Catalyst

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

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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. 

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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. 

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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: 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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 

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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.  

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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 the Risk Of Getting It Wrong - Postlight Article 

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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 come from HBP. 

Links: 

https://hbsp.harvard.edu/home/

https://www.usertesting.com/

[email protected]

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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: 

explorer.audubon.org

www.movebank.org

www.blueraster.com

www.esri.com

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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! 

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