Build
92 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 5 years ago - ★★★★★ - 36 ratingsBuild is a weekly podcast brought to you by Pivotal Tracker hosted by Poornima Vijayashanker, the founder of Femgineer.
In this show, Poornima hosts innovators in tech and together they debunk myths and misconceptions related to building tech products and companies.
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Episodes
Episode 42: Project Management: How To Respond To New Ideas In The Middle Of A Software Project
October 09, 2017 16:00 - 16 minutes - 23.2 MBIn the last Build episode, we talked shared two ground rules you need to set for yourself to get through a software project successfully. But we know that managing our own anxieties is only half the battle to keeping the project on course, the other is navigating new ideas or unanticipated challenges. Many of our teammates have ideas and solutions that can help. They are eager to have their ideas heard, so they speak up. While others are shy and worried about speaking up. But their in...
Episode 41: The Ground Rules You Need To Set To Get Through A Software Project Successfully
October 02, 2017 20:27 - 19 minutes - 27.1 MBSo you got tasked with managing your first high-stakes software project? Like handling tech debt, breaking up a monolithic code base into a microservices architecture, or something else? Congratulations! Are you excited? Maybe a little nervous? Or maybe you’re really nervous because you need to deliver on a tight deadline, and there is a lot on the line like your relationship with customers, revenue, and most importantly your job! Fear not because all this month...
Episode 40: How To Think Quickly On Your Feet During A Q&A Session
September 24, 2017 12:58 - 5 minutes - 7.61 MBAs if preparing and delivering a presentation to your peers isn’t nerve-wracking enough… you also have to worry about the Q&A period at the end of your talk! You’re worried about people asking not one but TWO questions! Having to decipher those questions that are really just comments. Then there is THE dreaded question: the question you don’t know the answer to. You don’t want to appear stupid in front of your audience! Truth is that the Q&A period can leave many first-time...
Episode 39: Why An Elevator Pitch Isn't The Only Type Of Pitch You Need to Prepare
September 20, 2017 02:43 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MBAll this month we’ve been focused on the theme of pitching. We started out by talking about why many creative problem solvers shy away from pitching, leaving it up to CEOs, founders, and sales people. But, pitching is a really valuable skill that all of us need to hone in order for people hear us out, adopt our ideas, and believe in our solutions. To help you embrace pitching, we shared the most common mistakes people make when pitching and how to overcome them. Then mentioned that the...
Episode 38: Why You Don't Need To Change How You Speak When You Pitch Your Idea
September 12, 2017 18:34 - 13 minutes - 19 MBOne of the reasons people don’t like pitching is because they feel like they have to be someone else. They have to abandon their personality, get into character, and speak in a way they normally wouldn’t in order to impress a colleague, customer, or investor. However, people on the receiving end of the pitch are going to see through and disengage quickly. A sales-y pitch is one that isn’t rehearsed and the person pitching hasn’t taken the time to figure out how to engage their audience...
Episode 37: Why It’s Important To Pitch Ideas Even If Pitching Doesn’t Come Naturally To You
September 06, 2017 13:28 - 13 minutes - 18.1 MBHave you ever had an idea for something, like a process or product that you wanted to improve? But instead of sharing your idea with others like your friends or co-workers, you just kept it to yourself because the thought of having to “pitch it” felt icky and salesy? Many of us who are creative problem solvers feel this way. Since pitching doesn’t come naturally to us, we just leave it up to CEOs, founders, and sales people. However, pitching is a really valuable skill that all of us n...
Episode 36: Why It’s Easier For Software Product Teams To Cram Features And Bugs Into Each Release Instead of Cutting Back
August 20, 2017 16:00 - 5 minutes - 7.54 MBEvery product release our goals are the same: we want to show customers we care about meeting their needs and we want to stay ahead of our competition! So how do we get it all done? We cram as many features and bugs as we can think of. Cutting back is for complainers! Is it really? Or… is it hard to estimate how long a feature is going to take to build and a bug to fix? And by not cutting back are we jeopardizing the quality of the product we release and sacrificing the sanity of...
Episode 35: How To Keep Your Passion Project Growing Despite Challenges
August 13, 2017 16:00 - 11 minutes - 16.2 MBAll this month, Joy Dixon and I have been digging into the theme of working on side projects that you’re passionate about. We started out by talking about how to keep your day job and pursue your passion project on the side, and last week we talked about how to keep your passion project moving along when you physically can’t. In today’s final episode, on side projects for this month, we’re going to talk about how to keep your passion project growing despite challenges. When we’re...
Episode 34: How To Keep Your Passion Project Moving Along When You Physically Can’t
August 06, 2017 16:00 - 12 minutes - 16.8 MBIn last week’s episode of Build, we began exploring the theme of pursuing a side project while keeping your day job. Jox Dixon and I did some myth busting around the need to go all-in. If you missed the episode you can check it out here. This week we’ve got a pretty meaty episode for you. We’re going to dive deeper into this theme, and talk about what to do when the inevitable happens: you can’t physically work on your side project. We thought it was particularly important to tac...
Episode 33: How to Keep Your Day Job and Pursue Your Passion Project on the Side
July 31, 2017 15:39 - 10 minutes - 13.9 MBIt’s a brand new month, and we’ve got a new theme we’ll be tackling on our show Build! We’re going to be talking about building, managing, and growing a side project you are passionate about while keeping your day job. I’m sure you’re aware of all the benefits that come with a side project: you get the chance to explore and learn new skills. And if it’s 100% yours, you get full creative freedom. However, you’ve probably heard that once your side project starts to grow you need to make a ...
Episode 32: Tech Debt – The Cost of Putting “Quick Fixes” Into Our Software Product
July 23, 2017 16:00 - 6 minutes - 9.21 MBWhat Is Tech Debt And How Do You Manage It It’s crunch time! You’ve got eager customers who are waiting for you to ship product, your teammates are eager to complete the release and move on, and you don’t want to be the bottleneck. So what to do you? You rush through writing your code and put in a quick fix. It’s good enough to pass tests and a quick code review. Unfortunately, crunch time doesn’t come around once in a blue moon. It happens more often than we’d like. And sadly it gets ...
Episode 31: Mentoring – How To Get Started As A Mentor
July 16, 2017 16:00 - 16 minutes - 22 MBAll this month, Karen Catlin and I have been digging into the theme of mentoring. We started out by sharing the debut Build episode on why some people are reluctant to seek mentoring, and last week we talked about how to approach mentors, set expectations, and thank them. In today’s final episode, on mentoring for this month, we’re going to talk about what you can do to become an effective mentor yourself. We understand that you might be reluctant to be a mentor for a number of reasons: ...
Episode 30: Mentoring – How To Get What You Want Out Of It
July 09, 2017 20:07 - 10 minutes - 14.9 MBHave you already tried mentoring and found that it’s not working for you? Is it because you’re just not getting what you want out of it, or other people have convinced you it’s just not worth your time? We get that something may go wrong, which is why in today’s episode we’re going to cover ALL the things that can go wrong with mentoring. But we won’t leave you hanging… Karen Catlin (https://karencatlin.com/) and I will provide concrete tips (including some exact script to use) for: - ...
Episode 29: Mentoring – What It Is And How To Make It Work
July 03, 2017 21:30 - 10 minutes - 15.1 MBWelcome to Build brought to you by Pivotal Tracker! I’m your host, Poornima Vijayashanker. Each Build episode consists of a series of conversations I have with innovators. Together we debunk myths and misconceptions related to building products, companies, and your career in tech. One misconception I fell prey to early on in my career was staying heads down and waiting for someone to acknowledge my accomplishments. The thought of tooting my own horn seemed too self-promotional. I was ...
Episode 28: Geek Girl Rising: Inside the Sisterhood Shaking Up Tech
June 05, 2017 17:34 - 23 minutes - 31.9 MBThere’s been a lot of debate and controversy around the lack of women and minorities being represented in tech companies from entry-level to the C-suite and board room. However, what isn’t showcased is how there is sisterhood within tech, where women are helping each other out, and enacting change at every level from schools to the board room. To talk about how women are investing and encouraging each other, I’ve invited Samantha Walravens who is the co-author of the new book Geek Girl R...
Episode 27: How To Change Careers Later In Life And Transition Into A Technical Role
May 09, 2017 22:54 - 31 minutes - 43.7 MBThere are a lot of people who want to change their career later in life. They want to do more challenging work, earn more money, and have a better lifestyle. Given the growing need of technical talent in the US, it would see like a technical career would be a great choice, right? Unfortunately despite the dearth of technical talent, many people are wary because of the misconception that transitioning into a technical career later in life is just too hard. Another is, as you start to fall b...
Episode 26: The Fastest-Growing Companies Start Really Slowly
April 24, 2017 21:40 - 32 minutes - 44.8 MBIf your company doesn’t produce a hockey stick graph for growth by the end of the first year, you’ve done something wrong. Don’t expect it to become one of the fastest-growing companies, just shut it down! Seems drastic, no? Sadly, that’s what many founders are led to believe. The truth is, it can take several years to really figure things out. Some of the fastest-growing companies today began really slowly. To debunk the myths around how long it takes to really see significant growt...
Episode 25: Starting Up Outside Silicon Valley
March 20, 2017 21:46 - 20 minutes - 27.8 MBTwo common pieces of startup advice that get doled out are you need to be in Silicon Valley to start your startup, and you need to cater to customers in the US market. That’s a tall order considering the rising cost of housing, the war on tech talent, and a number of challenges facing immigrant entrepreneurs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SybHtHG6gcA). Plus it’s simply not true. There are a number of startups that are starting up and succeeding outside Silicon Valley (http://femgineer....
Episode 24: How To Pause For Parenthood Without Killing Your Career
February 20, 2017 14:36 - 35 minutes - 48.9 MBMany of us think of a career as the period between college graduation and retirement. We’ve bought into the myth that taking a pause is considered a career killer because to truly be successful we have to keep working! As a result, many companies both large and small have developed a work-first culture that operates 24/7. But what if we want more from life than just work? I’m not talking about work and life balance. I mean taking a REAL pause that is longer than a weekend or a mont...
Episode 23: Learning To Say NO: The Secret Power Of Successful Startups
January 24, 2017 00:14 - 35 minutes - 48.3 MBIt’s the start of a new year, and you’re probably really excited to run some experiments for your startup or company. Since you’re keen on trying a lot of things, you’re probably going to be saying yes a lot! Saying yes is a great way to show others that we’re open to trying new things, taking in feedback, and making time for them. However, when we say yes over and over we start to lose our focus. If we do it too many times, it can be disastrous, especially when time is of the essence ...
Episode 22: How To Build A Pipeline Of Technical Talent
December 13, 2016 19:24 - 34 minutes - 47.2 MBThere has been a lot of conversation in the tech community about how to build a pipeline of computer scientists for the next generation, bring awareness to groups that aren’t current represented and improve diversity numbers. While there’s been a lot of work and initiatives that have cropped up over the years, there’s still a lot to be done. Whether you believe in diversity or are skeptical about it, at some point your organization is going to want to scale its recruiting efforts. In t...
Episode 21: Why You Should Consider Working For A Growing Tech Company
November 16, 2016 14:36 - 24 minutes - 33.1 MBI’m a HUGE proponent of working for an early stage startup, having already done it three times in my career. I even did a series a couple years ago to showcase the benefits of being an early stage startup employee, which you can watch here. However, early stage isn’t the only stage. It would be unfair of me to or anyone else to lead you astray based on what has worked for us. You’ve got to find a stage that fits your needs. To help you out, in today’s episode, I’ve invited a guest...
Episode 20: How To Nurture A Team Of Top Performers
October 26, 2016 01:14 - 51 minutes - 70.1 MBWorking on teams is great because we get to share our skill sets and learn from one another as we build. However, there are moments that prove to be challenging like… … when you think you’re in agreement with your team, get to work, then days later the decision gets shot down. All that wasted time, energy, and effort! Or… … when you’re excited to try something new, but you can’t because you have to get approval from multiple people, some who don’t even know who you are! Dealing wit...
Episode 19: How To Handle The Great Problem Of Growth
September 20, 2016 14:30 - 35 minutes - 48.5 MBWhat’s THE best problem to have hands down? Most people would say growth. And I’d agree 100%. But it’s not as rosy as you’d imagine. Whether you’ve gone from a five-person garage startup to 15, 50 or 500 person team, there will be some challenges. And at each stage tackling those challenges can leave us feeling like growth is more of a burden than a boon. We have to learn to balance the pressure to satisfy customer demands while managing and nurturing a team. This requires hiring...
Episode 18: How to Rescue Yourself From A Risky Setback
July 27, 2016 00:57 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBDid you take a risk and then realize, “OMG I am in too deep?” But by the time you realized it, it was too late. There was no time for a do-over. You were stuck and really the only logical thing to do next was to throw in the towel and call it quits. Or was it? Well in this episode of FemgineerTV, we’re going to be tackling the topic of how you can rescue yourself from a risky setback. And to help us out I’ve invited Jessica Mah who is the CEO and Co-Founder of InDinero. She has g...
Episode 17: How to Prepare to Strike Out On Your Own and Pursue Your Creative Calling
June 27, 2016 19:37 - 52 minutes - 72.2 MBHave you contemplated leaving the comforts of a company to strike out on your own to pursue a creative calling? Perhaps you have an idea for a product or service. While there’s a strong pull to pursue it, hesitation maybe holding you back. You’re worried about being good enough, attracting customers and clients, and how to make it all come together to find fulfillment, but also tend to the practical side of things like paying the bills! You’ve probably heard plenty of stories around ...
Episode 16: How Practicing Creative Confidence Can Help You Embrace Risk
May 25, 2016 13:25 - 35 minutes - 48.9 MBRisk can mean a number a number of things. It could mean speaking up. Or striking out on your own. But taking a risk is hard. What’s easier is following a known path. Creating what we’re told to create. Doing what we’re told to do. So why not just go for the easy path? Because it doesn’t always lead to us to feeling fulfilled in our careers and everyday lives. What does is pushing our creative limits, and that’s where risk comes in. The reason risk is hard is because it’s surro...
Episode 15: Why Bosses & Employees Should Practice Radical Candor
April 20, 2016 13:11 - 39 minutes - 54.2 MBRaise your hand if you’ve ever had a boss you just didn’t quite get along with. Both of mine are reaching for the stars! I always thought it was me… Until one day I met up with a previous boss I had, who saw all the work I had done since leaving the company and told me, “Wow we were really holding you back!” That statement was vindicating. But I didn’t want vindication. What I had wanted all along was a boss who would lead me by providing consistent guidance and feedback to help me i...
Episode 14: How to Create a Leadership Style that Blends with Your Personality
March 22, 2016 21:19 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBYou’ll recall in that in the last episode of FemgineerTV, I interviewed Maria Giudice the VP of Experience of Autodesk and author of The Rise of the DEO. We talked about how traditional CEOs have been replaced by a new breed called DEOs. In the latest episode of FemgineerTV, I’ve got a great example of a DEO for you: Lily Sarafan, the CEO of HomeCare. Lily began her career when HomeCare was just a startup, and has been integral to its growth and eventual acquisition. But that’s not all...
Episode 13: How Creators Can Become Company Leaders
February 15, 2016 17:00 - 35 minutes - 48.1 MBIn this episode, we’ll be talking about why traditional CEOs have been replaced by a new breed called DEOs, design executive officers, and how companies are basically being led by executives who embrace design thinking. To help us out, I’ve invited Maria Giudice formerly the founder of Hot Studio. Maria built and successfully ran Hot Studio through 3 tech busts, I’d say that’s enough of a reason for me to want to learn from this amazing design leader! Hot Studio was eventually acquired by ...
Episode 12: The Challenges Immigrant Tech Entrepreneurs Face
February 01, 2016 19:55 - 22 minutes - 30.3 MBIn this episode we’re tackling a tough topic that isn’t talked about a lot: The Challenges Immigrant Tech Entrepreneurs Face. Whether you’re an immigrant, thinking of immigrating to the US, or just a startuper, you’re sure to be inspired by this episode, because we talk about what it takes to overcome a number of obstacles and setbacks over a 4 year period before breaking into the US market with big customers and investors! Agustina Sartori, the CEO & Co-Founder of Glam St shares how she...
Episode 11: How To Get Started As A Founder Building A Tech Product With No Experience In Tech
February 01, 2016 19:53 - 32 minutes - 44.3 MBIt’s the final episode of FemgineerTV for the 2015 season! It felt like just yesterday I was waking up at 5am on a January morning to buy bagels for Ben Congleton our first guest. Then driving up with him to SF to beat the traffic on 101. Still can’t believe we made it one piece for the live pilot episode! Since then we’ve produced a total of 11 episodes with guests who are changing the landscape of technology in the way they design, engineer, and lead product innovation and their compan...
Episode 10: How Mattermark Is Creating Market Intelligence For The Startup Community
February 01, 2016 19:51 - 24 minutes - 34 MBWe know that funding is critical for the life of a startup, and founders can opt to bootstrap or raise capital from VCs. Many do both as we saw in episode 8 when I interviewed Melody McCloskey. Then in episode 9, I spoke to Shruti Gandhi, the founding and managing partner at Array VC, a fund that invests in early stage startups. Shruti shared with us the different ways investors can help a company grow, plus tips for dealing with different types of investors, and how to dig into an investo...
Episode 9: How Investors Add Value Beyond The Check
February 01, 2016 19:49 - 35 minutes - 49.1 MBIf you’ve been following along with FemgineerTV, you’ll have learned what the investor-founder dynamic is like from the viewpoint of an entrepreneur. In the last episode, I sat down with the CEO & co-founder of StyleSeat, Melody McCloskey, to understand what it takes to raise capital at the various stages of a startup, from Seed to Series A and beyond. In today’s episode, we’re going to get the opposite perspective by diving into an investor’s mindset. We’ll try to understand what compels ...
Episode 8: What It Takes To Raise Capital For Your Startup
February 01, 2016 19:47 - 25 minutes - 35.6 MBYou’ve probably noticed the ongoing debate about whether or not we’re in a tech bubble. Headlines are always gushing about the latest companies with billion dollar valuations. There’s a lot of investment capital out there right now, and if you’re a startup founder who hopes to raise money, you might be wondering what it takes to attract some of that capital to you . You have to figure out what to say to attract investors, but here’s the thing: depending on whether it’s your first fundrai...
Episode 7: The Art vs Science of User Experience Design
August 24, 2015 18:07 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MBYou might have used products that just get the job done. (Think Excel.) They compete with similar products on features, cost, and other mechanics. The problem is, these products become commodities and can lose their users to competition in a heartbeat. Meanwhile, there are standout products that are heralded as works of art. They inspire people and change lives, and consumers stick with these brands for a long time thanks to a glue called love. Most of us want to make amazing products and...
Episode 6: How to Find Your Other Half: Secrets for a Good Co-Founder Partnership
August 24, 2015 18:01 - 39 minutes - 53.8 MBWe all have ideas for features, products, and companies. But we cannot bring them to life alone. Partners and teams help us get out of our echo chambers, see possibilities we’ve never imagined, and put one foot in front of the other when the going gets rough. The best teams are composed of individuals with complementary skill sets, and as we learned back in Episode 4, empathy for one another. But you might be wondering: How does a team form over time? And how do you pick an initial part...
Episode 5: How to Identify Efforts that Make a Big Impact When Building Software Products
August 24, 2015 17:58 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBIf you’re a technical person, such as an engineer or designer, then your todo list is probably filled with product launches, bug fixes, interviewing candidates, attending meetings, answering emails, and fighting fires. The daily grind can leave you wondering if the work that you do is actually worthwhile and makes a big impact. While it’s easy for people to tell us to work smarter, not harder, the bulk of the work still falls on our shoulders, and it often feels like the only way to get...
Episode 4: How to Use Empathy to Build Software Products
August 24, 2015 17:54 - 48 minutes - 66.6 MBThere’s one skill that every wildly successful product manager, UX designer, businessperson, and leader has in common. It helps them unite teams and ship products that customers love time and time again. What could possibly unite all these technologists? It’s conscious and deliberate empathy. Most people believe empathy is just about being compassionate, like lending your friend a shoulder to cry on when they’re going through a breakup. Others dismiss it altogether as a distraction,...
Episode 3: How to Build a Community of Evangelists for Your Software Product
August 24, 2015 17:49 - 33 minutes - 45.7 MBWe all want customers to crave the products we build. Next, we want them to spread the word, because WOM (word-of-mouth) marketing is THE strongest and most authentic for your product. WOM is a testimonial delivered from one customer to another. The customer spreading the word cares about helping the other person out and is willing to vouch for the product based on benefits they’ve personally experienced. These days, most customer-to-customer testimonials live on the internet through s...
Episode 2: How to Make Smart Tradeoffs When Developing Software Products
August 24, 2015 17:43 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MBAs technologists we want to build software that is friendly, fast, beautiful, reliable, secure, and scalable. And we expect ourselves to deliver it on time and under budget, because our ultimate goal is to have lots of happy customers who can do what they want: cue Daft Punk’s Technologic! But time and energy are finite, and we simply cannot deliver it all at once. We need to choose our priorities, and this choice is one we should make consciously. Evaluating our software development pri...
Episode 1: How to Build a Happy and Productive Remote Team | Poornima Vijayashanker
August 22, 2015 16:02 - 37 minutes - 51.5 MBWhile a lot of people talk about the financial benefits of a remote team, that’s actually NOT the reason why Ben Congleton and his team decided to build a remote team. You’ve probably also heard over and over again the importance of company culture, but Ben actually breaks down what him and his team at Olark do to build a strong company culture! During the show we covered the following 3 misconceptions people have about remote working: 1. Employees won’t be as productive and progress wil...