Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots
499 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 months ago - ★★★★★ - 88 ratingsA podcast about the design, development, and business of great software. Each week thoughtbot's Chad Pytel is joined by the people who build and nurture the products we love.
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Episodes
346: Empower Users (Geoff DiMasi)
December 02, 2019 05:00 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBGeoff DiMasi, founder of Punk Ave. & Apostrophe, discusses his drive to build a CMS, balancing maintaining a service company while building a product (as well as the thought-process of spinning out a product into its own company), the Philadelphia tech-scene, and transitioning to a remote company. ApostropheCMS Apostrophe Open Source Open Source at thoughtbot Upcase Objectives and Key Results(OKR) System Indy Hall Coworking Space JAMstack Headless CMS Geoff on Twitter See open posi...
346: Empower Users (Geoff DiMasi)
December 02, 2019 05:00 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBGeoff DiMasi, founder of Punk Ave. & Apostrophe, discusses his drive to build a CMS, balancing maintaining a service company while building a product (as well as the thought-process of spinning out a product into its own company), the Philadelphia tech-scene, and transitioning to a remote company. ApostropheCMS Apostrophe Open Source Open Source at thoughtbot Upcase Objectives and Key Results(OKR) System Indy Hall Coworking Space JAMstack Headless CMS Geoff on Twitter See open posi...
346: Empower Users (Geoff DiMasi)
December 02, 2019 05:00 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBGeoff DiMasi, founder of Punk Ave. & Apostrophe, discusses his drive to build a CMS, balancing maintaining a service company while building a product (as well as the thought-process of spinning out a product into its own company), the Philadelphia tech-scene, and transitioning to a remote company. ApostropheCMS Apostrophe Open Source Open Source at thoughtbot Upcase Objectives and Key Results(OKR) System Indy Hall Coworking Space JAMstack Headless CMS Geoff on Twitter See open posi...
345: Conviction in the Problem (Alex Cornell)
November 25, 2019 05:00 - 43 minutes - 39.4 MBAlex Cornell, co-founder of Cocoon, discusses opportunity cost, prototyping methodology, having design skills as a founder, designing for intuition, and being invested in the problem you want to solve. Cocoon Notion Origami Prototyping Apply to Y Combinator Alex on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
344: Facilitating Innovation (Heather Ames)
November 18, 2019 05:00 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBHeather Ames, co-founder and COO of Neurala, discusses automated visual-inspection, balancing research with deployment, the challenges of productizing AI, and finding the right product/customer fit. Neurala Brain Builder Heather on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
343: A True Movement (Pariss Athena)
November 04, 2019 05:00 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBPariss Athena, Hiring & Product Team Member at G2i, creator of #BlackTechTwitter, and founder of Black Tech Pipeline, shares her journey from never hearing about code to viral awareness campaign creator, as well as discusses visibility, finding value on twitter, and life online with thousands of followers. Resilient Coders The Tweet that started #BlackTechTwitter "Hannibal Buress Is Building An Arts And Technology Center For The Future Masterminds Of The West Side" Black Tech Pipeline P...
342: The People Stuff (Jennifer Dary)
October 28, 2019 04:00 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBJennifer Dary, founder of Plucky, rejoins the podcast to discuss the rarity of listening, what it feels like to have a six year-old company, and conducts a 1:1 for managers with Lindsey & Chad. Plucky Jennifer on Giant Robots ep 270 Executive Coach or Therapist? 1:1 Manager Pack 'So Now You're a Manager' Training D&D Online Plucky Newsletter Jennifer on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
341: From Survival to Growth (David Kaplan)
October 21, 2019 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBDavid Kaplan, head of engineering at Policygenius, discusses joining an established company in a leadership role, factors for long-term success, choosing Flutter over React Native, and challenging assumptions when building out an MVP. Policygenius Flutter vs. React Native David on LinkedIn See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
340: Accessible, Ethical, Inclusive (Cat Noone)
October 14, 2019 04:00 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBCat Noone, CEO of Stark, shares an overview of accessible design, dreams for shaping a more accessible future, helming custom support with a small team, and her motivation to create. Stark Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Lyra A Stark Difference in Design Newletter Cat on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
339: Process Goals (Andrew Steele)
October 07, 2019 04:00 - 38 minutes - 35 MBAndrew Steele, Olympic Medalist & Head of Product at DNAfit, discusses providing actionable wellness utility from DNA data, goal setting, "blame culture", localization, and his time at the Beijing Olympics. DNAfit Beijing 4x400m Relay Men's Final Icarus (2017) 20% off Health Fit for Giant Robots Listeners in $USD In £GBP Andrew on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
338: Automating SaaS (Bryan Helmig)
September 30, 2019 04:00 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MBBryan Helmig, cofounder & CTO of Zapier, discusses extending tooling to small businesses through API integration, scaling, early marketing successes, and the future of automation. Zapier Contact Bryan See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
337: Outcomes, Not Outputs (Adam Scroggin)
September 23, 2019 04:00 - 42 minutes - 38.7 MBAdam Scroggin, CEO of CardBoard, discusses user story mapping, consulting vs product work, the importance of goal setting, product market fit, and his favorite tools & services for building web apps. CardBoard Heroku Private Spaces Contact Adam See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
336: There's No Manual (Chris Coyier)
September 16, 2019 04:00 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBChris Coyier, cofounder of CodePen, creator of CSS-Tricks, & host of Shop Talk Show, candidly shares how a weekend project turned into a full-time business, aspirations for the future, and areas for improvement. CodePen CSS-Tricks Shop Talk Show Podcast TechTV ChrisCoyier.net Chris on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
335: Discipline & Creativity (Jonathan Cutrell)
September 09, 2019 04:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBJonathan Cutrell, host of Developer Tea and Senior Engineer at Clearbit, discusses the history of the podcast, motivation for creation, learning to say 'no', and what it means to truly be 'remote-friendly'. Clearbit Developer Tea Podcast Spec Tea Break Challenge Jonathan on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
334: Preserve and Extend (Devon Zuegel)
September 02, 2019 04:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBDevon Zuegel, Product Manager at GitHub, discusses her transition from researcher to product manager, and shepherding the funding, communication, and tooling of open source sustainability. GitHub Devon on The Bike Shed GitHub Sponsors Let’s talk about open source sustainability GitHub Satellite 2019 thoughtbot open source projects Devon on Twitter Learn more about open source at thoughtbot. See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
333: Do Fewer Things Better (Matt Massicotte)
August 26, 2019 04:00 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBMatt Massicotte, creator of Chime, discusses the landscape of text editors, the complexities of writing your own parsers, building a new product while building a new family, and alternative app platform & pricing models. Chime Matt on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
332: Grow to Accommodate (Jordan Berke)
August 19, 2019 04:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBJordan Berke, CEO & founder of RepOne Strength, discusses finding your customers, working in the world of open source hardware, sourcing materials, relentless work pace, and bootstrapping. RepOne Strength Open Source NYC "Bill Gates says startup founders should not take weekends or vacations in the early days of building a company"- Business Insider Jordan on LinkedIn See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
331: Deep Industry Expertise (Courtney & Tye Caldwell)
August 12, 2019 04:00 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBCourtney & Tye Caldwell, Co-founders of ShearShare, discuss their journey from salon owners to startup founders, defining an MVP and maintaining a narrow focus for your product. ShearShare Mentored by Failure- Tye Caldwell ShearShare Simplifying Financials Tech.Co Startup of the Year 2016 Courtney on Twitter Tye on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots! Special Guest: ShearShare.
330: There's So Much Potential (Tess Posner)
August 05, 2019 04:00 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBTess Posner, CEO of AI4ALL, gives an overview of the field of AI and discusses representation in AI careers, the ramifications of not having diversity in tech, the role of allies, and the future of work. AI4ALL AI4ALL Summer Programs "Decoding Diversity"- Intel study on the financial and economic returns to diversity in tech "Tech Leavers Study"- from Kapor Center for Social Impact "There is a diversity crisis in AI, but together we can fix it."- Tess Posner Algorithms of Oppression- ...
329: The Detail Stuff (Jon Werner)
July 29, 2019 04:00 - 52 minutes - 48.3 MBJon Werner, CEO & Co-Founder of KOYA Innovations, discusses running a startup with his family, protecting one's intellectual property, the importance of forethought, and developing a platform for kindness. This episode of Giant Robots is sponsored by: ISL Online Indeed Prime Links & Show Notes Koya Jon on LinkedIn See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
328: Reliability First (Rob Zuber)
July 22, 2019 04:00 - 41 minutes - 38.5 MBRob Zuber, CTO of CircleCI, discusses prioritizing product direction, scaling, slow iteration to introduce major changes, and what's next for the platform. CircleCI Chaos Engineering Orbs Rob on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
327: Lead By Listening (Kate Brigham)
July 08, 2019 04:00 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBKate Brigham, VP of Product, Design, & Research at ezCater, discusses organizational design, roadmaps, user-research, designing to solve the needs of several groups at once, and, as a leader, empowering others to solve problems. This episode of Giant Robots is sponsored by: ISL Online Indeed Prime Links & Show Notes ezCater Stefania Mallett on Giant Robots PatientsLikeMe Kate on Twitter Kate on LinkedIn See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
326: Building the Whole Landscape (Morgan Evans)
July 01, 2019 04:00 - 43 minutes - 39.4 MBMorgan Evans, organizational designer and CEO & Founder of Business Casual, discusses developing systems to holistically design a company, building a culture that is receptive to feedback, conflict mediation, acknowledging emotions while at work, and early days at Etsy. Business Casual Morgan on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
325: Wallet-Power (Vanessa Bruce)
June 24, 2019 04:00 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBVanessa Bruce, co-founder of Dough, discusses affecting change through individual purchase-power, how she handles context-switching, choosing a platform to optimize for content creation, the challenge of visibility, and the decision to launch nationally. This episode of Giant Robots is sponsored by: ISL Online Indeed Prime Links & Show Notes Dough Dough Membership Open Salaries at Buffer Vanessa on LinkedIn See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
324: Tap the Market (Karyl Fowler)
June 17, 2019 04:00 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MBKaryl Fowler, CEO & Co-founder of Transmute, discusses utilizing block chain for decentralized identity-management, exploring finding the right customer profile fits, education around data-security, her time at Techstars, and the startup community in Austin. Transmute Transmute ID Techstars Transmute News Blog Karyl on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
323: Mission Focused (Kristy Wallace)
June 10, 2019 04:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBKristy Wallace, CEO of Ellevate Network, discusses cross-industry community building, utilizing tech to facilitate connections, scaling without losing personal impact, and becoming a certified B Corp. Ellevate Network The Five Love Languages: Gary Chapman Pipeline Angels B Corporation B Impact Assessment Ellevate Podcast: Conversations With Women Changing the Face of Business Kristy on Twitter Kristy on LinkedIn See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
322: Measure Equity (Paloma Medina)
May 28, 2019 04:00 - 43 minutes - 39.4 MBPaloma Medina, performance coach, trainer, and owner of 11:11 Supply, discusses translating her brick & mortar store experience to an online shop, the themes around her coaching, design thinking, and how equity is linked to our long-term physical health. This episode of Giant Robots is sponsored by: PricingWire: Monetization & Pricing Strategy for Software & Technology Innovators Links & Show Notes 11:11 Supply CW Pencil Enterprise Paloma @ TEDx Portland Paloma on LinkedIn See open ...
321: Building a Marketplace (Stefania Mallett)
May 20, 2019 04:00 - 46 minutes - 42.4 MBStefania Mallett, CEO and co-founder of ezCater, discusses non-compete agreements, maintaining an entrepreneurial spirit, codifying values, advice on building a marketplace, and the nuances of expanding globally. This episode of Giant Robots is sponsored by: PricingWire: Monetization & Pricing Strategy for Software & Technology Innovators Links & Show Notes ezCater EBITDA CaterUp! Conference Stefania on LinkedIn See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
320: Lead Through Collaboration (Harold Hughes)
May 13, 2019 04:00 - 43 minutes - 40.3 MBHarold Hughes, Founder & CEO of Bandwagon, discusses utilizing blockchain for security and personalization in event ticketing, data-transparency, his key to entrepreneurship, the importance of investment firms funding underrepresented groups, and speaking to the SEC. This episode of Giant Robots is sponsored by: PricingWire: Monetization & Pricing Strategy for Software & Technology Innovators Links & Show Notes Bandwagon Facebook Pixel Founder Institute Accelerator PayPal Mafia Arla...
319: Beyond Purpose (Bruce Daisley)
May 07, 2019 04:00 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBBruce Daisley, VP EMEA at Twitter, discusses the international focus of Twitter, the importance of psychological-safety on workplace culture, diversity & striving for fulfillment for all workers, and fleeting happiness vs enduring purpose. This episode of Giant Robots is sponsored by: PricingWire: Monetization & Pricing Strategy for Software & Technology Innovators Links & Show Notes Twitter Eat Sleep Work Repeat Podcast Netflix Culture Statement Previous Netflix Culture Deck Psycho...
318: Scaling With People (Chris Sullens)
April 29, 2019 04:00 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBChris Sullens, CEO of CentralReach, discusses needing to be cognizant of company culture while introducing new systems and a management team, the difficult task of hiring for culture, and how technology can help shape the future of ABA therapy. This episode of Giant Robots is sponsored by: PricingWire: Monetization & Pricing Strategy for Software & Technology Innovators Links & Show Notes CentralReach Caliper Assessment Chris on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Spo...
317: About Fulfillment (Ben Furber)
April 23, 2019 04:00 - 1 hour - 65.3 MBBen Furber, Developer at thoughtbot London, presents a panel discussion around striving for professional fulfillment, as individuals, managers, and organizations. The panelists touch on bringing your authentic self to work, finding organizations with value alignment, an environment where you're able to make mistakes, 'process' vs trust, rethinking retros, giving appreciative feedback, and honest conversations. Jo Franchetti - Web Developer Advocate for Samsung Internet Ben Furber - Develo...
316: A Completely Orthogonal Skillset (Lara Hogan)
April 15, 2019 04:00 - 40 minutes - 37.3 MBLara Hogan, co-founder of Wherewithall, discusses finding her ideal job coaching and mentoring, evaluating for management alignment, what makes for a strong manager, the value of role-play, constructive feedback, and her upcoming book, Resilient Management. This episode of Giant Robots is sponsored by: PricingWire: Monetization & Pricing Strategy for Software & Technology Innovators Links & Show Notes Wherewithall Not Lack of Ability but More Choice: Individual and Gender Differences i...
315: I'm Not a CPA, I Just Play One On Podcasts (Scott Orn)
April 08, 2019 04:00 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBScott Orn, COO of Kruze Consulting, talks about podcasting, early stage pain-points, favorite tools, the trade-offs of remote work, and last minute tax-day advice for startups. This episode of Giant Robots is sponsored by: PricingWire: Monetization & Pricing Strategy for Software & Technology Innovators Links & Show Notes Kruze Consulting Scott on Giant Robots #43 Founders & Friends Podcast Ben's Friends thoughtbot Playbook Come work from our San Francisco Office! Kruze Startup Ta...
314: Streamlined and Thoughtful (Chelsea Moore)
April 01, 2019 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBChelsea Moore, co-founder & CEO of BoxFox, discusses quickly going from idea to launch while doing everything from design to fulfillment in-house, their approach to growth, learning to say 'no', letting branding & social media evolve from itself, and reinforcing the human side of e-commerce. BOXFOX Chelsea on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
313: I Just Want to Get There (Art Papas)
March 25, 2019 04:00 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBArt Papas, CEO of Bullhorn, discusses the business of temporary staffing, the danger of doing a marketing push before finding product market fit, focusing early on culture, adjusting to his role as CEO, communication techniques for company-wide messaging, and having enthusiasm for the future. Bullhorn Winning- Jack Welch The Innovator's Dilemma- Clayton Christensen Art on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
312: Seeking Strengths (Gareth Burrowes)
March 18, 2019 04:00 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBGareth Burrowes, Co-Founder & Head of Product and Marketing at The Tech Connection, discusses employment screening focused on candidate strengths, removing unconscious bias from the hiring flow, and the importance of diversity at every level of a company. The Tech Connection Gareth on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
311: Serving Serverless (Erica Windisch)
March 11, 2019 04:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBErica Windisch, CTO and co-founder of IOpipe, discusses serverless architecture and how it can provide a clearer user-interaction story, the state of automatic code generation, and her experience in Techstars. IOpipe Techstars NYC 2016 An introduction to Wardley (Value Chain) Mapping IOpipe Community on Slack Erica on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
310: Have a Slide For That (Alec Stern)
March 04, 2019 05:00 - 42 minutes - 39 MBAlec Stern, startup founder, entrepreneur, mentor, investor, and advisor, discusses founding Constant Contact, the early days of SaaS, the importance and utilization of 'channels', and pursuing customer feedback. Constant Contact Point2Point Global Alec on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
309: Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast (Jamie Howard)
February 25, 2019 05:00 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBJamie Howard, Director of Engineering at TransLoc, discusses hiring, solutions-driven engineering, leadership in the military vs the private sector, and Agile methodology. TransLoc The Ride Spotify Engineering Culture See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
308: Technology is Everywhere (Siobhan Green)
February 18, 2019 05:00 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBSiobhan Green, co-founder & CEO of Sonjara, discusses finding good tech solutions for organizations in the social-benefit space and developing countries, merging her passions for tech and international development, GDPR, and the ethics and security of various technological solutions. Sonjara ICT4D The Ethics of Data Workshop Siobhan on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
307: Win in the Long Term (Mike McDerment)
February 11, 2019 05:00 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBMike McDerment, co-founder and CEO of FreshBooks, discusses reimagining the platform with a system-wide A-B test, experiences with scaling, the value of customer service, and the art/science of change. FreshBooks Mike on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
306: Solving a Specific Problem (Ellen Chisa)
February 04, 2019 05:01 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBEllen Chisa, CEO and cofounder of Dark, discusses building a complete programming platform from scratch, the benefits of a private beta, and making programming more accessible. Dark Philip2 Ellen on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
306: 306: Solving a Specific Problem (Ellen Chisa)
February 04, 2019 05:00 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBEllen Chisa, CEO and cofounder of Dark, discusses building a complete programming platform from scratch, the benefits of a private beta, and making programming more accessible. Dark Philip2 Ellen on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
305: You're Never Done (Ben McRedmond)
January 28, 2019 05:00 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBBen McRedmond, CEO of Consider, discusses his time as Senior Director of Growth at Intercom, teases his plans for fixing email, and discusses the importance & difficulty of product validation. Consider Ben on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
304: Intentional Soul-Searching (Natalie Nagele)
January 21, 2019 05:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBNatalie Nagele, Co-founder and CEO of Wildbit, discusses product updates, operating with more meaning and purpose, user research, bootstrap vs VC funding, and experiments in productivity (like a 4-day work week, turning off Slack, and strategies for remote work). Wildbit Natalie on Giant Robots Ep #66 Conveyor Deep Work- Cal Newport Natalie on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
303: Building Something Special (Margaret McKenna)
January 14, 2019 05:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBMargaret McKenna, Software Engineer at Devoted Health, discusses joining a team based on their mission, building systems from scratch, and evolution on a new, rapidly growing team. Devoted Health DJ Patil on Giant Robots Margaret on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
302: What Stage Are We In? (Sam Clemens)
January 07, 2019 05:00 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBSam Clemens, Partner at Accomplice VC, discusses utilizing his product experience to nurture new companies, advice for where businesses should focus in various stages of growth, what should really be in an MVP, and his feelings around leaving a company as it's founder. Accomplice VC Sam on LinkedIn See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!
301: Projection & Prediction (Aatish Salvi)
December 10, 2018 05:00 - 39 minutes - 36.7 MBAatish Salvi, CTO of Teikametrics, discusses building a service for 3rd party Amazon sellers using data science, being wary of pre-mature optimization, integrating data engineering research into the team, and working with Amazon as both a partner and a competitor. Teikametrics Aatish on LinkedIn See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots! Special Guest: Teikametrics.
300: More Useable Information (Jennifer Lum)
December 03, 2018 05:00 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBJennifer Lum, COO and co-founder of Forge.ai, discusses building a company and platform that transforms unstructured information into machine-readable data in real-time, avoiding biases in data collection, and evolving & defining company values as one's team grows. Forge Jennifer on Twitter See open positions at thoughtbot! Become a Sponsor of Giant Robots!