

People of Product
George Brooks
Digital products power our lives, but they wouldn’t exist without the expertise and passion of real people. This podcast brings together industry experts to have conversations beyond tech, tools, and process. We’re here to talk about the ROI of empowered teams. Listen as we discuss building, leading, equipping, and inspiring product teams to create transformational change within companies. People of Product is hosted by George Brooks & Dan Linhart - the founders of Crema. www.peopleofproduct.us
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 26, 2023 • 31min
133: Innovation through Collaboration | The Storyblocks Design Team (ft. Justin Wieners)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

May 15, 2023 • 28min
132: Disrupting the Quick Service Restaurant Industry with Technology (ft. Sean Steppe, Hawaiian Bros)
George interviews Sean Steppe, senior manager of Restaurant Systems at Hawaiian Bros Island Grill.Hawaiian Bros is a breakout restaurant that is expanding across the country, using technology to create a better end-user experience, not only for ordering and checkout processes but also in the kitchen and on the backside of their organization. Hawaiian Bros uses technology and data to help make decisions and provide better service to their customers as they scale up. With the freedom to test and try new things, they are breaking and refocusing to use tech to push the brand forward in the restaurant space. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

May 1, 2023 • 31min
131: Debunking Myths & Misconceptions About AI in the Workplace (ft. Michelle Frost)
It's good to recognize what AI is and what it is not. In this episode, George Brooks is joined by Michelle Frost to de-bunk myths & misconceptions about what AI can mean for processes in the workplace. Learn about the necessary steps to train a model, from collecting and preparing data to testing and evaluating the model. Plus, the importance of ML Ops and the impact of using third-party libraries and packages. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Apr 17, 2023 • 33min
130: Revolutionizing Data Privacy and AI Innovation (ft. Gharib Gharibi)
George interviews Gharib Gharibi, the Director of Applied Research and Head of AI at TripleBlind, a startup based in Kansas City that has now expanded globally. TripleBlind enables data-driven innovation while preserving privacy, allowing for the training of fair and generalizable models with diverse data from multiple institutions. In this episode, they discuss the need for collaboration between academia, industry, researchers, and policymakers to shape the future of AI and build responsible and fair AI. You'll also hear about the challenges faced by customers and prospects in understanding and embracing the full potential of AI and the importance of #usability in AI tools. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Apr 3, 2023 • 31min
129: The Opportunities and Challenges of Integrating AI into Your Workforce (ft. Carmel Wynkoop)
In this episode of People of Product, George Brooks speaks with Carmel Wynkoop, a partner at Armanino, a Top 25 CPA and consulting firm. Carmel leads the business analytics and automation practice at Armanino, providing data-driven practice improvements and automation for international clients in various industries.They discuss the potential of AI and how organizations can start small to achieve small wins that create momentum toward realizing the full potential of AI, machine learning, and robotic process automation (RPA). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Mar 20, 2023 • 42min
128: The Potential of AI for Business
AI is becoming more complex as it begins to touch multiple facets of our everyday lives -- including business. In this week's episode, George and Dan discuss what AI could mean for the future, from the way we work to the products we create. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Feb 27, 2023 • 29min
127: Product Team Basics - What's the Purpose of Agile Sprints?
The bi-weekly Sprint is at the heart of the Agile methodology. In this episode, we discuss why Sprints are structured the way that they are and tips for making them successful. Why is a sprint typically 2 weeks? What are the traditional activities that happen over that period of time? Plus expert tips for how to set clear goals and stay aligned for cross-functional teams. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Feb 20, 2023 • 36min
126: Product Team Basics - What are Story Points and Velocity?
Stop using hour-based estimation for your work. There’s a better way! Whether it's a project as a whole or just a Sprint, Story Points and Velocity are key tools in trying to predict the future and make the most of your team's time and effort. In this episode, Dan & George talk about how Story Points offer a means of estimation that is relative to a particular frame of reference, enabling you to get a more accurate understanding of your true Velocity. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Feb 13, 2023 • 30min
125: Product Team Basics - What Are Epics and Stories?
George and Dan delve into the world of epics, both in literature and in the tech industry. Learn how epics and stories in the digital product world can be deconstructed into smaller, more manageable chunks in order to achieve success. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us

Feb 6, 2023 • 29min
124: Do You Actually Need a Product Roadmap?
Having a roadmap is important, even in an Agile environment, because it provides a shared understanding of where a project is headed. In this week's episode, Dan and George discuss the process of creating a roadmap, including the timeline and the stages involved, such as planning, prototyping, and user engagement. They also touch on the benefit of being agile and making adjustments as necessary, while still maintaining the overall direction towards the project's north star. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.peopleofproduct.us