How I Tested That

In this episode we interview Alberto Savoia. Alberto was Google’s first Engineering Director and the author of The Right It - Why So Many Ideas Fail and How to Make Sure Yours Succeed. He also coined the term “pretotyping” and has influenced my thinking over the years. In a previous episode we interviewed Pat Copeland, who authored a white paper with Alberto many years ago.You may not know this, but I quoted Alberto in the Testing Business Ideas book for his Pretend to Own experiment.Over the course of this episode we discussed the evolution of testing and in general, geeked out over testing as two of the premier minds on this subject.

In this episode we interview Sylvia Hall. Sylvia is the co-founder of Lifted Naturals. We chat about how a company can start out as a solution to a personal problem, but in order to be a viable business, we need to perform customer discovery beyond friends and family to see if there is any traction.Sylvia emphasizes the significance of authenticity in entrepreneurship and the need to rapidly test solutions, and listen to customer feedback. Her insights into how to grow a wellness business should provide valuable lessons for other aspiring entrepreneurs.

In this episode we interview Dylan Lam. Dylan is an entrepreneur and a growth marketing expert with a focus on e-commerce. His super power is helping companies grow their brands on platforms like Amazon. Dylan shares how he started out by bootstrapping an eBay business from his apartment and testing out what worked, and what didn’t. He then took what he learned to successfully scale the business through automation and dropshipping. While doing this Dylan began to understand the importance of building a brand in e-commerce and how crowdfunding platforms can help you create a community of early adopters.Dylan and I wrap up our conversation by discussing how AI is influencing his day to day work in everything from content creation to physical product design.

Matthew Davis, CEO of Davis Business Law and author of The Art of Preventing Stupid, shares his insights on launching a successful law firm. He discusses the challenges of hiring talent in smaller towns and emphasizes the importance of cultivating a collaborative company culture. Matthew dives into the significance of self-assessment in leadership and how AI is transforming the legal industry, stressing the need for human oversight amidst innovation. He also explores tailored marketing strategies and the art of nurturing a positive organizational culture.

In this episode we interview Pat Copeland and get a first hand account of how the Dash Button idea was originally tested at Amazon. Everything from how the idea emerged from Bezos’ morning puttering time to the cognitive load customers experienced pushing a button to order a box of sweets and eventually to products like detergent. Even though the product was discontinued, the learning they captured along the way influenced other Amazon initiatives such as Alexa, smart subscriptions, and auto-stocking appliances.Pat shares his perspective on entrepreneurial thinking and building a culture of experimentation from Amazon, but also his time in leadership roles at companies like Autodesk, Microsoft, Google and Zendesk. We wrapped up our conversation with the challenges of scaling ideas, and the future of machine learning in commerce with his latest endeavor, Moloco.

Matt Diamante, a digital strategist at Hey Tony, dives into the dynamic world of digital marketing and SEO. He shares his journey of evolving through the social media landscape and emphasizes the vital role of video content. Matt discusses strategies for mastering LinkedIn engagement and the intricacies of social media algorithms. He stresses the importance of continuous experimentation in content creation and offers practical tips for beginners. The conversation reveals how testing different formats can lead to enhanced business strategies amidst a changing digital environment.

Ann Carden is a renowned business growth consultant and international best-selling author who shares her journey of building and exiting multiple businesses. She delves into the critical importance of testing business ideas and understanding market needs. Ann discusses how to effectively target premium clients and the challenges within the coaching industry. She also emphasizes the value of writing purposeful books that align with business goals, and shares insights on creating premium business models that enhance profitability and audience engagement.

In this episode we interview Deon Crasto.  Deon started his product management career at OnDeck Capital, a small business lending platform, where he focused on payments growth. He currently leads payments and ML- driven risk assessment at Velocity Global. Deon and I discussed the importance of curiosity and problem-solving in product management. We talked about the significance of metrics, and in particular, how to avoid vanity metrics. Deon shared some of the challenges of aligning teams with company goals and navigating regulations in experimentation. 

In this conversation, Chris Hood shares his diverse background in storytelling across various media, including movies, video games, and digital marketing. He emphasizes the importance of storytelling in engaging consumers and how it connects to business strategies. The discussion explores the iterative nature of game development, the significance of customer feedback in marketing, and the evolving role of AI in media. Chris also highlights the challenges of balancing creativity with market demands and the necessity of testing ideas with real audiences.

Erich Archer, an Emmy award-winning television producer and AI video production pioneer, shares insights into the transformative power of AI in content creation. He discusses his journey from traditional video production to embracing AI tools for efficiency, emphasizing iterative testing and human creativity. The conversation explores the evolution of video tools, the impact of remote work on production practices, and the innovative possibilities of using AI, like custom GPTs, to enhance creative workflows while maintaining thoughtful decision-making.