In this conversation, David J Bland and Erich Archer discuss the intersection of AI and video production, exploring how AI tools are transforming workflows, the importance of iterative testing, and the future of content creation. Erich shares his journey from traditional video production to leveraging AI for efficiency and creativity, emphasizing the need for human reflection in the process. They also touch on the evolving landscape of video tools and the potential for AI to generate novel insig...
Mar 12, 2025•31 min•Ep. 22
In this conversation, David J Bland and Michael Clifford discuss the intersection of habitat design, conservation, and design thinking. Michael shares his unique journey from zookeeper to strategy director for Reverse the Red, a global coalition aimed at halting species extinction. They explore the importance of challenging assumptions in habitat design, the role of observation in understanding animal behavior, and the need for context-specific strategies in conservation efforts. The conversatio...
Feb 26, 2025•40 min•Ep. 21
In this engaging podcast episode, David J Bland hosts Bruce McCarthy and Melissa Appel, who share their insights on product management, stakeholder alignment, and the journey of writing their new book, 'Aligned.' They discuss the challenges of managing stakeholders, the importance of face-to-face communication, and the iterative process of testing ideas and content for their book. The conversation also dives into marketing strategies post-publication and the exploration of new audiences and form...
Dec 31, 2024•34 min•Ep. 20
In this conversation, Amer Abu Khajil shares his journey from civil engineering to the tech world, emphasizing the parallels between building physical structures and developing products. He discusses the importance of testing and validation, drawing lessons from his engineering background, and outlines the process he created at TTT Studios for product development. Amer highlights the distinction between problem and solution validation and offers techniques for conducting effective customer inter...
Dec 18, 2024•37 min•Ep. 19
In this conversation, David discusses his journey with Lawline, the largest provider of online continuing legal education in the U.S. He shares insights on building resilience in business, the importance of experimentation in product development, and navigating pricing strategies. David also highlights the role of conferences in fostering B2B relationships and the balance between B2B and B2C strategies. We explore the transformative power of experimentation in business, particularly in the conte...
Dec 04, 2024•43 min•Ep. 18
In this conversation, David J Bland and Lex Roman explore the evolution of experimentation in tech, discussing how perspectives on experimentation practices have shifted over the years. They dive into the role of social proof, ethical considerations, and the balance between experimentation and actionable insights. Lex shares her experiences working with non-tech industries, particularly journalism, and the challenges of measuring marketing effectiveness. The discussion wraps up with Lex's innova...
Oct 30, 2024•41 min•Ep. 17
In this conversation, Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden discuss their journey in scaling their training business, focusing on the assumptions, risks, and testing methods they are employing. They share insights on the importance of community building, the challenges of filling workshops, and the balance between qualitative and quantitative success metrics. The discussion highlights the significance of cold outreach, learning from past experiments, and navigating uncertainty in entrepreneurship....
Oct 16, 2024•35 min•Ep. 16
Eddy Connors, co-founder of Goodie Bag, shares his journey of creating a digital marketplace that connects consumers to local retail shops to purchase unsold food at a discounted price. The idea for Goodie Bag came from Eddy's gap year in Indonesia, where he witnessed the impact of plastic pollution and the need for sustainable solutions. Goodie Bag aims to reduce food waste, provide affordable options for consumers, and support local businesses. Eddy emphasizes the importance of understanding t...
Oct 02, 2024•32 min•Ep. 15
Victoria shares her journey from working at big consulting firms to joining a company as it was being completely overhauled and reborn to survive and thrive post-AI. Wonder helps entrepreneurs and small businesses with desk research by providing them with curated information and insights. They navigate the risks of the rapidly evolving AI landscape and focus on the desirability, viability, and feasibility of their solution. They aim to be the go-to choice for their audience by offering expertise...
Sep 18, 2024•44 min•Ep. 14
Ali Jiwani shares his entrepreneurial journey, from starting a food delivery platform to building Slay School, a personalized learning platform. He discusses how he used data to predict success in his previous ventures and how he applied those insights to Slay School. Ali explains his approach to acquiring early customers through Reddit and Discord, and the importance of quick feedback loops. He also talks about the challenges of pricing and the vision for Slay School to revolutionize education ...
Sep 04, 2024•36 min•Ep. 13
Marc Wandler, the co-founder of Susgrainable, shares his journey of turning beer waste into sustainable flour and baked goods. He started the business as a student project and quickly learned from rapid feedback cycles. By sampling the product at farmers markets and cafes, he honed in on his target market and gained valuable customer feedback. He also leveraged media opportunities to generate buzz and attract customers. However, the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges, and Marc had to adapt by ob...
Aug 21, 2024•43 min•Ep. 12
Maura Mitchell, a lawyer and MBA, shares her work at the Women's Business Development Center, helping micro businesses test their assumptions and scale. She guides entrepreneurs through a process of testing their early ideas using the Lean Startup Method and the business model canvas. Mitchell emphasizes the importance of market research and customer discovery interviews to validate assumptions and find product-market fit. She also highlights the value of accountability and mentorship in helping...
Aug 07, 2024•32 min•Ep. 11
In this conversation, Janna Bastow, founder of ProdPad, shares her insights on testing pricing and packaging strategies. She discusses the importance of understanding the different roles and decision-makers in B2B purchasing, as well as the challenges of navigating the procurement process. Janna also talks about the evolution of pricing at ProdPad and the lessons learned from testing different packages and pricing structures. She highlights the value of customer feedback and the use of AI in pro...
Jul 24, 2024•36 min•Ep. 10
In this conversation, David J Bland interviews Andi Plantenberg about her experience with testing and experimentation, particularly in the context of NASA missions. They discuss the importance of testing early stage ideas, the challenges of navigating a culture of perfection and safety, and the need for fluidity and adaptability in the face of uncertainty. Andi shares insights from her work with NASA, including the use of simulated mission control rooms and the iterative design of software. She ...
Jul 10, 2024•35 min•Ep. 9
Aaron Eden shares his background and experience with experimentation, particularly within Intuit's Design for Delight (D4D) and Innovation Catalyst programs. He discusses the importance of adapting the approach to fit the company's culture and the challenges of marketing and socializing the process internally. Aaron shares success stories, such as the development of SnapTax, and a failure story with the Quick Receipts project. He emphasizes the need for continuous testing and learning to drive i...
Jun 26, 2024•40 min•Ep. 8
Brandy and Craig discuss their collaboration and the challenges they faced in teaching entrepreneurship and de-risking startups. They highlight the importance of testing and iterating through customer interviews, surveys, and landing pages. They also emphasize the need to overcome biases and consider counterfactuals when evaluating risk. The success stories they share include students winning funding at Draper University and turning down investments to pursue their own vision. They discuss the p...
Jun 12, 2024•42 min•Ep. 7
Kate shares her journey of building OneGuide, a platform that provides leverage to PE and VC firms. She initially started with a marketplace model, but realized that startups were not willing to pay for access to experts. She then pivoted to selling to PE and VC firms, offering them a centralized platform for resources and an extended network of experts. Kate discusses the challenges of selling to firms, the importance of testing, and the evolution of OneGuide's features. She emphasizes the need...
May 29, 2024•32 min•Ep. 6
Aaron Slessinger, a product leader at HP, discusses the challenges of testing hardware and software together, specifically in the context of hot desking and hybrid work environments. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the needs and pain points of end users, as well as the shift towards prioritizing the end user experience in B2B products. Aaron shares his approach to testing, which includes conducting user interviews, low-fidelity prototyping with cardboard, and leveraging customer fe...
May 15, 2024•26 min•Ep. 5
Markus Muller, co-founder of Flinn, shares his journey of testing ideas and building a business in the healthcare industry. He emphasizes the importance of testing assumptions and using experiments to validate ideas. Markus discusses the use of LOIs (Letters of Intent) as a tool to gain commitment from potential customers. He also highlights the value of co-creation with customers and the need to balance risk in heavily regulated industries. Overall, Markus provides insights into the testing min...
May 01, 2024•34 min•Ep. 4
In this conversation, Janina Urbach from the Hansgrohe Group shares the story of how they developed a dog shower as a new product. The idea came from a customer interview and they validated the need through desk research and conversations with dog owners and groomers. They used pretotyping and 3D printing to test and iterate the product. They also used data to make decisions, including A/B testing and pre-sales. They learned from missteps, such as over-engineering the MVP, and applied their lear...
Apr 17, 2024•35 min•Ep. 3
In this conversation, Dave Masters, Director of Product at Realtor.com, shares his insights on testing and experimentation in big companies. He discusses the need for testing and how to break out of the feature factory mindset. Dave shares a case study on how they tested a new product idea using customer interviews and concierge testing. He also talks about the value of using customer quotes in experiments and the differences between concierge and Wizard of Oz experiments. Dave provides tips for...
Apr 03, 2024•33 min•Ep. 2
In this conversation, Chris Guest discusses the importance of understanding problem perception and the nuances of desirability testing. He shares insights from his experience with Topology Eyewear, where they tackled the problem of ill-fitting glasses. Chris explains the Problem Perception Spectrum and how it helped them position and communicate their solution. He also emphasizes the need to find early adopters who resonate with the problem and shares his favorite experiments, including a concie...
Mar 20, 2024•43 min•Ep. 1
