How I Tested That

David J Bland
  • 5.0 (4)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Testing your ideas against reality can be challenging. Not everything will go as planned. It’s about keeping an open mind, having a clear hypothesis and running multiple tests to see if you have enough directional evidence to keep going. This is the How I Tested That Podcast, where David J Bland connects with entrepreneurs and innovators who had the courage to test their ideas with real people, in the market, with sometimes surprising results. Join us as we explore the ups and downs of experimentation… together.

  1. 12/10/2025

    David Sauers | How I Tested Royal Restrooms

    Summary In this episode we interview David Sauers. He’s the founder of Royal Restrooms, a company that’s redefining what a portable restroom can be.  What started with a frustrating moment at a festival turned into David challenging a fundamental assumption: How can we elevate one of the most overlooked parts of any event? He walks us through why weddings became their breakthrough customer segment and how adapting designs for different event types unlocked growth. This isn’t just about restrooms,  it’s about challenging stigma, listening closely to customer signals, and innovating in overlooked spaces.  David explains how they are testing their way into showers, beverage trailers, and beyond. Guest Links LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidsauers/ Royal Restrooms: https://royalrestroomsca.com/ Personal Website: https://www.davidsauers.com/ Is your team guessing which experiments to run? Discover proven ways to test your ideas before you invest. With the Precoil Experiment Library, you’ll find the right experiment for every assumption. 👉 Explore the library at precoil.com/library

    28 min

  2. 11/19/2025

    Aurora Winter | How I Tested A Publishing Company

    Summary In this episode we interview Aurora Winter. She’s the founder of Same Page Publishing, an innovative publishing company that helps you launch as a thought leader. Aurora shares her journey from the film industry to becoming a successful author and publisher.  We discuss her early assumptions with helping authors through her 'Spoken Author Method' and her testing of new formats like video books.  The conversation highlights the importance of storytelling in business, problem-solving, and the value of micro-testing. Guest Links LinkedIn Profile: https://linkedin.com/in/AuroraWinter Same Page Publishing: https://samepagepublishing.com/ Turn Words Into Wealth: https://turnwordsintowealth.com/ Is your team guessing which experiments to run? Discover proven ways to test your ideas before you invest. With the Precoil Experiment Library, you’ll find the right experiment for every assumption. 👉 Explore the library at precoil.com/library

    36 min

  3. 11/05/2025

    Scott McLeod | How I Tested A $1B Mattress Company

    Summary In this episode we interview Scott McLeod. Scott is the Chief Brand Officer of Resident, a direct-to-consumer company that designs and sells home furnishings such as mattresses and bedding. They were acquired by Ashley in 2024 for $1 billion. Scott and I chat about his background in design thinking and how it has fueled his passion for experimentation, whether it’s building scrappy MVPs with minimal investment or creating environments where failure is not just accepted, but expected as part of innovation.  He shares how he’s helped scale teams while preserving that test-and-learn mindset, why setting clear success criteria is crucial and how to gracefully let go of ideas that don’t deliver. We also dive into the unique challenges of experimenting with physical products versus digital ones, the role of customer feedback in shaping subjective experiences like comfort, and his optimism for how AI and data-driven decision-making will transform the future of product experimentation. I thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with Scott since our days back at Neo together, and I’m confident you’ll learn a lot from our conversation in this episode.  Guest Links LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mescottmcleod/Website: https://www.residenthome.com/ Is your team guessing which experiments to run? Discover proven ways to test your ideas before you invest. With the Precoil Experiment Library, you’ll find the right experiment for every assumption. 👉 Explore the library at precoil.com/library

    40 min

  4. 10/22/2025

    JL Heather | How I Tested Corporate Innovation

    In this episode we interview JL Heather. He’s the Manager Partner at Centered. Centered empowers organizations to innovate by fostering a culture of experimentation. JL and I explore the intricacies of innovation, design sprints, and the importance of leadership in fostering a culture of creativity and experimentation. We discuss the challenges of making innovation stick, the role of customer feedback, and the significance of using the right language to engage teams and leaders. JL emphasizes the need for a collaborative approach to problem-solving and the value of involving customers in the design process. Guest Links LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlheather/ Website: https://centered.work/ Is your team guessing which experiments to run? Discover proven ways to test your ideas before you invest. With the Precoil Experiment Library, you’ll find the right experiment for every assumption. 👉 Explore the library at precoil.com/library

    37 min

  5. 10/08/2025

    Cathy Nesbitt | How I Tested Worm Composters

    In this episode we interview Cathy Nesbitt. She is the Founder of Cathy’s Crawly Composters, a worm composting business focused on sustainability. Cathy shares her journey into the world of worms, detailing how her business was born when the local landfill was shut down and the city began exporting all of their waste.  We discuss the challenges she faced in testing her business and how she eventually pivoted her approach to education through workshops in schools. As Cathy reflects on her experiences, she emphasizes the importance of awareness in driving action and the impact her work has had on the community.  Guest LinksLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathynesbitt/ Is your team guessing which experiments to run? Discover proven ways to test your ideas before you invest. With the Precoil Experiment Library, you’ll find the right experiment for every assumption. 👉 Explore the library at precoil.com/library

    33 min

  6. 09/24/2025

    Michael Leung | How I Tested An Assisted Hearing Device

    In this episode we interview Michael Leung.  Michael, is the CEO and founder of the Flo Group. He’s built his company around a simple mission, which is making hearing solutions accessible, affordable, and life-changing for people of all ages. We discuss how his own personal experiences have shaped his approach to product development and testing. Specifically we dive into how he tested his new, open-ear bone conduction headphones with amplification, before bringing them to market. Michael and I chat about how to test hardware products and the need for affordable and effective hearing solutions. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-leung-462547298/ Website: https://www.theinnerflo.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theflogroup/ Is your team guessing which experiments to run? Discover proven ways to test your ideas before you invest. With the Precoil Experiment Library, you’ll find the right experiment for every assumption. 👉 Explore the library at precoil.com/library

    33 min

  7. 09/10/2025

    Joao Moita | How I Tested Product Weekend

    Summary In this episode we interview Moita, the Founder and CEO of Product Weekend.  He shares his journey from studying aerospace engineering to becoming a product manager and eventually creating what is now called Product Weekend.  It is a community of Product Management enthusiasts who share their experiences and take their careers to the next level. I first learned about it on LinkedIn through Melissa Perri and Rich Mironov and have been curiously watching them test it from the outside.  I’m super excited to get some of the inside story on how Moita is testing out its unique format. Specifically how they are designing events that foster these deeper conversations.  We chat about the need for testing and validating ideas, as well as Moita’s future plans for scaling the events while maintaining their core values. Guest Links LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joaomoita/ Website: https://www.theproductweekend.com/ Is your team guessing which experiments to run? Discover proven ways to test your ideas before you invest. With the Precoil Experiment Library, you’ll find the right experiment for every assumption. 👉 Explore the library at precoil.com/library

    36 min

  8. 08/27/2025

    Charles Sims | How I Tested The NBA Fan Experience

    In this episode we interview Charles Sims. Charles is the ex-CTO for the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team and currently Founder of Skafld, an end-to-end venture studio partner, turning visionary ideas into real-world success.  Charles shares his journey from the entertainment industry to becoming the CTO of the Clippers. We dug into how experimentation can improve the NBA fan experience. Everything from how he and his team had to quickly invent an engaging, yet remote, fan experience during the Covid lockdown, to how he used the Unreal Gaming Engine to test the assumptions made during the building of the new cutting edge Intuit Dome. We discuss the lessons learned from his time with the Clippers to the evolving landscape of venture capital. We wrap up with the impact of AI on investors and how it can bridge communication gaps between technical and non-technical teams. Charles Sims LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlessims/ Skafld Venture Studio: https://www.skafldstudio.com/ Is your team guessing which experiments to run? Discover proven ways to test your ideas before you invest. With the Precoil Experiment Library, you’ll find the right experiment for every assumption. 👉 Explore the library at precoil.com/library

    37 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Testing your ideas against reality can be challenging. Not everything will go as planned. It’s about keeping an open mind, having a clear hypothesis and running multiple tests to see if you have enough directional evidence to keep going. This is the How I Tested That Podcast, where David J Bland connects with entrepreneurs and innovators who had the courage to test their ideas with real people, in the market, with sometimes surprising results. Join us as we explore the ups and downs of experimentation… together.

Information

  • Creator
    David J Bland
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Precoil, LLC
  • Show Website
    How I Tested That