Product Builders Podcast
Majestyk
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On the Product Builders podcast, we bring you conversations with experts and innovators who are building digital products.
Our conversations help you gain behind-the-scenes insight into building some of today’s most innovative products.
Subscribe and be sure to check out our website for more resources at ProductBuildersPodcast.com
Available episodes
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Mar 16, 2023
17 - Surprising and Delighting Customers — with Erica Kitaev, Senior Director of Product Management at Thomson Reuters
Infusing product design with empathy and efficiency is a surefire way to meet the ongoing needs of your users.
On this episode, _Erica Kitaev_, Senior Director of Product Management at _Thomson Reuters_, joins us to share her expertise on topics including:
- How Erika got into her role, the types of projects she works on and what her day-to-day responsibilities look like as a product manager.
- What products Thomson Reuters provides and how they deliver top-notch content to legal professionals and beyond.
- The pros and cons of being a subject matter expert (SME) and why it's important for SMEs to continually question their own assumptions.
- Why surprising and delighting your users means providing fresh experiences without frustrating expectations.
- Why any product you create should deliver a seamless and frictionless experience to your users.
- How Reuters aims to deliver the right content, at the right level, at the right place, at the right time.
- Why product designers and managers always need to remember that they’re creating products for humans who are looking to achieve a specific goal.
On this episode, Erica says, “Don't be afraid to commit to a course of action or an idea, lean into ambiguity, and be the first person in the pool. But also don't be afraid to pivot and course-correct. I think as important as it is to lean into ambiguity, it's as or more important to constantly reassess and be open to course correction. If you're constantly reassessing, you'll get to the right place.”
To learn more, head to _https://www.majestykapps.com/_ to check out the article associated with this episode.
This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps
We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com
Please leave a 5-star review
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com
Resources:
_https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en.html_
#digitalproduct #hiring #apps
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Feb 16, 2023
16 - Leveraging Data Science To Improve Products — with Florent Blachot, VP of Data Science & Engineering at Fandom
Data science plays an important role for companies looking to improve their products and deliver better experiences to their users. However, data needs to be leveraged properly to produce concrete outcomes.
On this episode, _Florent Blachot_, VP of Data Science and Engineering at _Fandom_ joins us to share his expertise on topics including:
- His unique journey into the world of data science.
- The scale of Fandom and what it delivers to users.
- How he defines data science and why forming an exact definition is a challenge.
- The layers and areas of expertise within the field of data science.
- The methods used to collect data and gather insights from it.
- The tools used to support data collection and analysis.
- How he hires data scientists and what it takes to build an effective team.
- How to connect data to business value and KPIs.
- The advantages and challenges of working with large data sets.
On this episode, Florent says, “You have to focus on the “why” behind your data science efforts from start to finish to make a real impact. When data science projects fail, it's typically because the team forgot their “why” along the way.”
To learn more, head to _https://www.majestykapps.com/_ to check out the article associated with this episode.
#digitalproduct #hiring #apps
This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps
We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com
Please leave a 5-star review
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit https://www.majestykapps.com/product-builders-podcast
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Jan 13, 2023
15 – Building a Product Culture — with Abhishek Nagaraju, Director of Product - Discovery and Experiences at Pluto TV
For product teams to succeed, they need to have effective internal communication and focus on staying connected to their users. Furthermore, organizations that promote a “product culture” are better positioned to meet the ongoing needs of their user base.
In this episode, _Abhishek Nagaraju_, Director of Product - Discovery and Experiences at _Pluto TV_, joins us to share his expertise on topics including:
- What it means to build a product culture and why it matters.
- Why failing fast can be your quickest path to a successful solution.
- How to get user feedback in the streaming industry and retain loyal users.
- Empowering your team to solve real problems.
- Changing TV viewer habits - how the Pluto TV business model/service attracts users.
- The responsibilities of product directors.
- How to effectively enter a new organization as a product director.
- Why putting yourself in your user’s shoes is vital for product success.
On this episode, Abhishek says, “I truly believe all problems are people problems. You’re always working with people and delivering products to people. You have to be willing to empathize with others, not judge too quickly, and focus on the human on the other side of any given problem.”
To learn more, head to _https://www.majestykapps.com/_ to check out the article associated with this episode.
This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps
We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com
Please leave a 5-star review
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com
Resources:
* _https://pluto.tv/_
#digitalproduct #hiring #apps
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Dec 1, 2022
14 – Product Design for Connected TV with Sean Murphy, Director of Product at iHeartMedia
Customers in today’s age have come to expect a certain level of cross-device connectivity with the products and apps they love. This means bringing an engaging experience to mobile devices, web-based platforms, and connected TV (CTV) is more important than ever.
On this episode, _Sean Murphy_, Director of Product at _iHeartMedia_, joins us to share his CTV and cross-device connectivity expertise on topics including:
- Why designers need to consider user habits when building products for CTV.
- The difference between product design for CTV and mobile/web-based platforms.
- The unique features that CTV can deliver to customers.
- Why gaining feedback from people that don’t work on your CTV products is invaluable for product designers and developers.
- How to design CTV products that create a frictionless experience for users.
- The tactics used to validate new features for CTV before launching.
- How teams can approach innovation without thinking they need to disrupt entire industries.
- How people interested in CTV can get their start in this emerging industry.
- The day-to-day life of a product director in the CTV space.
In this episode, Sean says, “Make sure you know the difference between your manager, your advocate, your mentor and your coworker or confidant. Each plays an important role in your career development, and knowing how to leverage each relationship is vital. Though a single person may take on multiple roles, you’ll more than likely find people in your organization that fit best into a single role.”
To learn more, head to _https://www.majestykapps.com/_ to check out the article associated with this episode.
This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps
We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com
Please leave a 5-star review
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com
Resources:
* _https://soundscapes.com/_
* _https://www.iheartmedia.com/_
* _https://personalsprints.substack.com/_
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Oct 21, 2022
13 – Product Development in the Gaming Industry — with Ben Jones, Creative Director at ZeniMax Online Studios
Great mobile and web-based products must start with effective UX. The same holds true for the gaming industry.
On this episode, _Ben Jones_, Creative Director at _ZeniMax Online Studios_, joins us to share his gaming industry expertise on topics including:
- The importance of adaptability within the gaming industry.
- Why building an effective game development team starts with trust, transparency and effective communication.
- Why artwork and storylines need to be of high quality for games to succeed.
- The up-front work involved in game development.
- Why it’s important to establish clear guidelines right from the start.
- The pros and cons of working with existing IP vs. creating new IP.
- The changing landscape of mobile and web-based product connectivity.
- How to best manage and communicate with remote and hybrid development teams.
- The hiring process for building great development teams.
- Practical ways to start a career in game design and development.
In this episode, Ben says, “If you operate on transparency and trust as guiding principles when building a team, you will find success. Not just in terms of the product you’re building but also with your peers. This has brought my team a long way over the last five years, and I’m excited for where these principles can take us in the future.”
To learn more, head to _https://www.majestykapps.com/_ to check out the article associated with this episode.
This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps
We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com
Please leave a 5-star review
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com
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Sep 25, 2022
12 – Creating Effective Educational Technology Solutions — with Andrew Lippert, Chief Technology Officer, at McGraw Hill
Our educational infrastructure is now at a point where it can effectively implement various new educational technology solutions and reap the benefits of doing so.
In this episode, Andrew Lippert, Chief Technology Officer at McGraw Hill, joins us to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and technical details of the educational technology solutions industry.
Andrew shares that when utilizing innovative technologies for educational solutions, they need to be leveraged appropriately and truly unlock new possibilities for learning. It's not enough to simply use the latest tech available; there needs to be a pragmatic function related to better learning outcomes.
Andrew also highlights the importance of pairing new educational technologies with exceptional content. The delivery method, technological capabilities, and curriculum all need to work together to create a personalized learning experience that can transcend previous educational models.
For this episode's "Majestyk Byte," Andrew says, "Technologists need to understand how technology can pragmatically solve real problems instead of focussing on technology for technology's sake. It's not just about creating a cool experience. You need to think about how you can make people more efficient. How can you use technology as transparently as possible so people can actually take advantage of what the technology is meant to do? It's important for us in the tech field to get out of our own way and really understand the problems we are trying to solve."
To learn more, head to _https://www.majestykapps.com/_ to check out the article associated with this episode.
This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps
We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com
Please leave a 5-star review
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com
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Aug 17, 2022
11 – Transitioning From Print to Digital Design — with Anthony Carrozzo, Director of UX and Design at Newsday Media Group
In this episode of the Product Builders podcast, we sit down with Anthony Carrozzo, Director of UX and Design at Newsday Media Group, to discuss his transition from print to digital design and the challenges he faced.
As a whole, Anthony says that digital design has many advantages over print, including more efficiency when updating designs, improved collaboration, and better color matching. However, he notes some challenges that digital designers face, including staying up to date on the latest technology and trends and needing to back up design ideas with actual data.
Anthony also brings up some important points about designers knowing how to code. He says designers who understand code can effectively communicate with other teams and better understand their challenges. But designers shouldn't let the development part of their brain get in the way of their creativity while designing.
For this episode's Majestyk Byte, Anthony provides some helpful advice: "In this new world of user experience, it's really important to pay attention to your own experience with digital products. Next time you download an app or visit a website, take note of your first impression, how they're introducing features, and how you react. This is important because you don't get that first impression when working on your own products. Analyzing things like this can bring helpful inspiration and new ideas to your creations."
To learn more, head to _https://www.majestykapps.com/_ to check out the article associated with this episode.
This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps
We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com
Please leave a 5-star review
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com
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Jul 7, 2022
10 - The Role of Technology in Personalized Education — with Sunil Gunderia, Chief Innovation Officer, at Age of Learning
The most powerful education systems should adapt to the learning needs of each student. Fortunately, educational platform innovations are making personalized education more accessible for students everywhere.
In this episode of the Product Builders podcast, Sunil Gunderia, Chief Innovation Officer, Head of Mastery & Adaptive Product at Age of Learning, sits down with us to discuss the importance of personalized education and how technology is increasing equity in education.
Sunil describes how Age of Leaning's research-backed education platform is ushering in a new way for students to accelerate their learning while growing confidence. Amidst a learning crisis, as we are experiencing now, it's never been more important for students to have access to engaging education platforms.
Sunil shares that the traditional model — measuring educational progress by the time spent learning — is dated. Instead, new education platforms will ensure progress by making sure every student masters the material they need to know.
For this episode's "Majestyk Byte," Sunil says, "It's vital for us to unlock the potential of learners because doing so unlocks the potential for all of humanity. How we teach and prepare students for the future has the biggest influence on the big picture outcomes of tomorrow."
To learn more, head to _https://www.majestykapps.com/_ to check out the article associated with this episode.
This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps
We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com
Please leave a 5-star review
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com
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Jun 1, 2022
9 - The Intersection of Mental Health and Technology — with Joe Forzano, Senior Engineering Manager at Alma
The past few years have spotlighted the importance of supporting mental health, both inside and outside the workplace. And as technology evolves, so does our ability to access valuable mental healthcare services.
In the new episode of the Product Builders podcast, Joe Forzano, Senior Engineering Manager at Alma, sits down with us to discuss the changing landscape of mental healthcare, how managers can better support the mental health of their teams, and what the future might hold for tech-inspired mental healthcare.
Joe explains that to be a successful manager today, you need to create genuine and trusting relationships with your team members. Doing so allows them to feel comfortable coming to you with concerns and helps them feel content in the workplace. This will positively impact your team's performance and overall well-being.
Joe also describes how platforms like Alma and others provide much greater access to mental healthcare than ever before. He believes that anyone that wants mental healthcare services should have access.
For this episode's "Majestyk Byte," Joe encourages us to "never stop thinking about the human in how we manage teams and build products."
To learn more, head on over to _https://www.majestykapps.com/_ to check out the article associated with this episode.
This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps
We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com
Please leave a 5-star review
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com
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Apr 8, 2022
8 - Growth Product Management — with Kevin H. Sakamoto, Product Ops at Dollar Shave Club
For products to scale, attract new users, and retain users for the long run, you need to focus on growth product management.
In the new episode of the Product Builders podcast, we sit down with Kevin H. Sakamoto, Director of Product Management and Product Operations at Dollar Shave Club, to discuss how he approaches growth product management and how teams can improve their growth product management efforts.
Through Kevin’s experience working with Zappos, Target, and now Dollar Shave Club, he’s realized that every business should precisely define what growth product management means to them. Companies have different needs, and, based on their size and product offerings, a unique growth product management strategy will be required.
Kevin also highlights the importance of personalization in growth product management. Creating personalized experiences for users is becoming more challenging due to data privacy and cookie tracking concerns. However, there are still many ways to leverage content and other types of data to attract and retain users.
In closing, Kevin reminds growth product managers that it's okay to be patient when rolling out new features or products. Though we all want things to move fast, other stakeholders are always involved. And their concerns also need to be addressed throughout the process.
To learn more, head on over to _https://www.majestykapps.com/_ to check out the article associated with this episode.
This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps
We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com
Please leave a 5-star review
If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com
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Mar 29, 2022
7 - Getting Started With Mobile DevOps — with Sean O’Shea, Founder of Majestyk
Implementing mobile DevOps is a must for development teams looking to improve efficiency and release more stable mobile products.
On this episode of the Product Builders podcast, Sean O'Shea, Founder of Majestyk Apps, describes mobile DevOps' importance and shares some valuable tips when getting started with mobile DevOps.
According to Sean, using mobile DevOps will help teams better coordinate and automate all the moving parts of the mobile development process. Mobile DevOps reduces silos within development teams and allows them to complete tasks in a more streamlined way.
Sean notes that though traditional DevOps and mobile DevOps are very similar in terms of methodology, the tools used in mobile DevOps are different. He also highlights the importance of using DevOps tools that are already hosted instead of building internal tools to reduce the time you spend supporting those internal tools.
Sean closes the episode by encouraging development teams to implement a mobile DevOps pro…
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Mar 1, 2022
6 - iOS vs Android Development — with Sean O’Shea, Founder of Majestyk
Should we start with iOS or Android development for our new app? This has been an ongoing question since the inception of mobile development. Fortunately, by looking at the right data and understanding your user base, making this decision doesn’t need to be complicated.
In this episode of the Product Builders podcast, Sean O’Shea, Founder of Majestyk, joins us to discuss the factors his team considers when choosing between iOS and Android development.
Sean kicks off the show by saying there’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach to deciding between iOS and Android. The platform you start with typically depends on your target demographic and the devices they’re using, the complexity of your app, and the type of team that will be maintaining the app.
Sean notes that if you’re building a minimum viable product (MVP), it’s best to complete development on one platform, test it, and validate its need before developing a product for both platforms. He also encourages developers…
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Feb 11, 2022
5 - Building a Product As a Non-Technical Founder — with Emily Fagerstrom, Founder of Wisket
Founders come with varying degrees of technical expertise. For non-technical founders, it’s important to find a partner that understands their vision and also makes an effort to include them in the development process.
In this episode of the Product Builders Podcast, we sit down with Emily Fagerstrom, founder of Wisket, and Mark Garcia, CCO at Majestyk, to discuss what it's like developing a product as a non-technical founder. We also explore the best practices you should deploy when working with a non-technical founder from a development perspective.
Emily shares that the most important thing when finding a partner is to make sure they are willing to educate you and help you grow your technical knowledge throughout your journey. This allows you to understand the importance of each step and milestone and deliverables. It also helps build trust between you and your partner.
From the development side, Mark discusses the emphasis that Majestyk puts on clear communication and transpar…
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Nov 17, 2021
4 - Effectively Working with your Development Partner — with Sean O’Shea, Founder of Majestyk
Choosing to work with a development partner can be invaluable for your next project. And to bring about the best possible results for your partnership, there are some best practices you should be aware of.
In this episode of The Majestyk Podcast, Sean O’Shea, Founder of Majestyk Apps, shares his proven methods for ensuring the success of development partnerships and outlines the different bottlenecks to avoid.
When starting a partnership, Sean says it’s vital to get aligned on the scope of the project, short and long-term goals, and key timelines. The more you can document your wants and needs for a project, the better your development partner can plan out the project.
Sean also highlights the need for clear communication and feedback throughout a project to keep it on track and aligned with your vision. If you aren't providing timely feedback or hitting project timelines at your end, it bottlenecks your development partner and slows the overall progression of the project.
If y…
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Nov 2, 2021
3 - Developing a Minimum Viable Product — with Jade Ng, Product Designer at Majestyk
The sooner you can build a product and get it to the market for feedback, the better you can be at making sure your product meets your users' needs. . And this is accomplished by developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
In this episode of The Majestyk Podcast, Jade Ng, Senior User Experience Designer at Majestyk Apps, discusses the benefits of starting a product development project by building an MVP and what that process entails.
Developing an MVP is the most effective and quickest way to release your product to the market. It allows you to save money and time by validating assumptions about core features without releasing a fully-built product. And by focusing on the core features of your product, users can easily navigate the product without being overwhelmed by too many features.
When developing an MVP, Jade highlights the importance of conducting the proper research, prioritizing key features, and communicating effectively with all stakeholders on the project. She notes tha…
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Oct 13, 2021
2 - The Journey from Product Idea to Full Design — with Jade Ng, Product Designer at Majestyk
There are many moving parts involved in the journey from product idea to full design. Each phase deserves the proper attention to bring about a high-quality end product.
In this episode of The Majestyk Podcast, Jade Ng, Senior User Experience Designer at Majestyk Apps, joins us. We discuss the four key phases of product development and how the Majestyk team effectively works through them.
To start the show, Jade discusses the discovery phase of development which includes a kickoff meeting where the project vision, objectives, and potential product features are discussed with a client. There’s also a great deal of research involved in this phase, including user research, product research, and technical research which, will guide the development process.
From there, Jade says her team enters the product planning phase where they further explore the features a product will have, build the information architecture, create a sitemap, and define the user flows for a product.
Next comes…
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Sep 8, 2021
1 - Choosing the Right Development Partner — with Sean O’Shea, Founder of Majestyk
For some companies, the thought of working with an outside vendor for development projects seems like a gamble. They think they’ll lose a sense of control over their projects, may want to keep all of their knowledge and tech in-house, or have worked with vendors in the past that didn’t deliver results. But, when you work with a respected vendor that’s the right fit, you can leave these concerns behind and focus on building a partnership.
We see the collaboration between internal and external teams much more as a partnership than a client-vendor relationship. In a partnership, teams work closely together, leveraging each other's unique expertise to produce the best products possible. Furthermore, a great deal of transparency, communication, and accountability is woven into any effective partnership.
In this episode, we’ll take a look at why partnerships make sense for companies of all sizes and describe what to look for in your next potential development partner.
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