Growthmates: Insights on Product Growth, UX, and Leadership Kate Syuma, Oscar Torres and experts from TOP tech companies

Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.
Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).
This time I had a chat with 2 fantastic leaders from SurveyMonkey — Brad, currently Director of Product, and Erica, who was a VP of Design and Research and recently started a new role at Intuit. 
Both Erica and Brad spent more than 7 years in the company, and we explored the evolution of Growth at SurveyMonkey over these years, and discussed significant chapters in the company's growth journey, including their legendary transition to a product-led growth model.
My favorite part of the conversation was when Brad and Erica shared their expectations of ideal partnerships with each other, and how to build and maintain that partnership at a huge scale over the years.
If you find this show valuable, please share it with one of your colleagues or friends — it gives huge support to continue creating it. To receive all episodes right in your inbox — subscribe to katesyuma.substack.com 
This episode is supported by Appcues — the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences.
Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption for free. Check out the template that I created to help companies uncover meaningful improvements. Find an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside and apply it to review any growth flows: appcues.com/growthmates
Key highlights from this episode:
* Optimization of Key Touchpoints: SurveyMonkey's significant growth was driven by the optimization of survey end pages and the homepage, which were critical in enhancing user engagement and conversion rates.
* Product-Led Growth Transition: The company successfully transitioned to a product-led growth model, focusing on refining trial experiences, optimizing pricing structures, and improving conversion flows to better meet user needs and drive growth. Brad shared the evolution of Growth at SurveyMonkey since the time he joined and learned from .
* Integral Role of Design and Research: Design and research functions were crucial in providing insights that drove the company’s strategic decisions, fueling innovation and idea generation essential for growth.
* Collaboration Between Product and Design Teams: Erica and Brad openly shared expectations towards each other on the episode — listen to this part!
* Cultural Emphasis on Collaboration: we discussed the importance of incorporating collaborative practices like design rituals, which include peer critiques and shared design systems, to maintain alignment and visibility across teams.
Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).
Follow Growthmates updates on:
* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/
Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/
* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com
* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma
Where to find our guests:
* Bradley Belford, Director of Product at SurveyMonkey: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-belford/
* Erica Weiss Tjader, ex-SurveyMonkey VP of Research and Design: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericatjader/
What we’ve covered in this episode:
[02:14] Welcoming Erica & Brad
[06:02] SurveyMonkey Growth Chapters and Pivotal Moments
[08:11] Transition to Product-Led Growth
[10:15] Every Team as a Growth Team
[17:19] Role of Design and Research in Strategic Moments
[28:59] Product and D

Quick update 🥳 Now the Growthmates newsletter and my other posts will be sent on Tuesdays (inboxes are packed with newsletters sent on Sundays). Hope you will enjoy the episode and listen to it throughout the week!
Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.
Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).
This time I talked to David Hoang, a VP of Design and Marketing at Replit, previously Head of Design and Weblow. David currently is an Executive focused on Design, Marketing, and Growth (sounds like a dream job!  )
We started by discussing non-linear career trajectories, and how David combines all these disciplines as an executive. Then we talked about the importance of design in the future of Product-Led Growth, how to leverage templates for Growth and practical examples from Webflow, and finally how to align the whole company around quality.
I loved how David emphasized the need to prioritize craft for product growth. I hope that by the end of this episode, you will feel the same way, and will take away some inspiration on building a non-linear career and advice to uplift the quality bar for your product.
If you find this show valuable, please share it with one of your colleagues or friends — it gives huge support to continue creating it. To receive all episodes right in your inbox — subscribe to katesyuma.substack.com 
This episode is supported by Appcues — the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences.
Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption for free. Check out the template that I created to help companies uncover meaningful improvements. Find an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside and apply it to review any growth flows: appcues.com/growthmates
Key highlights from this episode:
* Merge Design with Marketing for Customer Insight: David Hoang, as VP of Design and Marketing, underscores that combining these fields focuses on optimizing the customer experience and adding value. Treat this intersection as a strategic asset to guide customer journey improvements.
* Value Nonlinear Career Paths in Design: Embrace diverse career trajectories in design to enhance versatility and innovation within your team. This approach enables designers to contribute uniquely to various aspects of the business, particularly in product-led growth.
* Foster Collaboration Between Teams: Effective growth requires seamless collaboration between growth and core teams. Prioritize end-to-end customer experience management, using cross-functional teamwork to identify and address customer friction points.
* Utilize Community and Templates Strategically: Leverage community-led initiatives and templates to accelerate user acquisition, activation, and monetization. Recognize these tools as essential components for scalable growth strategies.
* Commit to High-Quality Design Standards: Establish non-negotiable quality principles for design, ensuring it's ready for general availability. Incorporate design critiques as a regular practice to uphold quality, align the team, and foster continuous improvement over perfectionism.
Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).
For the 1st year of Growthmates, we’ve collected from dozens of leaders from Dropbox, Amplitude, Canva, Coda, Atlassian, and now I need your take.👉 Take a 7-min survey and get the first copy of “The PLG Playbook“🎁
Follow Growthmates updates on:
* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grow

Quick update 🥳 Now the Growthmates newsletter and my other posts will be sent on Tuesdays (inboxes are packed with newsletters sent on Sundays). Hope you will enjoy the episode and listen to it throughout the week!
Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.
Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).
This time I talked to Tom Scott, a founder at Verified, an invite-only design network. We revealed the myth that TOP-1% of talent includes only FAANG companies, and uncovered emerging challenges in talent acquisition, such as finding designers with strong business literacy. My favorite part was exploring the differences in hiring for early-stage startups, Series A+, and Scale-up, where we shared advice to founders who are looking for talent, as well as for anyone who is exploring a career shift. 
Beyond that, we discussed the future of work in the tech industry, including the rise of fractional roles and the importance of flexibility. 
If you find this show valuable, please share it with one of your colleagues or friends — it gives huge support to continue creating it. To receive all episodes right in your inbox — subscribe to katesyuma.substack.com 
This episode is supported by Appcues — the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences.
Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption for free. Check out the template that I created to help companies uncover meaningful improvements. Find an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside and apply it to review any growth flows: appcues.com/growthmates
Key highlights from this episode:
* The top 1% of talent varies depending on the needs of different companies and is not limited to individuals from well-known companies (like FAANG 😉)
* Designers need to have strong business literacy and keep up with new technologies to be successful in the current market.
* The “businessification of UX” requires designers to have a growth mindset and understand the impact of their work on the organization.
* Alternative career paths for designers include transitioning to product or engineering roles, working in HR or VC, or starting their own businesses (YES 🙌)
* When hiring design talent, it is important to consider their mindset, soft skills, and growth potential, rather than just their job title or previous company.
* When hiring for scale-ups, it is important to hire people who have experience working on larger teams and can navigate the politics.
* The future of work in the tech industry is moving towards fractional roles and increased flexibility.
* Companies should look beyond big names and focus on hiring for potential and cultural fit.
For the 1st year of Growthmates, we’ve collected from dozens of leaders from Dropbox, Amplitude, Canva, Coda, Atlassian, and now I need your take.👉 Take a 10-min survey and get the first copy of “The PLG Playbook“🎁
Follow Growthmates updates on:
* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/
Where to find Tom Scott, founder at Verified:
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomscottt/
Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/
* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com
* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma
What we’ve covered in this episode:
00:00 Introduction and Background
02:40 Defining the Top 1% of Talent
06:32 Challenges in Talent Acquisition
10:56 The Businessifi

Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.
Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).
This episode is supported by Appcues — the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences.
Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption, and you can use it for free. Check out the template which I created to help companies connect growth hypotheses with behavioral patterns to uncover meaningful improvements. Find an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside and apply it to review any growth flows: appcues.com/growthmates
This time we talked to Mohammed, formerly a Product lead on Apple Siri, Product Marketing Manager at Google, and currently a Co-founder of DesignPro. Mohammed shared his journey from studying at Stanford to building innovative products, and reflected on his time at Google and Apple, highlighting the different cultures and approaches to innovation. 
I felt so inspired after this conversation, especially when Mohammed shared how Steve Jobs entered their room to acquire Siri, how he embraced trial and error and be okay with failure, and how he uncovered that creativity is a fundamental aspect of human nature and should be prioritized in product development. Here are some highlights you can find in the episode:
— Embrace trial and error and be okay with failure in the process of product design and development.
— Customer obsession and understanding their desires and needs are crucial for successful innovation.
— Timing is key in launching products, and being able to tell a compelling narrative is essential for engaging customers.
— Creativity is a fundamental aspect of human nature and should be prioritized in product development.
— Combining the disciplines of product design and product management can lead to more successful and innovative products.
If you find this show valuable, please share it with one of your colleagues or friends — it gives huge support to continue creating it. To receive all episodes right in your inbox — subscribe to katesyuma.substack.com 
Share this episode with your like-minded colleagues and friends!
Follow Growthmates updates on:
* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/
Where to find Mohammed Abdoolcarim (DesignPro, ex-Apple & Google):
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mscarim/
* DesignPro: https://designpro.ai/
Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/
* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com
* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma
What we’ve covered in this episode:
01:26 Studying at Stanford University
03:09 Creating Products at Stanford
04:44 Working at Google
08:14 Building Siri and Joining Apple
12:29 Apple's Unique Culture
13:57 Combining Product Design and Product Management
19:16 Apple's Approach to Building Products
22:14 Adapting to the Trend of AI
26:38 Transitioning to a Founder Role
29:35 Creating DesignPro
35:05 Balancing Creativity and Operational Tasks
40:42 Fulfilling Creative Routine as a Founder
43:09 Memorable Moments at Apple
45:14 Book Recommendation: Shoe Dog
Resources referenced:
* 15% discount for Self-serve Onboarding course (starts on 15th of April!): https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding?promoCode=growthmates
* How Innovation Works by Matt Ridley: https://www.amazon.com/How-Innovation-Works-Serendipity-Technology/dp/0062916599
* Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull: https://www.amazon

Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.
Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).
This episode is supported by Appcues — make your product adoption easy!
Appcues is the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences. Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption, and you can use it for free. 
Check out the “5-step Growth Flow Review” template which I created to help companies connect growth hypotheses with behavioral patterns to uncover meaningful improvements. Find an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside the template and apply it to review any growth flows: appcues.com/growthmates
Get a 15% discount for my Self-Service Onboarding course
If you're keen on Mastering Product Growth and User onboarding, join the upcoming course starting on the 15th of April. You will get personal guidance to create a stellar onboarding experience and frameworks to turn it into live. Get a 15% discount with promo code “growthmates”. Learn more and get early access → https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding
This time we talked to Rob Litterst who is leading HubSpot media and Building an insightful newsletter about Pricing in SaaS. We discussed his journey from sales to writing, the emerging trend of employee-generated content and a lot of things connected to user-centric pricing. If you listen to this episode, you will learn about:
— Unethical pricing practices we should avoid
— Why companies started shifting from Freemium to speed up monetization
— And a dozen newsletters that Rob recommends to stay informed on important industry news
If you find this show valuable, please share it with one of your colleagues or friends — it gives huge support to continue creating it. To receive all episodes right in your inbox — subscribe to katesyuma.substack.com 
Follow Growthmates updates on:
* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/
Where to find Rob Litterst (HubSpot media):
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roblitterst/
* Newsletter: goodbetterbest.substack.com
Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/
* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com
* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma
What we’ve covered in this episode:
00:00 Introduction and Background
01:30 The Importance of Pricing in SaaS
06:17 Employee-Generated Content
11:15 Creating the Newsletter Good Better Best
16:35 Introducing Newsletters in Companies
34:14 Issues with Amazon Prime and Black Friday Strategies
36:15 Ethical Pricing Practices
38:04 Transparency in Pricing
42:55 Trends in Pricing Pages
50:05 The Rise of Subscription Models
Resources referenced:
* 15% discount for Self-serve Onboarding course (starts on 15th of April!): https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding?promoCode=getteamdiscount
* “Good Better Best” Newsletter: goodbetterbest.substack.com
* Ben Thompson's Stratechery: https://stratechery.com/
* Newsletter: https://www.packym.com/newsletter
* Big Technology Newsletter: bigtechnology.com
* James Clear's “The 3-2-1 Newsletter”: https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1
* Chris Black's “How Long Gone” podcast
* Pulling Weeds With Chris Black: https://www.gq.com/about/pulling-weeds-with-chris-black
If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.c

Welcome to Growthmates — the place to connect with inspiring leaders to help you grow yourself and your product. Here you can learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and many more are building excellent products and growth culture. Subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.
Listen now and subscribe on your favorite platforms — Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).
This episode is supported by Appcues — make your product adoption easy!
Appcues is the platform that helps you design, deploy, and test captivating onboarding experiences. Appcues created the Product Adoption Academy to help you level up your product adoption, and you can use it for free. 
Check out the “5-step Growth Flow Review” template which I created to help companies connect growth hypotheses with behavioral patterns to uncover meaningful improvements. Find an example of Dropbox Onboarding inside the template and apply it to review any growth flows.
Get a 15% discount for my Self-Service Onboarding course
If you're keen on Mastering Product Growth and User onboarding, join the upcoming course in April. You will get personal guidance to create a stellar onboarding experience and frameworks to turn it into live. Get a 15% discount before 15 March. Learn more and get early access → https://maven.com/growth-course/self-serve-onboarding
This time we talked to Matt Woods, a Product Manager focused on Product-led Growth, who helped companies like Coda increase key activation metrics by 60%, and introduce personalization experience that combines great UX and business impact. Matt also contributed to Reforge artifacts to share examples of his work as one of the earliest contributors to their program. Being a Product Manager, Matt has a fantastic website built with Coda full of insightful case studies. I personally learned so much from Matt, and if you listen to this episode, you will learn about:
* The process of defining activation and aha-moment with examples from Coda
* How connection to customers helped to uncover meaningful wins
* The secrets behind collaboration between product managers and designers in Growth
* and much more
If you find our show valuable, please share it with your colleagues and friends. To receive all episodes right in your inbox — Subscribe to katesyuma.substack.com, your support means a lot. 
Follow Growthmates updates on:
* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/podcast
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/
Where to find Matt Woods (Product Leader, ex-Coda):
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewchristopherwoods/
* Website: https://portfolio.mattwoods.io/
Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/
* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com
* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma
What we’ve covered in this episode:
00:00 Introduction and Website Creation
03:11 Learning and Mission Statement
07:12 Coda's Success Factors
10:07 Product-Led Growth and Experimentation
14:32 Defining Activation and User Behavior Insights
34:33 Building a Partnership
35:23 Challenges in Working Together
36:23 Trust and Inclusion
37:34 Understanding Motivations
38:31 Embracing Collaboration
39:44 Overcoming Communication Issues
42:25 Fostering Creativity
50:26 Building Healthy Partnerships
56:25 Favorite Artifact: $100 Voting
58:41 Favorite Book: Setting the Table
Resources referenced:
* Reforge Artifact “Weekly outcomes update message at Coda”: https://www.reforge.com/artifacts/weekly-outcomes-update-message-at-coda
* Welcome doc onboarding: https://portfolio.mattwoods.io/case-studies-how-i-work-3
* 100-Dollar Voting Exercise: https://coda.io/@lshackleton/100-dollar-voting-exercise
* “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott: https://www.amazon.com/-/en/Kim-Scott/dp/1250103509
* “Managing Hum