Cieden Podcast

In this episode, we chat with Teresa Torres, one of the most influential thinkers in modern product management, about embedding continuous discovery into your product practice.Teresa is the author of the essential book Continuous Discovery Habits and a world-renowned product discovery coach. For leaders struggling to bridge the gap between company goals and customer needs, this episode offers a masterclass in building products that matter.Teresa unpacks the nuances of discovery in complex B2B environments, the cognitive biases that derail customer interviews, and how to leverage AI without falling for the hype. This is a tactical guide for leaders who want to move beyond feature factories and build outcome-driven teams.If you find this content valuable, please share it with your colleagues and friends. It will help us broaden the influence of Teresa’s messages to those who need them. Thank you!Let’s connect on LinkedIn:🎙 ⁠⁠Ana Mudryk⁠, Podcast Host, Head of PdM and BA at Cieden🎙️ Teresa Torres, Product Discovery Coach, Author of Continuous Discovery HabitsThis podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for product designers, let’s chat.

Mohammed Abdoolcarim spent years at the heart of innovation at Apple and Google. Now, as the co-founder of Beacon AI, he’s applying those lessons to build the next generation of intelligent design tools.In the race to ship AI features, are we losing sight of what makes a product truly great? This episode cuts through the hype around "vibe design" to explore the strategic tension between launching fast and crafting experiences that last. We dive into the realities of building AI-native products, the hidden story of iteration behind breakout successes like Siri, and how to balance speed with the precision that defines legendary products.For founders, designers, and product leaders navigating the AI landscape, this is a masterclass in strategy.What’s in here:Apple’s “slow and careful” vs. Google’s “launch fast” AI strategy The truth about innovation: Why the Siri you know was the 52nd version Beyond “vibe design”: What it really takes to build high-quality AI A hybrid product strategy: Balancing big bets with fast iteration The future of interfaces: Why a multimodal world will coexist Discovering unintended (and powerful) use cases after you launch Let’s connect on LinkedIn:🎙 ⁠Yuriy Mykhasyak⁠, Podcast Host, Co-founder & CEO of Cieden🎙⁠ Mohammed Abdoolcarim⁠, Co-founder of Beacon AIThis podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for strategic designers,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠let’s chat⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Dane Maddams is a Director of Product at Culture Amp. In this episode, he challenges the idea that empathy is a soft skill, arguing it's the foundation for team performance. He unpacks the lessons from his "zombie-themed" keynote on psychological safety and discusses the balance between ruinous empathy and radical candor. We also explore the empathy deficit in B2B and how to lead teams through the uncertainty of AI.Learn how to build the psychological safety that unlocks speed and innovation. Discover a practical approach to empathy that strengthens teams and drives results.Let’s connect on LinkedIn:🎙 ⁠⁠Ana Mudryk⁠, Podcast Host, Head of PdM and BA at Cieden🎙 ⁠⁠Dane Maddams, Director of Product at Culture Amp⁠This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for strategic designers,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠let’s chat⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Marcelo Calbucci is the author of The PRFAQ Framework. He previously held roles at Microsoft, Amazon, and numerous startups.In this episode, Marcelo unpacks Amazon's PRFAQ framework and discusses the "Four Horsemen of Strategy Failure." We also explore AI's threat to customer empathy and a practical framework for delegating tasks to AI.Learn how to apply Amazon's strategic thinking to your own products. Discover a clear method for leveraging AI without sacrificing strategic depth.Let’s connect on LinkedIn:🎙 ⁠Ana Mudryk⁠, Podcast Host, Head of PdM and BA at Cieden🎙 ⁠Marcelo Calbucci⁠, Author of The PRFAQ FrameworkThis podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for strategic designers,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠let’s chat⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Bruce Yang is a Head of Product at Way2B1. He previously led product management at Triumph, Forge, and others. In this episode, Bruce discusses building an AI-centric culture and the importance of hiring builders over predefined roles. We also explore aligning team biases and establishing an AI Center of Excellence.Learn how to transform your organization into an AI-native powerhouse. Discover strategies to implement AI policies that foster collaboration over fear. Let’s connect on LinkedIn:🎙 Ana Mudryk, Podcast Host, Head of PdM and BA at Cieden🎙 Bruce Yang, Head of Product at Way2B1This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for mindful designers,⁠ ⁠⁠⁠let’s chat⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Javier Bargas left a 14-year career at Google, where he led UX research across YouTube and Google Play, to launch Astrolabium — a training company for UX professionals. In this episode, we dive into building impactful research teams, avoiding AI hype traps, and what it really takes to drive user-centric innovation in 2025. Founders, designers, and product leaders — this one’s for you.What’s in here:Rapid Research at GoogleAI’s role in UX and product validationLearning from failures in techWhy “Junior” doesn’t mean “less valuable”What Twitch got wrong about user researchLet’s connect on LinkedIn:🎙 Yuriy Mykhasyak, Podcast Host, Co-founder & CEO of Cieden🎙 Javier Bargas⁠, Founder of Astrolabium & Former Google UX DirectorThis podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for mindful designers, ⁠⁠⁠let’s chat⁠⁠⁠.

Rodolfo Ferro Casagrande is the Head of Design at Helcim, a payments company that delivers an easier, smarter, and more affordable payment experience with a human touch. In this episode, Rodolfo unpacks the art of crafting delightful digital products. Drawing on over a decade of experience in product and brand design, Rodolfo reveals how to create user experiences that resonate, blend creativity with functionality, and inspire design teams to aim beyond the basics. Delight isn't an afterthought — it's a driving force behind user engagement and loyalty. Let’s connect on LinkedIn: 🎙 ⁠⁠Yuriy Mykhasyak⁠⁠, Podcast Host, Co-founder & CEO of Cieden 🎙 ⁠⁠Rodolfo Ferro Casagrande, Head of Design at Helcim This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for agile designers, ⁠⁠let’s chat⁠⁠. If you find this content valuable, please share it with your colleagues and friends. It will help us broaden the influence of Peter's messages to those who need them. Thank you!

Join us as we talk with Peter Hazlehurst, Co-founder and CEO of Synctera, a fintech company that raised $33M Series A to help connect banks and fintechs.  Peter, who previously led teams at Google, Uber, and Nokia, shares his insights on the evolving landscape of fintech and banking.  Discover how smaller players can be empowered to innovate and learn about the transformative potential of Banking as a Service (BaaS).  We'll explore the impact of regulation, the future of consumer banking, and the exciting possibilities for interconnected financial services.  Don't miss this chance to gain valuable knowledge from one of the industry's most experienced leaders. Let’s connect on LinkedIn: 🎙 ⁠Yuriy Mykhasyak⁠, Podcast Host, Co-founder & CEO of Cieden 🎙 ⁠Peter Hazlehurst, Co-founder & CEO of Synctera This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for agile designers, ⁠let’s chat⁠. If you find this content valuable, please share it with your colleagues and friends. It will help us broaden the influence of Peter's messages to those who need them. Thank you!

Joshua Kerievsky is the CEO of the agile consultancy Industrial Logic. For decades, he has been helping companies like Google, Ford, and other Fortune 500 firms build better products and lead more fulfilling lives.  To share these insights with a broader audience, he wrote The Joy of Agility, a book recommended by Marty Cagan to all product professionals and beyond. Its mission is to challenge the common perception that Agile is just a set of rules or a product management methodology. In reality, Agile is more than that – it helps us adapt gracefully to a fast-changing world. In this episode, we explore various aspects of Agile, from its current state and organizational challenges to practical strategies for development, team dynamics, and learning, ending with insights on overcoming resistance and understanding financial impacts. 📚 During this discussion, Joshua and Yuriy mentioned: – The State of Agile Culture Report 2023 – The Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz – Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith Let’s connect on LinkedIn: 🎙 Yuriy Mykhasyak, Podcast Host, Co-founder & CEO of Cieden 🎙 Joshua Kerievsky, Founder & CEO of Industrial Logic This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for agile designers, let’s chat. If you find this content valuable, please share it with your colleagues and friends. It will help us broaden the influence of agile messages to those who need them. Thank you!

Magnus Hillestad is the CEO and co-founder of Sanity, a company with a gross revenue retention of 97%. Basically, nobody's leaving their product. How did they achieve that? By being intentional. This is Magnus’s favorite word. What he means by that is asking yourself what you are trying to solve as a startup and then focusing on that using frameworks like SCQA, V2Mom, and others. This episode distills the essence of the learnings Magnus has undergone and the myriad of books he has read. If you want to be more intentional about your product, this is a must-listen. 📚 During this discussion, Magnus mentioned: Justin Kan, the founder of Twitch, saying: ‘First-time founders focus a lot on the product, while second-time founders are all about distribution.’ Elon Musk’s view on optimization Jeff Bezos, Regret Minimization Framework Principles by Ray Dalio Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Handbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell ​​by Alan Eagle, Eric Schmidt, and Jonathan Rosenberg The SCQA framework was invented by Barbara Minto, the author of Pyramid Principle The V2Mom framework Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz If you like this episode, share it with people who might benefit from it. Thanks! This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for designers who are intentional in every design decision, let’s talk.

Hans Guntren is the Vice President of Product Design at Demandbase, focusing on delivering customer value through AI and Machine Learning. He's a veteran technology executive and board advisor with over 20 years of product design experience. Hans spent over a decade advising Silicon Valley technology firms and worked within IBM's Silicon Valley Lab, where he managed product design and oversaw a host of complex enterprise products. In addition to his experience with Fortune 500 companies, he helps early-stage startups develop their product vision and design. In this episode, Hans and Yuriy discuss what's wrong with the trend of incorporating AI into products. They also talk about the graceful way of working with a design team and teaching young people that winning is not just about brute force. 📚 During this discussion, Hans mentioned The Startup J Curve by Howard Love. This podcast is created to connect with tech and design leaders. Let’s connect on LinkedIn: 🎙 Yuriy Mykhasyak, Podcast Host, CEO and Co-Founder of Cieden 🎙 Hans Guntren, Vice President of Product Design at Demandbase This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for a product designer who knows how to design an AI product, check if we align with your vision. Thanks for listening!

Santiago Cardona, Director of Product Management at Fingercheck, shares his insights on navigating product strategy amid uncertainty. With Fingercheck's platform experiencing rapid growth and 100K daily active users, Santiago's responsibilities are crucial in steering product development. So, what makes his approach special is focus on weekly customer engagement, agility in strategy, and fostering collaboration within teams. 📚 During this discussion, Santiago mentioned: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Marty Cagan's books: Inspired, Transformed Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works, by Roger Martin, Alan G. Lafley TLDR newsletter This podcast is created to connect with tech and design leaders. Feel free to reach out to us: 🎙 Anastasia Mudryk, Podcast Host, Head of BA & PM at Cieden 🎙 Santiago Cardona, Director of Product Management at Fingercheck. This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for a UX/UI expert to design your product, check if we are a great fit for each other. Thanks for listetning. Don't miss out on future episodes — subscribe now! You can find Cieden Podcast on a bunch of other platforms, too.

In this episode, Brighton Vino Jegarajan, Head of Design at Aviatrix, shares how he’s promoting design thinking among teammates and across the board. He also talks about the challenges and opportunities of designing for cloud networking services, where users often have a stronger technical background than the designers and engineers. Brighton believes the biggest modern challenge for product leaders lies in fostering cohesion across teams. 📚 During this discussion, Brighton mentioned: The first 90 Days by Michael Watkins The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo PJ Onori's blog post, where he writes: 'A major in design systems requires a minor in sales.' This podcast is created to connect with tech and design leaders. Feel free to reach out to us: 🎙 Anastasia Mudryk, Podcast Host, Head of BA & PM at Cieden 🎙 Brighton Vino Jegarajan, Head of Design at Aviatrix. If you want to know more about Aviatrix, visit their website. This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for a UX/UI expert to design your product, check if we are a great fit for each other. Thanks for watching. Don't miss out on future episodes — subscribe now! You can find Cieden Podcast on a bunch of other platforms, too.

Larry Pelty is a product design leader with 24 years of experience, not including his background as a digital artist. Today, he holds the position of Director of Product Design at Clari and advocates for a transition from traditional product design to AI-driven product design. Larry encourages designers to change their mindset and embrace AI as an assistive technology to refine product experiences. He emphasizes the importance of active listening and deeply thinking about how we can solve problems for users during critical moments. In this episode, we talk about: Navigating sales tool consolidation Measuring UX design success AI product design 📚 During this discussion, Larry mentioned: Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug Bruce Tognazzini’s principles of interaction design Jared Spool’s post about vanity metrics Feel free to reach out to us: 🎙 ⁠Yuriy Mykhasyak⁠, Podcast Host, CEO and Co-Founder of Cieden 🎙 Larry Pelty, Director of Product Design at Clari 💜 This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for a UX/UI expert to design your product, ⁠check if we align with your vision⁠. Thanks for listening. Don't miss out on future episodes — subscribe now! You can find Cieden Podcast on ⁠a bunch of other platforms⁠, too.

Dive into the world of AI product development with insights from Ari Kahn, CEO of Bridgeline and a PhD in Artificial Intelligence. Ari boasts 20 years of experience growing SaaS companies. He co-founded FatWire, which was later acquired by Oracle for $160 million. Under his leadership, FatWire expanded globally with offices in 13 countries and received top industry analyst ratings. Following this successful acquisition, Ari served as Chairman and CEO of resort development company Great Land Holdings, navigating it through the 2008 recession and transforming it into one of the region's most successful businesses. Currently, Ari is a member of the Forbes Councils and hosts the eCommerce AI: The Revenue Revolution podcast. In this episode, you'll learn about: AI agents for businesses eCommerce disruption: preparing for AI agents Pace of innovation and release cycles Adaptability of roadmaps Balancing UX design and engineering The CEO's role in design decisions 📚 The book Ari was about to mention is The High-Value Writing: Real Strategies for Real-World Writing by Erin Lebacqz. This podcast is created to connect with tech and design leaders. Feel free to reach out to us: 🎙 Yuriy Mykhasyak, Podcast Host, CEO and Co-Founder of Cieden 🎙 Ari Kahn, CEO of Bridgeline Digital. If you want to know more about Bridgeline, visit their website. 💜 This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for a UX/UI expert to design your product, check if we align with your vision. Thanks for listening. Don't miss out on future episodes — subscribe now! You can find Cieden Podcast on a bunch of other platforms, too.

Robin Titus is a self-taught designer who built one of the first design teams at Capgemini 10 years ago. He started as a product manager and then ventured into design to follow his aspirations.  Throughout the 25+ years of the product journey, Robin has had a varied career that includes involvement with startups, scale-ups, and corporates.  Currently, he leads the product design team at Aiven, a triple-unicorn scale-up based in Helsinki, Finland. Robin founded two startups and is an active mentor and coach of early-stage ventures in a corporate incubator based in Germany. In this meaningful discussion, we talk about the changes in the product designer role and what it takes to make a company truly focused on design. This podcast is created to connect with tech and design leaders. Feel free to reach out to us: 🎙 Yuriy Mykhasyak, Podcast Host, CEO and Co-Founder of Cieden 🎙 Anastasia Mudryk, Podcast Host, Head of BA & PM at Cieden 🎙 Robin Titus, Director of UX Design at Aiven. If you want to know more about Aiven, visit their website. 💜 This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for a UX/UI expert to design your product, check if we align with your vision. Thanks for listening. Don't miss out on future episodes — subscribe now! You can find Cieden Podcast on a bunch of other platforms, too.

As the founder of an SEO agency and a software product, SearchPilot, Will Critchlow has spent over 20 years bringing businesses more revenue through SEO. Unlike influencers who proliferate buzzwords, Will tells us the hard truth: to increase revenue with SaaS SEO, you need to test everything patiently. And if you are a startup founder, there's a high chance SEO is not even for you. This episode dives deep into the potential of SEO for startups and enterprises, separating fact from fiction in the SEO landscape, especially with the growing impact of AI. Feel free to reach out and share your thoughts on this episode: 🎙 Yuriy Mykhasyak, Podcast Host, CEO and Co-Founder of Cieden 🎙 Anastasia Mudryk, Podcast Host, Head of BA & PM at Cieden 💜 This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for a UX/UI expert to design your product, ⁠⁠check⁠⁠ if we meet your needs. Thanks for listening. Do not miss the next episodes and subscribe to this show on the platform that’s best for you. Cheers!

Meet Michal Kolasa, the Design Director at Chili Piper, a leading billion-dollar startup revolutionizing B2B sales. With over $25 million in ARR, Chili Piper offers a suite of products, including lead routing, form scheduling, SDR-to-AE handoff, and much more. In this video, Michal shares his vision of product design and expertise in enhancing user experiences. We'll also discuss the state of modern design education and how to make remote design teams more creative and productive. We do podcasting to connect with fellow tech and design leaders. So, we'll be happy to meet you on LinkedIn. Feel free to reach out and share your thoughts on this episode: 🎙 ⁠Yuriy Mykhasyak⁠, Podcast Host, CEO and Co-Founder of Cieden 🎙 ⁠Michal Kolasa, Design Director at Chili Piper 💜 This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for a UX/UI expert to design your product, ⁠check⁠ if we align with your vision. Thanks for listening. Do not miss the next episodes and subscribe to this show! P.S. We have the video version on YouTube and shorts there. ⁠Check them out⁠.

The sales tech platform category is blowing up. Apollo raised $100 million and hit unicorn status in 2023. Lots of other sales intelligence tools release more and more go-to-market workflows. How to compete with that? How to think ahead and build the right product strategy? How to nail a product launch, go-to-market plan, and messaging?  When it comes to mastering these challenges, there's no one better suited than Todd Busler. Todd has truly lived through the problems of selling B2B software tools. He was the first sales hire at Heap when the company only started its path to becoming a unicorn. Later, he spent a year at Unusual Ventures, working with early-stage companies exclusively. Now, Todd is the Founder and CEO of Champify. Today, we’ll chat about: Building the sales intelligence product in a highly competitive market Evolving user experience priorities for sales software Messaging validation and the right B2B outreach Strategic hiring Changes in the industry brought by AI We do podcasting to connect with fellow tech and design leaders. So, we'll be happy to meet you on LinkedIn. Feel free to reach out and share your thoughts on this episode: 🎙 Yuriy Mykhasyak, Podcast Host, CEO and Co-Founder of Cieden 🎙 Anastasia Mudryk, Podcast Host, Head of BA & PM at Cieden 💜 This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. If you are looking for a UX/UI expert to design your product, check if we align with your vision. Thanks for listening. Do not miss the next episodes and subscribe to this show! P.S. We have the video version on YouTube and shorts there. Check them out.

Tal Florentin has designed 250 digital products before transitioning to the role of founder and CEO of the AI-driven startup, Summurai. Among his numerous accomplishments, he has won multiple UX awards and published books titled 'Design for a Perfect Screen' and 'Upwork Hacks.' He is also the founder of the Israeli UX Certification Program, a speaker at multiple conferences, and a guest on various podcasts. Currently, Tal studies how B2B professionals consume content and learn, with a focus on product features that can enhance user experience and educate busy individuals more effectively. What you'll learn: How audio content can improve lead generation and B2B sales How the future of content consumption will look like How audio combines with AI to bring us a new value What to pay attention to if you want to start your own audio-based startup Thanks for listening 💜 We do podcasting to connect with fellow tech and design leaders. So, we'll be happy to meet you on LinkedIn. Feel free to reach out and share your thoughts on this episode: 🎙 Yuriy Mykhasyak, Podcast Host, CEO and Co-Founder of Cieden 🎙 Anastasia Mudryk, Podcast Host, Head of BA & PM at Cieden This podcast is brought to you by Cieden, a digital product design agency. 👉 Seeking a team to design your eCommerce website and app? ⁠⁠Book a free consultation⁠⁠ to check if we align with your vision. Thanks for listening! Do not miss the next episodes and subscribe to this show. See you!