In this episode, of The Product Podcast, we chat with Tomer London,Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Gusto, the leading HR platform for small and medium-sized businesses in the US.

Tomer shares his journey from coding his first inventory management system for his dad’s clothing store as a teenager to building Gusto into a comprehensive payroll and HR platform serving over 300,000 small businesses. He opens up about the challenges of evolving his role as CPO, transitioning from hands-on coding to building product teams, and scaling the company while staying deeply customer-focused.

In this episode, Tomer dives into the importance of embedding compliance into the core of Gusto’s product, why he believes product management should be data-aware but not data-dependent, and how he fosters a culture of intuition-driven decision-making. He also shares how Gusto integrates AI to streamline processes, from payroll automation to enhancing customer support, all while maintaining the human touch that defines their success.

CONTENT
(00:19) 🌱 Early Beginnings: Building Software for a Small Business
(03:33) 💪🏽 From Engineer to Product Leader
(04:45) 👨🏽‍⚖️ The Importance of Compliance in Small Business Solutions
(11:00) ⚖️ Balancing Data and Intuition in Product Management
(20:26) 💥 Gusto's Product Expansion Strategy
(35:51) 🤖 AI and Human Touch in Customer Experience

KEY TAKEAWAYS👇:
Customer-Centric Product Development: Tomer emphasizes that listening to customers and addressing their pain points is the foundation for building successful products. Gusto's focus on helping small businesses manage compliance and payroll seamlessly has driven its product-market fit.

Data-Aware, Not Data-Dependent: Tomer believes that while data is important, product managers should balance it with intuition built from direct customer interactions. This approach ensures that products are not just functional but deeply aligned with user needs.

Scaling with AI & Human Touch: Gusto’s innovative use of AI enhances internal efficiency and customer service. Tomer shares how AI-driven features like automated data entry make life easier for users, while maintaining personal connections through exceptional customer support.

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Eppo, the next-generation A/B testing and feature management platform built for modern growth teams by alums of Airbnb and Stitch Fix. Visit their website https://www.geteppo.com/, and 10x your experiment velocity.

CREDITS:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Tomer London

In this episode of the Product Podcast we chat with Karri Saarinen, the CEO at Linear. It's the fastest-growing and most beloved project management tool in the world. The company is valued at $400 million, and has raised $52 million in funding from Accel, Sequoia, and some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs including the founders of Slack.

Before Linear, Karri led product design at Airbnb and Coinbase.

In our conversation, we'll discuss how his design background is helping him a product users love, his strong Product-Led Growth (PLG) approach to reach decision-makers, how to not always rely on data for product decisions, and his stance against incorporating AI-specific features into his product at this time.

Discover how Linear is building the tool that PMs love with a innovative and human approach that allows them to be growing so fast and having the sense of belonging of clients. This episode is packed with lessons on how coming from a different background can be a positive perspective when building a product that turns into the most enjoyable and efficient way to manage development.

(00:00) 🎬 Intro
(03:16) 🚀Design Background & Starting Linear
(06:41) 👨🏽‍💻 Role and Focus as a Founder
(09:19) 🛒 Competing in a Crowded Market
(12:45) 📈 Maintaining Long-Term Success
(14:48) 📚 Conclusion

KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. Design-Centric Approach: As a designer, Karri's approach to starting Linear focuses on user experience and brand. He emphasizes the importance of creating a great experience for users, especially in a collaboration tool like Linear.
2. Role as a Founder: Karri handles non-technical aspects of the company, including design and product vision. He believes in focusing on areas where he can make the most impact, like maintaining high standards in design and brand.
3. Unlike competitors who expand to generalize their tools, Linear stays focused on providing an excellent user experience for its target audience. Differentiating in a crowded market by building the best product specifically for software teams.


SOCIAL LINKS:
- Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
- Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
- Join Product School's free events here
- Find out more about Product School here

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
Pendo, the only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application. With all the tools you need, in one simple-to-use platform, Pendo makes it easy to answer critical questions about how users are engaging with your product—then turn those insights into action—all so you can get your users to do what you actually want them to do. Visit their website to create your free Pendo account today

Eppo, the next-generation A/B testing and feature management platform built for modern growth teams by alums of Airbnb and Stitch Fix. Visit their website and 10x your experiment velocity.


CREDITS:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Karri Saarinen

In this episode of the Product Podcast we chat with Jeremy Forrester, VP Product at Twitch and a key player in the world of short videos and live streaming. From his work on Vine for Windows Phone at Twitter to his impactful eight-year stint at Twitch, Jeremy offers incredible insights into the challenges and successes that have shaped today’s media scene.

Jeremy talks about Vine's legacy and its influence on platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok. Moving on to Twitch, he gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what keeps streaming audiences engaged and growing. We dive into how activities like gaming and DJ sets keep viewers hooked, with highlights like Ibai’s record-breaking streams and Ninja’s celeb collabs. Jeremy also explores the future of live streaming, including mobile game streaming and the impact of generative AI.

Discover how Twitch stands out from the crowd and the cool tools that make user experiences better. Jeremy also shares tips on how Twitch’s team structure supports both viewers and creators. This episode is packed with lessons on handling conflicts, continuous learning, and the importance of networking. Whether you’re a content creator or just love streaming, this episode is full of valuable insights and inspiration.

Content

(00:00) 🎬 Intro
(03:00) 🚀 The evolution of Jeremy at Twitch
(07:33) 📊 Key indicators of Twitch’s content
(11:09) 🧑‍💻 How does Jeremy define a content creator?
(13:48) 🌐 Twitch expansion: from community to events
(19:43) 🔮 What’s next for Jeremy
(24:10) 🎮 The gaming scene
(28:37) 🤖 How does Twitch implement Gen AI
(33:54) 🏢 Jeremy’s role as a VP of Product at Twitch


Key Takeaways

• Learn from predecessors: Vine's influence on platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok underscores the importance of studying and understanding past products. This can provide valuable insights and guide the development of new features or products.
• Focus on community: Jeremy's role in evolving Twitch highlights the significance of fostering a strong community. Product people should prioritize features that help users build and sustain their own communities.
• Utilize machine learning for personalization: Implementing personalized recommendations can significantly enhance user engagement. Additionally, features like polls and channel points can create interactive and engaging user experiences, emphasizing the need for continuous innovation in user engagement strategies.

Social Links:

• Follow our Podcast on Tik Tok here
• Follow Product School on LinkedIn here
• Join Product School's free events here
• Find out more about Product School here

Brought to you by:

Pendo, the only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application. With all the tools you need, in one simple-to-use platform, Pendo makes it easy to answer critical questions about how users are engaging with your product—then turn those insights into action—all so you can get your users to do what you actually want them to do. Visit their website https://www.pendo.io/productschool/ to create your free Pendo account today

Eppo, the next-generation A/B testing and feature management platform built for modern growth teams by alums of Airbnb and Stitch Fix. Visit their website https://www.geteppo.com/, and 10x your experiment velocity.

Credits:
Host: Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
Guest: Jeremy Forrester