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Hi there and thank you for following UserTesting’s Human Insight Podcast.  We just launched the new Insights Unlocked podcast and will no longer be publishing the Human Insights Podcast.  If you’ve enjoyed the Human Insights Podcast, we recommend following Insights Unlocked where you can get UX tips and insights from experts behind some of the most successful digital transformations and experiences in the world. Link to the new show Insights Unlocked Thank you for listening! Follow our new show: Insights Unlocked

In this episode, Andy and Janelle recap season six of the Human Insight Podcast. Thank you to all the listeners of the podcast, wherever you may be. And thank you to all the guests for making time for us and sharing their stories. We’re currently planning Season 7. If you have an insight you want us to investigate, or a guest you recommend, please email us at [email protected].  Follow our new show: Insights Unlocked

In this episode, we curated 13 clips from past episodes of the Human Insight Podcast to give you insights on being a better product leader.  You will hear from C. Todd Lombardo, author of several books including Product Roadmaps Relaunched; Silicon Valley Product Group’s Christian Idiodi; Product School’s Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia, Harvard Business School’s Julia B. Austin, Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking; Teresa Torres, author of Continuous Discover Habits, Ignition’s Karthik Suresh, and IDEO’s Iain Roberts. How the role of product management evolvingHow the product leader’s role has changedKey skills product managers need to be successful3 fundamental characteristics that makes a great product managerWhat makes a great product teamThree pillars of radical product thinkingWhat is continuous discoveryWhy customer feedback is critically important to your successKey elements for a successful product launchHow do you include execs in a design sprintHow do you know when you have good product market fitThe seven diseases of  of product strategy & developmentThe future of productFollow our new show: Insights Unlocked

What is Human Insight? What can you do with human insight? And how do you get started gathering human insight?  Those are the big three questions the Center for Human Insight, presented by UserTesting, hopes to answer.  “People tend to think of user tests as being something just tied to usability when in fact it's a way to get broad feedback on anything that you need to get reactions to or input on in real time,” said Michael Mace, VP of the Center for Human Insight. “And the range of things you can do with it, the range of things you can learn are just amazing. We want to bring that to life for everybody so that they see what you can do.” Mace along with Michael Domanic, Head of Solutions Partners at UserTesting; and Sean Treiser, Insights Strategist at UserTesting, were guests on this week’s episode of the Human Insight Podcast.  In their conversation, they also discussed:  What is the Center for Human InsightWho is the center’s target audienceHow does someone submit an article or tip for gathering feedback to the centerLinks from the show Center for Human Insight Emailing the center: [email protected] Follow our new show: Insights Unlocked

Customer onboarding is critical to the success of a business not just in activation, but in the long-term retention of those users. Typically, we think of the example of when we sign up a new customer and then onboard them on our product or service.  But onboarding is more than that. You’ll need to re-onboard a once-every-few-months user every time they log on. And you’ll need to successfully onboard a customer every time you release a new product feature.  “If you don't,” says Pulkit Agrawal, cofounder and CEO of Chameleon, “that feature won't get adoption activation, retention, and won’t be part of the reason why customers stick around.” Chameleon helps companies build better onboarding experiences. Agrawal was this week’s guest on the Human Insights Podcast, joining co-hosts Andy MacMillan and Janelle Estes.  “User onboarding, while it's typically considered at the start of the product journey, really applies across the product lifecycle as you build functionality,” Agrawal said. “And in the world of product-led today, where really the companies that have the best products and the most usage in engagement are the ones that win, it's really vital that companies have a method, a process, a system and tooling to continue to onboard users onto features and continue to drive engagement adoption.” Listen to the episode and learn more about:  Why companies should focus on the why and not just the how with onboardingThe importance of onboarding, especially in a usage-based pricing modelHow a friction log can help improve your customers’ onboarding experiencesEpisode links:  ChameleonPulkit Agrawal on LinkedInChameleon funding roundGerrard: My Autobiography by Steven GerrardNudge: The Final Edition by Richard H. ThalerJonathan Livingston Seagull: The Complete Edition by Richard BachFollow our new show: Insights Unlocked

Welcome to our second annual roundup of book recommendations from guests on the Human Insight Podcast.  It is a good mix of books, covering creativity, money, innovation and product development. There is even a children’s book recommendation, as well as one for a newsletter.  And don’t forget, our own Janelle Estes and Andy MacMillan also wrote User Tested, which was published earlier this year.  Brave New Work by Aaron DignanGerrard: My Autobiography by Steven GerrardNudge: The Final Edition by Richard H. ThalerJonathan Livingston Seagull: The Complete Edition by Richard BachBuild: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony FadellThe Gruffalo in Scots by Julia DonaldsonThe Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dalai LamaThe Marginalian by Maria PopovaDare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené BrownThe Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness by Morgan HouselBirdgirl By Mya-Rose CraigEnd of Bias: A Beginning by Jessica NordellInvisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado PerezHow Democracies Die by Steven LevitskyPermanent Record by Edward SnowdenThe Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you by Rob FitzpatrickOrbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzieThe Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing by Benjamin GrahamLean Enterprise: How High Performance Organizations Innovate at Scale by Jez HumbleNonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall RosenbergFollow our new show: Insights Unlocked

Julia Austin is a strong advocate for feedback never stopping, whether she is pushing her students to get out and talk with customers or talking with business leaders.  “I'll get this question, especially from founders early on, of ‘when do I stop talking to my customers and getting feedback and start building my product?,’” said Austin, Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School’s Rock Center for Entrepreneurship where she currently teaches Startup Operations. “And I'm like, ‘Never ... You need to be talking to them all the time.” In this episode of the Human Insight Podcast, Austin joins UserTesting’s CEO Andy MacMillan and Chief Insights Officer Janelle Estes to discuss the importance of customer feedback, as well as:  What makes a great product manager?How do you know when you have product market fit?Her advice to legacy companies making the digital transition and developing new products or reinventing how their current products are offered in the marketplace?Links in the show:  Julia on LinkedInJulia on TwitterJulia's page at the Harvard Business SchoolCourse description for her class, StartupOperationsGood for HerFollow our new show: Insights Unlocked

You have to understand how people work, and why, says Kaj van de Loo, UserTesting’s Chief Technology Officer, on this week’s episode of the Human Insight Podcast.  “What do they actually want to do or need to do to reach their goals, vs. what are they doing as weird workarounds or because they are being told to do,” he said. “Look at the former, and support it. In our case, every product manager, designer, and engineer wants to understand our customers and users and they all want to hear about how our product is being used, what people think of it, and how we can make it better. We lean into that.”  In their conversation with Kaj, co-hosts Andy and Janelle ask him about business workflows and how the pandemic and digital acceleration changed the way we think about processes and workflows.  The also discuss how understanding how people work, and how they leverage tools and technology, as well as customer insights, to launch products successfully.  Follow our new show: Insights Unlocked

Producer’s note: This week’s episode is a conversation Janelle had with futurist and author Brian Solis at The Human Insight Summit held last week in New Orleans. We hope you enjoy the conversation.  Do you know how your customers experience your brand today? Do you know how they really feel? Do you know what they say when you're not around? You think you know your customers, but you really have no idea–until you talk to them! Brian Solis, author of X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, joined Janelle Estes, UserTesting’s Chief Insights Officer and co-author of User Tested, met onstage in a fireside conversation at The Human Insights Summit last week in New Orleans to discuss the importance of customer understanding and empathy in an always-on world, and why today customer experience is your brand. Solis is a world-renowned digital anthropologist, futurist, 8x best-selling author, and international keynote speaker. He serves as VP, Global Innovation at Salesforce and has consistently been recognized as one of the world's leading voices in innovation, business transformation, and leadership for over two decades. Leveraging insights from each of their books and professional experiences, Brian and Janelle spoke about the parallels in their books and beliefs on powering customer-centric experiences. Follow our new show: Insights Unlocked

Amanda Renteria, the CEO of Code for America, joined the Human Insight Podcast to talk about using technology AND regularly talking with your audience to reimagine government to better serve communities.  Amanda has worked in the financial sector, been a teacher in her hometown, and spent most of her career in the public sector, from serving as Chief of Operations at the California Department of Justice to being national political director for Hilary Clinton’s 2016 US presidential campaign. And, oh yeah, she ran for the U.S. Congress and for California’s state governor. Among the topics discussed include:  Simplifying tax filingCode for America’s Safety Net Innovation LabWhat is human-centered governmentAmanda’s thoughts on Hispanic Heritage Month following her recent appointment by President Biden to his Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for HispanicsLinks in the show:  Amanda Renteria on TwitterCode for America Safety Net Innovation LabSimplified tax filing Follow our new show: Insights Unlocked

The digital acceleration is changing everyone’s lives, especially for designers who are more and more in demand across companies, industries and geographies.  The past decade has seen incredible changes to design, and who is a designer. In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics this year officially recognized the job of “web and digital interface designer,” says Andrew Hogan, who leads insights and analysis at Figma and was this week’s guest on the Human Insight Podcast.  “And there’s also this realization that design can impact things at a business level, call it Big D design,” Hogan said. “It’s not just about moving pixels, it’s also about solving business problems.” Podcast co-hosts Andy MacMillan and Janelle Estes talked with Andrew before Adobe’s announced its intentions to acquire Figma for $20 billion. In addition to discussing how much design has changed, as well as what’s ahead, they also discussed what are the best practices across the industry, especially as it pertains to big, global, and/or enterprise organizations.  Follow our new show: Insights Unlocked

Kausamby Manjita joins the Human Insight podcast this week to discuss her work bringing the complex technologies that Walmart, Alibaba and Amazon use to the rest of the retail world. Kaus is CEO and co-founder of Mason, an all-in-one platform that helps entrepreneurs automate their online stores. Currently, she said, about 98 of every 100 people who land on any online store (that is not big tech) usually drop off before buying anything compared to the 15 of every 100 for a big retailer. She wants to help close that gap for entrepreneurs, especially when the cost of acquiring web traffic to your store is increasing. Additionally, Kaus outlined the specific challenges these owners face, whether that was in sales and promotions, personalization, or data-driven merchandising. She also discussed how she helps these vastly different online businesses connect with their audiences in a way that is authentic. Follow our new show: Insights Unlocked