Deciding between whether to build or buy a software tool is a common dilemma amongst engineering teams. 

On this episode, Colin Bielin, VP of Engineering at CBS Media Ventures, joins us to provide insight on how to think about this topic.

We discuss:

- Colin’s background and career evolution.

- The types of projects Colin works on at CBS Media Ventures.

- Details around building tools versus buying tools for internal teams.

- The importance of defining the problem you’re trying to solve with a new tool.

- How to gain buy-in from your internal team about a new tool.

- Colin’s opinion on AI and other new tech.

- The importance of being able to reevaluate your tools or solutions as business needs change.

- Understanding the shelf life of the tools and solutions you’re focusing on. 

Colin states, “The work we do is really about solving problems. So at the end of the day, make sure we're doing that. Also, understand that what’s true today might not be true tomorrow. So always be willing to critically evaluate the things you’re working on and the reasons for doing so.”

To learn more, head to https://www.majestykapps.com/ to check out the article associated with this episode.

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

Resources: 

- https://www.paramount.com/

#digitalproduct #hiring #apps

Infusing product design with empathy and efficiency is a surefire way to meet the ongoing needs of your users.

On this episode, Erica Kitaev, Senior Director of Product Management at Thomson Reuters, joins us to share her expertise on topics including:

- How Erika got into her role, the types of projects she works on and what her day-to-day responsibilities look like as a product manager.

- What products Thomson Reuters provides and how they deliver top-notch content to legal professionals and beyond.

- The pros and cons of being a subject matter expert (SME) and why it's important for SMEs to continually question their own assumptions.

- Why surprising and delighting your users means providing fresh experiences without frustrating expectations.

- Why any product you create should deliver a seamless and frictionless experience to your users.

- How Reuters aims to deliver the right content, at the right level, at the right place, at the right time.

- Why product designers and managers always need to remember that they’re creating products for humans who are looking to achieve a specific goal.

On this episode, Erica says, “Don't be afraid to commit to a course of action or an idea, lean into ambiguity, and be the first person in the pool. But also don't be afraid to pivot and course-correct. I think as important as it is to lean into ambiguity, it's as or more important to constantly reassess and be open to course correction. If you're constantly reassessing, you'll get to the right place.”

To learn more, head to https://www.majestykapps.com/ to check out the article associated with this episode.

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

Resources:

https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en.html

#digitalproduct #hiring #apps

Data science plays an important role for companies looking to improve their products and deliver better experiences to their users. However, data needs to be leveraged properly to produce concrete outcomes.

On this episode, Florent Blachot, VP of Data Science and Engineering at Fandom joins us to share his expertise on topics including:

- His unique journey into the world of data science.

- The scale of Fandom and what it delivers to users.

- How he defines data science and why forming an exact definition is a challenge.

- The layers and areas of expertise within the field of data science.

- The methods used to collect data and gather insights from it.

- The tools used to support data collection and analysis.

- How he hires data scientists and what it takes to build an effective team.

- How to connect data to business value and KPIs.

- The advantages and challenges of working with large data sets.

On this episode, Florent says, “You have to focus on the “why” behind your data science efforts from start to finish to make a real impact. When data science projects fail, it's typically because the team forgot their “why” along the way.”

To learn more, head to https://www.majestykapps.com/ to check out the article associated with this episode.

#digitalproduct #hiring #apps

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 https://www.majestykapps.com/product-builders-podcast

For product teams to succeed, they need to have effective internal communication and focus on staying connected to their users. Furthermore, organizations that promote a “product culture” are better positioned to meet the ongoing needs of their user base.

In this episode, Abhishek Nagaraju, Director of Product - Discovery and Experiences at Pluto TV, joins us to share his expertise on topics including:

- What it means to build a product culture and why it matters.

- Why failing fast can be your quickest path to a successful solution.

- How to get user feedback in the streaming industry and retain loyal users.

- Empowering your team to solve real problems.

- Changing TV viewer habits - how the Pluto TV business model/service attracts users.

- The responsibilities of product directors.

- How to effectively enter a new organization as a product director.

- Why putting yourself in your user’s shoes is vital for product success.

On this episode, Abhishek says, “I truly believe all problems are people problems. You’re always working with people and delivering products to people. You have to be willing to empathize with others, not judge too quickly, and focus on the human on the other side of any given problem.”

To learn more, head to https://www.majestykapps.com/ to check out the article associated with this episode.

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

Resources:

#digitalproduct #hiring #apps

Customers in today’s age have come to expect a certain level of cross-device connectivity with the products and apps they love. This means bringing an engaging experience to mobile devices, web-based platforms, and connected TV (CTV) is more important than ever.

On this episode, Sean Murphy, Director of Product at iHeartMedia, joins us to share his CTV and cross-device connectivity expertise on topics including:

- Why designers need to consider user habits when building products for CTV.

- The difference between product design for CTV and mobile/web-based platforms.

- The unique features that CTV can deliver to customers.

- Why gaining feedback from people that don’t work on your CTV products is invaluable for product designers and developers.

- How to design CTV products that create a frictionless experience for users.

- The tactics used to validate new features for CTV before launching.

- How teams can approach innovation without thinking they need to disrupt entire industries.

- How people interested in CTV can get their start in this emerging industry.

- The day-to-day life of a product director in the CTV space.

In this episode, Sean says, “Make sure you know the difference between your manager, your advocate, your mentor and your coworker or confidant. Each plays an important role in your career development, and knowing how to leverage each relationship is vital. Though a single person may take on multiple roles, you’ll more than likely find people in your organization that fit best into a single role.”

To learn more, head to https://www.majestykapps.com/ to check out the article associated with this episode.

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

Resources:

Great mobile and web-based products must start with effective UX. The same holds true for the gaming industry.

On this episode, Ben Jones, Creative Director at ZeniMax Online Studios, joins us to share his gaming industry expertise on topics including:

- The importance of adaptability within the gaming industry.

- Why building an effective game development team starts with trust, transparency and effective communication.

- Why artwork and storylines need to be of high quality for games to succeed.

- The up-front work involved in game development.

- Why it’s important to establish clear guidelines right from the start.

- The pros and cons of working with existing IP vs. creating new IP.

- The changing landscape of mobile and web-based product connectivity.

- How to best manage and communicate with remote and hybrid development teams.

- The hiring process for building great development teams.

- Practical ways to start a career in game design and development.

In this episode, Ben says, “If you operate on transparency and trust as guiding principles when building a team, you will find success. Not just in terms of the product you’re building but also with your peers. This has brought my team a long way over the last five years, and I’m excited for where these principles can take us in the future.”

To learn more, head to https://www.majestykapps.com/ to check out the article associated with this episode.

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

Our educational infrastructure is now at a point where it can effectively implement various new educational technology solutions and reap the benefits of doing so.

In this episode of the Product Builders podcast, we sit down with Anthony Carrozzo, Director of UX and Design at Newsday Media Group, to discuss his transition from print to digital design and the challenges he faced.

As a whole, Anthony says that digital design has many advantages over print, including more efficiency when updating designs, improved collaboration, and better color matching. However, he notes some challenges that digital designers face, including staying up to date on the latest technology and trends and needing to back up design ideas with actual data.

Anthony also brings up some important points about designers knowing how to code. He says designers who understand code can effectively communicate with other teams and better understand their challenges. But designers shouldn't let the development part of their brain get in the way of their creativity while designing.

For this episode's Majestyk Byte, Anthony provides some helpful advice: "In this new world of user experience, it's really important to pay attention to your own experience with digital products. Next time you download an app or visit a website, take note of your first impression, how they're introducing features, and how you react. This is important because you don't get that first impression when working on your own products. Analyzing things like this can bring helpful inspiration and new ideas to your creations."

To learn more, head to https://www.majestykapps.com/  to check out the article associated with this episode.

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

The most powerful education systems should adapt to the learning needs of each student. Fortunately, educational platform innovations are making personalized education more accessible for students everywhere.

In this episode of the Product Builders podcast, Sunil Gunderia, Chief Innovation Officer, Head of Mastery & Adaptive Product at Age of Learning, sits down with us to discuss the importance of personalized education and how technology is increasing equity in education.

Sunil describes how Age of Leaning's research-backed education platform is ushering in a new way for students to accelerate their learning while growing confidence. Amidst a learning crisis, as we are experiencing now, it's never been more important for students to have access to engaging education platforms.

Sunil shares that the traditional model — measuring educational progress by the time spent learning — is dated. Instead, new education platforms will ensure progress by making sure every student masters the material they need to know.

For this episode's "Majestyk Byte," Sunil says, "It's vital for us to unlock the potential of learners because doing so unlocks the potential for all of humanity. How we teach and prepare students for the future has the biggest influence on the big picture outcomes of tomorrow."

To learn more, head to https://www.majestykapps.com/ to check out the article associated with this episode.

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

The past few years have spotlighted the importance of supporting mental health, both inside and outside the workplace. And as technology evolves, so does our ability to access valuable mental healthcare services.

In the new episode of the Product Builders podcast, Joe Forzano, Senior Engineering Manager at Alma, sits down with us to discuss the changing landscape of mental healthcare, how managers can better support the mental health of their teams, and what the future might hold for tech-inspired mental healthcare.

Joe explains that to be a successful manager today, you need to create genuine and trusting relationships with your team members. Doing so allows them to feel comfortable coming to you with concerns and helps them feel content in the workplace. This will positively impact your team's performance and overall well-being.

Joe also describes how platforms like Alma and others provide much greater access to mental healthcare than ever before. He believes that anyone that wants mental healthcare services should have access.

For this episode's "Majestyk Byte," Joe encourages us to "never stop thinking about the human in how we manage teams and build products."

To learn more, head on over to https://www.majestykapps.com/ to check out the article associated with this episode.

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