Tame the Mobile Beast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of Tame the Mobile Beast, Tom Butta is joined by Joel Holland, CEO of Harvest Hosts, a membership program that offers RVers unique places to overnight camp across the United States and Canada. Joel shares what inspired him to enter the space, what strategies he has leveraged to grow the community, and key lessons he has had on his entrepreneurial journey. 

Harvest Hosts was originally founded by Don and Kim Greene in 2010, and once Joel discovered the service, he saw the opportunity to supercharge a loyal customer base with user-friendly technology and expanded locations. So in 2018, he purchased Harvest Hosts and got to work. 

Fast forward to today, Joel and the team have grown the platform to over 9,000 unique locations with over 260,000 members. The conversation explores the keys to this continued success, including a large emphasis on consistently across platforms, which he Joel terms “web-app parity.” Through this strategy, friction and mental burden have been reduced to make booking a stay as simple as possible.  

As the episode continues, Joel shares valuable lessons he’s gained throughout his entrepreneurial journey. He underscores the benefits of acquiring and scaling businesses with proven product-market fit, the necessity of strategic advertising, and the importance of building a strong team. Looking to the future, Joel outlines plans to expand Harvest Hosts' appeal without compromising its unique offerings by incorporating more community-driven features. 

—

Guest Quote

"Our users really didn't appreciate the disjointed experience. And we're always trying to make things easier, not harder. And so web-app parity was the easiest way to take the mental load off the user.” – Joel Holland

—

Time Stamps 

00:46 Meet Joel Holland, CEO of Harvest Hosts

01:39 The rise of adventuring and RV travel

04:45 Harvest Hosts: unique overnight experiences

10:15 Web and app parity for seamless experience

13:34 Joel Holland's journey to Harvest Hosts

18:08 Navigating outsider perspectives

18:28 Effective survey methods

19:01 In-app feedback strategies

21:40 Success stories and growth

22:46 Marketing and advertising insights

24:39 Referral programs and influencers

27:32 Lessons from a CEO

31:26 Rapid fire questions

—

Links

• Connect with Joel Holland on LinkedIn
• Check out Harvest Hosts
• Connect with Tom Butta on LinkedIn
• Check out the Airship Website

In this episode of Tame the Mobile Beast, host Tom Butta sits down with Ajay Prakash, Co-Founder and CEO of Rinse, the #1 delivery app for laundry and dry cleaning services. Founded in 2013, Rinse has been taming the laundry beast through innovative technology working hand in hand with operational excellence. 

Ajay shares why he set out to plant his flag in this space with his friend and Co-Founder James Joun, including how Rinse solves every pain point in the laundering process and how the type of culture they have created has led to their success. 

A simple concept, Rinse creates a seamless pickup and delivery service catering to busy professionals. You’ll hear Ajay credit some of the company’s success to its sophisticated technology infrastructure, which helps manage the “death by 1,000 cuts” of the traditional laundry experience. Additionally, the Rinse team has consistently removed friction from their customer experience through the combination of an advanced SMS system, a clean web experience and a powerfully simple mobile app. 

On the culture side of things, Ajay points out a few of the pillars the team strives to embody. His sophisticated understanding of the founder of experience offers great advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, including their decision to  scale slowly to ensure they could healthily sustain long-term operations and elevate customer experiences.

—

Guest Quote

"As opposed to worrying about the number of customers that come through the door, worry about when they come through the door, how do you make sure they have an amazing experience?" – Ajay Prakash

—

Time Stamps

00:28 Meet Ajay Prakash

01:15 Rinse's Origin Story

04:21 Creating a Seamless Customer Experience

07:01 The Role of Technology in Rinse's Success

10:45 Building a Strong Company Culture

13:00 Strategic Growth and Operational Excellence

17:11 Scaling the Business Nationwide

20:02 Scaling and Supporting Cleaners with Rinse

22:40 Investing in the Face of the Brand

24:57 Advanced Technology

28:06 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

31:44 Rapid Fire Questions

—

Links

• Connect with Ajay Prakash on LinkedIn
• Check out Rinse
• Connect with Tom Butta on LinkedIn
• Check out the Airship Website

In this episode of Masters of Max, host Tom Butta welcomes Julie Ask, a renowned expert in consumer digital experiences and former Principal VP analyst at Forrester Research, Inc.. Julie's extensive background as a futurist and digital product strategist sets the stage for a great discussion on the challenges brands face in orchestrating seamless digital experiences. 

During the interview, Julie highlights the evolving landscape of consumer digital experiences, emphasizing the importance of immersive interfaces on mobile devices and the growing trend towards “invisible” experiences that anticipate and fulfill consumer needs. While in the past, most consumers would actively pull information from brands when desired, Julie emphasizes that now consumers expect brands to push relevant offerings to them. 

As the discussion progresses, Tom and Julie explore the impact of AI on digital experiences, touching on the complexities of using generative AI and the need for brand authenticity and control. They address the critical importance of trust in gaining customers willing to provide information to brands  as well as the challenges organizations face in stitching together data silos to orchestratie cross-channel interactions spanning different business functions. Julie underscores the need to break down organizational silos to deliver cohesive interactions because ultimately: “the customer doesn't want to see functions within your brand, the customer wants to see your brand.”

—

Guest Bio

Julie Ask is a technology futurist and digital product strategist who has advised hundreds of global brands on how to design effective consumer engagement strategies to drive business outcomes. Her work defines the evolution of consumer digital experiences and inspires brands to take action. 

During her 20+ years as an industry analyst at Forrester, she researched, developed insights, and wrote hundreds of pieces of research on consumer mobile and digital experiences; delivered dozens of speeches and webinars; appeared regularly on Bloomberg TV; and co-authored a book, The Mobile Mind Shift. 

Her most impactful work included: visions of future digital experiences, realistic assessments of emerging technologies and their capabilities, decision frameworks, consumer behavior models, maturity assessments, technology portfolio recommendations, consumer mobile engagement strategies, and operational- and design best practices. 

—

Guest Quote

"There is going to be more of a demand for orchestration, not just across marketing, but for operations and customer care service as well. Orchestration is probably one of the most difficult challenges that brands are facing as we look at the future of consumer digital experiences. Marketers are going to need to play a very important role in helping solve that problem because they tend to own the outbound messaging channels. Whether it's email, push, SMS, or otherwise. It's a really hard problem to solve.” – Julie Ask

—

Time Stamps 

*(01:10) Who is Julie Ask?

*(02:04) What is changing in the world of digital experience?

*(05:24) Where does AI fit into the equation?

*(07:49) The challenges brands are facing today

*(10:02) It always comes back to data

*(15:31) Why trust is critical to unlocking consumer engagement

*(17:55) What tools marketers can employ to set themselves up for success

*(20:40) Moments vs. Experiences

*(24:17) Who is responsible for the brand // customer relationship 

*(25:15) Overcoming silos 

—

Links

• Connect with Julie Ask on LinkedIn
• Connect with Tom Butta on LinkedIn
• Check out the Airship website

In this episode of Masters of MAX, host Tom Butta welcomes Christie Hefner, the esteemed former chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises. As the longest serving female CEO of a U.S. publicly traded company, Christie led Playboy’s expansion from print to cable TV to online, mobile and ecommerce, massively growing revenue including global retail sales reaching nearly a billion dollars in her last year at the helm. 

Throughout the interview, Christie discusses the importance of embracing change and innovation, highlighting the need for businesses to adapt in a dynamic and unpredictable market. She emphasizes the value of a diverse leadership team, sharing examples of how varied perspectives can drive creativity and problem-solving. 

Christie also stresses the significance of maintaining a direct relationship with consumers in an ever-evolving marketplace, urging companies to prioritize consumer data ownership to create their own strategic advantage.

—

Guest Bio

Christie Hefner is a seasoned professional with more than thirty years’ experience at executive levels in both public and private companies, as well as multiple company directorships. Presently, her portfolio includes advisory work for Newlight Technologies which patented a technology to convert methane into ocean biodegradable plastic and Public Good, an AI-driven digital platform that scalably engages consumers in a brand’s purpose. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Offutt Companies, a multi-billion-dollar agricultural conglomerate.

Previously, Christie served as Chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises for 20 years making her the longest serving female CEO of a U.S. publicly traded company. She was widely credited with developing and leading strategies that repositioned the company from its legacy domestic magazine business to a global multi-media and lifestyle company, massively growing revenue and its brand internationally.. She was on the Fortune 100 Most Powerful Women list for three years.

—

Guest Quote

"There is so much research that shows companies outperform when they have diverse leadership. But it doesn't just happen. And if the only people that are working to identify talent are white men, then you're likely to play in that lane because people refer the people they know or they have an unconscious bias towards someone who seems more like them. If you're intentional about it, you'll build a diverse team, and then the question is about making sure all those voices are heard." – Christie Hefner

—

Time Stamps 

*(01:10) Christie's Legacy

*(04:40) Leading massive change

*(07:49) The power of diverse leadership

*(13:19) Balancing innovation and discipline

*(15:15) Playing to your strengths as a brand

*(20:17) Maintaining your consumer relationships

*(23:29) How Christie generated nearly $1B in global retail for Playboy in one year

*(25:18) The need for more women executives

*(27:56) What Christie is excited for next

—

Links

• Check out Playboy
• Connect with Tom Butta on LinkedIn
• Check out the Airship Website

In this week’s episode of Masters of Max, Tom Butta welcomes Harry Parkes, VP of Product at OVO, a major energy supplier based in Bristol, England. Harry brings a wealth of experience from the product and design fields, and is at the forefront of boosting consumer engagement and facilitating the transition towards sustainable energy use at OVO. Founded over a decade ago, OVO emerged as a challenger in the UK energy sector and now boasts 4M customers.

The conversation dives deep into the philosophical and practical aspects of product design and management. Harry underscores the importance of understanding the user’s context when designing a product or service, drawing parallels between product management and the design field. Both disciplines, he argues, revolve around problem-solving within the situational context of users. 

A significant part of the interview highlights OVO's innovative approach to engaging customers through its mobile app offerings. With the energy sector’s shifting landscape, OVO has benefitted from their customers’ newly sparked interest in conserving energy. The company has invested in app features that allow users to check their energy usage, understand how energy flows through their homes, and offer insights to reduce their carbon footprint and save money. The app plays a critical role in getting customers to engage with their energy and start thinking about where it comes from, fostering an ongoing relationship to advance the decarbonization agenda.

For businesses looking to enhance their mobile engagement and app offerings, Harry provides valuable insights. Emphasizing the significance of understanding customer behaviors, perceptions and profiles, as well as using AI to add real value to customers’ experiences. Harry also highlights OVO’s focused approach to becoming net zero by 2035.

In this week's episode of Masters of Max, host Tom Butta welcomes Vernesa Ćutuk, a CRM specialist, to the podcast. Vernesa has a diverse career background, working with various industries such as telcos, pharmaceuticals, startups, and mobile apps. Most recently, Vernesa was the CRM Marketing manager for Sleep Cycle, the sleep tracking app with over 300,000 monthly downloads. Now, Vernesa consults independently, sharing her expertise in understanding the user journey and promoting a user-centric approach within companies.

During their conversation, Tom emphasizes that simply having a CRM platform doesn’t make your brand automatically customer focused and that you need to actively engage users effectively across different channels. Vernesa also highlights the need to understand user behavior and segmentation to personalize interactions and optimize engagement. 

You’ll also hear Vernesa talk about the concept of being a "T-shaped marketer,” the significance of balancing depth in specialization with breadth in decision-making to address varying customer need, and how brands can foster seamless customer experiences across different touchpoints—physical stores, websites, and mobile apps. 

—

Guest Bio

Vernesa Ćutuk is a CRM marketing consultant who helps businesses in unlocking the true value of their CRM by providing a holistic view of the user lifecycle journey. 

Primarily focusing on B2C, Vernesa works with both large and small companies, providing strategic guidance and hands-on support at every step of the journey using various CRM tools. 

With extensive experience in large corporations, medium-sized companies, and startups across industries such as telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, gaming, publishing, and healthcare.

—

Guest Quote

“From the CRM perspective, as soon as we get their email address, they are entering the loop of onboarding emails, where we show them what we got, try to engage them in a correct way, different product features, et cetera. So not too much, not too little. It's always this balance. We want to check so many things, we want to personalize so many things, we want to ask them so many questions, and this is the perfect timing to ask them because they are new, they are interested.” – Vernesa Ćutuk

—

Time Stamps 

*(02:00) Vernesa's background in the industry

*(05:01) Simply having a CRM System doesn't make you customer-centric

*(06:56) How to be a T-Shaped Marketer

*(11:30) Drive 4x the value from your customers

*(13:06) The app lifecycle

*(17:13) Curating a "cozy" onboarding experience

*(20:58) Advice for creating a unified user experience 

*(28:46) Rapid Fire Questions

—

Links

• Connect with Vernesa Ćutuk on LinkedIn
• Connect with Tom Butta on LinkedIn
• Check out the Airship Website

In this episode of Masters of Max, host Tom Butta welcomes Jonathan Azouri, the CEO of CatchCorner by Sports Illustrated, North America’s top destination for booking sports facilities and activities. Jonathan shares his entrepreneurial journey and passion for innovation, highlighting the importance of keeping a human perspective in business. He emphasizes the impact of every interaction on user experience and the value of hands-on leadership in building successful teams.

Today, you’ll hear Jonathan talk about what inspired him to start CatchCorner by SI, emphasizing accessibility and seamless user experience. And while you may be familiar with similar booking apps made for restaurant reservations, Jonathan addresses the technical complexities and unique requirements involved in sports facility rentals, highlighting the importance of e-signatures and customer safety.

As the conversation progresses, Tom delves into the dual focus of CatchCorner by SI as both a B2B company and a consumer-facing platform. Jonathan explains the company's structured approach, with dedicated teams overseeing facility onboarding and operations, ensuring a cohesive user experience. The partnership with Sports Illustrated further validates Jonathan’s mission of making sports spaces accessible to all.

Jonathan's advice for aspiring app developers centers on meticulous planning, user-centric design, and continuous iteration before coding. He underscores the significance of maintaining quality standards and a strong foundation while scaling a business.

—

Guest Bio

Jonathan Azouri, a Canadian entrepreneur, serves as the co-founder and CEO of CatchCorner by Sports Illustrated. His dynamic career took a significant leap in 2023 when he earned a well-deserved spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.

Jonathan studied at McGill University, graduating in 2016 on the Dean’s Honor List with a Bachelor of Commerce. His profound enthusiasm for both sports and technology has seamlessly converged to form the nexus behind his growing company.

—

Guest Quote

"There's real people behind every single transaction or action being taken. A lot of the times, especially when you are scaling, you kind of just see these numbers but don't think that that's an actual human being. If you don't keep that perspective, as simple as it may sound, then you kind of lose touch. And when you lose touch, that's when the experience really goes down. So, each interaction with each different screen is going to impact how they felt and how they actually enjoyed your product.” – Jonathan Azouri

—

Time Stamps 

*(01:26) Jonathan's Background

*(04:12) What is CatchCorner by Sports Illustrated?

*(06:57) Expanding accessibility 

*(07:48) Serving both sides of the business successfully

*(10:40) Matching your users' last great experience

*(14:15) The growth Jonathan & CatchCorner by SI have experienced 

*(17:42) Jonathan's advice for other app builders 

*(20:10) Rapid Fire Questions

—

Links

• Connect with Jonathan Azouri on LinkedIn
• Check out CatchCorner by SI
• Connect with Tom Butta on LinkedIn
• Check out the Airship Website

Welcome to this week's episode of Masters of Max with host Tom Butta. Today, Tom is joined by John Gregory, a seasoned professional with a diverse background spanning retail, media, and digital. John has worked with renowned brands like Macy's, Bloomingdale's, AOL, Pandora, and Spotify.

Throughout the conversation, John emphasizes the importance of brand continuity and delivering a remarkable and consistent customer experience across all touchpoints. He highlights the value of personalization and leveraging listener data in mobile app experiences to create engaging and relevant interactions. John also discusses the significance of balancing performance-oriented marketing with brand marketing to attract new audiences.

He advises companies to focus on innovation, experimentation, and staying flexible in the ever-changing digital landscape. Overall, this interview provides universal insights and advice for any brand seeking to improve their mobile engagement and app offerings. John's extensive experience makes this interview a must-listen for any company looking to navigate the ever-changing digital landscape.

—

Guest Bio

John Gregory joined Spotify in April 2020 as Global Retail Category Development Officer to lead the retail vertical that supports efforts with key strategic partners in this industry sector. His role advocates Spotify’s platform capabilities to the retail industry, collaborating with internal teams to ensure the best solutions for retail clients are in development and also advising the selling organization on how best to address the needs of all sub-categories within the industry.

Earlier in his career, John was VP-Retail Head of Industry at Pandora, Retail Category Development Officer at AOL, and Group VP of National Marketing Strategy and Campaign Planning for Macy’s Inc.

—

Guest Quote

"It all comes down to having a continuity between all the expressions of your brand, whether it be a mobile app or in store or even the advertising you may see throughout your daily life. There has to be a common thread of brand continuity to make it make the most sense and keep that experience with the consumer.” – John Gregory

—

Time Stamps 

*(01:16) John's Background

*(05:01) Proving the value of your users

*(08:08) Curating the experience for each unique consumer

*(10:16) Evolving your physical brand to the digital world

*(12:07) All about experience

*(16:59) Spotify’s “The Stage Experience”

*(19:24) Advice for digital native brands

*(22:34) Rapid Fire Questions

—

Links

• Connect with John Gregory on LinkedIn
• Connect with Tom Butta on LinkedIn
• Check out the Airship Website

In this episode of Masters of Max, our host, Tom Butta, sits down with Frank Bach, a product designer at Instagram. Born in Canada, Frank started his career in graphic design, later transitioning into the digital space. After over seven years with the mindfulness app, Headspace, Frank transitioned to his current role at Instagram. Beyond his daytime role, you can also find him running the Sunshine Shop, an lifestyle brand elevating underrepresented artists, or leading the vocals for the band Monk. 

At the heart of the conversation is the intersection of brand, experience, and how to foster mobile app engagement. Frank shares about his time at Headspace, where he faced the challenging task of maintaining the company's stellar growth trajectory in the face of increasing competition. Stressing the link between experience and brand, he emphaisized that while your internal teams might be segmented, you need to remember your customer only sees one external brand.

Frank discusses the dynamics of working at Instagram and his commitment to making it the best platform for creators. He emphasizes the importance of face-to-face time - even in our increasingly virtual world - and why building relationships within the workplace are critical to those still building their careers. Tune in for an enlightening conversation sure to inspire both app developers and brand strategists alike.

The views and opinions expressed in this conversation are Frank Bach's and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of his employer.

—

Guest Bio

Frank is a Staff Product Designer working at Instagram, previously Headspace and Red Bull with a diverse background in social media, healthcare, habit formation, ecommerce, sports & entertainment. He's skilled in creating joyful experiences for beloved brands and has experience designing growth initiatives, engagement and retention features, 0-1 projects, and more. 

—

Guest Quote

"Growth is a multi-headed monster. You have to tackle it from all ways and see what is getting you the best traction. The train is moving all the time, but the people are kind of flying in and out of it nonstop. The customer you were talking about two years ago, it's probably very different from the one you're talking about today" – Frank Bach

—

Time Stamps 

*(01:26) Frank's Background

*(05:17) Sunrise Shop

*(09:14) Frank's band, Monk

*(12:07) Experience is brand

*(15:02) Navigating massive app growth

*(21:37) How to thrive in a remote-first environment

*(26:08) Making big impacts across large organizations 

*(28:28) Rapid Fire Questions

—

Links

• Connect with Frank Bach on LinkedIn
• Check out Instagram
• Listen to Monk
• Shop at Sunshine Shop
• Connect with Tom Butta on LinkedIn
• Check out the Airship Website

In this week’s episode, we learn about Meg Dryer, the General Manager of the Consumer Business for Evidation, a healthtech app offering health tracking, reward features, and access to research institutions. Meg is an individual who uniquely blends engineering and design, having started her journey in engineering before pursuing art and design. This shift towards experience design has lasted throughout her career, and you’ll hear how profoundly it has impacted her work.

Evidation leverages health data from wearables and smartphones to impact healthcare decisions, setting the stage for objective, data-informed discussions between patients and doctors. With Data Privacy Day on the horizon (January 28th!), Meg emphasizes the importance of data transparency in crafting a delightful consumer-grade healthcare experience.

Meg offers valuable insights throughout the conversation. She advocates how she and her team have found success in designing for the 'off moments', allowing their users to disengage when they need to and re-engage easily on their own terms. She also emphasizes the importance of allowing users to switch their focus, whether it's from activity level to sleep patterns. These strategies maintain long-term engagement.

Meg also shares advice for listeners who aim to improve their own practices. Intensive user involvement, maintaining a beginner's mindset, and practicing patience forms the crux of successful design. Meg insists on going beyond the present app scope and envisioning the future experience based on deep qualitative research, ensuring that the product is tailored to meet both the obvious and unspoken needs of the users.

—

Guest Bio

Meg Dryer is the General Manager of Consumer at Evidation, where she is responsible for Evidation's presence in the market. Prior to Evidation, Meg was VP of Consumer Experience at Cambia Health Solutions. Before moving into healthcare, Meg led teams at Nike where she worked on projects such as the Rio Olympics and at IDEO, where she did venture and business design. Her work is deeply human-centric: she cares deeply about understanding customer needs and crafting solutions and stories to meet these needs. Meg has a BS in Interaction Design from Stanford University and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

—

Guest Quote

"If you are trying to force someone in your app or your experience to maintain that high level of engagement, they drop off. But if you craft an experience designed for the off moments, where it's okay for it to take a back seat for a while, people can re-engage when they're ready. You keep that longitudinal engagement over time.” – Meg Dryer

—

Time Stamps 

*(01:22) Meg's Background

*(05:40) What is Evidation?

*(08:04) Capturing the data from your lived experience

*(11:46) The sensitivity of health data

*(13:27) Solving the tension between data privacy and design

*(18:26) Evidation's superpower

*(20:17) Redesigning the healthcare experience

*(22:47) Lessons for others looking to redesign their app

*(26:12) How to maintain user engagement all year long

*(31:03) Rapid Fire Questions

—

Links

• Connect with Meg Dryer on LinkedIn
• Check out Evidation
• Connect with Tom Butta on LinkedIn
• Check out the Airship Website