Product Builders – Interviews About App Development, Product Design, UX/UI and Digital Products

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.

#DigitalProduct #Hiring #Apps

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

#DigitalProduct #Hiring #Apps

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

To effectively leverage data to inform decision-making, you must first be able to access and understand it. On this episode, ⁠Jerrie Kumalah⁠, Analytics Engineer at ⁠SeatGeek⁠, joins us to explore the importance of data democratization.

We discuss:

- What it means to democratize data.

- Focusing on the questions and purpose behind data analysis rather than getting caught up in the tools and processes.

- The dynamic role of analytics engineers.

- Why data visualizations should tell a story and foster ongoing conversations with stakeholders.

- Best practices for data privacy.

- How  AI has the potential to make data analysis more efficient and free up time for more creative tasks.

Jerrie says, “Don’t be afraid to prototype your way to a solution. That could be a career, it could be a data problem, it could be anything. You gotta test things out and see what resonates. And to see whether something resonates requires you to have conversations.”

Resources mentioned:

- Jerrie Kumalah

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

- SeatGeek⁠ | LinkedIn

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

- SeatGeek⁠ | Website

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 #App

Biometrics has many advantages over traditional forms of identity verification. Yet, some people are hesitant to adopt this technology due to a misunderstanding of how it works.

On this episode, we’re joined by Mitch Goldenberg, Sales Director of Physical Access at Veridas.

We discuss:

- The basics of biometrics and how it works.

- The advantages and disadvantages of using biometrics for identity verification.

- The challenges of implementing biometric solutions.

- Privacy and security concerns in biometric systems.

- The various applications of biometrics.

- The level of accuracy within the Veridas platform.

- The future of biometrics and its impact on society.

Mitch states, “For me, it's about passion, energy, and enthusiasm. And I don't think you can generate that without love. You may have heard the expression, ‘Find a job that you love, and you'll never work another day in your life.’ If you don't love it, find something that you do love, and either go after it or build it.”

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

Resources mentioned:

- https://veridas.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

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