Episodes
-
How do top design leaders turn strategic vision into product magic? Yudi Sun of Duolingo joins Francois on this episode of Next Gen Builders to share how design can influence product outcomes, build cross-functional trust, and scale impact.
Their conversation takes a look at the design systems, rituals, and philosophies that supercharge one of the world’s most engaging apps. With prior experience at other brand leaders like Lyft and Cash App, Yudi presents a strong case for how design can operate beyond visuals and become a force for product strategy, organizational alignment, and business growth.
You’ll learn about Yudi’s "60% brain share" framework for team collaboration, how Duolingo runs product reviews directly with the CEO in 10-minute slots, and what it takes for designers to build influence upstream. Whether you’re leading a growth team or launching new features, this episode offers real insights into making design central to product success.
—
Guest Bio
Yudi Sun is head of design for Duolingo's Growth org, the team that created the Duolingo streak, leaderboards, friendship mechanics, notifications and more. Before this, she led an app-wide redesign at Cash App, created products for drivers at Lyft, and started her career as an illustrator.
—
Guest Quote
“Design is at the forefront of our ability to build products. It really occupies just about the same role as a product lead does. And it's usually part of the perfect trio of engineering, product, and design when it comes to figuring out what are we trying to do, how are we going to get there, and what does good look like.” – Yudi Sun
—
Time Stamps
00:00 Episode Start
02:20 The role of design inside Duolingo
4:50 Sharing tasks & goals to collaborate effectively
08:25 How to implement this strategy
11:35 Is misalignment inevitable at some point?
15:45 Yudi's definition of craft
18:15 Where Duolingo sits on the design spectrum
21:30 What a more traditional company can take from Duolingo's approach
26:00 Making decisions for all to see
35:50 Yudi's "Oh Sh*t" Moment
—
Links
Connect with Yudi Sun on LinkedInCheck out DuolingoConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
What does it really take to build, ship, and scale AI fast? Today on Next Gen Builders, Francois is joined by Daniel Sternberg, former Head of Data at Notion and Gusto, who shares lessons learned from the development of Notion AI and the evolving role of data leadership in AI-first organizations.
Daniel offers an inside look at Notion AI’s rapid development, revealing how a CEO-driven push transformed into a revenue-generating product just a month after ChatGPT launched. He highlights the importance of balancing excitement about these new AI tools with a clear understanding of their limitations. Daniel also encourages organizations to adopt AI broadly, not just within specialized teams.
Daniel & Francois also explore the evolving role of data leadership in SaaS, emphasizing why data teams need to move beyond being simple service providers. Whether you’re leading AI projects or building data-driven products, Daniel’s insights provide valuable guidance for leaders navigating the fast-changing AI landscape.
—
Guest Bio
Daniel Sternberg is a seasoned data science and AI executive. He currently advises startups as a fractional data and AI executive, helping organizations build high-performing data teams and leverage AI for product and operational excellence. Prior, he served as Head of Data at Notion where he guided the company through a period of rapid user growth and pioneered the launch of advanced AI-powered features.
His leadership was instrumental in scaling Notion’s data infrastructure and integrating generative AI capabilities into the platform, supporting both product innovation and business expansion. His career is marked by a commitment to data-driven decision-making, technical leadership, and the thoughtful integration of AI into everyday tools.
—
Guest Quote
"There's this idea that AI features can be prioritized and shipped like any other product feature, but there's an added dimension: does it actually work? You don't know if it works until you build it. So you should never promise a ship date until you're confident in the quality. The tech has to prove itself first, and only then should you align marketing or product engineering behind it." – Daniel Sternberg
—
Time Stamps
00:00 Episode Start
02:00 The role of a SaaS data leader
07:40 How the data function will evolve
16:40 Building Notion AI
20:40 Launching with a flood of interest
22:50 Don't quit while you're ahead
24:45 The power of a CEO Founder
27:30 Prioritizing speed and flexibility
31:10 Lessons learned from the Notion AI launch
27:20 Democratizing AI responsibility
40:55 Daniel's "Oh Sh*t Moment"
—
Links
Connect with Daniel Sternberg on LinkedInConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
Episodes manquant?
-
Today on Next Gen Builders, Francois welcomes Brent Smart, the CMO at Australian Telco giant, Telstra. Their conversation focuses on the power of brand as Brent has been the leading charge behind Telstra’s new brand platform.
Throughout the episode, Brent argues for connecting your marketing efforts to the real world. When trying to evaluate how Telstra appeared to consumers, his team ran surveys asking Australians to draw, not write, what they thought of the organization. Similarly, he consistently advocates for running live experiments to validate your approaches in real time.
The episode also explores how Brent aligns teams around a unified brand vision with tools created in house, such as “Telstra’s Creative Dial,” to help measure and guide creative output. He stresses the value of a distinct brand voice and explains why starting with a small, focused team helps nurture new ideas.
Drawing on his transition from agency life to leading Telstra’s marketing, Brent offers a fresh perspective on keeping creativity alive in a corporate setting. His commitment to hands-on idea generation and real-world testing over pre-market research makes this episode essential for anyone seeking meaningful brand transformation.
—
Guest Bio
A leading global marketer and a passionate speaker on creativity, brand and culture, Brent Smart is Chief Marketing Officer of Australia's second most valuable brand, Telstra.
Previously, Brent spent five years as CMO of Australian insurance giant IAG, where his work on NRMA Insurance took it from 36th strongest brand in Australia to 5th, winning 3 Gold effectiveness awards and the coveted Grand Effie in 2021. Mark Ritson wrote that “NRMA is not just a fantastic Australian case study, it could be taught at Harvard or Stanford and positions Brent Smart as the most accomplished CMO in Australia and one of the best in the world”.
Before becoming a marketer, Brent spent 20 years in the advertising business, leading New Zealand Agency of the Decade Colenso BBDO and rising to CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi New York, winning many Cannes Lions and other global creative awards.
—
Guest Quote
“ Brand is a multiplier for performance marketing. When the brand is strong, the performance marketing actually works better. We've seen our short term ROIs actually go up, not go down. The brand doesn't just help with this quarter's numbers, it helps with next quarter’s and beyond. And once you give it time to start building, you can start showing that not just the brand metrics are healthy, also our short term performance metrics are healthy. But you need time. It's not gonna show in the first quarter. You gotta wait.” – Brent Smart
—
Time Stamps
00:00 Episode Start
2:00 The power of brand
05:10 Evaluating your brand
08:35 Finding your brand voice
12:10 Building conviction within your organization
15:05 Start experimenting in the real world
17:40 Leading by doing
19:45 Taxi or Bus Meeting
22:00 What does a good pitch feel like?
27:35 Discipline liberates creativity
30:00 Can you teach taste?
34:20 Brent's journey to CMO
—
Links
Connect with Brent Smart on LinkedInCheck out TelstraConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
Today on Next Gen Builders, Francois speaks with Edik Mitelman, SVP & General Manager of AppsFlyer Privacy Cloud, the trusted open platform for ecosystem collaboration and innovation with a clear mission: Enhancing end-users experience, while preserving their privacy.
Their conversation covers the challenges and strategies for building a startup within a larger organization, and why you would even do it in the first place. Edik highlights how a smaller, resource-limited team can align themselves much closer with their users, ensuring each line of code they produce serves a clear purpose.
Francois & Edik also touch on the role Product Managers should be serving within organizations and how they compare and contrast across various company sizes. One glaring similarity in Edik’s mind? The importance of maintaining a beginner’s mindset. In his words “ experience is important…but we as product managers must assume that we don't know and we need to test our hypotheses.”
Finally, Edik shares his thoughts around risk and failure. He stresses that more organizations should be comfortable with potential failure in order to foster an environment full of experimentation. Through each iteration, your team will gain learned experiences that will lay the groundwork for your next big success.
—
AppsFlyer Update
Since we recorded this episode, the journey Edik discusses of building what's essentially a startup within AppsFlyer is bearing fruit, with AppsFlyer's Data Collaboration Platform being used across several industries -- including quick commerce, consumer packaged goods, and financial services. The results for early adopters are impressive: marketing campaigns for brands using the product have seen up to 400% return on their ad spend and significant performance uplifts for their businesses. The partnerships embody what we talked about regarding the advantages of building a startup within an established company — leveraging AppsFlyer's resources, credibility and relationships while maintaining the innovative spirit and customer focus that drives true product-market fit. It's a real-world example of transforming concept into practice, process into product, and experience into measurable success.
—
Guest Bio
Edik Mitelman is the General Manager of Privacy Cloud at AppsFlyer, an ecosystem collaboration and innovation environment which preserves end-user privacy. Edik is an experienced executive with previous leadership roles at Autodesk, Wochit, and Conduit. He also runs the Venture Creation and Product Innovation program as part of the GMBA at Reichman University.
—
Guest Quote
”As product managers, we must do what customers need. So if you sold it and you don't care anymore, you will never care for that customer any longer, until maybe the renewal time comes up. I want my PMs to constantly worry about their customers, and to constantly deliver value throughout the year. So that people use our products more and more.” – Edik Mitelman
—
Time Stamps
00:00 Episode Start
01:45 When Edik left engineering for product
03:50 Maintaining a beginner's mindset
05:20 How the role of product varies between organizations
08:25 Building multiple startups within a single orga nization
10:15 Edik's work on AppsFlyer Privacy Cloud
13:45 The advantages that come from a startup mentality
17:05 Measuring success
20:55 Ensuring your team is rowing together
24:40 Failure breeds success
32:45 Are GMs for everyone?
—
Links
Connect with Edik MitelmanCheck out AppsFlyerCheck out the AppsFlyer Privacy CloudConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
Welcome to Season 02 of Next Gen Builders! Today, Francois sits down with fellow podcast host Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia, Founder & CEO of Product School, the global leader in Product Management training. Their conversation covers how Carlos scaled Product School from the ground up, why community building has been a key factor in his success, and what truly makes a great product leader.
Carlos founded Product School in 2014 with a vision of democratizing access to education and has since grown the community to over 2M members. He reflects upon what ingredients have led to the organization’s success alongside what he may have done differently if given the opportunity again. Ultimately though, Product School is proof that community matters regardless of the business you are in.
Additionally, Francois and Carlos talk about The Product Podcast and how impactful it has been in tandem with Product School. With over 260 interviews featuring product executives from brands such as Nike, the NBA, Duolingo, and Amplitude, Carlos has had the opportunity to truly understand the makeup of a great product leader. So right after tuning into Next Gen Builders, check out The Product Podcast!
—
Guest Bio
Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia is an entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience building global companies and digital products.
He founded Product School in 2014, which is the global leader in product training with a community of over two million members. All of Product School's instructors are real-world Product Leaders working at top Silicon Valley companies including Google, Meta, Netflix, Airbnb, Uber, and Amazon. Prior to Product School, he founded Floqq, the largest online education marketplace in Spanish and Portuguese at the time. Floqq joined the 500 Startups and Startup Chile accelerator programs.
Additionally, Carlos co-authored the Amazon bestseller The Product Book, and has participated as a speaker in more than 1,000 events, conferences, and classes around the world. Outside of work, he loves skiing and playing tennis.
—
Guest Quote
" Community is a term that is now being overused and sometimes misunderstood as,
‘Oh, let's just start giving something away with an expectation of getting something in return.’
And I think that kind of defeats the definition of a community. True, you as a business need to have a business model to keep the lights on and grow, but building a community to me is a strategy, it's not a tactic. To me that meant I'm going to build something for the long term. I have a mission which is helping people build better products and democratize access to education in ways that some of the people that actually benefit from the community might never be able to pay economically.
And I'm okay with that. And so it starts from that mindset, without obviously forgetting about the business model. That is how I think of community, as a strategy.” – Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
—
Time Stamps
00:00 Episode Start
01:45 What is Product School?
04:00 How Carlos was able to scale
08:05 Lessons learned along the way
10:55 Creating & measuring meaningful communities
14:30 The Product Podcast
18:00 What makes a great product leader
21:10 Transforming with AI effectively
26:20 Overcoming doubts and hesitations
29:40 Carlos' advice for others leaning into innovations
33:20 Maintaining flexibility throughout a transformation
34:50 What Product School is focused on in 2025
—
Links
Connect with Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia on LinkedInCheck out Product SchoolWatch The Product PodcastConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
In this episode of the Next Gen Builders, Francois is joined by Hubert Palan, Founder & CEO of Productboard, the customer-driven product management tool, who shares how relentlessly focusing on customer pain points has helped them build a product that not only serves but delights its users.
When Hubert Palan founded Productboard, he had one goal: Help companies make better product decisions by understanding their customers on a deeper level. Now, with over 6,000 companies—like Zoom, Salesforce, and Toyota—using the product management platform, it’s clear that customer obsession is more than just a buzzword for Hubert and the Productboard team; it’s the driving force behind their business.
Throughout their conversation, you’ll hear about why customer obsession matters, the art of prioritizing customer feedback, and how AI enhances customer understanding. Hubert also dives into the lessons learned related to balancing customer feedback, prioritizing product roadmaps, and sometimes saying “no” to customers to best serve them.
—
Guest Bio
Hubert Palan is Founder and CEO of Productboard, the customer-centric product management platform that helps organizations get the right products to market, faster. Over 6,000 companies, including Toyota, Microsoft, Zoom, Volkswagen, and UiPath, use Productboard to understand what customers need, prioritize what to build next, and align everyone around their roadmap. The company has raised a total of $262M and is headquartered in San Francisco with additional offices around the world.
Hubert received his MBA from the University of California, Berkeley and MSc. in Computer Science from Czech Technical University. He lives in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife, Jenna, and their three kids.
—
Guest Quote
"For a company to be really customer-centric, everybody at the company needs to share that understanding of what is it that the people need. And that's where you really reach the goal of being customer obsessed as a company." – Hubert Palan
—
Time Stamps
00:00 Episode Start
01:06 The origins of Productboard
03:09 How to make your company truly customer centric
05:25 Measuring the success of your efforts
10:56 The power of staying aligned to your roadmap
16:08 Tying your decision making directly to your users' feedback
18:48 Avoiding recency bias
21:56 Why you need to dedicate time to information sharing
27:37 Knowing when to listen
34:09 How AI will shape the Next Gen Builder
—
Links
Connect with Hubert Palan on LinkedInCheck out ProductboardConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
In this episode of Next Gen Builders, Francois sits down with Damien Delautier, a seasoned product leader at CANAL+, a major player in the creation and distribution of content around the world.
The duo unravel the complexities behind scaling tech platforms at a global level and their conversation covers M&A, the blending of data with people, and how teams can connect despite the distance between them.
Drawing inspiration from Mike Tyson's memorable quote, 'Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,' Damien shares candid insights into navigating the unpredictable world of product management and constant adaptation. He sheds light on the team’s ambitious goal for CANAL+ to rank among the top five streaming platforms worldwide within five years and covers the intricate strategies involved in achieving this feat.
With a mix of humor and deep expertise, Damien dives into how tapping into local market nuances and fostering human connections can transform challenges into innovative solutions. Tune in to hear about the many facets of mergers and acquisitions, from balancing a myriad of technologies to integrating diverse teams while keeping everyone invested in a shared vision. Francois and Damien explore not just the technical hurdles, but the paramount importance of understanding the people behind the technology, making this episode a must-listen for any aspiring product leader looking to make their mark in the tech industry.
—
Guest Bio
Damien Delautier serves as the Chief Product Officer at CANAL+, a prominent media and pay-TV operator with over 20 million subscribers globally. Under his leadership, CANAL+ has undergone a significant transformation in its product development approach, shifting from traditional methods to a more data-driven strategy. Delautier emphasizes the importance of understanding user behavior to enhance the myCANAL application, which has become a focal point for improving user retention and engagement. His initiatives have led to a threefold increase in conversion rates, showcasing the effectiveness of leveraging analytics and insights in product design and user experience.
At the VivaTech Paris conference, Delautier highlighted CANAL+'s advancements in automating video production and enhancing fan experiences through artificial intelligence. By collaborating with WSC Sports, CANAL+ has developed an innovative system for creating and distributing sports highlights across various platforms, including social media and their mobile app. This AI-driven technology not only streamlines content creation but also opens new avenues for revenue generation, reflecting Delautier's vision of integrating technology into the core of CANAL+'s operations.
Delautier's commitment to fostering a data-centric culture within CANAL+ has empowered cross-functional teams to make informed decisions based on real-time analytics. By promoting a collaborative environment where UX, engineering, and product teams work together, he has facilitated rapid prototyping and testing, which are crucial for adapting to the fast-paced media landscape. His leadership is pivotal in driving CANAL+'s ongoing efforts to innovate and enhance the overall user experience, ensuring the company remains competitive in the evolving digital market.
—
Guest Quote
“Every success story that you hear, it's retro engineering. When you hear about success, nobody has planned to do it this way, but at the end it has worked.
It has been a game changer for me to understand that nobody knows what they're doing, and what makes the difference between something that's success or fail is just, they have tried and never given up.
It's all about building this path. Nothing will happen the way we have planned it. So we need to have this strong vision, and we want to have a great product. We don't know how we get there, but we need to build this journey.” – Damien Delautier
—
Time Stamps
00:00 Episode Start
01:27 Damien's Background
02:18 The history of CANAL+
04:00 M&A as a core growth strategy
06:56 How to manage both the tech and people of new businesses
09:41 Why it's critical to focus on the human aspect
13:26 Building connections in a distributed world
15:59 Being comfortable with the unknown
19:23 How to blend data with creativity
22:12 Adapting features to specific cultures
27:56 Leveraging data to sift through all the noise
29:39 Aha moments from Damien's career
33:01 Damien's Oh Sh*t Moment
—
Links
Connect with Damien Delautier on LinkedInCheck out CANAL+Connect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
In today’s episode of “Next Gen Builders,” Francois is joined by Gage Sonntag, Senior Director of Data at Super.com. Their conversation hits upon the intricacies of working in a data-driven organization, how roles are evolving in the industry, and the power of experimentation.
Throughout the conversation Gage and Francois discuss creating a balance between data self-service and governance. Super.com has an innovative approach to embedding data analysts within mission-aligned teams to promote agility and deeper expertise in solving specific business problems while maintaining a centralized data engineering team to ensure robust data infrastructure. You’ll also hear about the inherent challenges and excitements in driving data quality and experimentation. Gage stresses the need for a culture that prioritizes learning and truth-seeking over just achieving expected outcomes, advocating that empowering individuals with the right tools and mindset can spur significant organizational growth.
For those looking to advance their careers in product management or data, Gage's insights offer actionable advice. He highlights the importance of creating a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement, emphasizing the need to iterate and learn from every opportunity, even failures. Overall, the interview encapsulates how having a robust data culture and a flexible, yet structured approach to data management can transform organizations and drive remarkable success.
—
Guest Bio
Gage Sonntag is the Sr. Director of Data at Super.com, where he leads initiatives across analytics, business intelligence, data science, and data engineering. With a robust background in data practices, Gage has significantly enhanced the company's data ecosystem, achieving remarkable results such as accelerating testing by 4X and improving customer retention by 90%. His leadership style emphasizes rapid experimentation and democratizing data access, empowering employees to engage with data tools and contribute to innovative solutions.
Before joining Super.com, Gage held key positions at Bond Brand Loyalty and LoyaltyOne, where he honed his expertise in analytics and engineering. He holds a Master’s Degree in Management Analytics from Queen's University and degrees in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry from the University of Saskatchewan. Gage's diverse career path also includes a brief stint as a Brewer, reflecting his multifaceted interests and commitment to blending creativity with data-driven decision-making.
—
Guest Quote
“What didn't work for us was to be a part of every single experiment you run. The more that someone can come up with an idea and then, as frictionless as possible, go from that idea to that in-market and getting data, was really powerful for us. We found it's not always the people at the top of the org chart that have the best ideas, but it's really about making it easy for anyone to take an idea from inception to, it's live.
A good colleague of mine kind of came to me one day and was like, ‘Gage, running experiments is really hard. There's so many buttons to configure. I'm not super sure if I'm doing it right.’
And after that conversation, I made it my mission to be like, ‘Okay, it being hard to run an experiment is not an acceptable barrier to testing something.’ Cause the alternative is you just roll out the things you think are best and likely not what your users think are best.’” – Gage Sonntag
—
Time Stamps
00:00 Episode Start
01:39 Gage's Background
03:12 Oil, beer, data
05:58 What is Super.com?
09:10 Balancing self-service with data governance
11:23 Experimentation at Super.com
14:54 Diving into data quality
16:44 Perfection vs. Speed
20:04 Gage's Oh Shit Moment
24:30 The people side of data
27:36 How to make data teams thrive in a smaller organization
31:02 When small tweaks have large impacts
—
Links
Connect with Gage Sonntag on LinkedInCheck out Super.comConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
Today’s episode of Next Gen Builders is all about trust. In a conversation that goes far beyond the surface of product design, Francois invites Alexis Baird, Head of Product Experience at Thumbtack, to explore the intricacies of creating digital products that not only meet but exceed the expectations of modern users—users who demand both convenience and authenticity.
Thumbtack is a digital marketplace where homeowners can match with skilled professionals to confidently and easily accomplish their honey-do lists. Alexis shares how the company prioritizes building trust by creating a holistic home maintenance platform, detailing that trust is earned by genuinely caring for user needs, even when it doesn’t immediately benefit the business. This approach has helped Thumbtack extend beyond just connecting users with professionals to supporting them as they tackle home tasks on their own.
Alexis highlights the importance of a beginner’s mindset and continuous learning in product management. Her liberal arts background enables her to synthesize diverse inputs and approach problems with fresh perspectives. For product managers, fostering seamless user experiences and empowering both homeowners and pros is crucial for long-term success and operational efficiency.
Finally, Alexis touches on leadership and team management, emphasizing the importance of personalized coaching and recognition. She believes in adapting management styles to individual team members' needs to create a positive work environment. By focusing on empathy and growth, product managers can build innovative products that truly meet user needs while fostering a thriving team culture.
—
Guest Bio
Alexis has been working on products for the past 16 years, looking at the world through her customer's eyes, to build features that make a real impact for them. She is currently leading the experience teams at Thumbtack.
Before her current role, she spent almost three years at Lyft, leading the teams building the rider experience and later, Lyft Healthcare which included their concierge products.
She has also worked as a Senior and Group Product Manager at LinkedIn. She worked on the Talent Solutions, Content, Slideshare as well as LinkedIn Profiles and data product teams. Her first product position was as a PM for the Captions Metrics team at Microsoft Bing.
—
Guest Quote
“We wanted to create a really holistic, all-in-one place that homeowners could go to care for their home, regardless of whether they decide to use a Thumbtack Pro or not. Maybe it doesn't directly serve our business, but we believe this is the right experience to create for customers. And ultimately that creates the right trust, that right long term relationship with customers.” – Alexis Baird
—
Time Stamps
00:00 Episode Start
01:52 What is Thumbtack?
02:53 The unique path that led Alexis to Product
04:48 Having a learner's mindset
07:35 Serving the specific needs of each side of the business
11:21 Why home maintenance can feel so daunting
13:35 Building trust with your users digitally and physically
16:57 How Thumbtack superpowers local business
21:36 Measuring success
27:20 Alexis' Oh Shit Moment
32:31 Investing back in your employees
35:48 Alexis' most recent home project
—
Links
Connect with Alexis Baird on LinkedInCheck out ThumbtackConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
Trigger warning: The episode and this post references a mass shooting/casualty event
This week on Next Gen Builders, Francois is joined by Adriana Gil Miner, the CMO of Iterable, the customer communication platform that helps brands deliver joyful experiences with harmonized, individualized, and dynamic communications at scale.
Today’s topic? Managing through crisis. In her over twenty years of experience, Adriana has consistently proven her ability to remain calm through the highs and lows that come with the world of tech. Francois has witnessed her resolute nature firsthand while at Tableau, and he says to her “It doesn't matter what kind of pressure you're under, whether it's your own, your team's, or your business's, it just seems like you're able to deal with it in a very calm and logical way.”
Adri shares how she navigated corporate challenges big and small in her roles at leading major US tech companies like Artefact, Kumulo, and Tableau. Francois joins her to explore her stories and gain insights into why some leaders excel in crisis situations, how she navigates her teams through turbulent times, and get her advice on the best way to move forward afterward.
—
Guest Bio
Adriana (Adri) Gil Miner is the CMO of Iterable, the most complete AI-powered customer communication platform that helps brands like Doordash, Volvo, and Glassdoor activate customers with joyful interactions at scale.
Having over 20 years of technology marketing experience, Adriana brings together the art of storytelling, technology, and marketing to create breakthrough campaigns that build up brands. Previously, Adriana worked with Francois at Tableau, where she headed up the global Brand Communications and Events departments for six years.
Adriana thrives on bringing new technologies to market and has worked on an array of projects from launching Samsung 3D TVs to building digital platforms at American Express to managing a top company growth program called Recurring Payments; and as CMO of Artefact, helped to put the product innovation firm on the map and launch their first spinoff company, 10,000ft.
Adriana studied Mass Communication in her native hometown of Venezuela and obtained a Masters degree in Digital Communication at the University of Washington. She loves to travel and prides herself on discovering and nurturing up-and-coming marketer rockstars.
—
Guest Quote
"Every crisis, as terrible as it is, is a huge opportunity for learning. People show their true colors. The other thing is that it's a huge opportunity for bonding" – Adriana Gil Miner
—
Time Stamps
00:00 Episode Start
01:39 Adri's background
06:20 Maintaining resiliency through it all
11:00 The importance of a clear leader at the helm
15:30 Creating space for your teams to grow
19:18 Different crises, same principles
23:43 Leveraging moments of crisis
26:35 Stronger Together
34:00 How to foster positivity through it all
—
Links
Connect with Adriana Gil Miner on LinkedInCheck out IterableThe Resiliency & Justice Center (Formerly Vegas Strong)Connect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
This week on Next Gen Builders, Francois is joined by Sheila Vashee, Chief Marketing Officer at Figma, the widespread design and collaboration platform whose mission is to “make design accessible for everyone.”
Sheila shares how she pioneered product-led growth (PLG) at Dropbox to scale the team to 80+ and $1B in revenue, advice for marketing teams hoping to evolve their own PLG efforts, and why she believes the tension between PLG & PLS is solvable within any enterprise.
There are plenty of insights from throughout Sheila’s career that she shares with Francois including: falling in love with the problem, understanding your audience deeply, and continuously testing hypotheses to drive growth. She stresses the importance of building a data-driven organization and the necessity of clear segmentation and resource allocation when implementing PLG.
Ultimately, Sheila’s message is clear as she tells the audience to stay curious, continually seek knowledge from others in the industry, and always prioritize understanding and addressing customer needs. This episode is filled with valuable advice for anyone looking to elevate their career in product-led growth, marketing, and data-driven decision-making.
—
Guest Bio
Sheila Vashee is the Chief Marketing Officer at Figma, overseeing the GTM + Product Support teams. Prior to joining Figma, Sheila served as CMO at Ethos, a VP of Marketing and Growth at Opendoor, and was the second marketing hire at Dropbox. Sheila is also an advisor at Basis Set Ventures, an early stage investing firm. She started her career as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and holds an MBA from UC Berkeley and a BA from Stanford in Economics.
—
Guest Quote
“The whole company has to be centered around PLG for it to be successful. It has to be how product, growth, marketing, sales, and support are built.” – Sheila Vashee
—
Time Stamps
*(02:00) Sheila's career journey
*(02:59) Standing out as a founder
*(04:28) How to tell a good story
*(07:25) What is PLG?
*(10:29) Dropbox and how Sheila pioneered PLG
*(17:52) Sheila's Oh Sh*t moment
*(21:59) Can PLG work with enterprise?
*(26:20) What Sheila would do differently in her journey
*(28:37) Exploring PLG dynamics across different companies
*(31:07) Why you need to be data-driven
*(32:22) Structuring a successful growth organization
*(38:07) Sheila's advice for aspiring marketers
—
Links
Connect with Sheila Vashee on LinkedInCheck out FigmaConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
On this episode of Next Gen Builders, Francois is joined by Peter Yang, Principal Product Manager at Roblox, the game platform and creation system that allows users to play a wide variety of games, create games, and chat with others online.
Peter shares how he transitioned from investment banking to product management, why he believes the customer is his most important team member, and how others can stay ahead of emerging technologies.
Throughout the conversation, Peter stresses that talking to customers should be an ongoing process from ideation to launch. This approach not only helps in de-risking products but also ensures that the product meets actual customer needs. Emphasizing that customer empathy is not just a metric but a genuine connection, Peter advises new PMs to think beyond internal advancements and focus on creating products with tangible value for users.
Francois and Peter discuss practical advice for product managers and builders looking to integrate customer feedback seamlessly into their workflows. He shares techniques such as using AI for summarizing customer feedback, editing content, and brainstorming, which can save considerable time and make the customer feedback loop more efficient. Additionally, Peter discusses the need for a PM to understand the entire customer journey, to think creatively, and to break down organizational silos that often hinder product success.
—
Guest Bio
Peter Yang is a prominent voice in the product space and is currently the Principal Product Lead at Roblox. With over a decade of experience in product management and marketing, Yang has built an impressive career at companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, Credit Karma, and Reddit.
At Roblox, Yang focuses on creator success, working to build a future where anyone can create immersive experiences. He has established himself as a thought leader in the product management and creator economy spaces, running a popular newsletter called "Creator Economy" with over 80,000 subscribers, where he shares practical guides and expert interviews to help others level up as product leaders and creators. Yang's focus on helping others take control of their craft, time, and future through product development, AI utilization, and personal branding has made him a respected voice in the industry.
—
Guest Quote
“Bottom line, you want to deliver something that you feel proud of when you look back 10 years from now on your career. I want to be able to point to a few products that actually had a big impact and made people's lives better.” – Peter Yang
—
Time Stamps
*(01:37) Peter's journey and transition into product management
*(04:15) Marketing vs. product roles: Similarities and differences
*(08:08) Peter's key lessons learned
*(11:45) Coaching PMs for success
*(13:10) Evolution of the PM role
*(15:30) Biggest challenges for PMs
*(16:51) Measuring customer engagement
*(19:22) Customers as your most important team members
*(27:30) Product as a craft
*(32:50) Impact of AI on product
*(38:37) Staying ahead of emerging technologies
*(40:07) Future of the product craft
*(42:11) Advice for product builders
—
Links
Connect with Peter Yang on LinkedInCheck out RobloxSubscribe to Peter’s Newsletter “Creator Economy”Connect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
In this episode of Next Gen Builders, host Francois welcomes Ashley Kramer, the Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer of GitLab Inc., the DevSecOps Platform.
Ashley offers insights from her rich background in both product and marketing, sharing practical advice on how to foster successful collaboration between these two critical business functions.
Throughout her conversation with Francois, Ashley emphasizes the vital importance of customer-centric thinking, advising leaders to focus on solving genuine customer problems rather than falling in love with their own solutions. Additionally, she underscores the necessity of constant learning and cross-functional communication, suggesting that leaders must be well-versed in demonstrating their product's value across varied contexts and to different stakeholders.
Furthermore, Ashley touches on the importance of building a must-have product from day one. In her words, “When the CFO comes to whatever executive you sell to and says, ‘Hey, we need you to cut 2 million in budget.’ [Your product] has to be something that everyone's like, ‘You cannot take this from me. Efficiency will be down, we'll be unhappy, we'll leave the company.’”
Ashley also shares practical advice on balancing visionary storytelling with concrete product development milestones. By weaving customer validation into every step, Ashley illustrates how product leaders can avoid pitfalls and drive sustained innovation.
—
Guest Bio
Ashley Kramer is the Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer of GitLab Inc., the DevSecOps Platform. GitLab’s single application helps organizations deliver software faster and more efficiently while strengthening their security and compliance. As CMO and CSO, Ashley leverages her leadership from roles in marketing, product and technology to message and position GitLab as the leading DevSecOps platform through the next stage of growth. She is responsible for GitLab’s product marketing, brand awareness, communications, analyst relations, community, competitive positioning, marketing ops and revenue pipeline generation including all digital and sales development efforts. Ashley also leads the strategy for product-led growth and code contribution to the GitLab platform.
Prior to joining GitLab, Ashley was CPO and CMO of Sisense and has held several post-IPO leadership roles including SVP of Product at Alteryx (NYSE) AYX) where she led the messaging, positioning and roadmap for the Alteryx Analytics Platform and Head of Cloud at Tableau where she led the effort to transform Tableau (now a Salesforce company) to a cloud-first company and ran Tableau Online, their fastest growing product. She also has held various marketing, product and engineering leadership roles at Amazon (NASDAQ) AMZN), Oracle (NYSE) ORCL) and NASA. As a former engineer, Ashley understands and can capitalize on the value of GitLab’s unique ability to solve a deep developer pain point - streamlining the development process and bringing innovative ideas to customers in a quicker and more efficient way. She approaches everything with a customer-first mindset and has a passion for solving the challenge of positioning and messaging software platforms to technical audiences.
—
Guest Quote
“I love storytelling. My team is great at it. But customers need to be able to tell the same story, believe it, buy into it. So then we can go bring more prospects along.” – Ashley Kramer
—
Time Stamps
*(00:00) Episode Start
*(03:44) Ashley's career journey
*(06:04) Marketing vs. Product: How to be a better leader
*(10:23) How to break new ground and innovate against the norm
*(16:21) Ashely's Oh Sh*t Moment
*(18:29) How to become a must-have product
*(21:10) Strategies for standing out
*(23:26) Company vision vs. reality
*(25:40) Ashley's advice to aspiring product leaders
*(31:01) What Ashley would tell her younger self
—
Links
Connect with Ashley Kramer on LinkedInCheck out GitLabConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
In this week’s episode of Next Gen Builders, Francois is joined by Drew Glover, Co-Founder and General Partner at Fiat Ventures, a VC firm focusing on the next generation of early-stage fintech startups.
Drew shares his unconventional path that led him to start Fiat Ventures, advice for founders looking to raise capital, and how he strategically builds his team to complement his own strengths and weaknesses.
Throughout the interview, Drew highlights the importance of understanding business models and being able to quickly identify and adapt to market conditions. He advises aspiring founders to ensure their ventures have a generational impact and stresses the critical role of resilience and adaptability in overcoming market challenges.
You’ll hear Drew delve into the vital role of data in their operations, using both qualitative and quantitative insights to make informed decisions. He discusses how Fiat Growth and Fiat Ventures work perfectly together to evaluate potential investments, ensuring they back companies that are not only innovative but also scalable and sustainable. This episode is filled with valuable advice for anyone looking to elevate their career and navigate the complexities of venture capital and entrepreneurship.
—
Guest Bio
Drew Glover is Founding Partner of Fiat Growth and General Partner at Fiat Ventures. After taking a backdoor into the VC ecosystem, Drew is no stranger to the world of growth, technology, and marketing. From his time at Steady where he led marketplace development and growth to Namely, Fjord, and Portal A, he navigated the ins and outs of Go-to-Market strategies and user acquisition. Today Drew works closely with companies like Bestow Life Insurance, Copper Bank and Lemonade on how to provide award winning products, services and acquisition strategies.
—
Guest Quote
“You need to show up every day with the same amount of energy. And you need to know that no matter how bad the moment is, as long as you're resilient, there's a way for you to crawl out of that.” – Drew Glover
—
Time Stamps
*(01:11) What inspired Fiat Growth and Fiat Ventures
*(05:52) Drew's unconventional path into venture
*(08:46) Why you need to understand every business model out there
*(10:27) Lessons Drew still takes away from his sports background
*(13:53) Staying relentless
*(19:13) The art of persuasion
*(22:41) How to determine what's real vs. hype
*(25:38) Don't underestimate the power of team
*(31:19) Where Drew relies on data for Fiat Growth and Fiat Ventures
—
Links
Connect with Drew Glover on LinkedInCheck out Fiat VenturesConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
In the debut episode of Next Gen Builders, join product leader and host Francois Ajenstat in a fun and inspiring conversation with Sarah Franklin, the CEO of people management platform Lattice and former CMO at Salesforce.
Sarah shares her guiding principles, favorite stories, and oh-sh*t moments from throughout her career shattering the glass ceiling as a female executive in tech.
You’ll hear her colorful stories, like founding the infamous “trailblazer” campaign at Salesforce or the out-of-this-world risk she took in an early job interview. Her conversation offers an entertaining take on career growth that’s invaluable to anyone wanting to elevate their own career.
Throughout the interview, Sarah underscores the significance of fearless pursuit and authenticity. This mindset, she argues, is crucial for breaking through career barriers and propelling oneself from individual contributor roles to executive leadership.
The conversation also delves into overcoming challenges and leveraging one's network for growth and support, highlighting the essence of building a strong community. Sarah reflects on her path to becoming a trailblazer, attributing her success to not only her ability to envision and execute change but also to her relentless pursuit of passion and purpose.
—
Guest Bio
Sarah Franklin is the Chief Executive Officer of Lattice. She brings 25+ years of experience leading and scaling companies in tech and has a unique blend of technical knowledge, business acumen, and marketing expertise. Prior to joining Lattice, She spent over 15 years at Salesforce in a variety of executive leadership roles including President Advisory Board, Chief Marketing Officer, EVP Platform and Trailhead. Before Salesforce, she worked at a variety of companies ranging from scaled businesses to scrappy startups. She holds a dual degree in chemical engineering and biochemistry from Virginia Tech and has been awarded many accolades including Forbes’ Most Influential CMO, “CMO to Watch” by Business Insider, and recipient of the Brand Genius Award from Adweek.
—
Guest Quote
“The lesson is believe in yourself, have passion for your mission, don't accept no for an answer, and have a purpose behind what you do. And when you do that, all of the money, success, everything will follow. But the most important is you'll be happy in your job and that is something that money cannot buy.” – Sarah Franklin
—
Time Stamps
*(05:05) Mapping Sarah's journey and goalsetting
*(08:15) Lean into your conviction
*(12:55) Overcoming the critics
*(15:35) Why relationships should be a CEO's number one priority
*(20:23) What Sarah would tell her younger self
*(22:10) Authenticity, courage, and well-being
*(27:00) Sarah's Oh Sh*t Moment
*(29:24) Being a trailblazer
—
Links
Connect with Sarah Franklin on LinkedInCheck out LatticeConnect with Francois Ajenstat on LinkedInCheck out Amplitude -
Welcome to Next Gen Builders, a behind-the-scenes look with the industry’s most influential leaders building great digital experiences.
Veteran product executive Francois Ajenstat explores how teams connect grand visions to the grit of execution. In his conversations, hear from the most inspiring and prominent product pioneers on the paths they’ve navigated, and lessons they’ve learned on their way to the top.
Get inspired to think outside the box, break the rules, and build the next generation of cutting-edge digital products.
This is
Next Gen Builders—Presented by Amplitude.
