Stay ConnectedWe bring amazing agile minded individuals from product, coaching, entrepreneurship, and engineering space and bring you an immersive learning experience through stories and practices.
If you are an aspiring or new Scrum Master, Business Analyst, Product Owner, or Product Manager; you will take away a lot from these conversations!
Copyright: © Vivek Khattri
Having a good understanding of the technical design tools is essential for any good UX (user experience) designer, but their greatest asset is their design mindset which solely focuses on what is best for the customer. While an engineer might think about code efficiency and a product owner might think about what can make the most money for the organization, a designer must balance all this, and at the same time, turn off their own mind and place themselves in the shoes of the customer. In today's episode, we sit down with UX designer, Anu Jayasignhe, and discuss topics such as the differences between UX, UI and research; how UX designers should communicate with developers and product owners; and how to cultivate a design mindset.
Our Speaker: Anu Jayasignhe
After studying industrial design at Carnegie Mellon and participating in a number of internships, Anu discovered that his love of product ideating could pair much better with his desire for faster results in the world of UX (user experience) design. Through a combination of hack-a-thons and teaching himself the technical tools, Anu quickly landed his first job as a UX designer at IBM where he worked until eventually becoming the current design lead at Publicis Sapient. We are proud to introduce Anu Jayasignhe.
After its humble launch from a college dorm room in 2004, Facebook has grown into not just a household name, but a billion dollar company that has dramatically shaped the way we interact. With its dedication to continue innovating better ways of communication and connectivity, it's easy to compare this tech giant to the role of a product manager. Like Facebook, a product manager is dedicated to connectivity, bridging the gap between customers and creators and helping predict and innovate towards the next big thing. In today's episode, we sit down with Facebook product manager, Parth Detroja, and discuss topics such as preparing for a product role, Facebook's acquisitions of WhatsApp and Oculus and Parth's viral LinkedIn prediction.
Our Speaker: Parth Detroja
Parth had been interested in marketing from and early age, but it wasn't until after he he was nearing graduation from Cornell with a degree in applied economics that he realized it was something he wanted to pursue. Despite his lack of a background in tech, Parth took the world by storm, landing jobs at Microsoft, Amazon and, in 2017, Facebook, where he currently works as a product manager. Along with his impressive work experience, Parth also co-authored the #1 bestselling technology and business strategy book, "Swipe to Unlock". We are proud to introduce Parth Detroja.
Like watching any great magician, the work of a professional coach can leave one feeling awestruck. Coaches may seem to effortlessly create solutions out of thin air, but as many of us have come to learn, magic is oftentimes an illusion. When it comes to professional coaching, the solutions don't just magically pop into existence, nor do they come from up the coach's sleeve; the solutions come from you: the client. One of the fundamental beliefs of professional coaching is that you are naturally creative, resourceful and whole and that the key to unlocking your problems can be found within the packages of knowledge that already exist inside of your brain. That's why coaching isn't giving advice or telling people what they should/shouldn't do; coaching is a dance between two partners who are ready to discover the solution together. It's about listening, intuition and unearthing the truth, and when done correctly, can leave both parties feeling truly fulfilled... and that's no illusion. In today's episode, we sit down with profession coach, Marla Dufek, and discuss topics such as being present in the moment, the importance of setting values and discovering the emotions that drive you.
Our Speaker: Marla Dufek
Marla entered into her career as a professional coach with a desire to help people see themselves as naturally creative resourceful and whole. She is certified under the International Coaching Federation and is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach. We are proud to introduce Marla Dufek.
Most people don't view empathy as an intrinsic part of leadership; leadership is generally seen as logical where empathy is emotional. However, whether you're working with a small group, a large team or an entire company, each of these configurations consists of the same thing: people, and people are emotionally-driven. Someone might forget what you say to them, but they won't forget how you made them feel. In order to solve people's problems, it's important to understand the emotions that motivate them. In order to lead, you need empathy. In today's podcast, we sit down with product manager and agile leader, Banu Raghuraman and discuss topics such as becoming an influential leader, communicating and mitigating risk and understanding the product vision.
Our Speaker: Banu Raghuraman Banu Raghuraman has been an active leader in the agile community and tech space for around a decade, with experience in product management, business analysis, and emotional intelligence. Although she is currently working as a digital product manager at EY, Banu also enjoys mentoring others, conducting public speeches and live webinars that encourage others to become leaders themselves. We are proud to introduce Banu Raghuraman.
The software world is amazing. You're essentially just taking what used to be a rock and tricking it into thinking using electricity in a process that, to many, is comparable to magic. But human nature being what it is, it's very easy for this almost mystic power to get to one's head. You begin to obsess over the details, things that you can do and all of the possibilities that exist in the tech space... and you lose sight of what really matters: the customer. As a developer or a company leader the goal is not just to make cool things, but to make cool things that serve a purpose: enhancing the day-to-day life of the customer. When it comes to QA testing and automation, the goal isn't just to ensure that features function properly; the goal is to ensure customer satisfaction because, at the end of the day, that's what it's all about. In today's podcast, we sit down with Michael "Fritz" Fritzius and discuss topics such as different kinds of testing, bugs and defect management and how to maintain continuous deployment.
Our Speaker: Michael Fritz Being a father, podcaster and automation guru, Michael does it all! With over 12 years in the quality assurance testing and automation field, Michael has helped numerous businesses create automation solutions through his company Arch DevOps. We are proud to introduce Michael "Fritz" Fritzius.
"Breaking Into Software Test Automation" Udemy Course: https://www.udemy.com/share/104BMk/
You did it. You finally graduated school and are ready to go out into the world and put your expertise to good use. Nevertheless, there is one thing standing in between you and the job of your dreams: the interview. On its face, an interview might seem to be simply a measure of how much you know about a given subject, but in practice, an interview is really more of a measure of how willing you are to learn and how you manage yourself. Allowing yourself to be measured at any capacity requires confidence and courage, but if just thinking about the interview process fills you with anxiety, you're not alone. However, approaching an interview with nervousness is oftentimes what sabotages candidates the most. Luckily, courage is like a muscle, and if it's strengthened properly using the right techniques, you'll end up being not only a stronger interview candidate, but a stronger candidate for whatever you pursue. In today's podcast, we sit down with the confident new product manager, Neha Satya, and discuss topics such as preparing for an introduction, showing up with confidence and nailing round 1, 2 & 3 interviews.
Our Speaker: Neha Satya Neha is a product manager at Capco and a project manager mentor at Product Gym. Although she is relatively new to the working world, Neha is no stranger to hard work. Her drive, determination, confidence and communication skills have made her an incredibly sought after candidate in the agile and product space. We are proud to introduce Neha Satya.
One of the first steps people take on their journey towards their dream job is talking to a recruiter. However... most people have no idea how to do this! In order to properly work with a recruiter, it's important that you first understand how a recruiter thinks. What motivates them? Why do they do what they do? What can you do during your interaction with them that will help land you that job? In today's podcast, we sit down with former-recruiter and co-founder of Product Gym, Richard Chen, and explore what the life of a recruiter is really like. Topics to be discussed include entering the product space without a formal title, how to properly work with a recruiter and how to stand up for yourself as a job candidate.
Our Speaker: Richard Chen
Richard is the co-founder of Product Gym, a recruiter-founded company whose goal is to be a community for aspiring product managers and a place where they can network, be coached and collaborate to achieve their dream career. He advocates strongly for the letting go of negative energy, staying humble and bringing enthusiasm into everything you do. We are proud to introduce Richard Chen.
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Launching a Product with a PM Mindset (feat. Nikunj Sharma) | Ep. 20
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In a world of individual performers, it is easy to forget about the power of the team. One can become so focused on accomplishing the task they were assigned that they overlook how their decisions affect anyone else. However, each of us have unique skills and perspectives that can have a positive impact on what we are trying to get done. A team is more than just a group of people, it's a human system with a collective purpose and way of working. It's built on trust and individual relationships, and it stems from servant leaders that create a safe space to communicate and collaborate. Harnessing the power of the team is not an easy thing to do, but when done right, a team can accomplish unimaginable things. In today's podcast, we sit down with agile leader, Lakshmi Ramaseshan, and dive into topics such as showing up as a scrum master, psychological safety, and how to create a team culture within an organization.
Our Speaker: Lakshmi Ramaseshan
Lakshmi started out as a developer, but after being asked to serve as a liaison, bridging the gap between her team and the customer, Lakshmi's desire to best serve her organization began to take shape. With her drive and passion for serving others, Lakshmi quickly moved into more formal roles such as product manager, scrum master and agile coach, earning her over 15 years of experience as an Agile leader. Despite her knowledge, Lakshmi remains humble, staying engaged with agile communities and continually uncovering better ways to grow her team and her life. We are proud to introduce Lakshmi Ramaseshan.
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The 12th principle of the Agile Manifesto reads as follows: “At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.” This principle has traditionally been observed through what are called retrospectives. In many cases, the true intentions of the retrospective are lost as we approach them as nothing more than meetings we hold because we‘ve been told they’re necessary. We show up, make a list of what we did and what we can do better and go on with the same ole routine spring after sprint. However, a meeting is just a meeting and a list is just a list without intentionality and further action. The purpose of a retrospective is to bring your team together, be transparent with one another so that you can align your goals, and make concrete decisions regarding how your next sprint can be even better than the last. Today we sit down with author, speaker, and professional Agile leader, Diana Larson and deep dive into Agile retrospectives, discussing topics such as the purpose of a retrospective, the 5-step retrospective framework and how to make good retrospectives great.
Our Speaker: Diana Larson
When it comes to Agile retrospectives, Diana Larson literally helped write the book. Her publication, “Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great” is world-renowned and has helped countless Agile leaders fully embrace the power that the 12th Agile principle has to offer. Presently, Diana dedicates her time to the company she co-founded: The Agile Fluency Project. Here, her goal is to help new and experienced Agilists make the most of Agile practices within the needs of their businesses and teams. In her free time, Diana enjoys staying connected with the Agile community, speaking at meet-ups and going on podcasts like the one you’re hearing today! We are proud to welcome Diana Larson.
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