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The Google Way: The Secret Formula for Building Wildly Successful Products

Author

Sara Landi Tortoli
March 04, 2024

✨ Hi, I’m Sara, host of the Polyweb podcast. On the show, we explore how we can find meaning in the Technology Era. Join conversations with global tech leaders and entrepreneurs, navigating the intersection of business, life, and technology.

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If you're ready to level up your product development skills and create products that users can't resist, this episode is your golden ticket.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of hosting Itamar Gilad, a seasoned product coach and leader. Itamar has extensive experience working at tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and YouTube. He is also the author of the book "Evidence Guided." Notably, he was the product manager responsible for creating the tabbed inbox in Gmail.

During our discussion on the Polyweb podcast, Itamar reveals the secret sauce behind Google's product development process. He introduces the GIST model (Goals, Ideas, Steps, and Tasks), which is the ultimate framework for systematically validating ideas and ensuring that your product achieves remarkable success.

🎯 Three Key Takeaways:

  1. Set Goals That Align with Your Company's Mission 

    Itamar emphasizes the crucial role of setting clear, concise goals that align with your company's mission and vision. By focusing on outcomes and using metrics to measure success, you can ensure your product development efforts are heading in the right direction.

  2. Validate Your Ideas Through Research 

    Don't let your product ideas remain mere guesses! Itamar stresses the importance of conducting thorough research to validate your assumptions. By gathering data, analyzing user behavior, and testing your ideas, you can make informed decisions and increase your chances of creating a product that resonates with your target audience.

  3. Adapt the Evidence-Guided Approach to Your Business 

    One size doesn't fit all when it comes to product development. Itamar shares valuable insights on how to adapt the evidence-guided approach to different types of products and businesses, including B2C, B2B, and marketplace models. By tailoring your strategy to your specific needs, you can optimize your product development process and achieve better result

📚 Resources:

👉 CHECK OUT THE BOOK "EVIDENCE GUIDED": https://amzn.to/3wy4qae

📚 OTHER RESOURCES MENTIONED: https://itamargilad.com/

⏱️ Time Stamps:

00:00 Intro

01:11 Itamar's background and experience at Google and YouTube

04:22 YouTube's transition from a community-based platform to a more commercialized product

06:36 The differences between the Google Plus and YouTube annotations projects

09:22 The story behind the development of the Gmail tabbed inbox feature

17:34 How the confidence level in product development differs in companies at various stages

19:25 Itamar's framework for setting goals, making assumptions, and establishing confidence in product ideas

26:28 Example: Applying the evidence-guided process to a hypothetical dating app startup

41:48 Choosing the best testing methods for product validation

43:48 Implementing the evidence-guided method for physical products

48:38 Adapting the evidence-guided approach for B2C, B2B, and marketplace products

54:24 Resources and ways to connect with Itamar

55:24 Conclusion

👀 About:

Itamar is a coach, author and speaker specializing in evidence-guided product management and product strategy. For over two decades he held senior product management and engineering roles at Google, Microsoft and a number of startups. At Google Itamar worked at YouTube and led parts of Gmail.

Itamar is the author of the book Evidence-Guided: Creating High-Impact Products in the Face of Uncertainty. He also publishes a popular product management newsletter and is the creator of a number of product management methodologies including GIST Framework and The confidence meter.

Itamar is based in Barcelona, Spain.

🔗 CONNECT WITH ITAMAR:
🔗 CONNECT WITH SARA:

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Polyweb navigates through the intricate nexus of technology, product innovation, and human creativity. Engage with leading entrepreneurs and experts in uncovering how we can forge impactful companies and lead lives enriched with purpose in the Technology Era.

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