Catalyst

Latest Episodes:

Introducing Postlight Podcast Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

What happens when software eats the world? Industry veterans Paul Ford and Rich Ziade chat with their friends about technology, design, and business from a distinctly East Coast point of view. Decades of experience inform their no-BS, quick-witted patter about what digital transformation really means. Created by Postlight, the digital product studio they co-founded in New York City.

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Catalyst: Introducing Postlight’s New Whitepaper Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

If you’ve ever struggled to build software in a large organization, you know how many obstacles can get in the way. To help you through the process, look no further than Catalyst, Postlight’s new whitepaper. This week Paul and Rich discuss the whitepaper and the different organizational aspects of shipping software that are often overlooked.

Be sure to join us on November 12 at our live (remote) recording of the Postlight Podcast where we'll talk about all things Catalyst and give more insights on growing the digital side of your business.

Links:

Postlight Podcast Live! Turning Chaos Into Your North Star

Postlight - MTA Case Study

Why the World Is Adopting Typescript

Introducing Postlight’s New Whitepaper: Catalyst

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Postlight Turns Five: We Share Some Lessons We’ve Learned Over the Years Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

Postlight is going to Kindergarten! It’s been a wild ride these past five years and we’ve learned a lot. This week we share some useful lessons that we’ve learned since our inception. We talk about the importance of being generous, keeping your contracts short, keeping your employees happy and never forgetting that revenue comes first. Here’s to five more happy years!

Links:

Postlight - Driven By Strategy, Wired To Deliver

Also, we're hosting a Postlight Podcast Live (remotely, obviously) on November 12! You can find more information on how to attend here. See you there!

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Instrument Flying: Why Flying a Plane is Like Running a Business Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

Flying is all about giving up control, trusting your instruments and staying the course. This week Paul and Rich break down the similarities between piloting a plane and piloting a company. We talk about the concept of instrument flying and explain why navigating cross winds in a plane is not so different from an agency navigating their business.

Links:

Microsoft Flight Simulator

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Regulating Product Decisions: With Jason Goldman Oct 20, 2020

Show notes

As someone who has worked both in Silicon Valley and in The White House, Jason Goldman has a unique perspective on tech regulation. This week he shares his thoughts on the rise of monolithic social media platforms and how they’ve been used to advance political agendas and promote hate. He shares what he’s learned about regulation while working in the White House and reminds us that there’s hope in younger generations.

Links:

Jason Goldman Twitter

Dune Pod Podcast

Blogger

Potential Policy Proposals for Regulation of Social Media and Technology Firms - Senator Mark Warner

Color of Change

Network Propaganda: Manipulation, Disinformation and Radicalization in American Politics

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A Case of the Monday.com: The Rise of Project Management Tools Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

It feels like every week a new software as a service project management tool pops up. This week we discuss if these spreadsheet-like project management tools can act as a good template for shipping products. We discuss the power dynamics related to project management and talk about whether these notification driven tools are actually effective or if they are instead just a bit annoying.

Links:

Monday.com

Pendo

Todoist

NPR: All Things Considered

Postlight Case Studies

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Happiness Engineer: On Job Descriptions and The Culture They Represent Oct 06, 2020

Show notes

This week Paul & Rich discuss what’s in a name, or more specifically a job description. We read some recent job postings and try to understand how tech culture got to the point of needing DevSecOps and Happiness Engineers. We talk about how the industry creates specialized skills and share our experience evolving within our own jobs.

Links:

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Voting by Phone: Why It Isn’t Possible...Yet Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

It’s 2020. You can buy just about anything on your phone, you can do banking on your phone, so why can’t you vote on your phone? This week, Paul & Rich discuss the various security concerns that could come with online voting. We talk about the possible vulnerabilities in an online system and the danger of removing the people, checks and balances that come with traditional voting. Most importantly, be sure to go vote!

Links:

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Flight Simulator: On The World of Microsoft Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

Microsoft used to be all about Windows but in recent years we’ve seen a huge transformation in the company. They went from thinking monolithically to branching out and making new connections with users on several different devices. This week we break down how Microsoft’s failures and new leadership led to a more diversified list of products and how humility helped them move forward.

Links:

Introducing Mailchimp Developer

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Data as Conspiracy: Using Data to Manipulate the Masses Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

We’ve been seeing a lot of questionable data being thrown around recently — think Trump’s interview with Jonathan Swan. As the election approaches, we can’t help but notice how data is being used to manipulate people. This week we dive into conspiracy thinking and talk about how tech today is being used to spread what were once fringe opinions to the masses.

Links:

The Paranoid Style in American Politics - Richard Hofstadter

How to Lie with Statistics - Darrell Huff

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