How I Tested That

In this episode we interview Hala Saleh. Hala is a skilled and thoughtful product leader who I met by coincidence over 10 years ago while reading a copy of the Lean Startup book. 

We catch up and discuss how the term Minimum Viable Product or MVP has evolved since then and how lean startup principles can be applied outside of the digital product space to things like communities.

Hala shares her journey through various roles ...

In this episode we interview Dr. Michael Neal. He is the Founder of Build My Team, a hiring service for private practices. 

We explore the rigorous testing of his innovative hiring process. From the initial missteps to the breakthrough system that accurately matches the candidates' natural strengths with the job requirements. 

In our conversation I learned about psychometric assessments, and the surprising insights that Dr M...

In this episode we interview Alberto Savoia. Alberto was Google’s first Engineering Director and the author of The Right It - Why So Many Ideas Fail and How to Make Sure Yours Succeed. 

He also coined the term “pretotyping” and has influenced my thinking over the years. In a previous episode we interviewed Pat Copeland, who authored a white paper with Alberto many years ago.

You may not know this, but I quoted Alberto in the...

In this episode we interview Sylvia Hall. 

Sylvia is the co-founder of Lifted Naturals. We chat about how a company can start out as a solution to a personal problem, but in order to be a viable business, we need to perform customer discovery beyond friends and family to see if there is any traction.

Sylvia emphasizes the significance of authenticity in entrepreneurship and the need to rapidly test solutions, and listen to c...

In this episode we interview Dylan Lam. Dylan is an entrepreneur and a growth marketing expert with a focus on e-commerce. His super power is helping companies grow their brands on platforms like Amazon. 

Dylan shares how he started out by bootstrapping an eBay business from his apartment and testing out what worked, and what didn’t. He then took what he learned to successfully scale the business through automation and drop...

In this episode we interview Matthew Davis.

Matthew is the CEO of Davis Business Law and the author of the best selling book, The Art of Preventing Stupid. 

He shares his journey in the legal profession, discussing the challenges and assumptions he faced when starting his own law firm. 

Matthew emphasizes the importance of collaboration, work-life balance, and effective marketing strategies in building a successful practice. 

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In this episode we interview Pat Copeland and get a first hand account of how the Dash Button idea was originally tested at Amazon. 

Everything from how the idea emerged from Bezos’ morning puttering time to the cognitive load customers experienced pushing a button to order a box of sweets and eventually to products like detergent. 

Even though the product was discontinued, the learning they captured along the way influenced...

In this podcast episode, Matt Diamante shares his journey into the world of digital marketing and SEO, detailing his early experiences and the evolution of his career. 

He discusses the importance of testing and analyzing content to achieve success, particularly in the realm of social media. Matt emphasizes the significance of video content in today's marketing landscape and explores strategies for leveraging platforms like...

In this episode we interview Ann Carden. 

Ann is one of the top business growth consultants and strategists for people who want to accelerate growth to multiple 7+ figures. She is an internationally best-selling author, keynote speaker and podcast host.

In this conversation Ann shares her extensive experience with me in how she’s built and exited multiple businesses, emphasizing the importance of testing ideas and unders...

In this episode we interview Deon Crasto.  

Deon started his product management career at OnDeck Capital, a small business lending platform, where he focused on payments growth. He currently leads payments and ML- driven risk assessment at Velocity Global. 

Deon and I discussed the importance of curiosity and problem-solving in product management. We talked about the significance of metrics, and in particular, how to avoid v...

In this conversation, Chris Hood shares his diverse background in storytelling across various media, including movies, video games, and digital marketing. 

He emphasizes the importance of storytelling in engaging consumers and how it connects to business strategies. 

The discussion explores the iterative nature of game development, the significance of customer feedback in marketing, and the evolving role of AI in med...

In this conversation, David J Bland and Erich Archer discuss the intersection of AI and video production, exploring how AI tools are transforming workflows, the importance of iterative testing, and the future of content creation. 

Erich shares his journey from traditional video production to leveraging AI for efficiency and creativity, emphasizing the need for human reflection in the process. 

They also touch on the evolving...

In this conversation, David J Bland and Michael Clifford discuss the intersection of habitat design, conservation, and design thinking. 

Michael shares his unique journey from zookeeper to strategy director for Reverse the Red, a global coalition aimed at halting species extinction. 

They explore the importance of challenging assumptions in habitat design, the role of observation in understanding animal behavior, and the...

In this engaging podcast episode, David J Bland hosts Bruce McCarthy and Melissa Appel, who share their insights on product management, stakeholder alignment, and the journey of writing their new book, 'Aligned.' 

They discuss the challenges of managing stakeholders, the importance of face-to-face communication, and the iterative process of testing ideas and content for their book. 

The conversation also dives into marketing...

In this conversation, Amer Abu Khajil shares his journey from civil engineering to the tech world, emphasizing the parallels between building physical structures and developing products. 

He discusses the importance of testing and validation, drawing lessons from his engineering background, and outlines the process he created at TTT Studios for product development. 

Amer highlights the distinction between problem and solutio...

In this conversation, David discusses his journey with Lawline, the largest provider of online continuing legal education in the U.S. 

He shares insights on building resilience in business, the importance of experimentation in product development, and navigating pricing strategies. 

David also highlights the role of conferences in fostering B2B relationships and the balance between B2B and B2C strategies. 

We explore the tran...

In this conversation, David J Bland and Lex Roman explore the evolution of experimentation in tech, discussing how perspectives on experimentation practices have shifted over the years. 

They dive into the role of social proof, ethical considerations, and the balance between experimentation and actionable insights. 

Lex shares her experiences working with non-tech industries, particularly journalism, and the challenges of me...

In this conversation, Jeff Gothelf and Josh Seiden discuss their journey in scaling their training business, focusing on the assumptions, risks, and testing methods they are employing. 

They share insights on the importance of community building, the challenges of filling workshops, and the balance between qualitative and quantitative success metrics. 

The discussion highlights the significance of cold outreach, learning fro...

Eddy Connors, co-founder of Goodie Bag, shares his journey of creating a digital marketplace that connects consumers to local retail shops to purchase unsold food at a discounted price. 

The idea for Goodie Bag came from Eddy's gap year in Indonesia, where he witnessed the impact of plastic pollution and the need for sustainable solutions. 

Goodie Bag aims to reduce food waste, provide affordable options for consumers, and s...