In this episode, Stephen Hsu, Chief Technology Officer at Calendly, shares his insights on navigating the AI landscape and transforming Calendly into a comprehensive meeting lifecycle platform. He discusses the challenges of evolving from a simple scheduling tool to a robust solution that meets diverse customer needs and the importance of maintaining a customer-centric approach in a competitive market.
Stephen elaborates on his strategic vision for integrating AI across various functions within Calendly, emphasizing the need for a modular product design that can adapt to emerging technologies. He also highlights key trends in the AI space, such as enhancing user experiences and fostering deeper integrations with existing tools.

What you'll learn:
- Stephen's journey to becoming CTO at Calendly and his vision for the company's growth.
- Strategies for transitioning from a basic scheduling feature to a comprehensive product suite.
- The significance of understanding customer needs in product development.
- Insights into the competitive landscape of AI and scheduling solutions.

Key Takeaways👇:
Customer-Centric Innovation: Stephen stresses that aligning product development with customer needs is crucial for success. Leveraging AI can significantly enhance user experiences and streamline workflows.
Modular Product Design: He advocates for flexible architectures that allow rapid adaptation to new capabilities, ensuring products remain relevant as technology evolves.
Focus on Activation Metrics: Understanding what constitutes user activation is vital. Stephen emphasizes the importance of defining clear activation metrics to foster long-term user retention.

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Brought to you by:
Sprig, a product experience platform that generates AI-powered opportunities to continuously improve your product at scale. Sprig AI captures your product experience in real time through Heatmaps, Replays, Surveys, and Feedback studies and instantly analyzes all of your product experience data to generate real-time insights.
Join product teams at Figma and Notion by uncovering AI-powered product opportunities at scale. Visit sprig.com/productschool to book a demo and get a $75 gift card.

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Stephen Hsu

In this episode, Frank te Pas, Head of Enterprise Product at Perplexity AI shares his journey in the AI landscape, detailing his role in transforming Perplexity into an innovative answer engine that challenges traditional search paradigms. He discusses the complexities of integrating AI into products, the importance of a modular approach to product design, and how to maintain a customer-centric focus in a rapidly evolving tech environment.

Frank dives into his strategic framework for becoming an AI-first company, emphasizing how to prioritize AI integration across various functions. He also addresses the future of AI in product management, highlighting trends such as modular systems, and enhanced user experiences.

What you'll learn:
- Frank's journey to becoming Head of Enterprise Product at Perplexity AI and his vision for the company's future.
- The challenges and strategies involved in integrating AI into existing product ecosystems.
- How to effectively transition from a traditional model to an AI-first approach.
- The AI landscape and its key players.

Key Takeaways👇:
- Customer-Centric Innovation: Frank emphasizes that understanding customer needs is vital for successful product development. Leveraging AI can significantly enhance user experiences and streamline operations.
- Modular Product Design: He advocates for creating flexible backends that allow companies to adapt quickly to new AI capabilities, ensuring products remain relevant as technology evolves.
- Embracing Lifelong Learning: Frank highlights the importance of networking and engaging with experts to deepen understanding of AI, suggesting that curiosity and proactive learning are key to mastering new skills.

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:
Sprig, a product experience platform that generates AI-powered opportunities to continuously improve your product at scale. Sprig AI captures your product experience in real time through Heatmaps, Replays, Surveys, and Feedback studies and instantly analyzes all of your product experience data to generate real-time insights.
Join product teams at Figma and Notion by uncovering AI-powered product opportunities at scale. Visit sprig.com/productschool to book a demo and get a $50 gift card.

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Frank te Pas

In this episode of #TheProductPodcast we chat with Jessica Hall, Chief Product Officer at Just Eat Takeaway. Jessica shares her journey in the food delivery industry, detailing her role in transforming Just Eat Takeaway into a global leader that serves over 81 million customers across 19 countries. She discusses the complexities of re-platforming a product, integrating diverse team cultures after multiple acquisitions, and simplifying the user experience of a multi-feature platform.

In this episode, Jessica dives into her strategic framework for product expansion, focusing on how she prioritizes new markets, users, and use cases. She also addresses the future of food delivery, highlighting trends such as AI, self-driving cars, and virtual kitchens. Jessica emphasizes the importance of maintaining a customer-centric approach while navigating the challenges of a rapidly evolving industry.

Key Takeaways👇:
- Customer-Centric Innovation: Jessica highlights that understanding customer needs is vital for driving successful product development. Just Eat Takeaway's expansion into non-food items reflects their commitment to convenience.
- Culture Integration Post-Acquisition: She shares insights on creating a unified culture within a diverse workforce, emphasizing that engagement and communication are crucial for overcoming challenges.
- Simplicity Before Automation: Jessica advocates for simplifying processes before automating them, ensuring that businesses can operate more efficiently and effectively while reducing costs.

Social Links:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:
Sprig, a product experience platform that generates AI-powered opportunities to continuously improve your product at scale. Sprig AI captures your product experience in real time through Heatmaps, Replays, Surveys, and Feedback studies and instantly analyzes all of your product experience data to generate real-time insights.
Join product teams at Figma and Notion by uncovering AI-powered product opportunities at scale. Visit sprig.com/productschool to book a demo and get a $50 gift card.

Credits:

Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Jessica Hall