The Optimal Path

By Maze

What's The Optimal Path about?

The Optimal Path is a podcast about user research and product decision-making, brought to you by Maze. Explore how today's leading organizations leverage user research to inform better product decisions. Each episode uncovers the ideas and approaches used to unlock continuous insights—and the optimal path for product success.

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The Optimal Path episodes:

05.16.2024
A framework for product decision-making with Ravi Mehta | Outpace
In this episode of The Optimal Path, Ravi Mehta talks to Maze about connecting user research to product strategy and integrating effective product decision-making frameworks.
05.02.2024
Scaling research through democratization with Reggie Murphy | Zendesk
In this episode of The Optimal Path, Reggie Murphy joins host Ash Oliver to discuss how Zendesk scaled UX research, elevating the practice from a supporting function to a strategic partner to the business.
04.18.2024
The evolution of user research with Dave Hora | Dave’s Research Co.
In this episode of The Optimal Path, Ash Oliver discusses the future of user research with expert Dave Hora. From his beginnings in research back in 2011 to his key roles at companies like Plangrid and Instacart, Dave has been...
04.04.2024
The power of workshops in product development with Paige Bennett | Affirm
In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver and Senior User Research Manager Paige Bennett explore the vital role of workshops in product development. Paige shares her experience facilitating workshops in the fintech industry, plus best practices for...
03.14.2024
How customer insights power digital transformation with Sander Viegers | Rabobank
In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver welcomes Sander Viegers, VP of Design at Rabobank, to discuss the pivotal role of research and design in the digital transformation journey at Rabobank. Sander shares the principles that guide...
02.29.2024
Building research practices for community products with Amy Lima | Diversify Design
In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver is joined by Amy Lima, formerly product designer at AMP @ Amazon Music and currently founder of Diversify Design. Together, they discuss the role of user research in building community...
02.15.2024
Integrating research into marketing teams with Marcus Brandford | Figma
In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver welcomes Marcus Brandford to discuss the transformative power of research in marketing and product development.
02.01.2024
Fostering a culture of organizational learning with Roy Opata Olende | Zapier
In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver sits down with Roy Opata Olende to delve into the complexities of UX research across organizational altitudes.
01.22.2024
Welcome To The Optimal Path
The Optimal Path is a podcast about user research and product decision-making, brought to you by Maze.
12.07.2022
Envisioning the future of the research industry with Jonathan Widawski | Maze
In this episode, Jonathan Widawski, Co-founder & CEO at Maze, discusses the findings of our latest Continuous Research Trends Report. Topics include the state of the research industry, his vision for the future, and how to turn research into a...
11.24.2022
Starting and growing a design research practice with Gabriel Valdivia | Patreon
Gabriel Valdivia, Principal Product Designer at Patreon, talks to Maze about starting and growing a research practice within design teams, learning through prototyping, and why product design is about exploration and cross-functional collaboration.
11.10.2022
How to collaborate effectively as an async product team with Aiswarya Kolisetty | Alan
Aiswarya Kolisetty, Senior Product Designer at Alan, talks to Maze about how to achieve effective collaboration between design, research, and product teams in a remote, async environment and how having a fully asyn culture supports decision-making at Alan.
10.27.2022
Building teams and cultures for products to thrive with Jasmine Friedl | Dropbox
Jasmine Friedl, Senior Design Director at Dropbox, talks to Maze about how to build high-performing teams and cultures where people can succeed and achieve the best results for themselves, the business, and the customers.
10.13.2022
Unlocking the power of facilitation with Julian Della Mattia | Kiwi.com
Julian Della Mattia, UX Research Lead at Kiwi.com and Founder of The180 Agency, talks to Maze about how facilitation is a game-changing skill that enables product teams to solve more problems, innovate faster, and make stronger decisions.
09.29.2022
Creating a playbook for continuous research with Josh Morales | Miro
Josh Morales, Staff UX Researcher at Miro, describes the steps for creating and implementing a research playbook and how to use it to build a continuous research practice within the organization.
08.04.2022
Summer break announcement
The Optimal Path is taking a short summer break and will be back with new guest episodes in the fall. Want to share your feedback or guest requests? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].
07.28.2022
Software as a medium of human expression with Bob Baxley | ThoughtSpot
Bob Baxley, SVP of Design at ThoughtSpot and former design leader at Apple, Pinterest, and Yahoo!, talks to Maze about the history of Silicon Valley, the importance of creating products that resonate with people, and the qualities that define great...
07.14.2022
How to design onboarding experiences that drive product-led growth with Pulkit Agrawal | Chameleon
Pulkit Agrawal, Co-founder & CEO at Chameleon, talks to Maze about the relationship between user onboarding and product-led growth and how to design successful onboarding experiences that delight and guide users.
06.30.2022
The rise of customer-centricity with Benjamin Humphrey | Dovetail
Benjamin Humphrey, Co-founder & CEO at Dovetail, talks to Maze about the comparison between design software and research software maturity levels, why customer-centricity is the key business differentiator, and how research repositories can help you build more customer-centric organizations.
06.16.2022
The relationship between business and design with Erika Hall | Mule Design Studio
Erika Hall, Design consultant & Co-founder of Mule Design Studio, talks to Maze about the complicated relationship between design and business, the importance of asking questions, and how research plays a critical role in influencing decision-making.
06.02.2022
Designing for communication interfaces with Renato Valdés Olmos | Pitch
Renato Valdés Olmos, VP of Product and Design at Pitch & former Head of Design at Grammarly, talks to Maze about building Pitch, designing for communication interfaces, and how to create successful teams and products.
05.18.2022
The why and how of accessible design with Samuel Proulx | Fable
Samuel Proulx, Accessibility Evangelist at Fable, talks to Maze about the importance of accessible design and how to incorporate accessibility into the development process to create better digital experiences.
05.05.2022
Building ethical research practices with Melanie Buset | Spotify
Melanie Buset, Senior UX Researcher at Spotify, talks to Maze about the principles behind ethical research and how to scale them across the organization to guide research and decision-making.
04.21.2022
A framework for decision-driven research with Roberta Dombrowski | Maze
Roberta Dombrowski, Research Partner at Maze and former VP of User Research at User Interviews, talks about her framework for decision-driven research and how to enable the organization to make confident, informed decisions.
04.07.2022
Building organizations that learn with Behzod Sirjani | Yet Another Studio
Behzod Sirjani, founder of Yet Another Studio and former research lead at Slack and Facebook, talks to Maze about how to democratize research effectively and responsibly and how to build organizations that learn and make better decisions.
03.24.2022
The dimensions of product decision-making with Andy Budd | Design leader & Coach
Andy Budd, design leader, start-up advisor & coach, talks to Maze about the dimensions of product decision-making—the power dynamics at play, how to prioritize features in a democratic way, and how to grow the influence of design in the organization.
02.17.2022
IC vs. Manager: Choosing your design career path with Anton Sten | UX Lead & Author
Anton Sten, internationally recognized UX leader and author, talks to Maze about his experience as an individual contributor and manager, the things to consider when determining which path is best for you, and how to grow in your design career.
02.03.2022
The principles of continuous discovery with Teresa Torres | Product Discovery coach
Teresa Torres, product discovery coach and author of the book 'Continuous Discovery Habits,' talks to Maze about the principles of continuous discovery, tactics to implement it, and how to make better product decisions with customer feedback.
01.19.2022
The spectrum of design with Brian Lovin | Spectrum & Github
Brian Lovin, product designer at Github and previous co-founder of Spectrum, talks to Maze about his design journey, starting with the early days at Buffer to then co-founding Spectrum and his current role at Github. Topics include the decision to...
01.19.2022
From design employee to designer founder with Jeremy Le Van | Sunrise Calendar & Microsoft
Jeremy Le Van, co-founder of Sunrise Calendar & former Director of Design at Microsoft, talks to Maze about the journey from designer to founder, building businesses through design, and the lessons made along the way.
01.19.2022
Designing your way forward with David Hoang | Webflow
David Hoang, Director of Product Design at Webflow, talks to Maze about Webflow’s design process, why perfection is overrated, and why design is not ‘magic.’
12.28.2021
Introducing The Optimal Path
The Optimal Path is a new podcast about product decision-making brought to you by the team at Maze. Join us for expert conversations with product people at Webflow, Gitlab, and more. Every episode will uncover the stories, ideas, and approaches...

What's The Optimal Path about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Optimal Path episodes:

A framework for product decision-making with Ravi Mehta | Outpace

Scaling research through democratization with Reggie Murphy | Zendesk

The evolution of user research with Dave Hora | Dave’s Research Co.

The power of workshops in product development with Paige Bennett | Affirm

How customer insights power digital transformation with Sander Viegers | Rabobank

Building research practices for community products with Amy Lima | Diversify Design

Integrating research into marketing teams with Marcus Brandford | Figma

Fostering a culture of organizational learning with Roy Opata Olende | Zapier

Welcome To The Optimal Path

Envisioning the future of the research industry with Jonathan Widawski | Maze

Starting and growing a design research practice with Gabriel Valdivia | Patreon

How to collaborate effectively as an async product team with Aiswarya Kolisetty | Alan

Building teams and cultures for products to thrive with Jasmine Friedl | Dropbox

Unlocking the power of facilitation with Julian Della Mattia | Kiwi.com

Creating a playbook for continuous research with Josh Morales | Miro

Summer break announcement

Software as a medium of human expression with Bob Baxley | ThoughtSpot

How to design onboarding experiences that drive product-led growth with Pulkit Agrawal | Chameleon

The rise of customer-centricity with Benjamin Humphrey | Dovetail

The relationship between business and design with Erika Hall | Mule Design Studio

Designing for communication interfaces with Renato Valdés Olmos | Pitch

The why and how of accessible design with Samuel Proulx | Fable

Building ethical research practices with Melanie Buset | Spotify

A framework for decision-driven research with Roberta Dombrowski | Maze

Building organizations that learn with Behzod Sirjani | Yet Another Studio

The dimensions of product decision-making with Andy Budd | Design leader & Coach

IC vs. Manager: Choosing your design career path with Anton Sten | UX Lead & Author

The principles of continuous discovery with Teresa Torres | Product Discovery coach

The spectrum of design with Brian Lovin | Spectrum & Github

From design employee to designer founder with Jeremy Le Van | Sunrise Calendar & Microsoft

Designing your way forward with David Hoang | Webflow

Introducing The Optimal Path

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