🎯 Engineering Communication Excellence: Breaking Down Barriers with Josh Herzig-Marx

A deep dive into transforming how product teams communicate with engineers, featuring expert insights from coach Josh Herzig-Marx. Learn practical frameworks for better collaboration, effective requirement documentation, and creating a culture of open dialogue in tech teams.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://fullscaleteam.com/newsletter

Get our FREE Ebook: https://fullscaleteam.com/productfirstteams

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

🔑 Key Discussion Points:

Why perfect documentation isn't the answer and what to focus on instead

The power of visual storytelling in product development

How to engage engineers earlier in the product process

Transforming engineers from order-takers to strategic partners

Creating psychological safety for better team conversations

⏱️ Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction and Background

02:11 - Early Stage Company Challenges

04:04 - The Problem with Perfect Documentation

07:18 - Managing Trade-offs in Development

13:07 - User Story Mapping and Visual Tools

16:44 - The Power of Storytelling in Requirements

20:23 - Google's Approach to Product Vision

24:01 - Top Challenges in Early-Stage Companies

26:39 - Bringing Engineers into the Process Earlier

28:36 - Rethinking Documentation Approaches

30:17 - The Importance of Fundamentals

💡 Featured Insights:

"The goal of documents isn't to better communicate, it's to have better conversations." - Josh Herzig-Marx

📚 Resources Mentioned:

RANDS Leadership Slack Community

Josh's Website: jhm.lol

User Story Mapping Techniques

Lenny's Slack Community

🎯 Ready to transform your engineering communication? Hit subscribe and the notification bell to never miss insights on building better product teams. Leave a comment with your biggest communication challenge - let's solve it together!

🎯 Product Management Evolution: Roles, Responsibilities & Future Trends

In this insightful episode of Product Driven, Matt Watson and Jerel dive deep into the evolving landscape of product management, exploring the crucial distinctions between product managers, product owners, and project managers. They unpack how these roles contribute differently to software development teams and discuss why understanding these differences is vital for building successful products.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://fullscaleteam.com/newsletter

Get our FREE Ebook: https://fullscaleteam.com/productfirstteams

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

🎙️ Episode Summary:

Explore the transformative world of product management as Matt and Jerel break down the key differences between project and product mindsets. Learn why product managers focus on outcomes while project managers concentrate on outputs, and discover how AI is reshaping these roles. The conversation highlights the importance of product thinking in engineering teams and why software developers need to evolve into "mini product owners" in an AI-driven future.

Key Discussion Points:

The fundamental differences between product management and project management

Why project managers may be less valuable in modern software teams

The CPO framework: Customer, Problem, Outcome

How startup founders embody the ideal product management mindset

The evolution of product management roles in the age of AI

Why engineers need to develop stronger product thinking skills

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction and Role Definitions

02:31 - Project vs Product Management Comparison

06:27 - Understanding Product Management

09:13 - Scaling Product Teams

15:18 - Product Manager vs Product Owner

20:06 - The Future of Software Development

22:17 - Product Management Specialization

24:59 - Engineering and Product Management Integration

🎯 Ready to Transform Your Product Journey?

Don't miss out on future episodes packed with actionable insights and expert perspectives! Hit subscribe, enable notifications 🔔, and join our growing community of product-driven innovators. Share your thoughts in the comments below – what's your take on the future of product management?

🔄 From Hero to Leader: The Evolution of the Modern CTO

Join Matt Watson and CTO coach Adam Horner in an insightful exploration of the transformative journey from technical hero to strategic leader. Discover why successful CTOs must evolve beyond individual technical contributions to drive organizational success through strategic leadership.

This comprehensive discussion examines the critical transition phases of technical leadership, from founding engineer to executive CTO. Through practical insights and real-world experiences, learn how to navigate the challenging path from hands-on problem solver to strategic business leader while maintaining technical credibility.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://fullscaleteam.com/newsletter

Get our FREE Ebook: https://fullscaleteam.com/productfirstteams

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

Key Discussion Points:

🎯 The four stages of CTO evolution

💡 Transitioning from firefighter to strategist

🔄 Balancing technical expertise with leadership

⚡ Executive team integration strategies

📊 Product-driven leadership approaches

🌱 Building empathy across engineering teams

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction to modern CTO challenges

3:14 - Four stages of CTO development

5:08 - Strategic thinking importance

7:01 - Managing firefighting mode

10:05 - Delegation and ownership

14:29 - Executive communication strategies

18:28 - Product focus importance

21:56 - Engineering empathy development

27:15 - Communication fundamentals

30:38 - Closing thoughts and resources

Transform your technical leadership approach through strategic thinking and business alignment. Join our community of forward-thinking technology leaders shaping the future of software development.

🏆 Scaling to $50M: Key Lessons from Building a Global Software Development Company

Join Matt Watson and Darrell Blackburn as they celebrate a remarkable milestone at Full Scale - reaching $50 million in revenue and delivering over 2 million hours of software development services. In this candid conversation, they share the challenges, victories, and essential insights gained from building a successful global development team.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://fullscaleteam.com/newsletter

Get our FREE Ebook: https://fullscaleteam.com/productfirstteams

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

🎯 Episode Summary:

Step inside the journey of scaling a professional services company from startup to industry leader. Matt and Darrell discuss how they transformed common offshore development challenges into opportunities, built a thriving remote-first culture, and maintained exceptional employee retention in an industry known for high turnover. Their conversation reveals the human side of scaling a global tech company while maintaining quality and culture across borders.

💡 Key Discussion Points:

The evolution from office-based to remote-first operations during COVID

Achieving 94% employee retention in an industry averaging 20-30% turnover

Managing and measuring performance across 250+ software developers

Balancing customer satisfaction with employee well-being

The importance of company culture in global operations

How listening to both customers and employees shapes company direction

⏱️ Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Introduction and Company Evolution

02:34 - Early Growth and Business Model

07:40 - Managing Remote Teams Successfully

15:06 - Employee Retention Strategies

22:37 - COVID Impact and Remote Transformation

28:18 - Customer and Employee Feedback

33:39 - Value of Quality Talent

🎯 Ready to Scale Your Development Team?

Join thousands of tech leaders who've transformed their development capabilities with Full Scale. Hit subscribe and the notification bell 🔔 to stay updated on scaling strategies and tech leadership insights. Share your scaling challenges in the comments - what's your biggest obstacle in growing a development team?

🎯 The Power of Demo Day: Transforming Engineering Culture Through Celebration

Join Matt Watson and Chris Borchers (CTPO at Basys) in an illuminating exploration of how Demo Day can revolutionize engineering team dynamics, boost accountability, and create a culture of celebration. Discover how this simple yet powerful practice transforms technical achievements into organizational momentum.

This engaging discussion reveals how Demo Day evolved from a small team ceremony into a company-wide celebration at Basis, regularly drawing 75+ attendees including the CEO. Through practical insights and real experiences, learn how this practice enhances quality, accelerates delivery, and creates meaningful connections between technical teams and business stakeholders.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://newsletter.productdriven.com/

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

Key Discussion Points:

🎯 Evolution from team demos to organizational celebrations

💡 Building accountability through executive presence

🔄 Balancing technical depth with business value

⚡ Creating safe spaces for feedback

📊 Maximizing feature adoption through visibility

🌱 Nurturing a culture of pride and ownership

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction to Demo Day concept

1:13 - Origins and early challenges

3:16 - Evolution of executive involvement

6:40 - Demo frequency and structure

8:31 - Quality and accountability impact

10:12 - Feedback culture development

11:38 - Marketing and education benefits

Transform your engineering culture through strategic celebration. Join our community of innovators dedicated to building more engaged, accountable development teams.

Critical Implementation Insights:

- Foster psychological safety for feedback

- Balance technical and business perspectives

- Create opportunities for cross-functional learning

- Maintain consistent cadence

- Celebrate incremental progress

🎯 Unlocking Developer Growth: The Power of Career Roadmapping with roadmap.sh

In this illuminating episode of Product Driven, Matt Watson explores the transformative potential of roadmap.sh in assessing and nurturing developer talent. Learn how Full Scale leverages this powerful open-source tool to evaluate technical expertise, guide career progression, and maintain high developer satisfaction across their 250+ engineering team.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://newsletter.productdriven.com/

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

Explore roadmap.sh: https://roadmap.sh

Key Discussion Points:

🔄 Bridging the junior-senior developer knowledge gap

📊 Systematic approach to technical assessment

🎓 Quarterly performance review strategies

🌱 Balancing challenge and support in developer growth

💡 Practical applications in hiring and retention

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction and core challenges

0:46 - Full Scale's approach to developer assessment

1:46 - Practical applications in hiring

2:33 - Understanding roadmap.sh structure

3:23 - Deep dive into ASP.NET roadmap example

4:59 - Implementation in quarterly reviews

6:11 - Benefits for employees and clients

6:45 - Tool overview and closing thoughts

Featured Tool: https://roadmap.sh/

✨ Open-source career progression tool

📱 Comprehensive tech stack coverage

🔍 Detailed skill assessment frameworks

🆓 Free access via GitHub

🤖 AI in Software Development: Real World Testing & Reality Check

Join Matt Watson and software veteran Joe Giglio in candidly exploring AI coding tools' current capabilities and limitations. Through hands-on testing and real-world examples, discover the truth behind the hype and what these tools can deliver for development teams.

In this discussion, Joe shares insights from months of testing various AI coding tools, from GitHub Copilot to Cursor, revealing their impressive capabilities and significant limitations. Learn why AI remains a productivity tool rather than a developer replacement, and understand the crucial context marketing headlines often miss.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://newsletter.productdriven.com/

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

Connect with Joe Giglio on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joegiglio/

Or find him on Twitter: https://x.com/ChiefRemote

Key Discussion Points:

🎯 Real-world AI coding tool experiments

💡 Limitations in complex project scenarios

🔄 Testing automation challenges

⚡ The reality of AI hallucinations

📊 Future potential and current constraints

🌱 The importance of developer expertise

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction and AI testing background

1:27 - Complex project challenges

4:30 - Non-developer experiences

7:28 - Test automation experiments

10:14 - Prompt engineering realities

13:09 - Tool limitations and bugs

15:49 - Real software development context

18:04 - Future possibilities discussion

Transform your understanding of AI's role in software development by joining our community of practitioners who separate AI fact from fiction.

🔄 The Evolution of Engineering Leadership: From Individual Contributor to Effective Manager

Join Matt Watson in a transformative exploration of the critical transition from technical expert to engineering leader. Drawing from over 20 years of CTO experience and real customer insights, discover why many engineering teams struggle with growth and how to overcome these fundamental challenges.

This illuminating discussion delves into the complex dynamics of engineering leadership, revealing the three distinct types of engineering managers and why understanding these roles is crucial for organizational success. Through practical examples and personal insights, Matt shares essential strategies for balancing individual contribution with team leadership.

🔗 Essential Links (Start Here!):

Full Episodes: https://product-driven.captivate.fm/episodes

Connect with Matt Watson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwatsonkc/

Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://newsletter.productdriven.com/

Powered by Full Scale: https://fullscale.io/

Key Discussion Points:

🎯 The transition challenges from individual contributor to manager

💡 Three archetypal engineering leader profiles

⚡ Balancing technical work with people management

🔄 Creating effective teaching moments

📈 Scaling strategies for growing teams

Chapters:

0:00 - Introduction to engineering management challenges

1:15 - Three types of engineering leaders

2:30 - Individual contributor mindset barriers

3:45 - The productivity multiplication effect

4:50 - Breaking the bottleneck pattern

6:00 - Three essential tips for improvement

7:15 - Time management strategies

8:30 - Team success focus

9:45 - Learning moment opportunities

Three Critical Tips for New Engineering Managers:

1. Structure your day for focused leadership time

2. Measure success through team achievements

3. Leverage teaching opportunities instead of solving problems directly

Transform your approach to engineering leadership through these proven strategies. Join our community of technology leaders dedicated to building more effective, scalable engineering teams.