The Optimal Path

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!

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!

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!

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, 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!