Jul 03 2024 41 mins
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In today's episode of Good Authority, Jonathan and Christian Idiodi discuss the future of work, human-centric product design, and the importance of empowering people and leadership in the face of emerging technologies like AI. Throughout this episode, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the need for companies to prioritize human skills such as empathy and curiosity to create an empowering work environment where talented people are given problems to solve and are trusted to discover the best solutions. Christian and Jonathan also explore the importance of maintaining a beginner's mindset, experimenting with new approaches, and taking action without fear of failure in leadership roles. As a bonus, you'll learn a bit about what Christian is up to in Africa with his non-profit organization, the Innovate Africa Foundation. They discuss the growing gap between technologists and government officials in Africa and the need for education, collaboration, and critical thinking to address ethical practices and societal impacts.
About Christian:
Christian has been a product leader for over 15 years, building teams and developing enterprise and consumer products that have shaped companies such as CareerBuilder and Merrill Corporation as well as clients such as Microsoft, Starbucks, and Squarespace.
Christian is passionate about helping companies implement the discipline of product management to build world-class products and new technologies. At CareerBuilder, Christian founded and managed CareerBuilder Institute, the industry’s first combined human capital and consumer training platform, creating a new stream of revenue for the company.
As VP of Enterprise Product at Snagajob, Christian conceptualized a new-to-market solution and led the discovery, development, and successful launch of the ReadyHire business line. He designed and led the B2B product strategy for IdentityForce, a leading provider of identity, privacy, and credit protection for individuals, businesses, and government agencies. He then founded Firtsi, a product consulting company that has overseen the product development lifecycle from ideation to launch for over 120+ new products.
Before joining Silicon Valley Product Group, Christian was the Global Head of Product for Merrill Corporation. Christian built the company’s product organization and led them through a transformational, large-scale industry launch of the first SaaS app for due diligence in the finance industry.
Christian teaches product management and innovation at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. He also gives back to his local product community each year by supporting and advising two student-led startups from conceptualization to product delivery.
Christian graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in Psychology and Community Building and earned a dual MBA and MPM from Keller Graduate School of Management.
Connect with Christian:
https://www.svpg.com/team/christian-idiodi/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/
https://www.innovateafricafoundation.org/
Continue the conversation with Jonathan:
https://www.instagram.com/agoodauthority
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