Growthmates: Create and Grow Meaningful Products & Careers – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Welcome to Growthmates with Kate Syuma — Growth advisor, previously Head of Growth Design at Miro. I’m building Growthmates as a place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Canva, Loom, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Get all episodes and a free playbook for Growth teams on our brand-new website — growthamtes.club, and press follow to support us on your favorite platforms. 

Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

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In this episode, I chat with Amy Bucher, Chief Behavioral Officer at Lirio and author of Engaged. We delve into the world of behavioral design, exploring how understanding human behavior can lead to more ethical and effective product development. Amy shares her journey from academia to leading behavioral design teams, and how frameworks like the COMBEE model and Behavior Change Wheel are essential tools for influencing user behavior.

By the end of this episode, you'll learn how to apply behavioral science principles to your product, understand the importance of ethical design, and gain insights into leveraging AI for personalized user experiences 💡

—

Brought to you by Appcues — the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences.

Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption for free. Check out the template to uncover meaningful improvements with an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside: appcues.com/growthmates

—

Self-Serve Onboarding course is coming back! Get 100€ off 🎁

We open enrollment for the new cohort of the Self-Serve User Onboarding course. As an early-bird gift, we give all subscribers a discount of 100$ with a promocode “growthmates”. Reserve your spot now and join me on live sessions starting from September 16, 2024 (the cohort is limited to 20 participants): https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding

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Key highlights from this episode 👇

1: Behavioral Design Defined: Understand the fundamentals of behavioral design and how it differs from traditional UX/UI design.

2: COMBEE Model and Behavior Change Wheel: Learn how capability, opportunity, and motivation drive behavior change and how to apply these concepts in product design.

3: Ethical Design: Discover how to avoid dark patterns like over-gamification and notification fatigue.

4: AI and Personalization: Explore how AI can be used to create personalized and effective user experiences.

Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

—

Follow Growthmates updates on:

* NEW! Growthmates website with “The Holistic Growth Playbook”: https://growthmates.club

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/

Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com

Where to find our guest — Amy Bucher:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybucher/

* “Engaged”: Designing for Behavior Change: https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/engaged-designing-for-behavior-change/

—

What we’ve covered in this episode:

[00:00] Introduction

[00:39] Amy Bucher’s Journey: From Academia to Chief Behavioral Officer

[02:08] Defining Behavioral Design and Its Importance

[06:52] The COMBEE Model and Behavior Change Wheel

[13:20] Understanding and Driving Internal Motivation

[17:36] Ethical Considerations in Design: Avoiding Dark Patterns

[22:32] Meeting Psychological Needs: Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness

[30:57] Writing Outcome Stories and Designing for Growth

[42:24] Leveraging AI for Behavioral Design and Personalization

[46:03] Lightning Round: Society’s Behavioral Gaps and Recommended

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📕 Resources Referenced

* “Engaged”: Designing for Behavior Change by Amy Bucher: https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/engaged-designing-for-behavior-change/

* “The Holistic Growth Playbook” by Kate Syuma: https://growthmates.club/playbook

* Behavioral Insights by Elspeth Kirkman and Michael Halsworth: https://www.amazon.com/Behavioral-Insights-Press-Essential-Knowledge/dp/0262539403

* Actionable Gamification by Yukai Chu: https://www.amazon.com/Actionable-Gamification-audiobook/dp/B06XSWX7BN/

* Power and Prediction by A.J. Agrawal, Joshua Gans, and A.V.I. Goldfarb: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Prediction-Disruptive-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1647824192

* Subtract by Lydie Klotz: https://www.amazon.com/Subtract-Untapped-Science-Leidy-Klotz/dp/1250249864

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Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the show on growthmates.club and get the free playbook with frameworks and insights. If you find this valuable, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to this show on your favorite platforms to get new episodes. Let’s keep growing together!

For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to hello@growthmates.club

Thanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Welcome to Growthmates with Kate Syuma — Growth advisor, previously Head of Growth Design at Miro. I’m building Growthmates as a place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Canva, Loom, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Get all episodes and a free playbook for Growth teams on our brand-new website — growthamtes.club, and press follow to support us on your favorite platforms. 

Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

—

In this episode, I chat with Jochem Van Der Veer, co-founder and CEO of TheyDo, about his journey from UX design to leading a successful B2B SaaS company. We dive into the triple diamond framework, customer obsession, and key strategies for scaling a product. By the end, you’ll gain actionable insights on how to align business goals with customer outcomes and effectively grow your company.

By the end of this episode, you'll learn about the triple diamond framework for design thinking, the importance of customer obsession, and practical strategies for scaling a B2B SaaS company 💪

—

Brought to you by Appcues — the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences.

Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption for free. Check out the template to uncover meaningful improvements with an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside: appcues.com/growthmates

—

Self-Serve Onboarding course is coming back! Get 100€ off 🎁

We open enrollment for the new cohort of the Self-Serve User Onboarding course. As an early-bird gift, we give all subscribers a discount of 100$ with a promocode “growthmates”. Reserve your spot now and join me on live sessions starting from September 16, 2024 (the cohort is limited to 20 participants): https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding

Key highlights from this episode 👇

1: Triple Diamond Framework: Learn how to apply the triple diamond approach to design thinking, from problem discovery to solution delivery, and how it can be used to design not just products, but entire organizations.

2: Customer Obsession: Discover the importance of aligning your business with customer journeys and how customer obsession can drive significant impact and transformation in your organization.

3: Opportunity Prioritization: Understand how to identify and prioritize opportunities within customer journeys to maximize business impact and improve customer experiences.

4: Enterprise Growth Strategies: Gain insights into scaling a B2B SaaS company, from targeting enterprise clients early on to leveraging product-led growth strategies that drive long-term success.

Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

—

Follow Growthmates updates on:

* NEW! Growthmates website with “The Holistic Growth Playbook”: https://growthmates.club

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/

Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com

Where to find our guest — Jochem:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/

* TheyDo: https://www.theydo.com/

—

What we’ve covered in this episode:

[00:00] Introduction

[00:39] From UX Design to CEO: Jochem’s Career Journey

[01:45] The Transition from Design to Founding TheyDo

[03:28] Building a Customer-Obsessed Organization

[07:15] The Triple Diamond Framework Explained

[12:02] Prioritizing Opportunities in Customer Journeys

[18:34] Strategies for Scaling a B2B SaaS Company

[26:11] Overcoming Challenges in Enterprise Sales

[37:50] Maintaining a Customer-Centric Culture in a Growing Company

[50:18] Practical Advice for Founders and Design Leaders

—

📕 Resources Referenced

* Triple Diamond Framework: Learn more about the triple diamond approach and how it can be applied in various contexts to drive better design and business outcomes: https://www.launchnotes.com/blog/the-triple-diamond-design-process-a-comprehensive-guide

* Demand-Side Sales by Bob Moesta - Explore the decision-making journeys of customers and how to leverage this understanding for better product development and marketing: https://www.amazon.com/Demand-Side-Sales-101-Customers-Progress/dp/1544509987

* TheyDo: Discover more about TheyDo's journey management platform and how it can help your organization align around customer journeys effectively:

https://www.theydo.com/

* Airbnb Customer Journey announcement by Brian Chesky: https://x.com/bchesky/status/1654137863007612930?s=46&t=klJygKLXesDml2L3gDokgg

—

Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the show on growthmates.club and get the free playbook with frameworks and insights. If you find this valuable, please share it with your friends and colleagues, and subscribe to this show on your favorite platforms to get new episodes. Let’s keep growing together!

For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to hello@growthmates.club

Thanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.

Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

This episode is supported by Appcues — the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences.

Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption, and you can use it for free. Check out the template which I created to help companies connect growth hypotheses with behavioral patterns to uncover meaningful improvements. Find an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside and apply it to review any growth flows: appcues.com/growthmates

This time we talked to Mohammed, formerly a Product lead on Apple Siri, Product Marketing Manager at Google, and currently a Co-founder of DesignPro. Mohammed shared his journey from studying at Stanford to building innovative products, and reflected on his time at Google and Apple, highlighting the different cultures and approaches to innovation. 

I felt so inspired after this conversation, especially when Mohammed shared how Steve Jobs entered their room to acquire Siri, how he embraced trial and error and be okay with failure, and how he uncovered that creativity is a fundamental aspect of human nature and should be prioritized in product development. Here are some highlights you can find in the episode:

— Embrace trial and error and be okay with failure in the process of product design and development.

— Customer obsession and understanding their desires and needs are crucial for successful innovation.

— Timing is key in launching products, and being able to tell a compelling narrative is essential for engaging customers.

— Creativity is a fundamental aspect of human nature and should be prioritized in product development.

— Combining the disciplines of product design and product management can lead to more successful and innovative products.

If you find this show valuable, please share it with one of your colleagues or friends — it gives huge support to continue creating it. To receive all episodes right in your inbox — subscribe to katesyuma.substack.com 

Share this episode with your like-minded colleagues and friends!

Follow Growthmates updates on:

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/

Where to find Mohammed Abdoolcarim (DesignPro, ex-Apple & Google):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mscarim/

* DesignPro: https://designpro.ai/

Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com

* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

What we’ve covered in this episode:

01:26 Studying at Stanford University

03:09 Creating Products at Stanford

04:44 Working at Google

08:14 Building Siri and Joining Apple

12:29 Apple's Unique Culture

13:57 Combining Product Design and Product Management

19:16 Apple's Approach to Building Products

22:14 Adapting to the Trend of AI

26:38 Transitioning to a Founder Role

29:35 Creating DesignPro

35:05 Balancing Creativity and Operational Tasks

40:42 Fulfilling Creative Routine as a Founder

43:09 Memorable Moments at Apple

45:14 Book Recommendation: Shoe Dog

Resources referenced:

* 15% discount for Self-serve Onboarding course (starts on 15th of April!): https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding?promoCode=growthmates

* How Innovation Works by Matt Ridley: https://www.amazon.com/How-Innovation-Works-Serendipity-Technology/dp/0062916599

* Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull: https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Overcoming-Unseen-Inspiration/dp/0812993012

* Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight: https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike/dp/1501135929

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.com.

Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.com

Thanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.

Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

This episode is supported by Appcues — make your product adoption easy!

Appcues is the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences. Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption, and you can use it for free. 

Check out the “5-step Growth Flow Review” template which I created to help companies connect growth hypotheses with behavioral patterns to uncover meaningful improvements. Find an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside the template and apply it to review any growth flows: appcues.com/growthmates

Get a 15% discount for my Self-Service Onboarding course

If you're keen on Mastering Product Growth and User onboarding, join the upcoming course starting on the 15th of April. You will get personal guidance to create a stellar onboarding experience and frameworks to turn it into live. Get a 15% discount with promo code “growthmates”. Learn more and get early access → https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding

This time we talked to Rob Litterst who is leading HubSpot media and Building an insightful newsletter about Pricing in SaaS. We discussed his journey from sales to writing, the emerging trend of employee-generated content and a lot of things connected to user-centric pricing. If you listen to this episode, you will learn about:

— Unethical pricing practices we should avoid

— Why companies started shifting from Freemium to speed up monetization

— And a dozen newsletters that Rob recommends to stay informed on important industry news

If you find this show valuable, please share it with one of your colleagues or friends — it gives huge support to continue creating it. To receive all episodes right in your inbox — subscribe to katesyuma.substack.com 

Follow Growthmates updates on:

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/

Where to find Rob Litterst (HubSpot media):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roblitterst/

* Newsletter: goodbetterbest.substack.com

Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com

* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

What we’ve covered in this episode:

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:30 The Importance of Pricing in SaaS

06:17 Employee-Generated Content

11:15 Creating the Newsletter Good Better Best

16:35 Introducing Newsletters in Companies

34:14 Issues with Amazon Prime and Black Friday Strategies

36:15 Ethical Pricing Practices

38:04 Transparency in Pricing

42:55 Trends in Pricing Pages

50:05 The Rise of Subscription Models

Resources referenced:

* 15% discount for Self-serve Onboarding course (starts on 15th of April!): https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding?promoCode=getteamdiscount

* “Good Better Best” Newsletter: goodbetterbest.substack.com

* Ben Thompson's Stratechery: https://stratechery.com/

* Packy McCormick Newsletter: https://www.packym.com/newsletter

* Alex Kantrowitz Big Technology Newsletter: bigtechnology.com

* James Clear's “The 3-2-1 Newsletter”: https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1

* Chris Black's “How Long Gone” podcast

* Pulling Weeds With Chris Black: https://www.gq.com/about/pulling-weeds-with-chris-black

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.com.

Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.com

Thanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.

Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

This episode is supported by Appcues — make your product adoption easy!

Appcues is the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences. Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption, and you can use it for free. 

Check out the “5-step Growth Flow Review” template which I created to help companies connect growth hypotheses with behavioral patterns to uncover meaningful improvements. Find an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside the template and apply it to review any growth flows.

Get a 15% discount for my Self-Service Onboarding course

If you're keen on Mastering Product Growth and User onboarding, join the upcoming course in April. You will get personal guidance to create a stellar onboarding experience and frameworks to turn it into live. Get a 15% discount before 15 March. Learn more and get early access → https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding

This time we talked to Matt Woods, a Product Manager focused on Product-led Growth, who helped companies like Coda increase key activation metrics by 60%, and introduce personalization experience that combines great UX and business impact. Matt also contributed to Reforge artifacts to share examples of his work as one of the earliest contributors to their program. Being a Product Manager, Matt has a fantastic website built with Coda full of insightful case studies. I personally learned so much from Matt, and if you listen to this episode, you will learn about:

* The process of defining activation and aha-moment with examples from Coda

* How connection to customers helped to uncover meaningful wins

* The secrets behind collaboration between product managers and designers in Growth

* and much more

If you find our show valuable, please share it with your colleagues and friends. To receive all episodes right in your inbox — Subscribe to katesyuma.substack.com, your support means a lot. 

Follow Growthmates updates on:

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/

Where to find Matt Woods (Product Leader, ex-Coda):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewchristopherwoods/

* Website: https://portfolio.mattwoods.io/

Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com

* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

What we’ve covered in this episode:

00:00 Introduction and Website Creation

03:11 Learning and Mission Statement

07:12 Coda's Success Factors

10:07 Product-Led Growth and Experimentation

14:32 Defining Activation and User Behavior Insights

34:33 Building a Partnership

35:23 Challenges in Working Together

36:23 Trust and Inclusion

37:34 Understanding Motivations

38:31 Embracing Collaboration

39:44 Overcoming Communication Issues

42:25 Fostering Creativity

50:26 Building Healthy Partnerships

56:25 Favorite Artifact: $100 Voting

58:41 Favorite Book: Setting the Table

Resources referenced:

* Reforge Artifact “Weekly outcomes update message at Coda”: https://www.reforge.com/artifacts/weekly-outcomes-update-message-at-coda

* Welcome doc onboarding: https://portfolio.mattwoods.io/case-studies-how-i-work-3

* 100-Dollar Voting Exercise: https://coda.io/@lshackleton/100-dollar-voting-exercise

* “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott: https://www.amazon.com/-/en/Kim-Scott/dp/1250103509

* “Managing Humans” by Michael Lopp: https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Humans-Humorous-Software-Engineering/dp/1430243147

* “Setting the Table” by Danny Meyer: https://www.amazon.com/Setting-Table-Transforming-Hospitality-Business/

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.com.

Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.com

Thanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.

Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

Exciting announcement! If you're keen on Mastering Product Growth and User onboarding, join the upcoming course in April. You will get personal guidance to create a stellar onboarding experience and frameworks to turn it into live. Get a 10% discount before 15 March.

Learn more and get early access → https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding

This time we talked to Emily Wang, CEO of Bento, previously Product Manager on Growth Team at Intercom.  Emily shared her authentic story of becoming a founder, the role of leadership, creating a company culture, and building a strong team. Our conversation went beyond that, and we also discussed: 

* What’s The Right Time to Introduce Experimentation

* Why Killing Features is necessary to grow and evolve your product 

* Why the PLG model sometimes is not the right fit, and what we all should be aware of in the current market landscape 

If you find our show valuable, please share it with your colleagues and friends, and leave us a good review.

Follow Growthmates updates on:

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/

Where to find Emily Wang, CEO of Bento:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyyidanwang/

* Website: https://www.trybento.co/

Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: https://katesyuma.substack.com

* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

Where to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/

* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/

What we’ve covered in this episode:

00:00 Emily's Mission to Start Bento

03:46 Emily's Personal Mental Model Shift

05:00 The Importance of Building a Company

10:00 Understanding Different Parts of a Company

12:14 The Right Time to Introduce Experimentation

15:00 The Role of Leadership in Company Building

16:44 Killing Features and Simplifying the Product

17:12 Balancing Product and Design Team Priorities

20:00 Creating a Company Culture

22:32 Product-Led Growth and Finding the Right Fit

25:00 Building a Strong Team

30:00 Effective Communication within a Company

34:47 Shifts in the Macro Environment and Impact on Product Growth

40:00 Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

47:33 Onboarding vs Everboarding

45:00 Conclusion

51:03 Where to Connect with Emily

Resources referenced:

* Get a 10% discount for the Maven course on Onboarding and Activation before 15th March: https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding

* Behind the Cloud, Mark Benioff: https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Cloud-Salesforce-com-Billion-Dollar-Company/

* Leadership and Self-Deception, The Arbinger Institute: https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Getting-Out-Box/

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.com.

Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.com

Thanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Exciting announcement! If you're keen on Mastering Product Growth and User onboarding, join the upcoming course in April. You will get personal guidance to create a stellar onboarding experience and frameworks to turn it into live. Get a 15% discount for your team (most value for PM + Product Designer together).

Learn more and get early access → https://maven.com/forms/2c51cc

Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

In this conversation, we invited Phil Vander Broek, Co-Founder at Dopt, previously Head of Growth and Business Platform Design at Dropbox. We decided to talk about User Onboarding and unpack all the truth we know about it. From this episode, you can learn:

* How Dropbox approached User Onboarding and what they learned from experimenting with that

* How Growth and Core teams collaboration looked at Dropbox

* What Rituals can help in building a Growth Culture

* and Best practices for User Onboarding from research with more than 80 companies. 

Beyond the Dropbox story, Phill shared his transition to becoming a Co-Founder at Dopt,  and how his design background helped him play a founder role. 

If you find it valuable, please share it with your network and leave us a good review. 

Follow Growthmates podcast updates on:

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/

Where to find Phil Vander Broek, Co-Founder at Dopt:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipvanderbroek/

* Website: https://www.dopt.com/

Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: https://katesyuma.substack.com

* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

Where to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/

* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/

What we’ve covered in this episode:

01:20 Approach to User Onboarding at Dropbox

04:12 Surprising Behavioral Insights from User Onboarding Experiments

11:57 Collaboration between Growth and Core Teams

13:23 Rituals for Alignment and Building a Growth Culture

21:44 Industry Trends in User Onboarding

34:05 Transition to Entrepreneurship and Creating DOPT

44:07 Insights and Learnings as a Founder

46:28 The Connection Between AI and User Onboarding

47:16 Favorite Example of User Onboarding

47:29 Interactive Guides

50:10 Tooltips vs Checklists

51:10 Recommended Resources

53:08 Conclusion

Resources referenced:

* Product Led Onboarding playbook: https://blog.dopt.com/product-led-onboarding-playbook

* The State of User Onboarding — report from 80+ companies: https://onboard.report/

* The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick: https://www.momtestbook.com/

* How to determine your activation metric from Lenny Rachitsky

* I bet you are doing product activation all wrong from Elena Verna

* Mike Maples playbook: https://www.joincolossus.com/episodes/61719/maples-a-playbook-for-startups?tab=transcript

* Get early access to the Maven course on Onboarding and Activation (15% discount for teams): https://maven.com/forms/2c51cc

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.com.

Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.com

Thanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

We’re happy to welcome you on the Season 2 of the Growthmates podcast where we will dive into insightful conversations with leaders from Amplitude, Canva, Intercom, Coda, HubSpot, and more to come. If you enjoy our show — subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

In this conversation we invited Thom Rimmer, a design leader at Intercom, to discuss the importance of a design-led culture and user-centricity. Thom provides insightful perspectives on the pivotal role of design principles and rituals in the creation of top-tier products like Intercom. Thom also explains Intercom's transparent roadmap and how it helps create a company-wide commitment to customer satisfaction. The conversation delves into the shift toward product-led growth and the challenges of experimentation and optimization. We also explored the adoption of AI and machine learning, with a focus on leveraging these technologies to enhance customer service. Finally, Thom emphasizes the significance of mentorship and leadership in personal and professional growth. The conversation covers topics such as building internal connections and mentorship, inspiring advice and quotes, books for building a design culture, and fun team rituals to maintain a thriving culture.

Some Takeaways:

* Design-led culture and user-centricity are essential for creating products in a highly competitive market.

* Transparent roadmaps help to create a company-wide commitment to customer satisfaction.

* The shift towards product-led growth requires deeper attention to product quality.

* AI and machine learning can enhance customer service and improve efficiency.

* Mentorship and leadership are valuable for personal and professional growth. Building internal connections and mentorship is important for designers within an organization.

* Anyone can be a mentor, regardless of their level of experience.

* Having someone outside of your company to mentor you can provide a fresh perspective.

* Setting weekly goals and holding yourself accountable can help build a strong design culture, and there’s an Intercom approach that Thom also shared in the episode.

Follow Growthmates podcast updates on:

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/

Where to find Thomas Rimmer, Design Director at Intercom:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-rimmer-73903030/

* Website: https://www.thomrimmer.co.uk/

Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: https://katesyuma.substack.com/

* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

Where to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/

* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/

What we’ve covered in this episode:

00:00 Introduction and Design-Led Culture

06:01 Design Principles and Culture at Intercom

08:15 Emphasis on Quality and Unique Rituals

11:12 Roadmap Transparency and Customer Commitment

15:08 Shared Understanding of Quality Bar

17:34 User-Centricity and Customer Exposure

19:30 Involving Engineers in User Research

22:56 Shift to Product-Led Growth

32:18 Adapting to AI and Machine Learning

43:06 Mentorship and Leadership

46:10 Building Internal Connections and Mentorship

48:36 Lightning Round

49:10 Inspiring Advice and Quotes

49:43 Books for Building Design Culture

50:39 Fun Team Rituals

53:21 How to Connect with Thom Rimmer

Resources referenced:

* Roger Martin, “The Design of Business”: https://rogerlmartin.com/lets-read/the-design-of-business

* Tim Brown, “Change by Design”: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Design-Transforms-Organizations-Innovation/dp/0061766089

* Reed Hastings, “No Rules Rules”: https://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Netflix-Culture-Reinvention/dp/1984877860

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.com.

Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.com

Thanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new episodes and support my work.

We’re happy to welcome you on the Season 2 of the Growthmates podcast where we will dive into insightful conversations with leaders from Amplitude, Canva, Intercom, Coda, HubSpot, and more to come. If you enjoy our show — subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).

In this episode, Iain Dowling, Growth Design Leader at Canva, shares insights into his career path and the culture at Canva. He discusses the growth of Canva and the significant changes he has witnessed during his 6 years at the company. Iain also explains the transition from individual contributor to manager and the importance of coaching at Canva. He highlights the 4 pillars of Canva's growth and development framework and the training provided to coaches. Iain discusses the influence of designers on Canva's culture and the role of the “Vibe Team” in creating a positive work environment. He also shares insights into hiring for growth teams and the importance of effective one-on-one meetings. In this conversation, Iain discusses the importance of effective communication and provides valuable insights on building strong relationships, active listening, non-verbal communication, and overcoming communication challenges.

Some Takeaways:

* Canva has experienced significant growth over the years, but has maintained its core values and culture.

* Coaching is an integral part of Canva's leadership approach, focusing on the growth and development of team members.

* Canva's growth team is organized around key metrics, such as monthly active users (MAU) and annualized recurring revenue (ARR).

* The “Vibe Team” at Canva plays a crucial role in creating and maintaining a positive and engaging work culture.

* Hiring for growth teams requires individuals with a data mindset, an interest in user flows, and a focus on impact and iteration. Effective communication is crucial for personal and professional success.

* Building strong relationships requires open and honest communication.

* Active listening and empathy are essential skills for effective communication.

* Non-verbal communication plays a significant role in conveying messages.

* Overcoming communication challenges requires patience, understanding, and adaptability.

Follow Growthmates podcast updates on:

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/

Where to find Iain Dowling, Growth Design Lead at Canva:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idowling/

Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: https://katesyuma.substack.com/

* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

Where to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/

* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/

What we’ve covered in this episode:

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:20 Becoming a Growth Design Leader at Canva

02:26 The Growth of Canva

04:41 Transitioning from Individual Contributor to Manager

06:21 The Role of Coaching at Canva

08:30 The Four Pillars of Canva's Growth and Development Framework

09:25 Training for Coaches at Canva

10:41 The Influence of Designers on Canva's Culture

15:59 The Growth of Canva

18:36 Establishing the Growth Team at Canva

21:55 Organizational Structure of the Growth Team

25:16 The North Star Metrics for the Growth Team

28:10 Introducing Magic Studio and AI at Canva

35:19 The Role of the Vibe Team in Creating Canva's Culture

38:53 Factors for High-Performing Growth Teams

42:56 Recognizing Growth Talent and Hiring for Growth Teams

47:51 Effective One-on-One Meetings and Team Bonding

51:36 Favorite Book on Team Culture

54:12 Closing Remarks and Contact Information

02:30 The Importance of Effective Communication

10:00 Building Strong Relationships

20:00 Active Listening and Empathy

30:00 Non-Verbal Communication

40:00 Overcoming Communication Challenges

50:00 Conclusion

Resources referenced:

* Simon Sinek, “Leaders Eat Last”: https://simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last/

* Sam Harris’s “Waking Up” app: https://www.wakingup.com/

* "Growth and Development 12 Skills" framework — coming soon in a follow-up article!

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.com

Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.com

Thanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

We’re happy to welcome you on the Season 2 of the Growthmates podcast where we will dive into insightful conversations with leaders from Amplitude, Canva, Intercom, Coda, HubSpot, and more to come. If you enjoy our show — subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.

—

In this episode, I talked to Jenny Chang, interim Head of Design at Amplitude, who shared her insights and experiences on transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager and the mindset shifts required to become a leader. In the first part of the conversation, we discussed the key challenges we encountered while transitioning from IC to a Manager and emphasized on the importance of maintaining well-being during career growth. Later in our conversation, we discussed the role of data in decision-making, the need for a data-informed culture, and the collaboration between stakeholders and data teams. Jenny also provides tips for making data meetings engaging and suggests questions that designers should ask their data analysts to build a more informed user experience. Jenny concludes by recommending books and resources for further exploration that you can find below in the episode description.

Some Takeaways:

* Transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager requires a mindset shift and the ability to let go of hands-on work.

* Maintaining well-being is crucial during career growth, and prioritizing health can lead to better career outcomes.

* Data should be used by everyone in a product team, not just data analysts, and collaboration between stakeholders and data teams is essential.

* Engaging data meetings can be achieved by incorporating visualizations, session replay tools, and creating a collaborative environment.

* Designers should ask data analysts about the most engaged users and their actions within the product to better inform the user journeys.

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

Follow the podcast updates on:

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/

Where to find Jenny Chng, interim Head of Design (Amplitude):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejennychang/

Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: https://katesyuma.substack.com/

* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

Where to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/

* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/

What we’ve covered in this episode:

00:00 Introduction and Background

06:11 Transitioning from IC to Manager

14:20 Mindset Shifts for Becoming a Leader

18:12 Maintaining Well-being During Career Growth

25:13 Data-Informed Culture and Who Should Use Data

29:22 Collaboration Between Stakeholders and Data Teams

36:00 Engaging Data Meetings

46:24 Data Questions for Designers

49:22 Surprising Data Insights

51:36 Recommended Resources

51:53 Conclusion and Contact Information

Resources referenced:

* Julie Zhuo Zhou, “The Making of a Manager”: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Manager-What-Everyone-Looks/dp/0735219567

* Scott Belsky, “The Messy Middle”: https://www.amazon.com/Messy-Middle-Finding-Through-Hardest/dp/0735218072/

* C. Pam Zhang, “Land of Milk and Honey”: https://www.amazon.com/Land-Milk-Honey-Pam-Zhang/dp/0593538242/

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.com

Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.com

Thanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and get all new episodes right in your inbox.