ITX Product Momentum
83 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsAmazing digital experiences don’t just happen. They are purposefully created by artists and engineers, who strategically and creatively get to know the problem, configure a solution, and maneuver through the various dynamics, hurdles, and technicalities to make it a reality. Hosts Sean and Paul will discuss various elements that go into creating and managing software products, from building user personas to designing for trackable success. No topic is off-limits if it helps inspire and build an amazing digital experience for users – and a product people actually want.
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Episodes
74 / Crafting A Product Vision Begins With ‘Scaling Trust’
December 14, 2021 15:53 - 26 minutes - 17.7 MBAmong the many lessons Shopify’s Mamuna Oladipo has learned in her career is that communicating a product vision isn’t a “one-and-done” exercise. Working with such diverse audiences requires product leaders to create a narrative around the vision and communicate it multiple times, in different ways. Not everyone, she explains, digests information in the same way … Continued The post 74 / Crafting A Product Vision Begins With ‘Scaling Trust’ appeared first on ITX Corp.
73 / The Competence Ramp: From Efficacy to Mastery
November 30, 2021 16:20 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBScott Rigby, Ph.D. joins Sean and Paul for the second in a three-part series on Self-Determination Theory – specifically, the basic human needs of Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness. In this episode, our conversation centers around Competence: the need to be effective and successful at what we’re doing. It doesn’t come easily, or immediately; rather, it’s … Continued The post 73 / The Competence Ramp: From Efficacy to Mastery appeared first on ITX Corp.
72 / The Product Leader’s Dilemma: Balancing Possibility, Predictability
November 16, 2021 17:27 - 31 minutes - 21 MBAs product leaders, we’re rarely hired to build a product from scratch. Unless, of course, you’re the founder. Much of the time we’re handed our predecessor’s backlog with little guidance – other than, perhaps, “Here, help us with this.” And with that, you’re faced with a decision to make: press forward, predictably and safely, in … Continued The post 72 / The Product Leader’s Dilemma: Balancing Possibility, Predictability appeared first on ITX Corp.
71 / From Autonomy to Innovation
November 02, 2021 15:05 - 24 minutes - 16.2 MBConnecting the dots between theory and application is rarely an easy task. It’s made a bit easier, though, when the theory goes to the heart of human existence: we want – no, we need – to be the authors of our own narrative. And that narrative must be something that we endorse and take ownership … Continued The post 71 / From Autonomy to Innovation appeared first on ITX Corp.
70 / Making Innovation Predictable
October 19, 2021 13:26 - 26 minutes - 17.8 MBWhat if there were a way to know that your product was going to win in the marketplace – and to know it even before you begin development? In this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Tony Ulwick – CEO of Strategyn and “father of the Jobs To Be Done framework” – joins Sean and … Continued The post 70 / Making Innovation Predictable appeared first on ITX Corp.
69 / Take Small Steps To Achieve Product Vision
October 05, 2021 15:20 - 30 minutes - 18.8 MBAchieving product vision isn’t just about where we’re going, it’s also about where we begin the journey. A clear vision should also provide a path toward resolution of problems when they arise. Product teams should find their vision aspirational, yet relatable to their work and their values as humans. In this episode of the Product … Continued The post 69 / Take Small Steps To Achieve Product Vision appeared first on ITX Corp.
68 / Design Thinking’s Double-Edged Sword
September 21, 2021 13:53 - 34 minutes - 23 MBFor people who love their work as much as UX designers do, it can be easy to get “lost in the sauce,” tackling projects for the love of the craft as opposed to applying your craft to solving complex problems for the benefit of others. Design thinking helps keep us centered on our customers’ needs. … Continued The post 68 / Design Thinking’s Double-Edged Sword appeared first on ITX Corp.
67 / Innovation Through Digital Anthropology
September 08, 2021 14:34 - 27 minutes - 18.4 MBFor product people, a big part of the job is understanding not only what motivates our users, but also the systems they are tied to – and how those two things tie together. As it turns out, the bond that connects them is formed by the tools we build and the best practices we develop … Continued The post 67 / Innovation Through Digital Anthropology appeared first on ITX Corp.
66 / Key Elements that Foster the Product Mindset
August 25, 2021 13:05 - 24 minutes - 15.5 MBThere is an ongoing evolution in organizations toward an emphasis on the customer experience with your product versus a steady delivery of flashy new features. The former focuses on outcomes, while the latter embraces outputs, perhaps better known as “feature bloat” or “experience rot.” In this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Sean is joined … Continued The post 66 / Key Elements that Foster the Product Mindset appeared first on ITX Corp.
65 / The Creation of Culture as a Competitive Advantage
August 10, 2021 13:57 - 25 minutes - 16.5 MBWhat job are product leaders really paid to do? When you boil it all down, leaders are paid to deliver results. Quantitative, which many believe are more easily measured. And qualitative, which invites the notion of organizational culture: much more difficult to measure, but more important in today’s world than ever before. In this episode … Continued The post 65 / The Creation of Culture as a Competitive Advantage appeared first on ITX Corp.
64 / Managing User Feedback to Prioritize Your Product Roadmap
July 28, 2021 14:53 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBProduct leaders need to be astute prioritizers. That means we have to say no – a lot. To the sales rep begging us to build “the next big thing.” And to the customer account rep pleading for a flashy new feature. Our response to these cries for help is, “Make your case. Tell me why. … Continued The post 64 / Managing User Feedback to Prioritize Your Product Roadmap appeared first on ITX Corp.
63 / Unlock Your Inner Genius
July 14, 2021 18:14 - 30 minutes - 22.5 MBAttaining so-called “genius status” – Mozart, Steve Jobs, Einstein spring to mind – seems untouchable to us mere mortals. Or is it. As product people, we have more genius within us than we give ourselves credit for. In this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Sean and Matt are joined by Shawn Livermore. The author … Continued The post 63 / Unlock Your Inner Genius appeared first on ITX Corp.
62 / Brand Archetypes Help Our Products Speak to the World
June 29, 2021 11:54 - 28 minutes - 18.2 MBArchetype. We don’t have to know what the word means to recognize how it connects our brand with our users. Archetypes help us choose the right words, assemble them in the right order, and communicate the brand experience our users expect. Our brand is how our products speak to the world. In this episode of … Continued The post 62 / Brand Archetypes Help Our Products Speak to the World appeared first on ITX Corp.
61 / Simple Steps for High-Touch User Engagement
June 15, 2021 14:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBMaybe more than anything else, product people want good, honest, relevant feedback about their products. And their go-to source for the straight-up truth? Moms and best friends. They’re the ones who’ll give you the sort of “big-picture feedback you’re desperate for.” And the best part is they know enough not to give advice you didn’t … Continued The post 61 / Simple Steps for High-Touch User Engagement appeared first on ITX Corp.
60 / Define Your Brand With Innovative UX Design
June 03, 2021 05:38 - 28 minutes - 16.8 MBAs product people, how do we know when the time is right to “color outside the lines”? Maybe experiment with a new design approach or re-create some of the early Wild West days when design standards were the exception, not the rule. After all, isn’t that a fundamental piece of the innovation puzzle – standing … Continued The post 60 / Define Your Brand With Innovative UX Design appeared first on ITX Corp.
59 / Balance Mission & Vision For Great Products
May 18, 2021 05:38 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBWhat does it really mean to be obsessed with serving your customers? How can we balance mission and vision to build great products? In this episode, ITX product leader Matt Bush joins Sean in a lively conversation with Esteban Contreras, a Senior Director of Product Management at Hootsuite. Like many so organizations in the space, Hootsuite deftly … Continued The post 59 / Balance Mission & Vision For Great Products appeared first on ITX Corp.
58 / Innovate With Continuous Discovery
April 30, 2021 05:38 - 29 minutes - 21.2 MBInnovation is important, especially for digital products. However, it can also be an annoyance if a clear focus on customer needs is not present. In this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Sean and Paul talk with Teresa Torres, a product discovery coach focused on continuous discovery. Continuous discovery has numerous benefits for companies, product people, and … Continued The post 58 / Innovate With Continuous Discovery appeared first on ITX Corp.
57 / The Product-Led Organization
April 20, 2021 19:27 - 28 minutes - 21 MBWhat does “product-led” really mean, and how can you leverage it in your personal practice and throughout your organization? In this episode, Sean and Paul catch up with Terrence Liverpool, AVP, Consumer Bank Digital Product Manager at Synchrony Bank. Terrence brings a wealth of insights that come from working across the digital sector at … Continued The post 57 / The Product-Led Organization appeared first on ITX Corp.
56 / Lifelong Learners Propel Product
April 06, 2021 13:38 - 32 minutes - 24 MBIn today’s episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia, the Founder and CEO of Product School, shares his inspiration for Product School and its role in shaping the next generation of product leaders. Carlos has an unending passion for helping others succeed in the product space, and his enthusiasm is contagious! The … Continued The post 56 / Lifelong Learners Propel Product appeared first on ITX Corp.
55 / Encouraging Great Ideas
March 23, 2021 14:37 - 36 minutes - 28.9 MBGreat ideas can come from anywhere. It is the job of product leaders to seek out these ideas by taking educated risks, thinking (and working) outside the box. In this episode Aaron Cooper, the Enterprise User Experience Leader for Navigation and Sensors at Honeywell, shares key strategies for ideation, workshopping, and working across disciplines. Aaron … Continued The post 55 / Encouraging Great Ideas appeared first on ITX Corp.
54 / Navigating Complexity and Uncertainty
March 11, 2021 23:53 - 31 minutes - 23.8 MBAs a product leader, it can be hard to work within a multitude of constraints: profits, product-market fit, time, customers’ needs; the list goes on. Giff tackles the tough questions and elaborates on the product leader’s job as “chief synthesizer.” In this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Sean and Paul welcome Giff Constable, a … Continued The post 54 / Navigating Complexity and Uncertainty appeared first on ITX Corp.
53 / When You’re In Product, You’re the Connector
February 25, 2021 19:13 - 29 minutes - 21.5 MBWe often talk about product living at the intersection of technology, business, and UX. And that makes sense in a limited, Venn diagram way of thinking: Product as the place where these things converge. But as we have discovered, using a 3-piece diagram to explain what product is all about is a gross oversimplification. Through … Continued The post 53 / When You’re In Product, You’re the Connector appeared first on ITX Corp.
52 / Mindset, Process, and Tools
February 18, 2021 20:24 - 30 minutes - 23.2 MBIf you’ve never done product before, the journey can be super-scary. So many questions: Do I have what it takes? Is this the career I want for myself? What type of PM do I want to be? Where am I in my career product life cycle? Worry no more. In this episode of ITX’s Product … Continued The post 52 / Mindset, Process, and Tools appeared first on ITX Corp.
51 / Cognitive Bias and Software Development
February 11, 2021 20:45 - 27 minutes - 20.1 MBWithout mental shortcuts to help, there’s no way product managers could process the daily waves of information coming at us. We apply these shortcuts, called cognitive biases, to drive efficiency in how we perceive and respond to the world around us. But when we’re unaware of, or not sensitive to, these biases (that exist … Continued The post 51 / Cognitive Bias and Software Development appeared first on ITX Corp.
50 / Product Problems Are People Problems
February 04, 2021 15:15 - 39 minutes - 29 MBWhether discussing onboarding, the challenges we product managers confront in today’s upside-down world, or the benefits of being a “lazy” product manager, all problems boil down to people problems. In this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Sean and Paul welcome Christian Idiodi, partner at the Silicon Valley Product Group. As a leader in … Continued The post 50 / Product Problems Are People Problems appeared first on ITX Corp.
49 / The Many Paths to Product Management
January 28, 2021 22:04 - 23 minutes - 17.8 MBThere’s no clear career path to product management. And while that sounds like just another obstacle keeping you from your dream job, it should actually come as a comfort to all you PM hopefuls. Here’s why. It’s about equifinality, which simply means that the same end result can be achieved by many potential means … Continued The post 49 / The Many Paths to Product Management appeared first on ITX Corp.
5 Tips To Boost the UX of Your UX Presentations
January 25, 2021 21:46 - 487 KB VideoThe foundation underlying our service as UX Designers is understanding the needs, goals, and frustrations of the users we are designing for. But we don’t work in a vacuum. So another important aspect of our job is actually presenting our research, the designs we have created, and the outcomes of our proposed solutions. We have all experienced both the good and the bad of presentations. The bad ones abandon a designer’s commitment for structure, clarity, and the ability to inspire. In their...
48 / At the Intersection of Art and Technology
January 25, 2021 13:05 - 32 minutes - 24.1 MBDefining the product manager role is a moving target. It’s tough to put our finger on the skill set we need to land the gig. And then we’re not always confident about what to do once we arrive. In this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Sean and Paul welcome Josh Anon. Now a product … Continued The post 48 / At the Intersection of Art and Technology appeared first on ITX Corp.
47 / Imagine A World Where Social Justice Reigns
January 14, 2021 17:34 - 34 minutes - 27.1 MBIn this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Sean and Paul welcome Andrew Branch, Director of Product Engineering at Measures for Justice (MFJ). MFJ, an ITX client and Rochester, NY neighbor, is a criminal justice research organization whose mission is to make accurate criminal justice data available and accessible to all – and to … Continued The post 47 / Imagine A World Where Social Justice Reigns appeared first on ITX Corp.
46 / Whether Building Software or Snowboards
December 30, 2020 14:14 - 29 minutes - 21 MBOne concern we product builders often cite with our C-suite sponsors is their disdain for discovery. “We know what users want,” is a frequent refrain when we recommend investment in user research. Sometimes, even we fall victim to that flawed “we got this” mentality. When we do, we limit our own market exploration by rejecting … Continued The post 46 / Whether Building Software or Snowboards appeared first on ITX Corp.
45 / Motivation and Self-Determination Theory
December 28, 2020 17:40 - 38 minutes - 28.3 MBWith so many touchpoints between Self-Determination Theory and software product development, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Perhaps with this: self-determination theory is fundamentally focused on answering two questions. First, what is it that brings us fulfillment in life?”; and second, what things will accrue to high-quality motivation – that is, doing things that … Continued The post 45 / Motivation and Self-Determination Theory appeared first on ITX Corp.
44 / Is What I Am Building Ethical?
December 21, 2020 13:33 - 29 minutes - 21.4 MBWhat is an ethical product? In an industry whose mission is to build technology that does good in the world, you’d think that by now we’d have figured this one out. You know, develop a checklist of criteria that helps chip away at our assumptions and biases and answer questions like, “is what I am … Continued The post 44 / Is What I Am Building Ethical? appeared first on ITX Corp.
43 / ProdMgmt101: The Influential Product Manager
December 11, 2020 18:33 - 35 minutes - 25.7 MBWhat does it mean to be an influential product manager? In short, it means doing the job well. Easier said than done, right? The product manager is the one role in the organization who seems to own all the responsibility for getting things done, but none of the authority to actually do it. And that’s … Continued The post 43 / ProdMgmt101: The Influential Product Manager appeared first on ITX Corp.
42 / Shaping: A Different Kind of Product Work
December 03, 2020 20:24 - 44 minutes - 33.4 MBProduct work is rarely (ever?) as straightforward and ordered as we’d like. It’s important for us as product leaders to embrace this fact and to plan for the interdependencies among all the moving parts. Shaping puts a name to this important work. We get clarity of direction from the guardrails Shaping provides. At the same … Continued The post 42 / Shaping: A Different Kind of Product Work appeared first on ITX Corp.
41 / No Such Thing As The ‘Perfect’ Product Manager
November 23, 2020 13:13 - 27 minutes - 19.3 MBNot every product management role is the same. Each requires a different skill set balance, a different temperament, and a different approach to problem solving. Why is that? Because users are individuals. Unique individuals. And while we share basic needs, ranging from physiological to self-actualization, each of us draws satisfaction and delight in different ways … Continued The post 41 / No Such Thing As The ‘Perfect’ Product Manager appeared first on ITX Corp.
Special Edition / Delivery + UX = Client Value
November 19, 2020 12:45 - 20 minutes - 14.7 MBStrong leadership and eager collaboration serve as the hallmarks in the long list of contributions made by ITX veterans and Vice Presidents Nancy Neumann and Lisa Young, the company’s most recent additions to its Board of Directors. In this special edition of the Product Momentum Podcast, Sean and Paul welcome fellow ITX leaders Lisa … Continued The post Special Edition / Delivery + UX = Client Value appeared first on ITX Corp.
40 / How A Well-Told Story ‘Weaves In Your Why’
November 02, 2020 21:37 - 40 minutes - 31.3 MBThe simple act of telling a story well helps the audience believe that the story is actually happening to them. Whether you’re pitching a product idea to a group of users or to your team, the well-told story resonates. It identifies the key players. It describes the conflict. And as the plot unfolds, it delivers … Continued The post 40 / How A Well-Told Story ‘Weaves In Your Why’ appeared first on ITX Corp.
39 / Behavioral Science and Product Design
October 26, 2020 12:13 - 31 minutes - 23.2 MBAs product builders, we use data science and behavioral science to help us design software solutions that line up with our users’ initial intent. Data science helps us understand who’s likely to take some action. Behavioral science looks at the factors that drive us to take action in the first place. With so many inputs … Continued The post 39 / Behavioral Science and Product Design appeared first on ITX Corp.
38 / How To Recapture Lost Innovation ROI
October 13, 2020 20:25 - 41 minutes - 29.2 MBInvestment in innovation will bring business energy, they say, and will enable new revenue growth. Investment in innovation will lead to more efficient business operation and will deepen your brand’s hold on existing clients while attracting more prospects. Investment in innovation will help level up your team’s skill set. Innovation is powerful. Investment in it … Continued The post 38 / How To Recapture Lost Innovation ROI appeared first on ITX Corp.
37 / Validate and Verify the Customer Voice
September 22, 2020 19:02 - 35 minutes - 25.6 MBWhatever we think we know about our users doesn’t always hold true when we release our products into the wild. Faced with compressed cycle times and pressure to release something, product managers sometimes fall in love with a product only later to discover we were among the few who did. Our mistake isn’t being passionate … Continued The post 37 / Validate and Verify the Customer Voice appeared first on ITX Corp.
36 / Shaping the Product Manager’s Prime Directive
September 11, 2020 13:56 - 33 minutes - 26.3 MBWhat is the product manager’s prime directive? Most would argue we’re here to make the world a better place through the software products we create. But what do we do when we see product decisions being made that conflict with that directive, that cause us to manipulate users to our benefit instead of inspire them … Continued The post 36 / Shaping the Product Manager’s Prime Directive appeared first on ITX Corp.
35 / Building the Solutions the World Needs
September 01, 2020 12:52 - 41 minutes - 30.1 MBIn this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Sean and Paul welcome Christopher O’Donnell, Chief Product Officer at HubSpot. Their conversation kicks off with a discussion of Trust, closes with Christopher’s definition of Innovation, and checks nearly every box in the product manager playbook along the way. In a lively give-and-take that combines big … Continued The post 35 / Building the Solutions the World Needs appeared first on ITX Corp.
34 / Product Managers ‘Change the World’
August 21, 2020 11:40 - 29 minutes - 21.4 MBChange the world. It’s a pretty tall order, even for today’s modern product leaders. But that’s precisely what product managers do, according to Adrienne Tan, who joins Sean and Paul in this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast. Co-founder and CEO of Brainmates, Adrienne is a pioneer in the world of modern product management. … Continued The post 34 / Product Managers ‘Change the World’ appeared first on ITX Corp.
33 / Learn Fast, Learn Well With Experimentation
August 13, 2020 20:48 - 37 minutes - 27 MBExperimentation is not about right or wrong. It’s about learning things that you genuinely didn’t know. The secret is to become comfortable with the uncomfortable and to make room for your own sense of vulnerability. When you’re able to embrace not knowing something, or have experiments come back that disprove your hypotheses, you’re going … Continued The post 33 / Learn Fast, Learn Well With Experimentation appeared first on ITX Corp.
32 / Take An Objective Approach to Prioritization
August 10, 2020 12:56 - 38 minutes - 27.3 MBA lot of times product managers take a overly narrow view of prioritization without giving full consideration to the impact of decisions we make. Whether to add another new feature to our backlog – and which one? Is there a new market segment we should explore? Do we need a new vision for our product? … Continued The post 32 / Take An Objective Approach to Prioritization appeared first on ITX Corp.
31 / How To Get The Positioning Right
July 29, 2020 19:12 - 44 minutes - 31.8 MBIn tech, as in life, there’s more than one way to skin a cat. That might be one of the coolest aspects about building super-exciting software products. There’s any number of ways to get the job done. As product people, we lend our education, our experience, and our intuition to improving people’s lives. Our varied … Continued The post 31 / How To Get The Positioning Right appeared first on ITX Corp.
30 / Essential Components of Product Culture
July 01, 2020 19:33 - 44 minutes - 31.6 MBBefore we jump headlong into implementing Lean or Agile. Before we decide that OKRs offer the best chance to set goals and measure results. And before we determine that a particular design methodology will lead us to successful product development, product leaders need to understand the “underlying cultural things about teams and about companies that … Continued The post 30 / Essential Components of Product Culture appeared first on ITX Corp.
30 / Bruce McCarthy
July 01, 2020 19:33 - 44 minutes - 31.6 MBBruce McCarthy 30 / Bruce McCarthy Description Bruce’s Recommended Reading About Bruce Bruce McCarthy helps growing organizations achieve their product visions through workshops, coaching, and speaking at events around the world. Bruce co-wrote Product Roadmaps Relaunched: How to Set Direction while Embracing Uncertainty and opines regularly about Product Culture. Website:Read more The post 30 / Bruce McCarthy appeared first on The Product Momentum Podcast Hosted By Sean Flaherty ...
29 / Empathy is the Catalyst for Innovation
June 30, 2020 14:55 - 29 minutes - 21.7 MBDesign thinking calls on product people to put themselves in their customer’s shoes. To empathize with them. Saleema Vellani agrees, but adds that empathy is borne out of self-awareness and that understanding others requires us first to understand ourselves. In this episode of the Product Momentum Podcast, Sean and Paul welcome Saleema Vellani, author of the … Continued The post 29 / Empathy is the Catalyst for Innovation appeared first on ITX Corp.
28 / Savvy PMs Engage All Their Audiences
June 17, 2020 13:26 - 39 minutes - 29.6 MBIt was the best of jobs; it was the worst of jobs. (apologies to Mr. Dickens) While everyone else has carved out their own place in the organization, the product manager is the person nobody works for. And who, it often seems, works for everybody else. But their role also puts them at the … Continued The post 28 / Savvy PMs Engage All Their Audiences appeared first on ITX Corp.