The Roadmap

In this deep-dive interview, we explore the world of systems design with Munawar Ahmed, a practitioner of 29 years who specializes in the "orchestration of core systems" that quietly run industries like banking, railroads, and aviation.Discover the "Invisible Structures" framework, an efficiency model born out of "total chaos" that replaces endless email chains and "redline" documents with high-intensity, in-person collaboration. Learn how this approach helped turn around a failing 11-month project for Verizon, leading to a successful launch for 110 million users in just six months.

Fitness content creator, Diana Conforti breaks down her journey from content to product and the making of Plan Over Mood— a structured training app built around consistency, progressive load, and meaningful progress tracking.

(0:00) – Intro(2:42) – Diana’s background(3:51) – Key breakthrough moment(6:12) – Diana on content creation(8:05) – What is the Plan Over Mood app?(12:56) – Inside the app(16:46) – Fitness programs in the app(17:30) – How often should beginners train?(19:37) – Progressive overload explained(21:04) – Tracking progress in the app(23:01) – Building the app(26:54) – Plans for the future(30:08) – Closing words

On this episode of the Roadmap, Petra Kirin, a product manager from Resonate digital, shares her thoughts on digital transformation and what it takes to implement one.

(0:00) – Intro(2:30) – Petra background(4:00) – Digital transformation(6:52) – Company awareness(14:00) – Company challenges(21:00) – How to approach digital transformation(26:05) – Shifting your thinking(32:55) – Timeline(39:17) – Success stories(43:58) – Word of advice

Sofascore is more than just a live score app—it's a data-driven sports platform with over 28 million users. But how do they turn raw data into an engaging user experience? Marijan Zivic, CPO of Sofascore, shares how the company balances analytics, UX, and intuition to develop features that keep users coming back.

(0:00) Intro
(2:25) About Sofascore
(6:00) Marijan background
(8:53) Successfully implementing features
(14:33) Unsuccessful features
(20:33) Crowdsourcing
(26:19) Utilizing data for business growth
(28:57) Feature creep
(33:34) User feedback
(37:40) Achieving strategic goals
(42:08) Deciding what works and what doesn’t
(44:38) Assembling a product team
(48:53) Product manager vs. product owner
(54:53) How to stand out from the competition?

Tight schedule, high stakes and no room for mistakes. DECODE's software development team was tasked to develop a cutting edge cargo reservation system for a US based railroad company. Tarek Saghir, DECODE's software development team lead, shares how the team tackled the challenge of developing a complex enterprise-level software.

(0:00) Intro
(2:48) Product discovery
(4:08) Forming the team
(6:20) Defining stakeholders and communication
(12:10) Onboarding
(17:09) Development
(21:20) Importance of QAs
(24:00) Developing when the design is not ready
(25:25) Most challenging feature to develop
(27:40) Visiting the client in the US
(30:09) Solving bugs
(32:43) Software release phase
(33:19) Hello world project
(35:53) Scaling the product

In this episode, the founders of Bridged Connection, a crypto and stock exchange platform, share their journey from finance backgrounds to startup founders. We discuss bootstrapping challenges, the role of product discovery in validating their idea, and the importance of strong co-founder communication.

(00:00) Introduction to Bridged Connection
(03:39) Founders' Journey into Crypto and Stocks
(09:28) The Birth of Bridged Connection
(12:42) Bootstrapping the Startup
(16:22) Product Discovery Insights
(24:46) Navigating Co-Founder Dynamics
(31:27) Seeking Investment and Future Plans
(36:54) The Importance of MVP and User Feedback
(38:56) Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

How do you successfully manage software teams? Ivan Glazer, a Business Line Manager at ASEE, a global software company, provides the answer. Ivan delves into strategies for enhancing team collaboration, driving productivity, and tackling the challenges of leading software teams in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

(0:00) Intro
(4:28) Fintech trends
(11:32) People management challenges
(15:02) Smaller and bigger teams
(18:16) DOs and DON’Ts
(22:48) Micromanagement
(25:08) Daily meetings
(31:07) Managing a manager
(34:17) Managing remote teams
(40:53) Handling stakeholders
(47:13) Wrap-up

How do you achieve product-market fit? The answer to that question is given by Tim Eckert, a partner at Peakora. Peakora helps businesses grow through a systematic approach by providing tailored strategies, market analysis, and innovative solutions for sustainable success.

(0:00) Intro
(1:21) Tim background
(3:51) About Peakora
(7:52) Product-market fit
(10:18) #1 Market identification
(14:19) #2 Identify underserved needs
(20:27) #3 Defining the value statement
(24:50) #4 Launching an MVP
(28:38) #5 Improving an MVP
(33:13) Examples
(37:29) #6 Product pricing
(41:25) Finding product-market fit again
(49:54) Wrap-up

Nick Hughes, the founder and CEO of Founders Live explains what it takes to deliver a great pitch for your startup idea.

(0:00) - Intro
(1:28) - About Founders Live
(5:40) - Founders Live expansion
(6:59) - Europe tour
(12:35) - Opening a pitch
(20:00) - Checking out the competition
(24:19) - Big NOs when pitching
(29:37) - Examples of good pitches
(33:49) - Solving a problem
(36:48) - Frequently asked questions
(39:53) - Should you be asking for money in a pitch?
(42:09) - Closing thoughts
(46:07) - Difference between American and European entrepreneurs

In this episode, we are joined by Karen Humphries Sallick, CEO and Co-Founder of Contacts411. Contacts411 is a CRM platform that helps business keep customers contacts updated. Karen shares her journey of founding a software company.