Catalyst

Latest Episodes:

Through the Looking Glass: With the Creators of Glass Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

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 defining product success when growth isn’t the primary focus.

Links:

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Ed Tech: With Clay Shirky Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

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 flexibility. Could low-code solutions be the answer for universities? Clay thinks so, but it’s not always that easy.

Links:

Clay Shirky Twitter

Here Comes Everybody

Meet the Numtots

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Product Talk: With Teresa Torres Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

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 advantage.

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Speaking to the Room: With Bill Smartt Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

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 importance of rehearsing.

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Defining Content Strategy: With Chappell Ellison Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

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 why content strategy work will only continue to grow.

Links:

Chappell Ellison

Chappell Ellison Twitter

Probable Futures

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Is Facebook the New Marlboro?: On the Outage and Regulation Oct 06, 2021

Show notes

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 users.

Links:

Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic For Teen Girls

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How It's Made: 300 Episodes of the Postlight Podcast! Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

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 room floor.

Links:

editaudio

Steph Colbourn - Twitter

Ali Sirois - LinkedIn

Izotope

NowThis Kids Podcast

Episode 141 - (Paul’s Deeper Voice Episode)

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Catalyst Live! Part 3: Steadfast Against Scope Creep Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

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 it all off by answering listener questions.

Links:

Catalyst Whitepaper

You Can’t Fix a Relationship With a Contract

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Show Your Work: On Determining Your Professional Path Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

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 Story - Postlight Podcast

Postlight Careers

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What’s in a Name?: On Words and Meaning Sep 07, 2021

Show notes

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 tool of the pandemic.

Links:

QORE

Tuskegee Study - CDC

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