Better Product

Struggling to help your team see that their work really matters? Is there a disconnect between your day-to-day and your big-picture vision? Paige Costello of Asana joins our Future of Work series to share how she and her team solve these problems. We discuss the importance of clear prioritization and outcome-oriented goals to keep your team engaged and working purposefully. Paige also shares how she builds confidence in the midst of uncertainty and defines customer-focused metrics. Oh, and how her team achieves all this without using email.

A customer-first approach is tried and true, but sometimes we narrow in on customers so closely that we miss opportunities to innovate. Chris Byers, CEO of Formstack, joins us on our latest series: The Future Of Work. In our conversation we discuss the topic while previewing featured products and discussing ways of innovating efficiently.  We dive into lessons Chris has learned about remote work, inviting designers to cast a vision for your product, and balancing the future with the present. If you want more information on this topic, check out Formstack’s podcast Ripple Effect hosted by Chris. https://www.formstack.com/podcasts

The way we work will never be the same, from where we work to how it gets done. We’re bringing you a new series, The Future of Work, exploring products that are powering the change behind the way we work, collaborate, and communicate. Buckle up for conversations with these trailblazing leaders sharing the products they’ve built: Chris Byers, Formstack Kate Donahue, Pitch Alexander Embiricos, Remotion Dominik Zane, Around Paige Costello, Asana Tim Salau, Mr. Future of Work In this kickoff episode, Meghan and Christian discuss the products, companies, and leaders we’ll be meeting during this series. They share their thoughts on the future of work, the questions we’re considering in this series, and why we chose to focus on these products and people.

We often have to leave part of our conversations on the cutting room floor. As we were sweeping up, we stumbled upon this clip between Christian and Christina Goldschmidt for The Minute. While today she’s the Head of Product Design, that’s not how she started and as you’ll soon hear, her unconventional career experience has been an invaluable asset as a leader for Etsy.

Design solutions happen at the intersection of business value and customer needs. If we want our teams to be able to create these solutions, we need to empower them with the information they need to understand business performance and strategy. That’s what Etsy’s Head of Product Design, Christina Goldschmidt, joins us to discuss. We talk through practical steps to invite designers into conversations that show them where their work fits in the big-picture user experience, product, and business strategy. Christina also shares how she’s focusing on agency and transparency with her team and why experimentation is so important to confidently building new things.

In this episode, Christian and Meghan ask Nick Volpe, Product Designer at Etsy, what he’s most looking forward to. We're not gonna ruin it for you, but let’s just say it has to do with something they’re launching.

There’s an invisible balancing act happening in a two-sided marketplace. As a designer or product manager, how do you balance both a buyer’s and seller’s priorities? And how do you innovate on one side without disrupting the other? Nick Volpe joins us to share how he balances these two experiences as a product designer at Etsy.  Nick gives us the inside scoop on the importance of listening to users, incorporating features that are fun and not just functional, and how Etsy experiments to constantly evolve into a better product for their users.

Heather Campbell joined Christian in our Behind the Product Series featuring Etsy. Halfway through the conversation, Christian went a bit rogue. You’ll just have to listen. 

What’s an idea worth? Most likely, nothing. Yet, they run rampant in our businesses, across our networks, and in our minds. Leaving us with this question, is it a good idea?  The truth is: if that’s what you’re asking then you’re asking the wrong question. From the creators of Better Product comes a new original show, The Business of Product. This show is for the CEO, the Founder, the high-growth leader looking for the hockey stick effect. In-depth conversations, with host Austin Westerfeld, cut through the product jargon of tech stacks and product features to help you do one thing: take your company to the next level. Follow along wherever you get your audio experience.

Conversion is what keeps businesses alive, but to get there we have to back up to the customer outcomes and milestones that lead to conversion. Heather Campbell joins us to share her perspective on the customer journey as a Product Manager at Etsy.  We discuss creativity in product management, how to create long-term buyers, and the steps that lead to conversion. And Heather shares Product Managers’ pivotal role in making this possible by fostering collaboration.