Unsolicited Feedback

Critiquing Disney's Strategic Moves & Bundling Choices; Navigating the Future of Streaming In this episode of 'Unsolicited Feedback,' host Fareed Mosavat and guest Mariah Muscato, a Director of Product at HubSpot, dive into a detailed discussion about Disney Plus, its bundle strategy, and the broader challenges facing streaming services. They explore Disney's transition from content creation to embracing technology, its battles with activist investors, and strategic decisions against the backdrop of evolving consumer expectations and the competitive landscape of streaming services. The conversation also touches upon the principle of the perfect bundle, Disney's potential shifts in strategy, the impact on and from platforms like YouTube, and broader discussions on the future of streaming content. Finally, the dialogue covers the pricing and packaging strategies of streaming, and speculates on the future direction of Disney Plus and its competitors. Check out a full summary of the takeaways and lessons at unsolicitedfeedback.co. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome 01:00 The Evolution and Challenges of Disney's Streaming Strategy 02:27 The Superfan vs. Casual Fan Dilemma in Content Strategy 03:20 The Impact of Content Strategy on Subscriber Growth and Retention 06:59 Disney's Strategic Shift and the Role of Bundling 10:54 The Streaming Wars: A Battle for Content and Subscribers 19:00 The Future of Streaming: Consolidation, Content, and Consumer Choice 27:48 Disney Plus and the Challenge of Tech Transformation 30:41 The Challenges of Content Distribution and Monetization 39:49 YouTube and the Evolution of Content Consumption 50:24 The Streaming Wars: Predictions and Strategies for Survival Show Notes: ➡️ Shishir Mehrotra's Four Myths of Bundling ➡️ Disney's Original Bundling Strategy

Tinder's New Safety Feature Delivers More Than Just Security to the Legendary Swiping App 🎉 In this episode of 'Unsolicited Feedback', host Fareed Mosavat and guest Mariah Moscato (Director of Product, HubSpot) discuss the intricacies of dating apps, with a focus on Tinder's new safety feature, 'Share My Date'. This feature allows users to share their location and date details for safety purposes. They explore how it not only enhances user safety but could open Tinder to new user groups and potentially drive network effects. Mariah shares her personal journey of moving to Dublin, her experiences with dating apps, and insights into how dating behaviors are evolving, especially around ethical non-monogamy. They also touch on how dating apps like Tinder could evolve to include non-dating functionalities and improve user engagements.  Check out a full summary here, and stay tuned as our Deep Dive this week covers the magical world of Disney!

Feedback on Humane, Limitless, and AirChat: Positioning and Strategy Insights For Early Stage Companies In Part 2 of our conversation with Kieran Flanagan, CMO behind Zapier & HubSpot, we wanted to get back to our roots with some Unsolicited Feedback on the product launches of Humane AI, Limitless, and AirChat. Along the way, we uncovered a few key lessons for any early stage company navigating the complexities of market entry and product development. If you think we’re wrong about any of this, we hope you’ll tell us on LinkedIn! As always, a full summary is available at Unsolicitedfeedback.co!

The New AI Marketing Playbook Amid Google's Stumbles  This week on Unsolicited Feedback, Brian Balfour & Fareed Mosavat welcomed Kieran Flanagan, and within 30 seconds of taping, Kieran dropped a 💣 on us! He’s leaving his role as CMO of Zapier and rejoining HubSpot to lead initiatives at the intersection of marketing and AI! Kieran is driven by the opportunity to define the future of marketing in an AI-driven world, and that naturally became our first topic. As Kieran prepares to dive back into HubSpot, Brian mentions that a lot of HubSpot’s success has been accelerated by its ability to conquer Google. So, naturally, we questioned what lies ahead for this behemoth amidst the rise of AI and what the implications of Google’s latest SEO decisions are, given the broad dependency of marketing strategies on Google's search capabilities. Fareed optimistically suggests that Google will adapt and continue to thrive. However, Kieran presents a compelling counterargument, starkly stating, "Google will not be fine." 🔥🔥🔥 After some spicy 🌶️ Unsolicited Feedback for Google, Kieran builds a "AI Marketing Playbook," a fascinating framework for navigating the new realities of an AI-driven marketing world. The initial four pillars are: Personalization PLG 2.0 Multimodal Focus Creator Partnerships Visit us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co for a full summary!

Product Lessons from Netflix's "Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul" with Penelope Talbot-Kelly In a fascinating episode of our podcast, Penelope Talbot-Kelly & Fareed Mosavat dove deep into the Netflix documentary "Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul." The discussion revealed critical insights that resonate far beyond the e-cigarette industry, touching on fundamental issues relevant to all tech companies. But first, Fareed and Penelope discuss the broader tech landscape, discussing trends such as AI, layoffs, and how these elements influence the current work culture. Penelope shared firsthand experiences and observations about the changing dynamics in recruitment and employee experiences, especially during times of economic downturns. The tech labor market discussion starts immediately, and the Big Vape / Juul analysis begins at 15:30. Join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co for a full summary of the spiciest hottakes and most compelling lessons derived from the conversation!

Unpacking the Google-HubSpot Acquisition Rumors: Implications for the Future of CRM This week on "Unsolicited Feedback," host Fareed Mosavat welcomed Penelope Talbot-Kelly, GM of Platform & Services at DoorDash, and Austin Hays, a veteran in CRM and Martech, to discuss the buzzing rumors about Google potentially acquiring HubSpot. Austin previously joined us to chat about HubSpot’s acquisition of Clearbit. Well, he’s back to help us delve deeper into what this new merger could mean for the CRM landscape and digital marketing tools. Join us at Unsolicitedfeedback.co for a full summary!

Ever wondered how a game as old as chess could become a global sensation in the digital age? The answer lies in the power of product, growth, and, more recently, AI. In our latest episode of Unsolicited Feedback, Joff Redfern and Fareed Mosavat had an insightful conversation with Erik Allebest, CEO of Chess.com. This episode explores the intersection of technology, human behavior, and ethics in the world of online chess, focusing on how Chess.com leverages AI to revolutionize the game while confronting challenges like cheating and maintaining a fair competitive environment. Insights from the platform's journey illuminate broader lessons in innovation, user engagement, ethical considerations, and growth strategy.

In today’s episode of Unsolicited Feedback, Fareed Mosavat, Joff Redfern, and Kipp Bodnar delve into the meteoric rise of Martech tools and the transformative role of AI, with a special focus on the innovative video creation platform, HeyGen. This discussion is very valuable for anyone leading marketing efforts in 2024 and beyond. 🌠 The bottom line: We're currently optimizing AI tools to enhance conversion rates, yet we're still waiting for a new distribution channel to emerge. Could this change be on the horizon? Full summary is available at UnsolicitedFeedback.co

LinkedIn Games: A Brilliant Move or a Misstep? 🎮🤔 LinkedIn is reportedly working on in-app games, a move that has ignited a wide range of opinions. In our latest episode of Unsolicited Feedback, co-hosts Joff Redfern and Fareed Mosavat, joined by HubSpot CMO Kipp Bodnar, delved into this topic. We’ve shared our thoughts below, and we’d love to hear yours! Tune in next Thursday for more Unsolicited Feedback, where we’ll discuss the growing surge of martech tools. Context: LinkedIn is testing the gamification waters, with companies ranked based on their employees' gaming scores. The company has confirmed these rumors, though we've only seen a few early screenshots. The games, a mix of puzzles and mini-games, seem reminiscent of the New York Times' daily games. But the question remains: is this what LinkedIn users need or want? Full summary is available here!

In Part 2, of our Unsolicited Feedback with Adam Nash, CEO of Daffy, co-hosts Joff Redfern & Fareed Mosavat dove deep into the world of fintech, exploring the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. To frame the conversation, Adam looked to the past, revisiting Clay Christensen's Innovator's Dilemma. For a full summary of the episode's takeaways, join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co. 0:00 Introduction & AI's Impact on Fintech 17:31 Importance of Understanding Competitors 19:40 Adam's Spicy Take 28:09 Return to Value Creation 36:41 Revisiting Clay Christensen's Innovator's Dilemma 41:50 Innovator's Dilemma Applied to Fintech

Adam Nash Explores the Art of Process-Strategy Fit at eBay and LinkedIn, with a Side of Diet Coke and Legos On the latest episode of Unsolicited Feedback, hosts Fareed Mosavat and Joff Redfern are joined by the esteemed Adam Nash, CEO and Co-Founder of Daffy, a philanthropic platform championing the concept that everyone should get in the habit of giving back. Adam's illustrious career spans across tech giants like Greylock, Dropbox, LinkedIn, eBay, and Apple, and he's widely recognized for his insightful contributions on his blog, PsychoHistory. Our journey begins with a nostalgic look at the pioneering days at LinkedIn and eBay, where we discuss the intricacies of process creation and leadership dynamics. Stay tuned for our upcoming episode where we'll delve into the Fintech sphere, diving into the nuances of prioritization and competitive analysis. Full summary of the takeaways and links to Adam's infamous blog can be found at Unsolicitedfeedback.co

Shaun Clowes Analyzes Cognition Labs' Devin & Reddit’s IPO We are joined by guest co-host Joff Redfern, Fareed Mosavat, and our guest Shaun Clowes. Today, we dive into two major stories: Devin and Reddit. Join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co for a full summary! Devin: The Future of Programming or Just Another Tool in the Box? 🧰 This week, Cognition Labs released a video showcasing it’s AI Coder, Devin. Devin promises to be able to handle complex programming tasks with the autonomy that you’d expect from a human coder. We thought it was worth diving into this new offering and delivering some Unsolicited Feedback. The Pending Reddit IPO: A Deep Dive into the Power of Community and the Potential of Monetization 🚀 Reddit, the front page of the internet, is finally going public and we have thoughts. For absolute clarity, it is important to note that neither the podcast content nor this summary constitutes investment advice. Let’s dive in.

Shaun Clowes Riffs on Waymo, Legos, and Process Advancement This week, Fareed welcomed co-host Joff Redfern, Principle at Menlo VC and former CPO at Atlassian and guest Shaun Clowes, CPO at Confluent and former CPO of Mulesoft at Salesforce, CPO @ Metromile, and Head of Growth @ Atlassian. This week’s Deep Dive drops Wednesday and we’re focused on Reddit & Cognition Lab’s Devin, but our riff this week is simply a classic happy hour conversation. Fareed, Joff and Shaun cover a wide range of topics dropping some brilliant nuggets along the way. Enjoy! For a summary of their takeaways, join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co.

Casey Winters is back with Fareed Mosavat and our guest co-host, Ravi Mehta. In this episode, we're discussing two recent articles from Casey Accidental, Casey’s product & growth blog. In “Wood Grain Steering Wheels,” Casey writes about a misplaced prioritization pattern he sees time and time again.  We delve into these prioritization challenges and explore Meta's impressive history of decisive prioritization. Then, we jump into mishaps with second products - understanding signs of trouble and how to address them. Lastly, we delve into the impact of organizational structure on product expansions, analyzing the reasoning behind Square's recent organizational shift. For a full summary, join us at Unsolicitedfeedback.co.

Ravi Mehta teams up with Fareed Mosavat once more. This week, Ravi and Fareed are joined by Casey Winters, former CPO at Eventbrite and growth expert at Pinterest and Grubhub. 🔍 The Big Question for Today: Is consumer tech experiencing a resurgence? With the advent of AI, some believe we're on the brink of a consumer tech revolution. But is this really the case? 🤷 Is consumer back? Sort of… 🤷 The Good News 🎉 People are spending more time online and are more willing than ever to try new products, including paid products. The days of freemium being the only way to acquire customers is seemingly behind us. And, the rise of AI has opened up exciting opportunities for product-minded founders to create value for consumers. The Bad News 😬 The landscape is dominated by big players like Apple, Amazon, and Epic, making it hard for new entrants. Plus, the journey from seed stage to a mass-market consumer platform is long and fraught with risk. As a result, we’re still seeing few and far between VC backed consumer start ups. But, just because consumer is largely not investable, doesn’t mean it isn’t vibrant and growing. What should founders or product leaders interested in consumer markets do? Check out a full summary of the takeaways at UnsolicitedFeedback.co.

Apple's car project is dead, Tesla missed earnings, and Rivian's stock is down. So, what's going on here? We deep dive on this very topic with our guest Behzod Sirjani, our guest co-host Ravi Mehta, and of course, the one and only Fareed Mosavat!  We discuss Adjacent User Theory, the problem with Early Adopters, the risks of limited SKUs, and why Apple might want to avoid this commodity market. For a full summary of all of the insights from the episode, head to Unsolicitedfeedback.co!

Leveraging AI to Transform Qualitative Data into Scientific Insights 🧠💡 Ever wondered how to make sense of the vast amount of qualitative data at your fingertips? We've got you covered! 🎧 In our latest episode of Unsolicited Feedback, we delved deep into the world of customer research in 2024 and the potential for AI to revolutionize how we handle qualitative data. Our guest, Behzod Sirjani, shared his experience as a research consultant and advisor, helping companies make better decisions by enhancing their research and data science practices. He sees himself as a personal trainer for companies, aiding them in extracting more efficiency, results, and insights from their data-driven work. The companies are already working out (using data), but he assists them in maximizing the benefits. Additionally, we're joined by Ravi Mehta as Fareed's co-host this week and next. Ravi is a Co-Founder at Outpace, and previously an EIR at Reforge, CPO at Tinder, and Product Director at Facebook. You may also recognize his name as a guest on Season 1. For a full summary of their discussion, head to Unsolicitedfeedback.co!

Navigating AI's Horizon: Future-Proofing Products in the Age of AI We're continuing our chat with AI enthusiast, Aaron White in part 2 of our series. This time, we're diving into how different AI products measure up against the ever-evolving S-Curve. Before we jump into it, following our podcast summary, we've got a BONUS (edited for time) chat where Aaron, Fareed, and Brian weigh in on the advantages of the top players in the AI race. That clip is exclusively posted to our Youtube page, so after you finish listening to this episode, make sure to check it out. 📺 As always, you can read a full summary of the key takeaways from the episode HERE on our website or by subscribing to our mailing list.

Our first guest for Season 2 is none other than Aaron White. Aaron, the recent CTO of Vendr, Co-Founder of ProfitWell, and Founder of Blissfully, is now in stealth mode with a new AI venture called AppyPeople. Besides his impressive credentials, Aaron has long been a passionate advocate and expert in all things AI. Having him as our inaugural guest this season was a perfect fit! But before we dive in, we're trying something a bit different this season. Every episode will be divided into two parts - a Riff and a Deep Dive. In this week’s Riff, we delve into Aaron’s spicy, slightly gloomy, yet probably on point glimpse of the future. Aaron’s been coining some seriously sharp terms to help us talk about what the future of AI could look like. As we discussed in our AI-themed Season Preview a few weeks ago, we feel that the future is so unknown that all decision making should be based on a 2-3 year horizon. That said, the perspective shared by Aaron brings an intriguing twist to the discussion. Aaron argues that the S-Curve is undergoing a tightening phase, resulting from an unprecedentedly rapid pace of development. Thus, he feels ignoring the longer horizon is not only unproductive, but perhaps harmful to decision making. Aaron highlights that having foresight is crucial for making decisions in the upcoming years and he also points out that some of these futuristic concepts are already beginning to materialize today. For a full summary of the insights here, head to UnsolicitedFeedback.co.

We're back for Part 2 of our Season Finale with Andrew Chen, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Today, we're deep-diving into the lessons Andrew has gleaned from his years focusing on gaming 🎮 at Andreessen Horowitz. Plus, we'll round off our 2024 discussion with an exploration of emerging growth channels 📈🚀. We want YOU to be part of the show and the conversation. We're discussing predictions RIGHT NOW on LinkedIn, HERE. Think we're wrong? Tell us live. Let's talk about it. If you prefer giving us feedback offline, please fill out our "feedback form” HERE, and we'll start discussing your feedback during episodes next year. We hope you've been enjoying "Unsolicited Feedback". We'll be back with Season 2 in just a few weeks! For a full summary of the episode and to sign up for our email list for extended summaries and exclusive Youtube videos, please join us at UnsolicitedFeedback.co.