Learn, Make, Learn

Generative AI: step change or snake oil du jour? We enter this mire with Anmol Anubhai as our guide & insight into the future of GenAI x product creation as our destination. Join us for a refreshingly grounded conversation on a topic that’s typically full of hype.FOLLOW-UPS – 01:42The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Manual Mode Changes Performance EVs ForeverWTF is a Product Manager?Dare

The pressure to repeat history, as in the previous year’s sales for a given product, can be pernicious. We share ideas for unshackling yourself from this weight so that you can avoid, as Marshall McLuhan put it, marching backwards into the future.FOLLOW-UPS – 00:43Humane is looking for a buyerCoffeezilla on the Rabbit R1NOMOS at Watches & WondersNOMOS: The icon in 31 color

The concept of fan service, which originated in anime and is now common across media, has pervaded the world of product creation as well. We discuss what it is & why it’s vital to serve your customers without pandering to them.FOLLOW-UPS – 01:11Progressive Complexity (aka Progressive Disclosure)THE PERILS OF FAN SERVICE – 03:50Star Wars: Fired Solo Directors Didn't Want M

When it comes to products and product innovation, in our new era of higher-for-longer interest rates, enough *is* enough.FOLLOW-UPS – 01:23iOS spacebar memeWindup Watch Fair San FranciscoSteven Pinker is wrong about violence and warERA OF EASY MONEY IS OVER – 12:02The Era of Easy Money Is Over. That’s a Good Thing.The Price of TimeCASE STUDIES: BAD & GOOD — 18:34The Wor

Daniel Kahneman, credited as a grandfather of behavioral economics, passed away in March, and we devote this episode to an unfiltered discussion of his legacy through a product lens.KAHNEMAN’S LEGACY: THE BULL CASE – 01:55NY Times obituary of Daniel KahnemanKAHNEMAN’S LEGACY: THE BEAR CASE – 03:40The “Nudge” of the Obama Era Was Always Neoliberal NonsenseNudge economics

A decade ago, design thinking was all the rage across the corporate world. But, today, it's widely derided as a failed experiment. Is there still a place for design thinking or is it an idea whose time has passed?FOLLOW-UPS – 01:56Time to LearnHublot at Watches & Wonders 2024Cartier Santos-Dumont RewindJLC at Watches & Wonders 2024Should Products be Political?BobbieBobbie

Apologies for our delay this week! In this episode, with the Watches & Wonders show around the corner, we talk watches & the broader lessons we can draw from a product category rooted entirely in emotion.WRIST CHECK – 02:16IWC Pilot’s Watch Chrono Top GunMing 37.07HaliosRavenIn-House vs. Off-the-Shelf MovementsIdris Elba Wears a $500 WatchJOACHIM’S 👍 – 11:39IWCIW

This week, we tackle a thorny topic: Should products be political? And to be clear, we don't mean brand messaging. Instead, our focus is products, and whether makers should intentionally imbue their products with their politics.FOLLOW-UPS – 01:15Eno—a groundbreaking generative film by Gary HustwitApple Vision Pros & ConsHugo Barra on Apple Vision ProSHOULD PRODUCTS BE POLIT

Musician Brian Eno defined a scenius as “the intelligence of a whole operation or group of people,” in contrast to the classic archetype of the lone genius. We debate scenius vs. genius in the context of product—is one more conducive to innovation than the other?FOLLOW-UPS – 01:42The Mentats in DuneMcDonald's ordering system suffers McFlurry of tech troublesHow Apple Sank A

This week, we talk restomods. It’s a concept born of the automotive world—extending the life of a classic car by modernizing it—but we discuss the potential to apply this idea to categories beyond cars. With sustainability now a must-have in product creation, we believe the restomod concept is ripe for mainstream adoption.FOLLOW-UPS – 01:24Behind Apple’s Doomed Car Projec