In this episode, we’re joined by Andrew Tunall, President and CPO of Embrace. Andrew breaks down the real-world impact of telemetry and observability, explaining how teams can use these tools to create faster, more resilient product experiences. With a background at New Relic, AWS and now Embrace, Andrew shares how observability is evolving into a product-wide concern — not just an engineering one.

We discuss:

- Why telemetry is essential for measuring real user performance.

- How observability differs from traditional analytics tools.

- What forward-looking teams do differently when shipping mobile apps.

- How cross-functional teams benefit from shared data insights.

- Why user disengagement is often a performance issue in disguise.

- How AI helps Embrace rapidly test ideas and improve collaboration.

Andrew says, 

“As you think about full-stack engineering, not just front-end engineering, I'm a big believer that having common data sets and thinking about a problem with all of the information at your disposal, produces the best overall system design decisions. That is to say, if you think about a UX pattern that you could contemplate, if you do not care at all about any of the implementation details, you could come up with some wild stuff that is virtually impossible for the engineers to actually deliver in a way that performs consistent with user expectations.” 

Resources Mentioned:

Andrew Tunall |LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewtunall/

Embrace | Website

https://embrace.io/

Embrace | LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/embrace.io/

GitHub (for all our open source, OTel SDKs)

https://github.com/embrace-io

Embrace’s Slack Community (anyone can join to learn about user-focused observability and how to work with OpenTelemetry for web and mobile)

https://community.embrace.io/

This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps.

We imagine, design and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com. 

Please leave a 5-star review.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com.

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Jacqueline Sigler, Senior Product Manager, Point of Sale and Payments, of GoDaddy, joins us to share her journey from finance to product management. Jacqueline highlights the unique challenges of building point-of-sale (POS) systems that blend physical hardware, digital software and real-world human interactions. She explains the importance of balancing innovation with reliability in payment systems, emphasizing the need to consider diverse user perspectives, from small business owners to end customers.

We discuss:

- The journey from finance to product management.

- The complexities of designing for both hardware and software in POS systems.

- Building trust and reliability in payment experiences.

- Lessons learned from working with small business owners.

- Balancing speed, precision and customer expectations in software updates.

- How AI and emerging technologies are shaping the future of POS systems.

Jacqueline says, 

“When you're working through payments, you have to ensure that everything is stable from a payment's availability, acceptance, privacy, security and so forth. So your day-to-day can be intense and fast-moving, but what actually happens on the release side tends to be intentionally and meaningfully slower, comparatively.”  

Resources Mentioned:

Jacqueline Sigler

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnsigler-1/

GoDaddy | LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/godaddy/

GoDaddy | Website

https://www.godaddy.com/

This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps

We imagine, design and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com

Please leave a 5-star review

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com

#DigitalProduct #Hiring #Apps

In this episode, Kevin Williams, Vice President of Digital Products at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, sits with us to share insights into building digital products that prioritize impact over profit. He discusses the challenges of scaling mission-driven teams, designing for accessibility and leveraging technology to serve diverse user needs.

We discuss:

- Technology expands access to sexual and reproductive health.

- Mission-driven teams need both expertise and values alignment.

- Designing for vulnerable users benefits everyone.

- Innovation is about reducing friction and simplifying access.

- Success is measured by impact, not revenue.

- Trust comes from transparency and ethical data practices.

Kevin says, 

“Innovation today is really about simplifying people’s lives. That’s where our team is right now because I think there’s a lot of chaos in digital, there’s a lot of noise in digital and some of that has come from innovation. So I think we need to dial it back a little bit and be innovative all around.” 

Resources Mentioned:

Kevin Williams

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenya-kevin-williams/

Planned Parenthood Federation of America | LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/planned-parenthood-federation-of-america/

Planned Parenthood Federation of America | Website

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/

This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps.

We imagine, design and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com. 

Please leave a 5-star review.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com.

#DigitalProduct #Hiring #Apps

On this episode, Chad Vavra, Founder of Chat Agency AI, joins us to explore the impact of AI on creative workflows. Chad shares how his platform helps streamline ideation and strategy by combining different large language models, enabling creatives to focus on execution without getting lost in the complexities of AI technology. He discusses balancing keeping humans in the loop and leveraging AI’s capabilities to accelerate workflows and reduce time spent on repetitive tasks.

We discuss:

- How AI tools can amplify speed and accuracy in the creative process. 

- Why human input is essential for guiding AI effectively. 

- The “human-in-the-loop” concept and its role in maintaining quality control. 

- Tips for effective prompt engineering to get refined outputs from AI. 

- Potential challenges and pitfalls of AI, such as “hallucinations” and inaccuracies. 

- The importance of organizational culture in adopting and embracing AI. 

Chad says, 

“There are going to be situations where a team of 10 is going to become a team of 3. That might happen in project management, but there still needs to be a project manager. It’s not like AI can just take over that entirely.” 

Resources Mentioned:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadvavra/

Chat Agency AI -

https://chatagency.ai

Chad Vavra -

https://chadvavra.com

This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps

We imagine, design and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com 

Please leave a 5-star review

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com

#DigitalProduct #Hiring #Apps

In this episode, we explore the world of interactive entertainment with David Carpenter, CEO of Gamiotics. David shares his journey and how Gamiotics is changing audience engagement with real-time data and interactive tech.

We discuss:

- The idea and mission behind Gamiotics.

- How real-time data is changing live shows.

- The challenges and benefits of interactive storytelling.

- The importance of engaging the audience in today's entertainment.

- How to integrate tech into live performances.

- Future trends in interactive entertainment.

David says,

“Gamiotics is the gamification of the live entertainment experience. It's taking that gaming that we do at home, and turning it into a collective storytelling experience and allowing the audience to have agency and to play a show.” 

Resources Mentioned:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-edward-carpenter/

Gamiotics | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/gamiotics/

Gamiotics | Website -

https://www.gamiotics.com/

This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps

We imagine, design and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com 

Please leave a 5-star review

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com

#DigitalProduct #Hiring #Apps

On this episode, we talk with Anna Oh, Senior Product Designer of Teladoc Health, to explore the dynamic role of product design in healthcare. Anna emphasizes the fusion of design thinking and technology to enhance patient care.

We discuss:

- The importance of integrating empathy into healthcare product design.

- How cutting-edge technologies like AI are transforming healthcare product design.

- The impact of thoughtful design on patient experiences.

- Why unique challenges are inherent in healthcare product design.

 -The critical need for multidisciplinary collaboration in healthcare product design.

 -The transformative potential of design in healthcare.

Anna says, “We can make super-hyper-personalized care by utilizing advanced technologies such as AI. These days, everyone loves AI, right? And then big data, and the wearable devices, so that we can see everyone’s biomarkers, and then also genomics. Everything can provide a super-hyper-personalized care experience based on everyone’s individual demographic, their medical history and their condition and lifestyle.”

Resources Mentioned:

Anna Oh⁠ -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaohgood/

Teladoc Health -

https://www.teladochealth.com/

This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps

We imagine, design and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com.

Please leave a 5-star review

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com.

#DigitalProduct #Hiring #Apps

On this episode, we talk with James Smet, Senior Product Designer of Vagaro. James breaks down the concept of design systems and their critical role in technology. He shares his journey at Vagaro, highlighting the basics of design systems, their elements and their major contributions to product creation and business achievement.

We explore:

- The fundamentals of design systems and their vital components.

- The benefits of implementing a design system for designers, developers and the business as a whole.

- Strategies for educating team members and recognizing when your organization needs a design system.

- Beginner tips for adopting a design system and embracing systems thinking.

- The future of design systems with emerging technologies and trends, including cross-platform design. 

- The importance of accessibility and inclusivity.

- Insights on the most valuable lessons learned and advice for professionals entering the field.

James states: “A design system, in any iteration, for an enterprise or to a small startup or a contractor, is essential to a successful outcome in business and any organization. And, in many cases, [it’s] something that already exists at a level in your workflow. And I think that’s key to understand is, there’s something that you can build on and work on to improve, and it will grow organically as you champion it and nurture it into something that you aspire for it to be.”

Resources Mentioned:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessmet/

Vagaro | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/vagaro/

Vagaro | Website -

https://www.vagaro.com/pro

This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps

We imagine, design and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com. 

Please leave a 5-star review.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com.

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On this episode, Caroline Albanese, Director of Data Products and Capabilities at Dow Jones, explores the role of product advocacy. She shares her strategy for advancing data products, emphasizing the need for effective communication and the value these products bring to both organizations and the broader audience.

We discuss:

- What product advocacy is and why it's important for the success of a product.

- How to clearly show the value of data products to people inside and outside the company.

- Tackling the challenges that come with advocating for new products.

- Using feedback from users to make better products.

- Working together with other teams to make sure a product does well.

- Using stories to make data products interesting to everyone, not just experts.

- The need to think about user privacy and following the rules when creating products.

- Staying up-to-date with new trends and technologies in data products.

Caroline says:

”Product advocacy is basically being able to defend your product decisions or the product manager. Defending why the product is what it is, who it's there for, and how you are measuring success over time with a product. I think oftentimes when people are talking about product development or product development cycles, they're hyper-focused on the beginning stages and launching, and then once the product's actually out in the world, it's don't worry, it's on, but there's so much more that goes into that. And I think that's really what product advocacy shines.”

Resources Mentioned:

LinkedIn - Caroline Albanese -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinealbanese/

Twitter - Caroline Albanese -

https://twitter.com/Calbanese

Dow Jones website -

https://www.dowjones.com

This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps

We imagine, design and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com 

Please leave a 5-star review

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com

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On this episode,  Travis Boudreaux, Co-Founder and CTO of Azra Games, joins us. Travis shares insights into how Azur Games is leveraging AI to create content for their games, specifically focusing on concept art and storytelling. He emphasizes the importance of asking good questions and iterating on ideas when working with AI models. Travis also highlights the need for companies to embrace the innovator’s dilemma and disrupt themselves by adopting AI technologies.

We discuss:

- How AI tools accelerate the development process and reduce costs.

- Leveraging off-the-shelf AI tools before trying to build one.

- Why AI creates a tighter feedback loop during development.

- Why Maximizing results from AI mainly comes down to the quality of the inputs you feed it.

- The importance of experimenting with AI in order to drive exponential results.

- Failing fast and learning faster while experimenting with AI.

- Advice for getting started with AI.

Travis says,

“The future is going to be different from what companies have built. And they are now faced with this dilemma of disrupting themselves or leaning into that. Time and time again, we’ve seen the landscape filled with the shadows and skeletons of former great companies that wither away, and people wonder what happened to those companies. Those are the companies who refuse to embrace the innovator’s dilemma and disrupt themselves. And my call to everyone is, if you look at yourself, as an individual or company, we all face an innovator’s dilemma when it comes to embracing AI. We must learn how to disrupt and augment ourselves with these tools and techniques that will give us higher-quality outputs.”

Resources mentioned:

Travis Boudreaux | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisboudreaux/

Azra Games | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/azra-games/

This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps

We imagine, design and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com 

Please leave a 5-star review

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com.

#DigitalProduct #Hiring #Apps

On this episode, we’re joined by Kevin Goldsmith, Chief Technology Officer at DistroKid. With many years of experience in the tech and digital media industries, Kevin shares his insights on the key considerations and challenges businesses face when scaling a product for a global market.

We discuss:

- The importance of having a global mindset from the inception of a product.

- Localization considerations, such as language, marketing, pricing and understanding the differences in connectivity across different regions.

- Best practices for scaling your technology infrastructure to serve a global market.

- Why businesses need to prioritize understanding the different privacy laws and other region-specific regulations.

- Tactics for market research when scaling globally.

- Why data plays a key role in understanding the effectiveness of your product across different regions.

- The importance of building a culture of innovation.

Kevin says,

“I think the one thing I’ve learned over my 30 years of working in technology has been that I always have to be curious. I always have to be learning. I can never assume that what I know is sufficient for everything else.”

Resources Mentioned:

Kevin Goldsmith⁠ -

https://www.linkedin.com/in/goldsmith/

DistroKid | LinkedIn -

https://www.linkedin.com/company/distrokid/

DistroKid | Website -

https://distrokid.com/

This episode is brought to you by Majestyk Apps

We imagine, design, and build digital products. With clients like Chevrolet, Audiomack, IBM, Barefoot, and more, you can be sure you are in good hands. Reach out to us at MajestykApps.com 

Please leave a 5-star review

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit ProductBuildersPodcast.com

#DigitalProduct #Hiring #Apps