Better Product

What happens when your audience doesn’t use your product like you anticipated they would? If you’re like Stephanie Ragozzino, you evolve your solution to deliver the right user experience. Stephanie is the EVP of Product Development at PERQ, which leverages Artificial Intelligence to help guide buyers through complex purchase decisions. PERQ wasn’t always a digital product company, but they had a vision for how a product could elevate their existing service business. When Stephanie joined, she took this vision and turned it into a usable and marketable product. However, the journey to identifying and building the right product didn’t happen overnight. In this week’s conversation, you’ll hear how Stephanie was able to continually evolve PERQ’s product offering to deliver true value to its end user. She also shares her insights on how a great product may be great, but without the right support staff (i.e. sales and marketing), the product means nothing: It just becomes another tool.  Connect with Stephanie Le

Having a product-market fit doesn’t guarantee sales, and sometimes, founders find out the hard way. Jon Gilman started Clear Software with a clear vision of who his end users were. That vision had to shift as he quickly learned he was selling to the wrong audience. His messaging wasn’t resonating, and his demos weren’t converting. Instead of closing up shop, he changed his go-to-market strategy to deliver in the enterprise space.   Join Christian and Anna as they discuss how Jon navigates the complex sale to drive value for his end users. Connect with Jon Learn more about Clear Software Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

Throughout Season One of Better Product, we’ve been fortunate to have some amazing guests on our show from product marketers, to head of products, to the CEOs who run these organizations. One thing we ask all our guests is, what is better product? We’ve sourced some amazing answers and as a way to close out our first season, we are sharing the answers to this now infamous question with you. So, what does Better Product mean to you? Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap  

Can you turn a services business into a digital product company without losing the human element? Sally Reasoner had this same question when Ascend decided to build a product with the goal of serving their customers better. Ascend’s mission is to connect college students to the right job opportunities. Join Christian and Anna on this week’s show as they discuss how companies can use products to scale without sacrificing personalization. From Sally’s viewpoint, the product enabled their growing organization to provide better service without losing the personal touch, which drives partnerships and relationships. In this episode, you’ll hear Ascend’s approach to taking customer feedback and how they use it to fuel improvements on all levels of the business. We go beyond the product to uncover how technology and people can truly work together to deliver on the company’s value proposition.   Connect with Sally Learn more about Ascend Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

How do you start a tech company when you don’t have a tech background? That’s the position Carrie Griffith was in when she started Little Nugget, a baby photo app that helps parents personalize, organize and treasure their favorite moments. This week on the Better Product podcast, we’re breaking down the process of bringing a product vision to life when you’re not a ‘tech person.’ Carrie was her own user case study, yet she quickly learned the power of research and connecting with a community outside of her existing circle. So before a line of code was ever created, she spent nine months asking questions, seeking feedback, and understanding her audience. Some of the best tech companies have non-tech founders. In this episode, you’ll hear what unique advantage you may have and how you, too, can bring your product vision to life. Connect with Carrie Learn more about Little Nugget Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

How do you balance the old with the new? For product companies, knowing your audience and continually evaluating your portfolio is key to driving value for your users. This week on Better Product, we are talking with Amy Reitz (@AmyReitz), General Manager of the Intersect™ product line at Hobsons, which offers a recruitment optimization platform for higher ed admissions offices. On this episode, you’ll hear why Hobsons was forced to take a step back because their portfolio, made up of more than 80 products, was in conflict - the story no longer made sense. Going beyond the financial drivers for scaling down their product line, Amy shares how the team reexamined its vision and mission to differentiate in the marketplace. Find out how Amy and her team decided which products to keep, which ones to retire, and why.   Connect with Amy Learn more about Hobsons Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

How do you build an audience when you don’t yet have a product? This week on the Better Product podcast, we’re talking with Dave Gerhardt (@davegerhardt), VP of Marketing at Drift and author of Conversational Marketing. When Dave, a.k.a “DG”, started with Drift, there was no product. Yet his first assignment was to build an audience. So, how did he do it? He started by asking questions. Just like when you go to build your product, you talk to who you think the end user is. You ask them questions, you seek to understand their pain. Then you build, or, in this case, you create the content. You’ll learn how DG focused his content to serve their future product users. In doing so, he built an established audience who already trusted Drift as a brand. So when it was time to launch the product, they already had users in place. If you feel like you’re fighting a product feature war - or just struggling with marketing in general - this episode is a must-listen. Connect with Dave Learn more about Drift Connect with C

How can you build a product based on feedback and observations, all while staying true to the problem you’re trying to solve in the first place? On this week’s episode of Better Product, you’ll hear from Rod Feuer, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Costello, an AI-driven software platform designed to help salespeople sell better. When it comes to Rod’s target market, he knows his users. He understands exactly what they do, how they do it, the way they make decisions, and what is important to them. In this episode, you’ll learn how Rod and his team eagerly seek feedback - listening to their customers and not just doing what they say, but taking it a step further, interpreting it based on their knowledge of these users’ behavior and needs. If you’re struggling with your product-market fit - or what that even means - this episode is for you. Connect with Rod Learn more about Costello Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

What matters most when it comes to digital product? Is it design? Is it the features? The functions? Or is it marketing? Cara Wagner (@cara_saur) is the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Mimir, a software company that grows the software engineering workforce through its core product, Mimir Classroom. In this episode, Cara digs into how to develop marketing strategies for your product. You’ll also hear a brand new perspective on how product companies should think about marketing and PR. If you’re part of a startup or product company, you should start thinking about incorporating PR into your long-term marketing plans. If you’re looking to learn how to develop compelling marketing methods for a highly technical product, this episode is a must-listen. Connect with Cara Learn more about Mimr Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

When is the right time to build a new product? And who should lead the charge: Sales or product? What features should you build and when? These are the questions we explore in this week’s episode. We’re talking to Jeremy Leventhal, Chief Product Officer for Springbuk, a health analytics software company. You’ll hear product management best practices and Jeremy’s insight when it comes to first to market versus best in market. Learn how he managed a complex roadmap for launching a new product. You’ll also hear from Innovatemap’s Lacey Lavies (Innovatemap’s product management and strategy expert) on how to handle and react to customer feedback. No matter what your level of experience, this conversation with Jeremy is a must-listen for product managers. Connect with Jeremy Learn more about Springbuk Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap  

Where does digital product fit in a market that traditionally relies on manual processes? In this episode with Dan Moyers, Vice President of Product and Solutions for 120WaterAudit, we dive into a digital product in the public sector and how to build product features that are customer informed - not customer driven. You’ll learn the difference. You’ll also hear how Dan leverages design deliverables for both the product development team and sales and how to use those mockups for product iteration. And if that’s not enough, you’ll also learn how to identify product market success in business to consumer (B2C) and apply those learnings to business to business (B2B). Connect with Dan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danmoyers Learn more about 120WaterAudit - https://120wateraudit.com/ Connect with Christian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Connect with Anna - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-eaglin/ Learn more about Innovatemap - https://innovatemap.com/podcast

What would happen if the engineers who created the product  actually spent time with the end users? That’s what Myles Grote, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, and Tyler Hill, Chief Design Officer, of Upper Hand, wanted to find out. Hear how an off site experience gave new perspective and drove innovation for this digital product company. Join us as  our hosts dig into the details of what it takes to transform a product company to find the right market fit. You will learn how design drives decisions, what to consider, and how to educate users when changes are made. We end the episode with a conversation with special guest and designer at Innovatemap,  Jon Moore, who provides key insights on how to design new features by looking both ahead and behind. Connect with Myles - https://www.linkedin.com/in/myles-grote-b613a57 Connect with Tyler - https://tylerhill.me/ Learn more about Upper Hand -https://www.getupperhand.com/ Connect with Christian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Connect with Anna -

How do you go from your first user to your millionth? How can product integrations be strategic for growing a company’s user base? And how do you decide what integrations are worth creating? These questions and more are explored in this episode with Dan Hanrahan, (@danhanrahan8), Founder and President of Sigstr. Dan gives us insights on packaging, pricing, and when to make the decision to build again. If you’re looking to evolve your product and take your company to the next level, then this is one conversation you don’t want to miss. Connect with Dan - https://twitter.com/danhanrahan8 Learn more about Sigstr - https://www.sigstr.com/ Connect with Christian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Connect with Anna - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-eaglin/ Learn more about Innovatemap - https://innovatemap.com/

The product pitch deck is often the ‘thing’ you need to fundraise, to share the vision and to secure buy-in. For many, the pitch ends up guiding the development of the product. On this episode, we’re talking with Chelsea Linder. She’s the Director of the gBeta Indy program - a seven week accelerator program for early stage companies. A common misconception we explore is that people think it’s easy to 1) develop a product and 2) raise money. But she’s telling us right now, those people are wrong. It’s a full-time job - and you’ll hear why. You’ll also hear from our resident expert Brittany Young on the right way to think about your pitch deck. Regardless of where you are in your product development - from your first one to refining features - this conversation will give you the roadmap of what to include in your pitch deck. Connect with Chelsea - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseaclinder Connect with gBeta - https://www.gbetastartups.com/indy/ Connect with Christian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbe

Does product lead marketing or does marketing lead product? This is the question we set out to answer on this episode with Kyle Lacy, VP of Marketing at Lessonly. Outside of exploring this question, you’ll learn how Kyle launched the brand’s first user conference that didn’t feel like a user conference, and how they doubled down on their brand messaging while making sure the company never lost the voice of its founder - Max Yoder. In this episode, you’ll learn why Lessonly’s do-better work position is consistent through their product brand, messaging and product experience. You’ll also hear how this business-to-business product company refocused its brand message with an emphasis on connecting with its audience on a human level. Learn more about Lessonly Learn more about Kyle Connect with Kyle Connect with Christian Connect with Anna Learn more about Innovatemap

What is better product? And how do we create it? From Innovatemap, hosts Christian Beck and Anna Eaglin are on a mission to answer these questions. In its first season, Better Product will feature product leaders and product practitioners from marketing to design. This podcast was created based on the belief that the better products we have in the marketplace, the better experiences we create, the better work we inspire, and the better our lives become. Connect with Christian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianmbeck/ Connect with Anna - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-eaglin/ Learn more about Innovatemap - https://innovatemap.com/