies and developing a culture of collaboration within the product team.

In this episode, of The Product Podcast, we chat with Tomer London,Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gusto, the leading HR platform for small and medium-sized businesses in the US. Tomer shares his journey from coding his first inventory management system for his dad’s clothing store as a teenager to building Gusto into a comprehensive payroll and HR platform serving over 300,000 small businesses. He opens up about the challenges of evolving his role as CPO, transitioning from hands-on coding to building product teams, and scaling the company while staying deeply customer-focused.In this episode, Tomer dives into the importance of embedding compliance into the core of Gusto’s product, why he believes product management should be data-aware but not data-dependent, and how he fosters a culture of intuition-driven decision-making. He also shares how Gusto integrates AI to streamline processes, from payroll automation to enhancing customer support, all while maintaining the human touch that defines their success. CONTENT(00:19) 🌱 Early Beginnings: Building Software for a Small Business (03:33) 💪🏽 From Engineer to Product Leader(04:45) 👨🏽‍⚖️ The Importance of Compliance in Small Business Solutions(11:00) ⚖️ Balancing Data and Intuition in Product Management(20:26) 💥 Gusto's Product Expansion Strategy (35:51) 🤖 AI and Human Touch in Customer Experience KEY TAKEAWAYS👇:Customer-Centric Product Development: Tomer emphasizes that listening to customers and addressing their pain points is the foundation for building successful products. Gusto's focus on helping small businesses manage compliance and payroll seamlessly has driven its product-market fit.Data-Aware, Not Data-Dependent: Tomer believes that while data is important, product managers should balance it with intuition built from direct customer interactions. This approach ensures that products are not just functional but deeply aligned with user needs.Scaling with AI & Human Touch: Gusto’s innovative use of AI enhances internal efficiency and customer service. Tomer shares how AI-driven features like automated data entry make life easier for users, while maintaining personal connections through exceptional customer support.FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL:- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here- Join Product School's free events here - Find out more about Product School hereBROUGHT TO YOU BY:Eppo, the next-generation A/B testing and feature management platform built for modern growth teams by alums of Airbnb and Stitch Fix. Visit their website https://www.geteppo.com/, and 10x your experiment velocity.CREDITS:Host: Carlos Gonzalez de VillaumbrosiaGuest: Tomer London

Karri Saarinen, CEO of Linear and former design lead at Airbnb and Coinbase, shares insights on revolutionizing project management tools. He discusses his design-centric approach that prioritizes user experience over traditional methods. Karri emphasizes the importance of balancing data with intuition in product decisions and reveals why he's cautious about integrating AI features now. He also highlights Linear's rapid growth, focusing on building a community that resonates with users, proving that a different background can yield innovative solutions.

Jeremy Forrester, VP Product at Twitch, shares his journey from Vine at Twitter to shaping live streaming today. He discusses how Vine influenced platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Jeremy reveals the secrets behind Twitch’s user engagement, spotlighting record-breaking streams and celebrity collaborations. He predicts the future of mobile game streaming and highlights how generative AI will transform content creation. With insights on team structure and creator support, Jeremy offers valuable lessons for content creators and enthusiasts alike.

Daniel Danker, the CPO at Instacart, shares insights on transforming grocery delivery with innovative AI solutions. He discusses the game-changing Instacart Plus membership model, which offers $0 delivery fees, and the collaboration with Uber Eats to merge grocery and restaurant deliveries. Danker also reveals how personalized shopping experiences, driven by AI, are reshaping user interactions. He emphasizes the importance of strategic partnerships and simplicity in leadership, ensuring that Instacart continually enhances customer value while streamlining operations.

Jamie DeLanghe, VP of Product at Slack and former customer support guru at Etsy, reveals her journey into product management. She shares how to succeed without a technical background by embracing curiosity and self-education. The conversation dives into the seamless integration of AI in Slack, transforming user experience via flexible pricing strategies. Jamie highlights the importance of aligning team incentives and collaborative efforts between product and sales for growth. Fascinating insights on the evolution of professional communication through tools like emojis make this a must-listen!

Robert Brunner, Chief Designer at Beats by Dr. Dre and founder of Ammunition, shares his fascinating journey from engineering to industrial design. He discusses how great design transcends aesthetics by balancing functionality and user experience. Brunner emphasizes the need for collaboration across disciplines to create successful products. He also highlights the influence of generative AI on the design process, advocating for a blend of technology with human creativity to maintain relevance in a fast-evolving industry. Tune in for insights that inspire innovative design thinking!