Option Five

It’s not a coincidence that some of the most successful leaders are funny. Balanced humor in a professional setting is how you build trust and have a significant impact. Andrew Tarvin is the Founder & CEO of Humor That Works, a well-traveled comedian, and keynote speaker. In this week’s episode, George & Andrew talk about the cross-section of humor and the workplace and tips for how to infuse comedy into your organization to work more efficiently.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Kai Haley is head of UX Methods and Research at Google. She leads a highly unique internal program that systematizes UX practices across many groups within the monolithic organization. In this episode, George Brooks & Kai discuss methods for creating alignment across product lines, the challenge of creating a shared language, and how to best manage alignment as a distributed team. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Knowledge is power - and to gather more knowledge you have to gain access to different conversations and experiences throughout your life and career. It’s about tuning yourself into the opportunities that present themselves or just taking advantage of the access you already have. In this week’s episode, George & Dan talk about how to empower yourself and others to collect insight and open up access to conversations within your organization. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

C. Todd Lombardo, Author, Consultant, and VP of Product & Experience at Openly, joins George for a conversation around product roadmaps, implementing change within your organization, and the dangers of building features that never get used. Hear how he got started as an author and the learnings he’s gleaned throughout the process. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Author, Silicon Valley Product Group Partner, and former product leader at eBay Marty Cagan shares his views on empowered product teams and the leadership required to make these teams possible in our latest episode. Learn why it’s important for product teams to serve customers first, how to encourage accountability on your teams, and the main reason to partner with a digital product agency. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Director of Design Pamela Porto sits down with Dan and George to share how her craft team created design principles tied to a mindset rather than a specific product, how keeping on client work in her new leadership role helps her empathize with her team, and how she plans to incorporate more user research into the design workflow going forward. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Crema’s Director of Development Rob LaFeve shares the challenges and opportunities that he’s discovered in his new role, touching on the shift from tangible output to more high-level decision-making and how he acts as a ‘switchboard’ for his team.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Self-proclaimed ‘super user’ and Crema’s Director of Testing Courtney Johnston von Nieda describes a day in the life of a test engineer in our latest People of Product interview. Though finding broken things and saving the day is a fun perk of the job, there’s a much larger mission to integrate with developers, improve the business overall, expand testing knowledge across the team, and so much more. Whether you’re a test engineer yourself or a product newbie, you won’t want to miss this one.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Get a sneak-peek into the daily functions and strategies of being a product manager. In this episode, Crema’s Director of Product Management Michael Luchen shares what the role entails, how to manage priorities, the hardest part of the job, favorite tools, and more! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

How do you build a product community from scratch? Mike Belsito shares how he and his partner launched the Product Collective and INDUSTRY conference in 2015 as well as some tips for how they’ve pivoted to make the virtual version of their event such a success. If you enjoy helping people and continuous learning, this episode is a can’t-miss!  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

What’s it like acting as a liaison and advocate in the product space? Tracy Edwards, Chief Product Officer at SBI, shares her experience leveraging different tactics to get stakeholders onboard, working within SBI’s ‘initiative vs capability’ structure to align her product vision against other company initiatives, and identifying the right problem and evangelists from the get-go to ensure product success. This episode gets to the core of what products are really about: communicating how technology is filling a human need.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Mariah Hay is the VP of Product for Help Scout. She’s continually working & innovating towards including human perspective in all steps of the product design process. What does it look like for a team to practice human-centered design? What are some of the challenges of this kind of work? George Brooks and Mariah sit down to discuss how we can be getting closer to people to create products that will help them thrive.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Corporate loyalty is dead! Now is the time to make your stake in the ground and build a foundation of experience and work that will carry you through any future career you wish to pursue. In this episode, Jeff Gothelf unpacks the ideas from his newest book, “Forever Employable” and explains how to reverse the flow of opportunity so that employers are chasing YOU.People of Product is hosted by George Brooks and Dan Linhart.The show is edited by Larissa McCarty.Brought to you by Crema.Crema is a digital product agency that works with partners from top innovative brands to funded startups. Our team of creative thinkers and doers simplify the complex to discover the right solutions faster.    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

The greatest entrepreneurs, innovators, & product people are the ones who are seeking to try more things. Continuously gathering experiences or trying a hand at new skills is what gives you perspective & allows you to move forward. In this episode, Dan & George discuss the life-long pursuit of “tasting new things” and how it will impact the work you’re doing today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Diana Kander is a well-known professional entrepreneur who coaches corporate teams to practice and measure innovation. She’s showing the business world how to challenge certainty in order to foster curiosity. In this episode, Diana delivers tactical advice for how to overcome fear and passivity to grow more curiosity in your personal and professional life.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Most would agree that an environment with candid, kind, & consistent feedback is ideal. But how do you get there as an organization? In this episode, Dan and George describe what it takes from leadership to promote a safe and healthy space for feedback. Plus, practical tips for how to give and receive feedback better. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Feedback is tough. Both from the giving and receiving end. However, when done in an appropriate & actionable way across an organization, something magic happens! Feedback becomes easier and extreme growth takes place. Listen as Dan & George make the case for fostering an environment of radical feedback. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Let’s talk about everyone’s favorite business artifact: org charts! It’s simple documentation at face value that provides the necessary structure for support. But there are many benefits to org charts beyond just that. In this episode, George & Dan explain the unique structure of the matrix management model plus how org charts enable companies to retain and enhance culture, scale profitably, and deliver great work.People of Product is hosted by George Brooks and Dan Linhart.The show is edited by Larissa McCarty.Brought to you by Crema.Crema is a digital product agency that works with partners from top innovative brands to funded startups. Our team of creative thinkers and doers simplify the complex to discover the right solutions faster. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Meet Justin Mast - Founder & CEO of Bloomscape, fifth-generation greenhouse grower, & serial entrepreneur. Listen in as he shares his pathway to success, where the plant market is headed, and how Bloomscape has leveraged tech to improve the “plant parent” experience while maintaining their core values. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com

Overwhelmed by the 2021 to-do list? Learn why it’s important to prioritize the initiatives that have higher risks + how you can still make time for innovation that aligns with your principles. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit peopleofproduct.substack.com