The Optimal Path: Recent Episodes
Maze
The Optimal Path is a new podcast about product decision-making brought to you by the team at Maze. Join us for expert conversations with product people at Webflow, Github, and more. Every episode will uncover the stories, ideas, and approaches that drive success—and the optimal path for product decisions.
Devin Harold, former Head of Design Research for Financial Services at Capital One, joins host Ash Oliver to discuss the challenges of connecting user research to business outcomes, how to effectively track and communicate the value of research, and why the future of the industry lies in driving customer-centricity across the entire business.
Discover practical frameworks for prioritizing and presenting research, such as the “two-by-two prioritization” and "what, so what, now what" frameworks. Learn how to involve cross-functional teams and tailor communications to stakeholders to enhance the visibility and influence of your work, and transform UX research into a strategic asset for the business.
About Devin:
Devin Harold is a Design Research Leader with over twelve years of experience in the UX space, starting his career journey first as an interaction designer before shifting into research. He recently worked as Director - Head of Design Research for Financial Services at Capital One, where he led the talented team and research practice to drive business decisions within the $1.4 trillion auto lending industry. Outside of work, Devin is a hobby egyptologist and photographer, and loves to travel the world with his husband, Montgomery.
Connect with Devin:
You can connect with Devin on LinkedIn, or check out his personal site.
Resources:
- Disco Conf 2024, the global research and discovery conference by Maze
- Marketers Turn To Metrics to Measure the Impact of Their Initiatives
- The research “impact” problem by Josh LaMar
- A framework to measure UX research impact by Maze
- Usability Engineering by Jakob Nielsen
- Designing for the Digital Age by Kim Goodwin and Alan Cooper
- A Beautiful Constraint by Adam Morgan
Follow Maze on Social Media:
- X: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
In this episode of The Optimal Path, Jehad Affoneh joins host Ash Oliver to discuss what it means to be customer-centric at Toast, the difference between being design-led and experience-led, and the role of UX research in shaping customer-centric cultures and experiences.
The conversation covers cultural shifts towards empathy and curiosity, mechanisms to foster a customer-centric culture, and how Toast integrates research into everyday operations. Discover how Toast encourages everyone across the company to consistently engage with customers and empowers them with easy-to-use methods to make these interactions more effective—ultimately driving better outcomes for customers, the business, and the team.
About Jehad:
Jehad is a design and product leader who's led design, product, and engineering teams most recently at VMware and Splunk. He is currently Chief Design Officer at Toast where he leads the product, customer, and end-to-end experience that empowers tens of thousands of restaurants to delight their guests, do what they love, and thrive. He lives with his wife and one year old son in Redwood City, California.
Connect with Jehad:
You can connect with Jehad on LinkedIn, Twitter, or check out his articles here.
Resources:
- Google’s HEART Framework for Measuring UX
- Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
- Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Follow Maze on Social Media:
- X: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
In this episode of The Optimal Path, Hannah Anokye joins host Ash Oliver to discuss her work on the Intuit Futures Team and the role of qualitative research in exploring emerging technologies, understanding users' needs, and identifying opportunities for new product developments.
Hannah shares best practices for conducting moderated user interviews and how to generate insights that spark ideas and drive growth. Discover how integrating user-centric approaches in qualitative research nurtures innovation and redefines mental models, leading to more resonant and effective product solutions
About Hannah:
Hannah is a product innovation practitioner with a unique background. Through a career with titles in product marketing, user research, and now product management, her through line has been user-centered experiences that drive meaningful impact.
Most recently as a Senior User Experience Researcher on Intuit's Futures team, Hannah explored how Generative AI technology could be responsibly and meaningfully integrated across the Intuit product ecosystem.
She recently transitioned into a product management role, focused on building the next generation of AI-driven products for Intuit’s future customers.
Connect with Hannah:
You can connect with Hannah on LinkedIn
Resources:
- Interviewing users by Steve Portigal
- Designing Your Life - How to Build a Well-Lived Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evan
- Unpacking User Interviews: Turning Conversations into Insights by Maze
Follow Maze on Social Media:
- X: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
Nick Stiles, User Researcher at IBM, discusses the power of secondary research, also known as desk research, in making informed decisions, and why it is the “unsung hero” of research.
Nick shares strategies for synthesizing secondary research findings into actionable insights for product teams and emphasizes the importance of storytelling and journalistic techniques in driving research impact.
About Nick:
First trained as an academic psychologist, Nick Stiles is now a passionate user researcher at IBM. With a BA in Psychology and experience in both academic psych labs and the software industry, Nick uses human behavior research to make interactions between people and tools more harmonious. He is driven by a love of learning, collaboration, and making a real-world impact through research.
Connect with Nick:
You can connect with Nick on Linkedin.
Resources:
- Immersion and influence—the work of the modern UX researcher by Nick Stiles
- Think Like a UX Researcher: How to Observe Users, Influence Design, and Shape Business Strategy by David Travis, Philip Hodgson
- How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times by Roy Peter Clark
Follow Maze on Social Media:
- X: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
In this episode of The Optimal Path, Ravi Mehta talks to Maze about connecting user research to product strategy and integrating effective product decision-making frameworks.
Ravi outlines the importance of visualizing product strategy—from the company's mission to defining specific product goals—and how to balance intuition, analytics, and user feedback to make confident product decisions.
Discover how these methodologies can refine your strategy and product development approach, setting a clear path for product success.
About Ravi:
Ravi Mehta is a visionary product strategist known for crafting innovative strategies that transform industries. He has held several prominent roles, including Chief Executive Officer of Outpace, and is an active angel investor and advisor in consumer tech companies. His past positions include Executive in Residence at Reforge, Chief Product Officer at Tinder, and product leadership roles at Meta, TripAdvisor, and Xbox. Ravi champions a human-centered approach to building products that has notably influenced the tech sector. He continues to help shape the industry by sharing his experience and frameworks aimed at improving product strategy and execution.
Connect with Ravi
You can connect with Ravi on Linkedin, follow him on X, or visit his website.
Resources:
- The Three Pillars of Product Decision Making by Ravi Mehta
- Reforge - Travel Hub Product Strategy at Tripadvisor
- Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
- The Product Strategy Stack by Ravi Mehta
- slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte
- Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte
Follow Maze on Social Media:
- X: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
In this episode of The Optimal Path, Reggie Murphy joins host Ash Oliver to discuss how Zendesk scaled UX research, elevating the practice from a supporting function to a strategic partner to the business.
Reggie shares how he led the development of training programs, automated processes, and ResearchOps to enable cross-functional teams to conduct research independently. Discover how democratizing research creates a more customer-centric culture and how these changes have shifted UX research from a gatekeeping role to a more collaborative, strategic position.
About Reggie:
Reggie Murphy is a seasoned strategic research and insights leader with over 20 years of experience leading teams to understand human behavior and create innovative products and solutions that meet the needs of their users. He has a proven track record of success across various industries, including technology, media, finance, and healthcare. He's currently a Senior Director and Head of UX Research at Zendesk. Prior to his current role, Reggie has built and led research teams at USA TODAY, Facebook, Vanguard, and Twitter.
Connect with Reggie:
You can connect with Reggie on LinkedIn or get mentored by him on ADPList
Resources:
- Democratize Research: Elevate UX Research Practice
- How our product design framework guides UX research by Jen Cardello
- Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Malone Scott
- The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C. Edmondson
- How to get stakeholder buy-in: From skeptic to research advocate by Maze
- UX Leadership Playbook: Democratizing Research to Deliver Impact at Scale
Follow Maze on Social Media:
- X: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
In this episode of The Optimal Path, Ash Oliver discusses the future of user research with expert Dave Hora. From his beginnings in research back in 2011 to his key roles at companies like Plangrid and Instacart, Dave has been at the forefront of driving innovation through research. Now, he's here to share his thoughts on what’s next for user research—discussing the growing demand for user insights, how to integrate research practices throughout the product lifecycle, and the opportunities of AI tools.
Tune in to uncover how we can seize the moment and define what’s next.
About Dave:
Dave Hora is the founder of Dave's Research Co., where he helps product leaders launch new product lines with the right mix of data, insight, and common sense. He began professional research work in 2011, eventually starting the practice as the first research hire at six companies, including PlanGrid and Instacart. He now works with companies across the globe and writes extensively on the topic of research and its co-evolution with the product practice.
Connect with Dave:
You can connect with Dave on LinkedIn
Resources:
- The Future of User Research Report by Maze
- User Research and Its Inevitable Evolution by Dave Hora
- Whither UX Research? by Peter Merholz
- The UX Research Reckoning is Here by Judd Antin
- Empathy: The importance of how we speak about ourselves, Maze Disco Conf presentation by Kyle Osborne
- The next frontier for research: Building organizations that learn by Behzod Sirjani
- Just Enough Research by Erika Hall
- Bad research doesn’t stink by Carl Pearson, PhD
- The Mistake Almost Everyone Makes When Doing User Research by Behzod Sirjani
- Fostering a culture of organizational learning with Roy Opata Olende
- The Democratization of User Research is a Red Herring by Peter Merholz
- The Nature of Order by Christopher W. Alexander
- The Timeless Way of Building by Christopher W. Alexander
- A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander
- Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights by Steve Portigal
Follow Maze on Social Media:
- X: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver and Senior User Research Manager Paige Bennett explore the vital role of workshops in product development. Paige shares her experience facilitating workshops in the fintech industry, plus best practices for measuring success and co-creating with cross-functional partners and customers.
Join us to learn how you can leverage this collaboration tool to drive stronger decision-making, build more impactful products, and grow your career as a product professional.
About Paige:
Paige Bennett is a Senior User Research Manager at Affirm. Prior to Affirm, Paige managed the Growth and Ecosystems research teams at Dropbox and has previous experience creating strategic research projects at Medium. She is well-versed in the world of workshop facilitation and user research, harnessing the two for big business impact.
Connect with Paige:
You can connect with Paige on X or Linkedin
Resources:
- Workshopping your way to impactful products by Paige Bennett at Disco Conf 2023
- Why Running Better Workshops Will Make You a Better Creative Leader by Alison Coward on Medium
- The Field Study Handbook by Jan Chipchase
- CEO Ideational Facilitation Leadership and Team Creativity: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing by Abraham Carmeli & Paul B. Paulus
- Wolff Olins Report
Follow Maze on Social Media:
- X: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver welcomes Sander Viegers, VP of Design at Rabobank, to discuss the pivotal role of research and design in the digital transformation journey at Rabobank. Sander shares the principles that guide Rabobank's cooperative approach to a customer-centric design process, as well as practical examples of how research powers more innovative solutions for the customer and the business.
About Sander:
As the VP of Design at Rabobank, Sander leads the design organization in creating comprehensive customer and employee experiences on a global scale. With prior experience leading design teams at Microsoft, Amazon, and Catawiki, Sander has a proven track record of successful design leadership. He holds a Master's degree in Industrial Design Engineering from Delft University of Technology and has been named inventor on multiple patents.
Connect with Sander:
You can connect with Sander on Linkedin
Resources:
- Flawless Consulting by Peter Block
- The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
- Org Design for Design Orgs: Building and Managing In-House Design Teams by Peter Merholz and Kristin Skinner
- The Future of Finance: Driving Digital Innovation Through Customer Insights by Maze
Follow Maze on Social Media:
- X: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver is joined by Amy Lima, formerly product designer at AMP @ Amazon Music and currently founder of Diversify Design. Together, they discuss the role of user research in building community products and how to start and scale a research practice inside design teams.
About Amy:
Amy Lima is a first-generation Brazilian-American product designer, and founder of Diversify Design.
Her global footprint growing up between cultures and across continents brings an innate appreciation for diverse perspectives and a fascination for the human experience. To honor these values, her design philosophy is deeply rooted in ethical and inclusive design practices, with her work focusing on fostering community and social expression in a 0-to-1 design process.
Beyond her 9 to 5, she’s an active member of the design community and is often found hosting panels, giving conference talks, and writing articles on her experience pivoting into design from the music industry as a minority in tech.
Connect with Amy:
You can connect with Amy on LinkedIn.
Resources:
- Mismatch by Kat Holmes
- Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil
Follow Maze on Social Media:
• X: @mazedesignHQ
• Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver welcomes Marcus Brandford to discuss the transformative power of research in marketing and product development. Delving into how research can inform creative campaigns and marketing decisions, Marcus shares how Figma harnesses customer insights to understand its audience and build impactful brand connections that drive better business outcomes.
About Marcus:
Marcus Brandford uses research to power marketing decisions. His career began on the agency side at Known, a marketing strategy firm where he ran custom studies for many Google teams as well as Microsoft, Intel, Viacom and others. After leaving the field to pursue his MBA from UC Berkeley, he joined Figma in 2022 as a dedicated researcher for the Marketing function. Marcus works with the Brand, Growth, Editorial, and PMM teams to introduce the market perspective into the creative process, helping teams build with their audience in mind.
Connect with Marcus:
You can connect with Marcus on LinkedIn.
Resources:
• The Dream Machine by M. Mitchell Waldrop
Follow Maze on Social Media:
• X: @mazedesignHQ
• Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
In this episode of The Optimal Path, host Ash Oliver sits down with Roy Opata Olende to delve into the complexities of UX research across organizational altitudes. They explore the different modalities of learning that take place inside organizations, the critical need for leadership buy-in, and the challenges of communicating research impact. Roy introduces the concept of a "menu of learning" along with his best practices for fostering a culture of curiosity within your own organization.
About Roy:
Roy Opata Olende has been involved in user research and service design since 2012. He currently leads the UX Research practice at Zapier, a SaaS automation company. Prior to this role, he led Research Operations at Zapier and UX Research at Buffer.
When not working or hanging out with his wife and three young boys, he can be found obsessing over football (soccer). Roy hails from Kenya and currently resides just outside of Toronto, Canada.
Connect with Roy:
You can connect with Roy on X or LinkedIn.
Resources:
• Research Maturity Model Report by Maze
• How Zapier's Head of UX Research Organizes Projects
• How to Build a High-Impact Learning Culture by Josh Bersin
• Just Enough Research by Erika Hall
• Research Practice by Gregg Bernstein
Follow Maze on social media:
• X: @mazedesignHQ
• Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast.
See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about user research and product decision-making, brought to you by Maze.
The voices featured in this trailer are Ash Oliver, UX Research Advocate at Maze; Marcus Brandford, Figma; Roy Opata Olende, Zapier; Amy Lima, (formerly) Amp @ Amazon Music; and Benjamin Humphrey, Dovetail
New episodes drop every other week. Follow Maze and Ash Oliver on LinkedIn for updates, or visit maze.co/podcast and subscribe to be the first to know when we launch new episodes. See you soon!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can connect with Jo on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Resources mentioned:
- Continuous Research Report: Trends to Watch in 2023 by Maze in partnership with Atlassian
- UX Leadership Playbook: Democratizing Research to Deliver Impact at Scale by Maze in partnership with ADPList
- Building organizations that learn by Behzod Sirjani
- The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman
- The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can connect with Gabriel on Twitter (@gabrielvaldivia) or check out his website.
Resources mentioned:
- The Browser Company
- Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff
- How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can connect with Aiswarya on LinkedIn or check out her newsletter.
Resources mentioned:
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
- Alan Design: Behind the screens by Aiswarya Kolisetty
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can connect with Jasmine on Twitter (@jazzy33ca) or check out her website.
Resources mentioned:
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
- Undoing the Toxic Dogmatism of Digital Design by Lisa Angela
- Just Work by Kim Scott
- Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can connect with Julian on LinkedIn. And if you'd like to discuss the episode with other listeners, socialize with guests, and find extended host notes with further resources—check out the Host Posts space inside the Maze Community.
Resources mentioned:
- Lightning Decision Jam by AJ&Smart
- Gamestorming: Faciliator resources
- Facilitator’s Guide by IDEO
- Crazy 8’s: Core Design Sprint method
- Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators, Rule-breakers, and Changemakers by Dave Gray
- Just Enough Research by Erika Hall
- Think Like a UX Researcher by David Travis
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can connect with Josh on LinkedIn or check out his Instagram account (@joshdixit). And if you'd like to discuss the episode with other listeners, socialize with guests, and find extended host notes with further resources—check out the Host Posts space inside the Maze Community.
Resources mentioned:
- Behave by Robert Sapolsky
- Just Enough Research by Erika Hall
- Maze x ADPList UX Leadership Playbook: Democratizing Research to Deliver Impact at Scale
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
Join the Maze Community to discuss episodes with other listeners, socialize with guests, and find extended host notes and resources.
You can follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can connect with Bob on LinkedIn and Twitter. And if you'd like to discuss the episode with other listeners, socialize with guests, and find extended host notes with going further resources—check out the Host Posts space inside the Maze Community.
Resources mentioned:
- How we built the Figma design team by Noah Levin
- From Counterculture to Cyberculture by Fred Turner
- Stewart Brand's Whole Earth Catalog
- Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
- Creative Selection by Ken Kocienda
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can connect with Pulkit on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Resources mentioned:
- B.J. Fogg, Behavior Scientist at Stanford University
- Friction Logs: The Key to Unlocking Product Growth by Chameleon
- UserOnboard: Teardowns of your favorite web apps' first run experiences by Samuel Hulick
- How to Run User Surveys in the Age of Product-Led Growth by Chamaleon
- Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can connect with Benjamin on LinkedIn.
Resources mentioned:
- Foundations of atomic research by Tomer Sharon
- Legacy by James Kerr
- Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber by Mike Isaac
- The Eric Andre Show
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can follow Erika on Twitter (@mulegirl) or check out her articles on Medium.
Resources mentioned:
- Conversational Design by Erika Hall
- Just Enough Research by Erika Hall
- Designing for the Digital Age by Kim Goodwin
- Behave by Robert Sapolsky
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can follow Renato on Twitter (@renn) or check out his website.
Resources mentioned:
- Org Design for Design Orgs by Kristin Skinner and Peter Merholz
- High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil
- Managing Oneself by Peter F. Drucker
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can follow Samuel on Twitter (@fastfinge).
Resources mentioned:
- Maze Community Event: Designing for Accessibility (Event recording)
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) by the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C)
- Fable Upskill
- The End of Average by Todd Rose
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can connect with Melanie on LinkedIn or check out her articles on our blog, In The Loop.
Resources mentioned:
- Assumption Slam by JB (Shopify UX)
- A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger
- UX research best practices: Building and researching products with ethics in mind by Melanie Buset
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can follow Roberta on Twitter (@robertalearns) or check out her website.
Resources mentioned:
- A Framework for Decision Driven Research by Roberta Dombrowski
- Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle
- Teresa Torres’ Continuous Discovery Framework
- Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres
- A Framework For Decision-Driven User Research by User Interviews (Maze Community Event)
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can follow Behzod on Twitter (@beh_zod) or check out his website.
Resources mentioned:
- You Are Not Your Research Report by Behzod Sirjani (UXRConf 2020)
- The Organizational Appetite for Research by Behzod Sirjani
- The Field Study Handbook by Jan Chipchase
- Democratizing Research to Deliver Impact at Scale by Maze and ADPList
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
Liked what you heard in this episode? Read Andy's full article over on our blog, In The Loop.
You can follow Andy on Twitter (@andybudd) or check out his website.
Resources mentioned:
- The ICE framework
- The Eisenhower framework
- Divide the Dollar
- The Kano Model
- The Cold Start Problem by Andrew Chen
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can follow Anton on Twitter (@antonsten) or check out his website.
Resources mentioned:
- Mastering Freelance by Anton Sten
- Why Designers Need to Speak Business by Anton Sten
- Radical Candor by Kim Scott
- Company of One by Paul Jarvis
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- Factfulness by Hans Rosling
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
Liked what you heard in this episode? Read Teresa’s full article over on our blog, In The Loop.
You can follow Teresa on Twitter (@ttorres) or check out her website.
Resources mentioned:
- Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres
- Product Talk Academy
- Decisive by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
You can follow Brian on Twitter (@brian_lovin) or check out his website.
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
Liked what you heard in this episode? Read Jeremy’s full article over on our blog, In The Loop.
You can follow Jeremy on Twitter (@jeremylv).
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The Optimal Path is a podcast about product decision-making from the team at Maze. Each episode brings in a product expert and looks at the stories, ideas, and frameworks they use to achieve better product decision-making—and how you can do the same.
Liked what you heard in this episode? Read David’s full article over on our blog, In The Loop.
You can follow David on Twitter (@davidhoang), and check out Webflow too (@webflow).
Follow Maze on social media:
- Twitter: @mazedesignHQ
- Instagram: @mazedesignHQ
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mazedesign
To get notified when new episodes come out, subscribe at maze.co/podcast. See you next time!
The voices featured in this trailer are Ash Oliver, Design Advocate at Maze, David Hoang, Director of Product Design at Webflow, Brian Lovin, Product Designer at Github, and Jeremy Le Van, previous co-founder at Sunrise and former Director of Design at Microsoft.
Stay tuned for new episodes coming soon. Follow @mazedesignHQ and @ash_oliverrr on Twitter for updates, or visit maze.co/podcast and subscribe to be the first to know when we launch new episodes. See you soon!