Getting2Alpha

If you’ve ever struggled to get your team or organization to adopt Lean principles that really work - this interview is for you. Jeff Gothelf is a Lean UX expert who specializes in enterprise software & change management. In his new book, Sense & Respond, Jeff and his co-author Josh Seiden provide tools & techniques that help large organizations listen to customers & create new products continuously. In this fascinating interview, Jeff summarizes what he’s learned working with enterprise leaders - and pinpoints the speed bumps that get in the way of effective Lean product development. Listen in and discover how to implement change management that really works.

Dennis Crowley is the founder and executive chair of Foursquare - a company whose location-based technology is used by Uber, Apple, and others. Dennis a pioneer in location-based social experiences - and an endlessly creative serial entrepreneur who knows how to navigate the ups and downs that go along with bringing new ideas to life. Tune in and hear Dennis’s thoughts on Pokemon Go, entrepreneur payback, and the future of location-based social experiences.

Raph Koster is a leading expert in social gaming worlds. He’s best known for his work seminal MMOs like Ultima Online and Star Wars: Galaxies - and his influential book “A Theory of Fun” - a must-read if you want to understand the deep connection between games & learning. Raph is a multi-talented renaissance man - designer, artist, musician, and poet - someone who knows a LOT about bringing ideas to life. Listen in and get a shot of Raph’s relentless, inspiring creative energy.

Paul Adams is a Dublin-based designer, researcher and product manager with a storied career. He's played influential roles at both Google and Facebook — and now runs product at a fast-growing customer communications startup called Intercom. Paul and his colleagues use a product design technique called Job Stories that's inspired by the Jobs-To-Be-Done approach first developed by Clayton Christensen. I’ve been inspired by how Intercom uses Job Stories in product design - and I love Paul's clarity in communicating how to best turn customer insights into product design decisions. Listen in and learn how Paul and his intercom colleagues navigate the turbulent seas of customer feedback - and use core values and product vision - to steer their fast-growing startup towards success.

Tony Stubblebine is a product creator and entrepreneur who got his start working at Odeo and Twitter - and now runs an innovative training and education company called Coach.me. Tony has a unique perspective on finding product/market fit - and a long history of following his nose into whatever is new, hot and exciting in tech. Listen in and learn about what’s on Tony’s radar these days - and why he thinks nanodegrees and augmented intelligence might just be the future of online education.

Christina Wodtke, a designer and educator with a rich history at major tech firms like Yahoo and LinkedIn, dives into the essence of design thinking and its practical applications. She introduces her innovative view of design as distributed cognition, highlighting how collaboration enhances creativity. Listeners learn about the importance of real user engagement in product development and the evolving landscape of pricing models, like the shift to subscriptions. Christina also shares insights on how storytelling can bridge the gap between design and entrepreneurship.

Mimi Ito is an educator and anthropologist turned startup founder who leads Connected Camps, transforming education through Minecraft. She discusses how children’s engagement with technology fosters self-directed learning and how her startup creates safe social spaces for coding. Mimi shares insights on enhancing female participation in tech and the importance of mentorship. She emphasizes listening to kids to embrace their creativity and contrasts traditional education with innovative, self-directed approaches in today’s learning landscape.

Samuel Hulick is a user onboarding expert who runs a popular website called useronboard.com where he deconstructs the initial experience of popular apps and services. I first met Samuel in Amsterdam, where were were both speaking at TNW Europe. We clicked immediately - and bonded over our shared love of great design - and smart design process. If you want to know what goes into creating a great first-time experience, listen in and discover how this tech-savvy designer became a world-class expert in onboarding.

Steve Portigal a world-class expert in customer research, and the author of Interviewing Users, a practical handbook oh how to get the most value from customer interviews. In this podcast, Steve pulls back the curtain on his professional journey and shares powerful insights about who to talk with - and what to listen for - when you’re interviewing users.

Erika Hall is the co-founder of Mule Design, and the author of “Just Enough Research” - a handbook for improving design with smart, effective user research. Erika uses business goals to focus a project - and targeted customer insights to inform the design. She's got a big bag of research techniques - and knows which ones to pull out to get the job done. If you're into customer-centered design, Erika's work is right up your alley. Check out the episode notes for links and videos featuring Erika' work.