Fail Faster

Join us on the Fail Faster podcast as we delve into the world of high-impact, high-visibility e-commerce strategies with Hailong Shen, Director of eCommerce Technology at Royal Caribbean. He shares insights from his extensive career in the travel industry, touching on his experiences at American Airlines and Royal Caribbean Group. Discover how Heilong's fail-fast mentality and focus on customer-centric innovation have contributed to the success of these industry giants. From streamlining payment processes to navigating challenges during COVID-19, we explore the dynamic world of e-commerce and its pivotal role in shaping exceptional travel experiences. Tune in for valuable tips on personalization, user experience, and the future of e-commerce in the cruise industry. Don't miss this engaging conversation with a leader who's truly steering the ship towards a brighter future in e-commerce and travel.

Join us on the "Fail Faster" podcast as we sit down with Jag Bedi, Vice President - Data Science and Analytics at Purchasing Power. In this insightful episode, we delve into the fascinating world of e-tail and how Purchasing Power empowers customers to improve their quality of life through affordable access to products and services. Jag shares the challenges and successes of implementing a data warehouse and the impact it has had on decision-making and customer engagement. Discover how data-driven strategies are shaping the future of this innovative company and get valuable insights into driving change within your organization. Don't miss this inspiring conversation on leveraging data for growth!

Join us for a special episode of the Fail Faster podcast as we explore the world of customer support with Matthew Caron, VP of Customer Experience and Onboarding at OpenTable. Matthew shares his personal journey from holding a CSR job nobody desires to uncovering beauty within the chaos and becoming a successful leader in customer support. He candidly discusses the challenges he faced and how he not only overcame but also eliminated the victim mindset that he repeatedly came across in this industry.

Welcome to the "Fail Faster" podcast, where we dive deep into the world of cybersecurity with a well known  industry expert Mark Ashworth, Chief Information Security Officer at First Bank. In this episode, Mark shares his journey from a fascination with technology sparked by a movie to becoming the CISO at First Bank. We get into the weeds of a secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC) and the challenges of integrating security seamlessly. Mark also delves into the ever-evolving threat landscape and the critical role of a strong security culture within organizations. Join us as we uncover valuable insights and stories from the frontlines of cybersecurity, helping you navigate this complex and vital field.

Oleg Slyusarchuk serves as the global head of Product Design at Eleks. As part of his role, Oleg has been managing a design team consisting of 60 designers in various countries, including the UK, US, Germany, Canada, Estonia, Croatia, Poland, and Portugal, for the past 7 years.

With 20 years of experience in the field of design and a certification in Design Management from Nielsen Norman Group, Oleg is particularly passionate about business and service design. He excels in crafting customized solutions within the Healthcare, Finance, and Insurance sectors, drawing inspiration from various design methodologies.

Join us in this episode as we chat with Daniel Meretsky, a tech and restaurant industry expert. With over 15 years of experience, Daniel shares his insights into pioneering smart card technology, optimizing McDonald's operations, and adapting to changing customer preferences. Discover how data and AI are shaping the restaurant industry and the importance of leadership in fostering a collaborative team. Explore Daniel's involvement with innovative brands like Fresh Kitchen, Callie, and Camp, all dedicated to health, nutrition, and excellence. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, restaurant pro, or aspiring leader, this episode offers valuable insights at the intersection of technology, innovation, and leadership in the restaurant world.

Ryan Spanswick is a relentless servant leader that has spent the last 18 years leading and designing in enterprise organizations like SiriusXM, Starbucks, and IBM. He truly believes that investing in the health and success of people creates the highest quality work and builds design organizations that thrive and endure. He enjoys the challenge of creating impactful and intuitive user experiences that drive significant value for the business.

In this episode, we sit down with Soumam Debgupta, SVP of Product, JLL Technologies. He is a seasoned product leader who shares his remarkable journey from humble beginnings in India to becoming a product management guru. Discover how he navigated the ever-changing real estate industry, learned from both successes and failures and leveraged his craft-based approach to continuously refine his skills. Get inspired to embrace the unconventional and chart your own path in the world of product management. Let's tune in for insights, anecdotes, and valuable career advice from Soumam's extraordinary career.

Join us as we chat with Andrew Moore, VP of Software Engineering at Nations Lending. In this engaging conversation, we explore Andrew's diverse background in the tech industry, from networking and IT support to data engineering and software development. He shares how he overcame misconceptions about software engineering and found joy in solving problems and helping people. Andrew shares the importance of understanding the root causes of problems before crafting technical solutions. He also emphasizes the need for pragmatic technology applications, especially in today's rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Meet Sabrina Wong, the Head of UX at Tapestry and a dedicated university instructor. With a wide-ranging expertise that encompasses product design, research, and digital strategy, Sabrina has collaborated with a diverse array of organizations, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, to elevate their products and services to new heights. Beyond her professional pursuits, Sabrina also imparts her knowledge as a UX/UI design instructor at the prestigious University of Miami and several other esteemed universities.

In this episode, we sit down with Chris Neuharth, the Vice President of Experience and Digital Innovation at Children's Wisconsin, to explore the journey from his background in software development to his current role at the forefront of healthcare technology. We discuss the evolution of user experience, the power of co-designing solutions with families and care teams, and the role of empathy in shaping impactful healthcare solutions. Join us as we uncover how technology is not only mitigating anxiety but also redefining the way families navigate and manage their children's healthcare needs. Discover the latest trends, successes, and challenges in the realm of digital health as we journey towards more accessible, empathetic, and integrated care.

This is a super interesting episode with Stacey Maresco, Chief Product Officer at Empowered Education, where we get a glimpse into her remarkable career journey, including her role as an early employee at a startup that achieved explosive growth and her experience with integrating companies after acquisition. Stacey shares how in her role she is helping individuals become health and wellness coaches and functional nutrition counselors. She highlights the power of rapid testing in product development, and the invaluable lessons learned from taking risks in her career. Join us on this inspiring journey of personal and professional growth with Stacey.

Join us in this insightful and inspiring podcast as we dive into the world of product and software design with Jonathan Madera, the VP of Product Design for Data Accent. Jonathan shares his journey from childhood dreams of being a computer animator to becoming a successful designer and entrepreneur. As we delve into the world of data design, Jonathan reveals the challenges of simplifying data access for small business owners and the role of AI in making the user experience delightful. Get motivated and gain valuable insights in this podcast for aspiring designers and creatives!

Gretchen Nash is a Creative Director at Amazon who leads a team of visual, UX, and motion designers to innovate next in class experiences for Alexa enabled products. She has over 15 years of professional creative experience spanning across graphic design, motion graphics, and leading teams to build multi-sensory experiences for technical innovation. Gretchen began her career as a graphic designer who learned interaction design on the job, eventually growing into a leadership role as a UX Creative Director. One of Gretchen’s greatest passions is leading teams and building inclusive creative environments that provoke thought sharing and collaboration.

Join us on the Fail Faster podcast for an episode with Jonas Klink, VP of Product and UX Design at Thrive Market. Discover how Thrive Market innovates online grocery shopping to make healthy living accessible, affordable, and easy. Jonas shares his passion for curating a sustainable experience that adds value to the everyday lives of Thrive Market’s 1.2M members. He shares the progressive thinking behind the concept of redefining the online shopping experience, the continuous learnings, and the solutions that spring from the intent of creating personalized customer connections. This is a unique episode with valuable advice for e-commerce and subscription enthusiasts from Jonas.

In this episode, we talk with Meytal Markman, VP of Product Management at Rakuten Advertising, who lives in Vancouver, Washington with her husband and two kids.

Meytal shares her journey from '90s tech exposure to navigating her current role. Her insights and approach on personal branding, mentoring, and navigating multicultural dynamics in a multinational company are very practical. I got some great actionable learnings from her views on emotional intelligence, public speaking, and building a lasting influence coming from a place of authenticity. There is lot packed in this short episode.

Alan is the Senior Director of UX at EAB. His team curates the next generation college search experience for students as well as 2,500 universities. In the last 10 years, Alan improved the digital experiences for Morgan Stanley, Bloomberg, and ESPN; created new interactions in VR for people to shop, travel, and tour high-end real estates from afar. He is passionate in visual storytelling to make design vision tangible and communication memorable. Outside of work, Alan is a top mentor on ADPList, an avid snowboarder, and a food enthusiast living in NYC.

Joie Chung is a seasoned product design leader based in Austin, TX. With over 17 years in the design industry, she has gained a deep understanding of what makes great user experiences, and how strategic design can drive business growth. Passionate about cultivating the next generation of design talent, Joie is deeply committed to creating environments that foster growth, mentoring future leaders, and enabling her teams to deliver their best work. She has led top-performing teams in both agency and in-house settings, working with a broad spectrum of companies across various industries. Joie approaches design and leadership with empathy, creativity, and a growth mindset. She thrives on collaboration, always seeking to create impactful change and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Currently, she is a Senior Director of Product Design at Realtor.com, leading a team building professional tools to facilitate better home buying and selling journeys for everyone.

Jarrett Carter, Associate Vice President, Integrative Learning Design at University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) joins us to share his journey into leading and designing integrative learning experiences. He shares the importance of working together as one team towards a shared goal of creating seamless educational platforms catering to a diverse global population at various stages of their careers and personal learning journeys. Jarrett dives into the approach his team takes as they strive to stay relevant among students spanning various generations. He shares the challenges to solve for when bringing in innovative solutions and his excitement of seeing more Gen AI applications in the upcoming learning experiences at UMGC.

Luis Bustamante, Associate UX Design Director has over 10 years of design experience. He is currently working at AKQA New York in multiple projects since July, 2022.  Luis has worked for tech companies like GLOBANT, start ups & agencies like HUGE with clients like Google, Coldwell banker (US), Zaplabs and Provida AFP (Chile).  He really enjoys working on UX writing and A11y and is currently exploring AI technologies.