Behind the Craft

Josh Woodward, VP at Google Labs, shares insights on fostering a startup culture within Google. He showcases Gemini and NotebookLM, demonstrating how these tools can transform multiple sources into engaging content in minutes. Josh reveals how Flow TV was rapidly launched and emphasizes the importance of small teams and quick iterations. He predicts a future where AI transcends typing, enabling voice and vision interactions. Their chat highlights the evolving role of AI as a proactive assistant, ready to help with everyday tasks and projects.

Ryan Carson, a serial founder known for creating the 3-file AI coding workflow, discusses his innovative approach to coding and app development. He explains how structured prompts enhance AI output and demonstrates adding new features using a live coding session. Ryan dives into test-driven development techniques and shares insights on how AI can serve as a coding tutor. He also touches on why addressing niche problems, like divorce support, can be golden opportunities for startups, offering unique perspectives on solo entrepreneurship.

Hamel Husain, an expert in AI evaluation methods, shares his vast experience training PMs and engineers at top tech firms. He breaks down how to effectively analyze real production traces, emphasizing the power of binary pass/fail ratings over complex scoring systems. Hamel explains common pitfalls in evaluation metrics and introduces practical tools for continuous monitoring. Listeners gain insights into building simple annotation tools and the importance of grounding evaluations in real problems to drive meaningful improvements.

Meaghan Choi, design lead for Claude Code at Anthropic, merges design with engineering by actively shipping code. In this chat, she reveals why shipping to production feels both "terrifying and magical." Discover her top three design workflows using Claude Code and learn how designers can collaborate with engineers for effective coding. Meaghan also showcases a live demo transitioning from Figma to working code in minutes, shares clever shortcuts, and discusses the evolving landscape of design roles in an AI-driven world.

Cat Wu, the product lead for Claude Code, shares fascinating insights into the operations of an AI-native team. Discover how they gather user feedback every 10 minutes and prioritize prototyping over documentation. Cat explains how designers contribute directly to coding and the importance of internal communication in development. She also offers her top three tips for maximizing the Claude Code experience and hints at exciting future features on the horizon for the product.

In this episode, Alex Finn, founder of the "Claude Life" operating system and Creator Buddy, shares his innovative approaches to automating life with AI. He discusses how Claude Code streamlines research and curates AI news, saving hours in productivity. Alex reveals the secrets to using custom commands for personal efficiency. He emphasizes the importance of brain dump analysis for content creation and identifies essential skills needed for the future. Tune in for insights on transforming daily tasks with AI!

In this discussion with Nan Yu, Head of Product at Linear, the talk ranges from the astonishing scalability of a two-PM team to a ranking of essential PM skills in the AI era. Nan dives into how AI disrupts strategic roles and the necessity for new skills like context and agent management. He shares insights on Linear's unique 10% rule for rapid shipping and demonstrates how AI agents can streamline tasks, transforming project management into a futuristic collaboration of humans and machines.

Aman Khan, Head of Product at Arise, specializes in AI evaluations and large language models. He shares insights on creating AI evaluations, including four essential types every product manager should know. The podcast features a live demo of building evals for a customer support agent, discussing the importance of a golden dataset and aligning AI with human judgment. Aman emphasizes effective prompt crafting and the iterative process critical for enhancing AI performance in real-world applications, particularly in customer service scenarios.

Lee Robinson, VP of Developer Experience at Cursor and a veteran in tech, breaks down how AI is revolutionizing software development. He shares insights on essential setup phases, including tests and git, often overlooked by beginners. The conversation emphasizes the importance of blending human expertise with AI tools. A live demo of building a music tracking app showcases practical applications. Robinson also discusses the evolving role of generalists in tech, encouraging PMs to embrace technical skills in an AI-driven landscape.

Ben Erez, a former PM at Meta, shares insights on acing product management interviews. He reveals the current job market dynamics and the structure of product sense interviews. Learn how to build a personalized AI co-pilot that acts as a supportive interviewer. Ben discusses common mistakes candidates make and the importance of clear communication in interviews. He emphasizes using AI tools for realistic practice, likening it to sports training, as well as strategies for prioritizing user needs.