Catalyst

As Director of Product Design at HBO Max, Michael McWatters knows a thing or two about welcoming people to a service. This week, Michael joins Paul and Rich to share why onboarding should be happening along every step of a user’s journey, not only as part of marketing. He draws parallels between online onboarding and in-store experiences and explains why you shouldn’t be training during onboarding...

In 2021, Postlight grew from a small-ish agency to a team of over 100 people. This week, Gina and Chris share how they helped scale Postlight since taking on their new roles. From establishing a senior leadership team, choosing better internal tools, and sending out employee surveys, they break down how to empower your team to help everyone (company included) grow.   See Privacy Policy at https://...

So much of product management is about getting to launch, but what (and how) you learn when the product is live is when the data story begins. This week, Paul and Rich chat with data enthusiast — and Postlight’s Senior Product Manager — Reed Whitmont. Reed shares what goes into a solid analytics setup, what your funnel should look like, and how to use your data’s story to refine an even better pro...

How do you find new leaders? Is it better to promote from within or hire from outside? Do former practitioners make better leaders? As Postlight’s CEO and President, Gina Trapani and Chris LoSacco ask themselves these questions daily. This week, Gina and Chris share their thoughts on how to spot leadership qualities and empower new leaders. Links: How to Build for the Handoff - Gina Trapani See Pr...

A little while back, Paul and Rich did an episode on the promises of Web3 — but there’s still more to be said. This week, they chat with internet pioneer Michael Sippey to get more clarity on what Web3 entails. Michael explains the three main components that make up Web3 (think DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs) and shares why he’s so excited about its possibilities.   Links: Michael Sippey  Tim O’Reilly - Wha...

This week Paul and Rich send us a message from the future in the year 2058. A lot has happened since 2022 (like Paul Ford becoming the President of the United States of America). Paul and Rich report on the state of the world, from vaccines to climate to the state of software, and share what we could have done differently. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Noti...

We look at our phones now more than ever, which means we spend a lot of time looking at app icons — some even become seared into our minds. So, what makes an app icon worthy? This week, Chappell Ellison and Nathan Burge chat with Jim Nielsen and Michael Flarup, who wrote an entire book dedicated to showcasing the power of app icon design. Jim and Michael share the history of app icons, their impac...

The world of software and technology has never been so employed. From product designers to product managers to engineers, the need for finding new talent abounds. But what about retaining existing talent? Postlight’s dear friend and returning guest, Tim Meaney, joins Rich and Paul to offer his tips for making your best talent want to stay. Links: Tim Meaney Twitter See Privacy Policy at https://ar...

Six months ago, Gina Trapani and Chris LoSacco took over as CEO and President of Postlight, respectively. This week, they join Paul and Rich to discuss their new roles, the leadership transition, and why Gina thought it might never happen. Chris and Gina also share their vision for Postlight’s future and what they’ll tackle first. Here’s to a new year and new opportunities! See Privacy Policy at h...

Will Web3 help decentralize the web and give us more privacy, or will it fall into the same old traps? This week, Gina Trapani joins Paul and Rich to dissect Web3 and its many utopian promises. Are they right to be critical of it, or is their point of view out-of-touch? Probably — but there’s still a lot to discuss. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at h...

What is Web3, and why should we care about it? Will it be the digital revolution that brings the internet back to its decentralized and democratic roots? This week, internet expert (and Postlight CEO) Gina Trapani joins Rich and Paul to chat about their experiences with different iterations of the web and break down how it ended up so siloed, control-driven, and centralized. Will Web3 save us? Sta...

Paul and Rich are proud New Yorkers through and through, but sometimes they can't help but feel jealous that California kicked NYC to the curb when it comes to tech and Silicon Valley. This week, they unpack how that happened and try to figure out what it is about California that sparks innovation. They also speculate what the next technological revolution will look like and discuss whether or not...

It’s no secret that the past two years have shaped the ways we work with others. We have a growing constellation of tools at our disposal that all orbit around our sun: Slack. But why does it still feel like none of those tools talk to one another? This week, Rich and Paul chat about that disconnect and how it affects the way we work. They also envision a more streamlined future for tools and a be...

It’s been a few weeks since Zuckerberg’s video broke the internet, but does anyone actually know what the metaverse is? This week Paul and Rich chat with journalist Choire Sicha to figure it out. Will it be a radical new way to live in the future, or did Facebook only need a new story to tell? Together, they predict what digital platforms will look like in 20 years and what such changes will mean...

Tom Watson and Stefan Borsje are avid photographers and creators of the new photography app, Glass. This week they join Paul Ford and Michael Shane, Postlight’s Head of Digital Strategy, to talk about developing the app for their fellow photographers. They also share why they chose community funding over venture capital, highlight the importance of transparency with your users, and discuss definin...

Clay Shirky is a man of many talents — author, educator, and now Vice Provost of Educational Technologies at the New York University. This week, Clay joins Paul and Rich to discuss his role in procuring tech for a large educational institution and shares how the pandemic made us more aware than ever of ed tech's shortcomings. He also breaks down the dangers of optimizing for stability instead of f...

What's a Product Discovery Coach? This week Teresa Torres joins Paul and Rich to break down the mystique of her job title and the important work behind it. They discuss all things product development, and Teresa shares how unearthing product assumptions can help you achieve a better final outcome. Teresa also explains why you should expect your ideas to fail — and use that failure to your advantag...

As an actor and communications coach, Bill Smartt knows how to speak to the room — both in person and online. Bill has been working with Postlight for years, and this week, he joins Paul and Rich with tips on how to communicate effectively and give that presentation you’re nervous about. He breaks down how to structure your deck, shares how to make eye contact on a video call, and discusses the im...

Paul Ford may have coined the term “content strategist” but he’s certainly not the only expert in it. This week Paul and Rich are joined by Postlight’s Associate Director of Digital Strategy, Chappell Ellison, to discuss the three pillars of content strategy. She also discusses the difference between editorial and technical content strategists, shares her journey in finding the role, and explains...

On October 4th, 2021, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp were all down for most of the afternoon. Meanwhile, Paul and Rich recorded this week’s episode to discuss the outage and the ongoing allegations against Facebook. They also draw parallels between regulating Facebook and regulating the tobacco industry and share their hypotheses on how Facebook got to the point of overlooking the safety of its...

It’s the 300th episode of the Postlight Podcast! To celebrate, Paul and Rich talk with Steph Colbourn, founder and CEO of editaudio and producer of the podcast since early days. Steph gives the inside scoop on how the podcast gets made, what makes a great one, and the latest developments in the podcast production industry. She also shares Rich and Paul’s best (worst?) bloopers from the cutting roo...

So, you’ve agreed on what you’ll deliver and signed the contract, but then a stakeholder asks for one more thing. And one more thing. Change is bound to happen when you’re shipping software — how do you keep your project on track? In part three of the Catalyst Live! event series, Paul and Rich share tips on managing change from the get-go and explain when it’s okay to say no. As always, they top i...

Both Rich and Vicky didn’t start off in software, so how did they end up there? This week Rich is joined by Postlight’s Head of Product Management, Vicky Volvovski, to talk about their professional paths. They discuss what drives them and share tips on how to get that next role you have your eye on. Hint: Don’t be afraid to show your work in progress. Links: Vicky Volvovski   A Remote Success Stor...

Acronyms can feel cheesy, but they sure are effective — in the world of software and beyond. This week Paul and Rich discuss the value of naming your initiatives and urge you to embrace the inevitable acronym that will follow. They chat about how strong naming can help teams internalize processes and rally around projects. They also discuss how the power of naming has been a powerful communication...

If you've been a customer of Amazon Web Services, you know the billing nightmares of services that weren't built to talk to each other. After learning firsthand, Corey Quinn founded The Duckbill Group to help companies tackle their confusing and wildly expensive AWS bills. This week, he joins Paul and Rich to share advice on cutting down your AWS bill and tips on what cloud services you should be...