Getting2Alpha

Jeff Veen, Design Partner at True Ventures and a web design pioneer, dives deep into the dynamics of collaboration and innovation. He shares his journey from journalism at Wired to key roles at top tech firms, emphasizing the significance of a judgment-free environment for creativity. Veen discusses the pitfalls first-time entrepreneurs often face, especially in user-centered design, and highlights emerging trends in voice interfaces. His insights on building trust and fostering effective teams are both practical and inspiring for anyone in tech.

As the former VP Community at Kickstarter, Cindy Au managed the fast-growing crowdfunding community through a major growth phase, and balanced the competing needs of campaigners and funders. Cindy cut her teeth in New York’s tech scene - and she's got great insights about what it takes to say NO to short-term gains in order to fulfill a long-term vision. If you’re interested in community dynamics, cooperative design or tech entrepreneurship, you’re gonna love Cindy's stories about how Kickstarter transformed from a promising idea into a wildly successful fundraising powerhouse.

Richard Garriott is a pioneering game designer, gifted world-builder second-generation astronaut, arctic explorer - and ever-inspiring creative force. I first met Richard when I was teaching online community design at Stanford; half my class was in the Beta for Ultima Online, and I jumped in enthusiastically to learn the ropes. I ended up working with Richard, Raph Koster and their amazing crew of developers through the launch & growth of that early graphic MMO. Like many great game designers, Richard is a sophisticated systems thinker who sees the world through a unique lens that's on full display in this far-ranging & fascinating conversation.

Cindy Alvarez, an expert in customer research and iterative development, brings her rich background to the conversation. She shares insights on the critical role of customer research in product decisions and the challenges of prototyping in tech. Alvarez discusses her unexpected journey from psychology at Harvard to tech leadership at Microsoft, emphasizing effective communication’s role in customer engagement. She also explores how mobile games can enhance physical activity, showcasing innovative ways to improve user engagement through technology.

Dan Olsen is a seasoned product manager - and the author of the Lean Product Playbook, a soup-to-nuts handbook for doing smart product management with Lean principles. Dan runs the Lean Product & Lean UX meetup in Silicon Valley, where he brings cross-functional teams together to lean how to create great products. Dan is an articulate proponent of a lean & disciplined approach to product development - and he knows the power of choosing the right mental model to organize your thinking. In this interview, you'll learn how an experienced product manager approaches customer discovery, rapid prototyping and smart MVP development.

Teresa Torres, a product management coach and author of the Product Talk blog, shares her insights on transforming product discovery. She discusses the importance of adaptability within organizational change and methodologies like lean startup. Teresa reflects on her unique journey from cognitive science to product management, emphasizing a human-centered approach. She introduces the Opportunity Solution Tree, a framework designed to enhance decision-making and collaboration among teams. Her wisdom inspires listeners to explore new paths in product management.

Mike Sellers is a pioneering social game designer turned academic. Long before World of Warcraft was a world-wide hit, Mike & his merry crew of innovators - including John Hanke, the driving force behind Pokemon Go - created Meridian 59, the first graphical MMO - or massively multiplayer online game. Since then Mike has worked on many games for companies like Electronic Arts and Kabam - and is now a professor of game design at Indiana University. Like many of our Getting2Alpha guests, Mike has a deep & longstanding fascination with human psychology and social systems - and a LOT of experience wrestling with the challenges of bringing new ideas to life. Mike is one of my favorite people in gaming - he’s a deeply insightful and innovative thinker, with as astonishing breadth of knowledge. In this interview, you'll learn what Mike thinks about early MMOs, super-powered mental models, and the pervasive future of Augmented Reality gaming.

Irene Au, a design leader and UX expert who has shaped user experiences at Netscape, Yahoo, Google, and Udacity, shares her insights into enhancing design practices in startups. She discusses her journey from math enthusiast to design pioneer, emphasizing the importance of user-centered design. Irene highlights the dynamic nature of leadership in tech and the significance of mentorship in startups. She also explores the impact of AI on design and advocates for a mindful approach that prioritizes humanity in technology.

Matt Leacock, acclaimed board game designer and UX expert, is best known for his cooperative masterpiece, Pandemic. In this discussion, he shares insights on the evolution of Pandemic into the narrative-driven Pandemic Legacy, highlighting how player choices impact gameplay. He explores the balance between cooperative and competitive games while emphasizing iterative prototyping. Matt also connects the art of storytelling in games to modern episodic television, enhancing player engagement and satisfaction. Additionally, he discusses overcoming design challenges and provides a peek into his innovative party game, KnitWit.

Kevin Kelly is is a multi-talented creator and deeply insightful futurist. His latest book, The Inevitable, lays out the twelve technological forces that will drive change over next thirty years and weaves together a convincing story about how these forces will shape our world. Listen in as Kevin explains how the world is changing - and how we can harness these insights to chart a a successful path into the future.