How I Tested That

In this episode I’m joined by Bill Fienup. He’s the co-founder of mHUB, one of the world’s leading hardtech innovation centers, located in Chicago, IL.We explore how he went from building Nerf gun prototypes at MIT to creating a space where thousands of hardware founders can prototype, test, and scale physical products. What started out as a meetup group and a spreadsheet, grew into a full ecosystem with millions of dollars in equipment and billions of dollars in economic impact.Bill shares how to test hardware ideas without burning capital, why most teams over-focus on feasibility instead of desirability, and how to validate what people will actually pay for before you build.If you’re working on physical products, or funding them, this episode is a masterclass in how to test before you invest.Enjoy my conversation with Bill Fienup.TakeawaysStart with the problem, not the solution. The biggest risk isn’t building something, it’s solving a problem that customers don’t care enough about to act on.Desirability and willingness to pay matter more than feasibility early. Teams often over-focus on building, but the real uncertainty is whether customers value the solution enough to pay.Test demand before investing in development. Simple experiments like landing pages or fake purchase flows can validate real interest before committing resources.Iterate in spirals, not stages. Move across desirability, feasibility, and viability repeatedly, increasing investment only as uncertainty is reduced.Avoid building the wrong thing the right way. Strong execution can’t fix a fundamentally misaligned product, validation must come before scale.Use competition as validation. Existing solutions signal real demand and confirm the problem is worth solving.Focus on the majority, not edge cases. Designing for the loud minority can increase cost and complexity without improving overall product-market fit.Community can be a powerful starting point. MHub began as a meetup and shared spreadsheet, showing how real user pain can evolve into a scalable ecosystem.Guest LinksmHub’s Website: https://www.mhubchicago.com/LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fienup/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

SummaryIn this episode I’m joined by Dr. Akvile Ignotaite, a data scientist and founder building AI-powered skin health technology used by more than 800,000 people around the world.We explore how her team combines data science, health tech, and creative marketing to rethink skincare for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. From building a vast skin care dataset to launching a TikTok influencer pimple called Pimsy that has almost 40k followers, Akvile shares how cultural insights and small tests drive their product strategy.We also get into the challenges of building health technology for younger audiences, how to test ideas across different global markets, and why treating skin as a health problem, changes how you design products and measure success.If you’re interested in experimentation and AI in health you’ll enjoy my chat with Akvile.TakeawaysStart small and imperfect to learn faster. The team prioritizes quick MVPs, sometimes built in days, to test ideas before investing heavily in development, branding, or marketing.Customer language and psychology matter. The original millennial-focused “compliance app” failed because it sounded too technical; shifting to Gen Z language, emojis, and storytelling dramatically improved adoption.Meet users where they already are. Channels like TikTok became critical for reaching younger audiences, even though the team initially resisted the platform.Creative experimentation can unlock growth. The “Pimsy” influencer pimple character started as a small test and quickly grew to tens of thousands of followers, proving unconventional ideas can resonate strongly with audiences.Micro-learning can drive high engagement. A simple, quickly built “myths vs. facts” quiz feature created massive engagement and generated valuable behavioral data about user beliefs.User feedback is a competitive advantage. Hiring a developer who criticized the Android experience highlighted the importance of listening closely to real user complaints and improving where customers actually are.Cultural assumptions can mislead founders. Expanding into India revealed how preconceived ideas about markets, healthcare practices, and culture can be wrong, reinforcing the need for curiosity and humility.Structured programs don’t always fit real user behavior. Highly designed 6- or 8-week skincare programs failed because users resisted rigid routines, showing how human behavior often breaks logical product design.Gen Z and Gen Alpha are forming a global digital culture. The app’s success without localization suggests younger generations increasingly share common digital behaviors and language across regions.Guest LinksSystem Akvile: https://systemakvile.com/LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-akvile-ignotaite/Pimsy TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@i.am.pimsy If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode I’m joined by Jim Morris.  We chat about the wake-up call that pushed him from building first to testing first. Jim and I discuss loyalty programs no one wanted, roadmaps filled with sequenced risk, AI prototypes that hallucinate and the uncomfortable reality that confidence often replaces evidence.We also dig into something deeper: why smart teams ignore data, why leaders fall in love once an idea hits the roadmap, and why testing isn’t about better UX,  it’s about real value.Jim shares how he even tests his own teaching process for students at Berkeley.Because as he puts it:“We can build stuff. But if people don’t use it, we’re just creating product debt.”Enjoy my conversation with Jim Morris.TakeawaysTesting is crucial to ensure product effectiveness and user engagement.Data analysis can reveal the true usage of product features.Mindset plays a significant role in how product ideas are perceived and developed.Not all ideas will succeed; testing helps identify the viable ones.User motivation is key to the success of features and programs.Prototyping tools can enhance the testing process but require careful implementation.Learning from failures in testing is essential for growth and improvement.Roadmaps should be flexible to adapt to changing priorities and evidence.It's important to focus on the core value proposition of a product.Continuous experimentation and adaptation are vital in product management.Guest LinksWebsite: https://productdiscoverygroup.com/LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmorrisstanford/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

SummaryIn this conversation, David J Bland and Dan Olsen discuss the evolution of product management, the impact of vibe coding, and the importance of cross-functional collaboration. They explore the challenges of prototyping, user research, and the role of AI in product development. The discussion emphasizes the need for strong product management fundamentals and the future of product management in a rapidly changing landscape.TakeawaysThe awareness of product management has significantly increased over the years.Vibe coding allows for rapid prototyping and testing without heavy technical resources.Cross-functional collaboration is essential for successful product development.User research is becoming more valued in product management.Prototyping should focus on learning rather than just building.AI can assist in generating ideas but lacks judgment in prioritization.The pace of innovation in product tools is accelerating rapidly.Understanding customer problems is crucial for product success.Rushing to high fidelity prototypes can lead to missed opportunities in the problem space.Product management fundamentals will be key in differentiating successful products.Guest LinksWebsite: https://dan-olsen.com/LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danolsen98/YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/danolsenLean Product Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/lean-product/ Vibe Coding Product Brief: https://dan-olsen.com/vibe-coding/Vibe Coding Spectrum: https://dan-olsen.com/vibe-coding/The Lean Product Playbook: https://amzn.to/1EYCUdP If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

SummaryIn this episode we interview David Sauers. He’s the founder of Royal Restrooms, a company that’s redefining what a portable restroom can be. What started with a frustrating moment at a festival turned into David challenging a fundamental assumption: How can we elevate one of the most overlooked parts of any event?He walks us through why weddings became their breakthrough customer segment and how adapting designs for different event types unlocked growth.This isn’t just about restrooms,  it’s about challenging stigma, listening closely to customer signals, and innovating in overlooked spaces. David explains how they are testing their way into showers, beverage trailers, and beyond.Guest LinksLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsauers/Royal Restrooms: https://royalrestroomsca.com/Personal Website: https://www.davidsauers.com/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

SummaryIn this episode we interview Aurora Winter. She’s the founder of Same Page Publishing, an innovative publishing company that helps you launch as a thought leader.Aurora shares her journey from the film industry to becoming a successful author and publisher. We discuss her early assumptions with helping authors through her 'Spoken Author Method' and her testing of new formats like video books. The conversation highlights the importance of storytelling in business, problem-solving, and the value of micro-testing.Guest LinksLinkedIn Profile: https://linkedin.com/in/AuroraWinterSame Page Publishing: https://samepagepublishing.com/Turn Words Into Wealth: https://turnwordsintowealth.com/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

SummaryIn this episode we interview Scott McLeod. Scott is the Chief Brand Officer of Resident, a direct-to-consumer company that designs and sells home furnishings such as mattresses and bedding. They were acquired by Ashley in 2024 for $1 billion.Scott and I chat about his background in design thinking and how it has fueled his passion for experimentation, whether it’s building scrappy MVPs with minimal investment or creating environments where failure is not just accepted, but expected as part of innovation. He shares how he’s helped scale teams while preserving that test-and-learn mindset, why setting clear success criteria is crucial and how to gracefully let go of ideas that don’t deliver.We also dive into the unique challenges of experimenting with physical products versus digital ones, the role of customer feedback in shaping subjective experiences like comfort, and his optimism for how AI and data-driven decision-making will transform the future of product experimentation.I thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with Scott since our days back at Neo together, and I’m confident you’ll learn a lot from our conversation in this episode. Guest LinksLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mescottmcleod/Website: https://www.residenthome.com/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview JL Heather. He’s the Manager Partner at Centered. Centered empowers organizations to innovate by fostering a culture of experimentation.JL and I explore the intricacies of innovation, design sprints, and the importance of leadership in fostering a culture of creativity and experimentation.We discuss the challenges of making innovation stick, the role of customer feedback, and the significance of using the right language to engage teams and leaders.JL emphasizes the need for a collaborative approach to problem-solving and the value of involving customers in the design process.Guest LinksLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlheather/Website: https://centered.work/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview Cathy Nesbitt. She is the Founder of Cathy’s Crawly Composters, a worm composting business focused on sustainability. Cathy shares her journey into the world of worms, detailing how her business was born when the local landfill was shut down and the city began exporting all of their waste. We discuss the challenges she faced in testing her business and how she eventually pivoted her approach to education through workshops in schools. As Cathy reflects on her experiences, she emphasizes the importance of awareness in driving action and the impact her work has had on the community. Guest LinksLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathynesbitt/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview Michael Leung.  Michael, is the CEO and founder of the Flo Group. He’s built his company around a simple mission, which is making hearing solutions accessible, affordable, and life-changing for people of all ages.We discuss how his own personal experiences have shaped his approach to product development and testing. Specifically we dive into how he tested his new, open-ear bone conduction headphones with amplification, before bringing them to market.Michael and I chat about how to test hardware products and the need for affordable and effective hearing solutions.LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-leung-462547298/Website: https://www.theinnerflo.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theflogroup/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

SummaryIn this episode we interview Moita, the Founder and CEO of Product Weekend. He shares his journey from studying aerospace engineering to becoming a product manager and eventually creating what is now called Product Weekend. It is a community of Product Management enthusiasts who share their experiences and take their careers to the next level. I first learned about it on LinkedIn through Melissa Perri and Rich Mironov and have been curiously watching them test it from the outside. I’m super excited to get some of the inside story on how Moita is testing out its unique format. Specifically how they are designing events that foster these deeper conversations. We chat about the need for testing and validating ideas, as well as Moita’s future plans for scaling the events while maintaining their core values.Guest LinksLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joaomoita/Website: https://www.theproductweekend.com/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview Charles Sims. Charles is the ex-CTO for the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team and currently Founder of Skafld, an end-to-end venture studio partner, turning visionary ideas into real-world success. Charles shares his journey from the entertainment industry to becoming the CTO of the Clippers. We dug into how experimentation can improve the NBA fan experience. Everything from how he and his team had to quickly invent an engaging, yet remote, fan experience during the Covid lockdown, to how he used the Unreal Gaming Engine to test the assumptions made during the building of the new cutting edge Intuit Dome.We discuss the lessons learned from his time with the Clippers to the evolving landscape of venture capital. We wrap up with the impact of AI on investors and how it can bridge communication gaps between technical and non-technical teams.Charles Sims LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlessims/Skafld Venture Studio: https://www.skafldstudio.com/ If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview Hala Saleh. Hala is a skilled and thoughtful product leader who I met by coincidence over 10 years ago while reading a copy of the Lean Startup book. We catch up and discuss how the term Minimum Viable Product or MVP has evolved since then and how lean startup principles can be applied outside of the digital product space to things like communities.Hala shares her journey through various roles in tech over the years while emphasizing the need for testing and customer feedback.I really appreciate her thought process on how she tackles problems in different industries. If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview Dr. Michael Neal. He is the Founder of Build My Team, a hiring service for private practices. We explore the rigorous testing of his innovative hiring process. From the initial missteps to the breakthrough system that accurately matches the candidates' natural strengths with the job requirements. In our conversation I learned about psychometric assessments, and the surprising insights that Dr Michael gained along the way. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in improving their hiring practices through data-driven testing and iteration.  If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview Alberto Savoia. Alberto was Google’s first Engineering Director and the author of The Right It - Why So Many Ideas Fail and How to Make Sure Yours Succeed. He also coined the term “pretotyping” and has influenced my thinking over the years. In a previous episode we interviewed Pat Copeland, who authored a white paper with Alberto many years ago.You may not know this, but I quoted Alberto in the Testing Business Ideas book for his Pretend to Own experiment.Over the course of this episode we discussed the evolution of testing and in general, geeked out over testing as two of the premier minds on this subject. If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview Sylvia Hall. Sylvia is the co-founder of Lifted Naturals. We chat about how a company can start out as a solution to a personal problem, but in order to be a viable business, we need to perform customer discovery beyond friends and family to see if there is any traction.Sylvia emphasizes the significance of authenticity in entrepreneurship and the need to rapidly test solutions, and listen to customer feedback. Her insights into how to grow a wellness business should provide valuable lessons for other aspiring entrepreneurs. If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview Dylan Lam. Dylan is an entrepreneur and a growth marketing expert with a focus on e-commerce. His super power is helping companies grow their brands on platforms like Amazon. Dylan shares how he started out by bootstrapping an eBay business from his apartment and testing out what worked, and what didn’t. He then took what he learned to successfully scale the business through automation and dropshipping. While doing this Dylan began to understand the importance of building a brand in e-commerce and how crowdfunding platforms can help you create a community of early adopters.Dylan and I wrap up our conversation by discussing how AI is influencing his day to day work in everything from content creation to physical product design. If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview Matthew Davis.Matthew is the CEO of Davis Business Law and the author of the best selling book, The Art of Preventing Stupid. He shares his journey in the legal profession, discussing the challenges and assumptions he faced when starting his own law firm. Matthew emphasizes the importance of collaboration, work-life balance, and effective marketing strategies in building a successful practice. We talk about how to test for new hires, while exploring the significance of situational leadership in nurturing talent. We wrap up with a thoughtful examination of the impact of AI on the legal industry and how firms can adapt to these changes. If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode we interview Pat Copeland and get a first hand account of how the Dash Button idea was originally tested at Amazon. Everything from how the idea emerged from Bezos’ morning puttering time to the cognitive load customers experienced pushing a button to order a box of sweets and eventually to products like detergent. Even though the product was discontinued, the learning they captured along the way influenced other Amazon initiatives such as Alexa, smart subscriptions, and auto-stocking appliances.Pat shares his perspective on entrepreneurial thinking and building a culture of experimentation from Amazon, but also his time in leadership roles at companies like Autodesk, Microsoft, Google and Zendesk. We wrapped up our conversation with the challenges of scaling ideas, and the future of machine learning in commerce with his latest endeavor, Moloco. If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this podcast episode, Matt Diamante shares his journey into the world of digital marketing and SEO, detailing his early experiences and the evolution of his career. He discusses the importance of testing and analyzing content to achieve success, particularly in the realm of social media. Matt emphasizes the significance of video content in today's marketing landscape and explores strategies for leveraging platforms like LinkedIn to engage audiences effectively. The conversation highlights the challenges and opportunities in navigating the ever-changing digital marketing environment. We explore the intricacies of social media algorithms, particularly focusing on LinkedIn and the strategies for creating engaging content. Matt and I discuss the importance of testing different content formats and styles, the challenges of predicting viral success, and how these principles can be applied beyond social media to enhance business strategies. The conversation emphasizes the need for continuous experimentation and adaptation in the ever-evolving digital landscape. If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.