Catalyst

Latest Episodes:

Detente vs. Dreamer: On the Two Types of Software Stakeholders Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

There are two types of tech stakeholders, the detente and the dreamer. One is more reactive and is just trying to keep the peace while the other loves the possibility and potential in innovating. So which is best? Do you focus on stability and mitigating risk or do you make big bold moves? This week we discuss these two types of stakeholders and talk about the best ways to pitch software investments to CEOs and CFOs, which is no small feat.

Links:

The Dreamer and the Diplomat: Who Buys Software for you Company

Postlight Insights

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Level Up by Writing Things Down: Jojo Giltsoff on Managing Large Teams Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

We recently launched a huge project with New York’s public transit system, The MTA. Like the transit system the project was big and complex. This week we are joined by Product Manager Jojo Giltsoff who kept the MTA project running smoothly. She shares her tips and tools for managing big and busy teams and projects. She also teaches us how to find a healthy balance between being hypercritical and being an advocate for your team and explains why you should be writing down all the positive things people say about you.

Links:

MTA Case Study - Postlight

Level Up by Writing Things Down - Jojo Giltsoff

Jojo Giltsoff Twitter

Jojo Instagram

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Life in the Clouds: The Present and Future of Cloud Hosting Services Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

Paul tells us about his new project, Ephemeralist, a web page that gives your brain a break from the heaviness of social media. It pulls archives from places like the MoMA and the Smithsonian, and allows you to scroll through history—from books and fossils, to pictures of donkeys from the 1700s. We go through Paul's experience with hosting his new project on Google Cloud and how these massive hosting platforms have become increasingly convoluted and geared towards engineers.

Links:

Ephemeralist

Glitch

Google Cloud Platform

AWS

Introducing Mailchimp Developer

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Pieces Loosely Joined: On The Mess That is Enterprise Software Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

Enterprise software is a behemoth. It’s expensive, confusing and takes forever to learn. On this week’s episode of Postlight Podcast, Paul & Rich continue to break down why enterprise software is such a mess. We get into this confusing world of caked-on features and mysterious sales pitches.

Links:

Don’t Let the Backlog Drive Your Product - Rich Ziade

Introducing Mailchimp Developer - Postlight

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Fact or Fiction: On Facts Not Doing What You Think They Do Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

In the wise words of Elbert Hubbard “logic is a tool for furthering prejudice.” On this week’s episode of the Postlight Podcast, Paul & Rich unpack this quote and talk about how best to communicate facts and logic. We share some tips on how to communicate facts in a way that actually engages people and talk about why using rhetoric rather than fact is a better way to get your point across. And in the end, we of course tie this all back to software.

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The New New Normal: Five Tips For This Stage of The Pandemic Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

The past 6 months have forced everyone into a new working situation, a situation that could continue for a while yet. This week Paul and Rich share some tips for coping with the ongoing pandemic. We discuss why you should be gathering your team more often and keeping clear and frequent communication about what’s happening across the company. We also talk about ways to be a source of stability for your employees and, of course, about the importance of humor.

Links:

Whimsical

Airtable

Renderforest

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Restricting Freedom for More Freedom: On The Parallels Between Wearing a Mask and Regulating Tech Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

We regulate cars so why not regulate tech? This week on the Postlight Podcast, Paul & Rich get philosophical. We ask the big questions about how to regulate our own creations and how sometimes infringing on someone’s freedom can actually be a good thing. After all, without red lights the streets don’t work.

Links:

John Perry Barlow - A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace

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Synthesizing Feedback: The 6 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Product — Part 3 Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

In this final episode of our 3 part series, Paul & Rich check back in with Managing Partner Chris LoSacco on the two final mistakes you’ve likely been making with your product. We talk about the importance of marketing your products within your own organization. Chris also explains his controversial opinion on why you shouldn’t be listening to your customers (don’t worry it’s not as scary or irresponsible as it sounds!).

Links:

Goldman Sachs - Postlight

Chris LoSacco

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Optimizing Your Setup: The 6 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Product — Part 2 Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

In Part 2 of this 3 part series, Paul, Rich & Postlight Managing Partner Chris LoSacco talk about two more mistakes you’re making with your product, neglecting your tooling and single sourcing your Quality Assurance (QA). We discuss how you can optimize your tooling setup to be more productive and catch errors early in the development process. We also talk about how product managers can help select the right tools and why QA should be baked into the whole process.

Links:

Clubhouse

Basecamp

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Wins Along the Way: The 6 Mistakes You’re Making With Your Product — Part 1 Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

Keeping your timeline super flexible may sound like a good idea when developing software, after all software is always changing, but Chris LoSacco is here to tell you why that’s a mistake. This week we dig into the 6 common mistakes people make in product development. In Part 1 we go over the first two mistakes, being vague with your timelines and waiting too long to ship. Chris gives some solutions to these common problems and walks you through some tips for structuring a better product release.

Links:

Chris LoSacco - Twitter

Postlight - MTA

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