Editor’s Note: Exciting changes are coming to the Postlight Podcast! We’re taking a few weeks off from recording and sharing some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll have some big announcements for you soon, so stay tuned! What’s a good metaphor for running a business not about sports or war? Gina asked this question on Twitter some months back and got an overwhelming response. In this archived episode, Gina and Chris share the best answers that came out of this question. They expl...
Jun 13, 2023•21 min•Ep. 386
Editor’s Note: Exciting changes are coming to the Postlight Podcast! We’re taking a few weeks off from recording and sharing some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll have some big announcements for you soon, so stay tuned! Self-imposed deadlines are critical. They make sure that expectations are clear and met. But how do you set realistic deadlines? How do you deal with dependencies and unknown unknowns? What happens if something unforeseen pops up? In this episode from the archive...
Jun 06, 2023•27 min•Ep. 385
Editor’s Note: Exciting changes are coming to the Postlight Podcast! We’re taking a few weeks off from recording and sharing some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll have some big announcements for you soon, so stay tuned! Taking a vacation can feel like a luxury, but it shouldn’t be. In this episode from the archives, Chris and Gina make the case for taking time away. Not only is vacation important to unwind and de-stress, but it can also help recenter on the “why.” It turns out t...
May 30, 2023•32 min•Ep. 384
Editor’s Note: Exciting changes are coming to the Postlight Podcast! We’re taking a few weeks off from recording and sharing some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll have some big announcements for you soon, so stay tuned! “Move fast and break things” is a common phrase in tech, but is that the right way to go about product development? In this episode from the archives, Chris and Gina share their thoughts on when it’s okay to move fast during the product life cycle and when you sh...
May 23, 2023•29 min•Ep. 383
Editor’s Note: Exciting changes are coming to the Postlight Podcast! We’re taking a few weeks off from recording and sharing some of our favorite episodes from the Postlight Podcast archives. We’ll have some big announcements for you soon, so stay tuned! In this episode, get another look into how Postlight works as Chris and Gina discuss how specific training and onboarding guidelines can restrict progress and creative approaches to project delivery. Can encouraging critical thinking lead to bet...
May 16, 2023•33 min•Ep. 382
For every tool or system we interact with, someone behind the scenes is powering it. This week, Chris Losacco is joined by Postlight’s Head of Product Design, Natalie Kurz, to discuss why you should focus not only on customer experience but how internal teams use the software. They share tips on how to know when to redesign your internal interfaces and make the case that by helping internal teams, you can reduce turnover, reduce inefficiencies, and ultimately improve your customer experience. Se...
May 09, 2023•34 min•Ep. 381
Interacting with your coworkers in person can be hugely beneficial, and while nothing can fully replace it, forcing people back into the office isn't good for the business or company culture. This week Chris and Gina discuss why return-to-office mandates are misguided and share ways to create meaningful engagement for teams both in and out of the office. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
May 02, 2023•30 min•Ep. 380
There’s nothing better than crossing something off your to-do list. This week Chris and Gina reflect on which tools are best for organizing your life and your to-do list. Their conclusion — analog is best. Gina breaks down why her bullet journal is the best option for her and why digital lists will never be as effective as writing things down on paper. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Apr 25, 2023•28 min•Ep. 379
There’s a feeling in the digital industry that working with the government is tedious due to endless bureaucracy, red tape, and too many stakeholders. As someone who worked in the public sector for years, Postlight’s Associate Director of Digital Strategy, Tait Foster, understands it better than most. This week Chris and Tait discuss the differences between working with public and private sectors and share tips on navigating software development for government stakeholders and, most importantly,...
Apr 18, 2023•31 min•Ep. 378
Annoying pop-ups, frustrating drop-down menus that make you scroll for minutes to find your birth year, untailored targeted ads — the list of annoying UX design goes on and on. This week Chris LoSacco is joined by Postlight’s Director and Head of Product Management, Nathan Henry, to complain about bad UX. They share gripes and guidance on prioritizing user experience and how not to enrage your users. Links: Nathan Henry ESPN App See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv...
Apr 11, 2023•33 min•Ep. 377
The phrase “change is hard” may seem like a cliche, but it’s also true. This week Chris and Gina discuss how to manage change as Postlight navigates some changes of its own. As a leader, how much do you share with your team? Can you make it easier for them? How do you navigate people’s differing relationships with change? Chris and Gina share what they’re learning as they lead through change. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priva...
Apr 04, 2023•25 min•Ep. 376
Differentiating product managers and project managers can be tricky. They share the same acronym (PM), and there can be overlap between the two roles. This week, Postlight’s Associate Director of Product Management, Ruiyan Xu, shares a handy analogy to help clarify the two roles. She chats with Chris about how PMs can be likened to different types of ship captains. For project managers, think of a captain sailing a predetermined route. For product managers, imagine a captain sailing uncharted se...
Mar 28, 2023•36 min•Ep. 375
Chris and Gina have learned the hard way that the IT team is all about minimizing risk. The product team, on the other hand, is all about taking risks. So how do you bridge the gap? This week Chris and Gina discuss how you can bring your IT team into digital transformation projects. They share tips on building relationships with your IT team, collaborating on product choices, and encouraging ownership over new products. Links: How to Build for the Handoff See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/...
Mar 21, 2023•27 min•Ep. 374
Navigating Disney World is a lot . There are endless parks, restaurants, hotels, and lineups. The My Disney Experience App was designed to help, but navigating the app is also pretty tricky. On the heels of a trip to Disney World, Chris shares how Disney could improve the app and the visitor experience. Links: My Disney Experience: Mobile Apps See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Mar 14, 2023•26 min•Ep. 373
The waterfall method isn’t always ideal for software projects because it doesn’t allow for innovation and creative problem-solving. So Postlight’s Head of Product Design, Natalie Kurz, takes a different approach: Figure out the “what” first instead of the “how.” With that method comes room for creative problem-solving and, you guessed it, rework. But rework isn’t a failure; it’s a way to learn and get clarity. After all, rework is the work. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cal...
Mar 07, 2023•33 min•Ep. 372
Leaders are always going to have competing demands for their attention. Getting up earlier and working later isn’t always the answer to getting the work done. This week Chris and Gina reflect on how they prioritize and set boundaries to manage their workload without getting burnt out. They share tips on how to calmly set and stick to boundaries and determine your priorities. Do you really need to be in six hours of back-to-back meetings? Probably not! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv...
Feb 28, 2023•31 min•Ep. 371
On most projects, things will inevitably go wrong at some point or another. So who’s to blame, or rather, what’s to blame? This week Chris and Gina talk about accountability and how we learn and grow from our mistakes. They discuss how to discern where things went wrong without assigning blame. From addressing problems early on, to accepting apologies, they share tips on moving away from punishment and blame and towards accountability so you can build a stronger and higher functioning team. Link...
Feb 21, 2023•29 min•Ep. 370
This week, Netflix's Bernie Madoff docuseries sure has Chris and Gina thinking about trust. They discuss trust as the key to any partnership, even (and especially) in business, and its role as the backbone of client services. Through the lens of MADOFF: The Monster of Wall Street, they break down how to build trust, what might break it, and how the docuseries has given them perspective on trust in the workplace. Links: https://www.netflix.com/title/81466159 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.co...
Feb 14, 2023•28 min•Ep. 369
LastPass, a password management site Gina has been touting to friends and family for years, reported a security breach in late December 2022. In the wake of this disappointment, Chris and Gina chat about how to keep your information safe when so much of our information is floating around on the internet. They discuss the tradeoffs between convenience and security and why password managers are still a net positive in personal security. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californi...
Feb 07, 2023•29 min•Ep. 368
Recently Postlight’s Head of Engineering, Aaron Ortbals, had an eye-opening experience with ChatGPT, an AI tool that can write code for you. This week Chris and Aaron chat about new AI tools being developed. They discuss the benefits, concerns, and future of these tools and how we can use them to move more quickly without replacing people in the process. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Jan 31, 2023•33 min•Ep. 367
We’ve all heard the excuse that the backend just can’t support the new needs of the frontend. But isn’t the backend there to power user needs, not limit them? This week Chris and Gina discuss how to develop the frontend and backend in concert with each other to create modern platforms. No longer should we be shackled by the limitations of the backend! Links: End the Tyranny of a Limited Backend What Do You Need to Know About GraphQL? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...
Jan 24, 2023•26 min•Ep. 366
The term “sales” often conjures up an image of being pressured into something you don’t need or want, but it doesn’t have to be that way. This week Chris LoSacco and Michael Shane explain how sales can actually be a positive and compassionate experience. They break down Postlight’s consultative selling approach based on open dialogue and tailoring a solution to the client’s needs. Sales shouldn’t be about convincing — it should be about consulting. Links: Postlight - The QORE Handbook See Privac...
Jan 17, 2023•36 min•Ep. 365
Big companies are a bit like tankers — sturdy, built to weather any storm, and can carry a lot of people. Startups are more like speedboats — fast and good at exploring new places. This week Chris and Gina talk about how you can bring speedboat startup energy to a tanker-sized company. From bringing in new voices to creating the space for change to considering your APIs, they share tips on shaking up entrenched systems and moving quicker in a big organization. See Privacy Policy at https://art19...
Jan 10, 2023•27 min•Ep. 364
Sometimes one small detail can make or break a product’s usability. Postlight’s Head of Product Design, Natalie Kurz, found this out the hard way when buying a fridge. In a rush to solve a smelly emergency, she ended up with a fridge that didn’t open properly. This week, Natalie joins Chris and Gina to chat about how this experience is just like building software. She breaks down how to effectively research so you can pinpoint the right problem to solve and avoid a future disaster. Links: Reduce...
Jan 03, 2023•32 min•Ep. 363
Leaders often take steps to learn software and be ahead of the curve with new technologies. But more often than not, their time is limited to dig deeper into learning soft skills. Harvard Business Publishing is creating a new tool to make those skills easier to learn and apply by focusing on 10 important leadership capabilities. Laura Helliwell joins Gina and Chappell to discuss how the program is coming together, how the process has been different from building other software, and what’s to com...
Dec 20, 2022•37 min•Ep. 362
Audubon’s new tool, The Explorer, is a groundbreaking interactive map tracking bird migrations for 450 different species worldwide. “Groundbreaking” isn’t hyperbole. There’s never been anything like it, and the amount of data compiled onto one site is an enormous collaborative accomplishment. This week Postlight’s Nathan Henry and Shawn Kelly chat with Melanie A. Smith and John Mahoney from Audubon about creating The Explorer and getting people involved in birding and conservation. Links: explor...
Dec 13, 2022•44 min•Ep. 361
The tech industry loves its jargon and acronyms, but do they help or just sow confusion? Gina and Chris discuss how acronyms can obfuscate understanding and deeper meaning for the speaker and audience alike. They share how simplifying your presentations and giving broad strokes rather than nitty-gritty details can show greater knowledge than any acronym you throw out there. After all — clarity is kindness! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://a...
Dec 06, 2022•31 min•Ep. 360
What if there was a way to both impress investors and keep your team focused? Postlight’s Chappell Ellison is here to tell you that there is! The answer: a simple product vision. This week Chappell joins Chris and Gina to talk about how writing a compelling product vision can help you meet financial goals and stay focused on the purpose of your product. They also discuss the importance of incorporating a human angle into your vision and how doing so can make your product more marketable. Links: ...
Nov 29, 2022•36 min•Ep. 359
Reading on the internet can be tiring. There are pop-ups and ads — everything is trying to get your attention. Enter Postlight Reader, a browser extension that removes distractions from any article. This week Chris LoSacco and Michael Shane sit down with one of Postlight’s most senior engineers, John Holdun, to talk about how they developed Postlight Reader and the intricacies of developing a modern open-source browser extension. Links: Postlight Reader Reintroducing Postlight Reader See Privacy...
Nov 22, 2022•27 min•Ep. 358
Money management has always been a money-making business, so why are so many money-tracking apps not up to snuff? This week Chris and Gina talk about their love of personal finance tracking and the problems with many finance apps out there today. They share the programs they currently use and envision a future of better personal finance apps. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Nov 15, 2022•39 min•Ep. 357
