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- Meta’s €800M Fine, Nvidia's Speedbump, AI Granny vs. Scammers
Meta’s €800M Fine, Nvidia's Speedbump, AI Granny vs. Scammers
Plus: Scaling Product Teams, Avoiding A/B Testing Pitfalls, The Gen Z UX Playbook
Alastair Preacher
November 22, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes
We track Product so you don't have to. Top Podcasts summarised, the latest AI tools, plus research and news in a 5 min digest.
Hey Product fans!
Welcome to this week’s 🌮 Product Tapas.
If you’ve been forwarded this or just fancy the best reading (and listening!) experience, check out the mobile app or web version. You can sign up and check previous editions here.
What’s cooking? 🧑🍳
📰 Not Boring – This week’s highlights span big tech, startups, and the AI-driven future. Meta’s €800m fine over Marketplace sparks debates about competition, virtual fitting rooms edge closer to reality, and platforms like Threads and Bluesky race ahead in user growth. Meanwhile, Google shakes up Chrome OS, and Virgin Media O2’s “AI granny” is outsmarting scammers in the most delightful way.
⌚ Time-Saving Tools & GPTs – We’re spotlighting tools to help you work smarter: a to-do list timer for productivity, a Mac-based toolkit, and an AI meeting co-pilot that might just also replace your Calendly. Plus, a clever screen blurring tool for private/polished presentations. This last one would have been SO useful at client presentation this week….
🍔 Blog Bites – This week’s Must-Reads for Product Teams delve into avoiding “Frankenstein” strategies, smarter A/B testing, and designing for Gen Z. From strategic confidence to user behaviours, it’s all about staying sharp and focused in your craft.
🎙️ Pod Shots – Scaling teams without chaos is tough, but Jared Chan’s journey at Karo offers tactical insights for product leaders. We’re talking lean beginnings, strategic hiring, and balancing brand identity with UX.
Plenty of juicy bites for product people this week – let’s dig in!
📰 Not boring
EU fines Meta €800m for launching Facebook Marketplace, claiming it's anti-competitive. But what if it offers needed competition to big players? It's never black and white.
People have been trying to solve virtual fitting rooms for decades (pre2000 for sure). Fashion-VDM’s white paper show’s it’s getting v close now
Threads has had over 90m signups in the last 3months
Whilst Bluesky says 1m signed up to their platform in 24hrs crossing the 16m threshold
Microsoft recently held its ‘ignite 2024’ session with a stack of AI updates as you’d expect. Highlights as follows:
New AI agents that can help at various parts of your workflow
Azure update to let devs switch between LLMs to avoid needing to rebuild apps every time a new model is released
AI search on Copilot Pcs
New and improved Recall product (recalls everything you do on your computer) with improved security
At the same event GitHub announced Github Copilot Workspace with five agents to get you all the way to the pull request: Brainstorm. Spec. Plan. Implement. Build/Repair
Hot on the heels of testing ads, Perplexity introduces a shopping feature for Pro users in the US
Atlassian announced Confluence databases; like Airtable / Notion in Confluence. Nice to see them catching up
Google is migrating Chrome OS to Android to compete with the iPad
Plus, you can now download a standalone Gemini app
Nvidia's latest AI chip hits overheating snag adding to AI progression slowdown
Virgin Media O2 are testing an “AI granny” to scam the scammers, she's already answered 1,000 calls - and kept some scammers on the line for more than 40 minutes. Brilliant.
⌚️ Time-Saving Tools & GPTs
Blitzit: super simple to-do list and timer to help you prioritise what matters and get it done
Raycast: Interesting set of productivity tools for your mac. Out of the box it has emoji pickers, screenshot search, windows manager and more
ReadAI: yes another email, slack and meeting co-pilot. Except 1st trial this looks really good at providing clear contextual summaries (great when you’ve been away for a few days). It can also replace meeting apps like Calendly
ChatPlayground: Access the best AI models & compare them side by side
Blurs: hide or blur specific parts of your screen during presentations, streams and screen recordings
Remember, as a subscriber you can access the full time saving tools database for fast approaching 300 time-saving tools relevant for product managers and founders 🔥. Check the link below to access 👇️ .
🍔 Blog Bites - Essential Reads for Product Teams
Strategy: How to Avoid a Frankenstein Monster of a Strategy
In this recent conversation with Chris Jones, Dave Martin explores the concept of strategic confidence in product leadership. Chris, a product leader at Silicon Valley Product Group, talks about how planning and stakeholder alignment isn’t strategy, and highlights the need for clear direction over trying to satisfy every stakeholder.
For product leaders, Chris emphasises that confidence in a chosen path—and the conviction to execute it—is crucial for avoiding a “Frankenstein” strategy stitched together from conflicting inputs.
Key Takeaways:
• Strategic Confidence is Essential: Product leaders must trust their judgment and commit to a strategic path, rather than relying on consensus or “people-pleaser” solutions.
• Avoid Frankenstein Strategies: Leaders who try to incorporate too many stakeholder requests risk creating a disjointed strategy lacking clear focus and cohesion.
• Execution Over Perfection: Once a direction is chosen, effective execution becomes more critical than selecting the "perfect" strategy.
• Separate Input from Decision-Making: Gathering feedback is valuable, but the responsibility to make the final call lies with the leader, not the collective input.
• Embrace Discomfort in Leadership: Leaders should be prepared to make tough calls that may be unpopular, as discomfort often accompanies meaningful strategic choices.
• Focus on Leading, Not Managing: True leadership involves setting a bold vision and confidently guiding teams forward, distinguishing it from managing status quo expectations.
Testing: A/B Testing Mistakes I Learned the Hard Way
This is a handy, practical reminder of some of the dos and don’ts around A/B testing. In his article, Lior Neu-ner, a growth engineer with experience at Meta, shares hard-earned lessons, emphasising that bad experiments can do more harm than good.
He covers common mistakes made when designing and running experiments and provides actionable tips to avoid them, to help ensure your tests lead to meaningful insights rather than misleading results.
Key Takeaways
1. Start with a Clear Hypothesis: Make sure your hypothesis explains what you’re testing, why, and what outcome you expect. This clarity directs measurement and analysis.
2. Avoid Aggregated Results Only: Break down results by relevant user segments (e.g., device type, user location) to avoid misleading conclusions caused by combining metrics.
3. Filter Out Unaffected Users: Don’t include users who don’t interact with the tested feature or have already completed the goal, as this can skew results.
4. Don’t End Tests Prematurely: Resist the temptation to make early decisions. Set a test duration beforehand and stick to it to avoid unreliable outcomes.
5. Run a Phased Rollout First: Test with a small user group before launching to all users to catch potential issues without affecting the entire user base.
6. Monitor Counter Metrics: Track metrics that could reveal unintended negative effects, such as decreased retention, to ensure your changes don’t harm the product.
Design: Designing for Gen-Z: Behaviour and Patterns
With over 40% of mobile users being Gen-Z it’s probably time you got up to speed on some of the things you should be thinking about for this audience. Here, Vitaly Friedman delves into his take on the unique UX expectations and digital behaviours of Gen Z. He suggests reconsidering conventional advice and adapting to the distinctive values and habits of this generation, such as authenticity, accessibility, and being socially conscious.
Key Takeaways:
• Prioritise Authenticity: Gen Z values genuine content and distrusts overly polished or AI-generated material. Brands that demonstrate honesty and transparency are more likely to gain their trust.
• Accessibility First: Ensure your designs cater to diverse needs, such as high colour contrast, easy navigation, and features like dark mode, as accessibility is a priority.
• Design for Mobile-Only Use: Optimise designs for small screens, concise text, and easy-to-navigate interfaces.
• Support Intrinsic Motivation: Foster a sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, enabling users to engage deeply with the content and develop a sense of ownership over their experience.
• Enable Critical Thinking: Provide sources, explain claims, and allow Gen Z users to explore additional information, as they are wary of misinformation and value credible content.
• Involve Gen Z in the Process: Actively seek feedback from Gen Z users and design with them, not just for them, to ensure your product aligns with their expectations and needs.
🎙️ Pod Shots - Bitesized Podcast Summaries
Remember, subscribers get access to an ever growing database of all the top Podcast summaries we’ve ever created. Check it out below 👇️
🪴 Scaling a Product & Design Teams at a Growing Startup 🚀
Building and scaling teams in a startup is a unique challenge. This week’s Pod Shot covered a conversation with Jared Chan on the Working in UX Design Podcast. Jared is an experienced product leader who scaled the product and design team at Karo—a Southeast Asian unicorn. He covered scaling small, balancing brand and UX, hiring strategies and more.
Whilst the market isn’t necessarily in hyper-growth mode now, there are still plenty of relevant ideas in here no matter what scaling stage your business is at.
Jared Chen - Working in UX Design
🎙️ Listen to the full episode here
📆 Published: May 2nd, 2023
🕒 Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins. Time saved: 41 mins🔥
🛠️ Start Small, Scale Smart
When Jared joined Karo, the product and design team consisted of only three people: two product managers and one designer. Over four years, the team scaled across six countries and evolved into a mature, structured unit.
Key Takeaways:
Prioritise lean beginnings: Start with a small, cohesive team that can wear multiple hats and iterate quickly.
Adapt strategies yearly: Different growth phases require different approaches—what worked in year one may not suffice in year three.
Stabilise after scaling: Growth brings chaos, but maturing the team and processes ensures long-term sustainability.
🎨 Balancing Brand Identity and UX
Karo’s distinct orange branding set it apart in a competitive market, but working with a bold colour brought unique challenges. Jared’s team leveraged visual storytelling to create a relatable and consistent brand experience.
Key Takeaways:
Collaborate across functions: Work closely with marketing teams to ensure brand and UX strategies align.
Experiment and iterate: Test colour schemes, iconography, and microcopy to find what resonates with users.
Differentiate platforms: Use tailored design approaches for B2B and B2C products to meet the distinct needs of each audience.
👥 Hiring and Building the Right Team
One of the critical decisions Jared made was hiring a UX strategist early, rather than a design lead. This person became instrumental in standardising design processes and setting a strategic direction for the team.
Key Takeaways:
Hire based on gaps and goals: Map out your roadmap and hire roles that address specific needs.
Emphasise versatility: In the early stages, generalists can provide the flexibility needed to cover multiple responsibilities.
Introduce specialists strategically: Bring in specialists like researchers or strategists when the team grows and the workload demands focus.
⚖️ Juggling Product and Design
Jared managed both the product and design teams at Karo, which required balancing business priorities with empathy for designers. This dual responsibility provided a unique perspective but also highlighted potential conflicts.
Key Takeaways:
Foster cross-functional collaboration: Align product and design teams around shared goals to avoid silos.
Balance speed with quality: While startups often demand rapid execution, ensure that design and product teams have enough time to deliver quality outputs.
Encourage healthy conflict: Allow teams to resolve disagreements constructively to ensure the best ideas prevail.
📈 Introducing Specialists and Scaling Processes
As Karo expanded, Jared’s team transitioned from generalists to a more structured setup, including centralised design systems and localised strategies for different markets.
Key Takeaways:
Standardise, then localise: Create a unified design system but adapt it to meet regional needs.
Use data strategically: Collaborate with data science teams to prioritise features and identify opportunities for innovation.
Invest in processes: Design sprints, methodology standardisation, and robust design systems can improve efficiency and output.
🌟 Mentorship, Leadership, and Retention
Mentoring was a passion for Jared, and he used it as a tool to build team morale and develop talent. Retaining employees was a priority, especially in a fast-paced, high-demand environment.
Key Takeaways:
Align on business goals: Ensure team members understand how their work contributes to the company’s objectives.
Prioritise retention: Avoid burning out talent by setting clear expectations and offering growth opportunities.
Celebrate quick wins: Demonstrate the team’s impact with small, visible successes to boost morale and gain buy-in from stakeholders.
🤝 Collaboration with Data Science
At Karo, the collaboration between product and data science teams was fluid. Whether the data team proposed innovative algorithms or the product team outlined specific needs, both worked closely to bring ideas to life.
Key Takeaways:
Foster a two-way exchange: Encourage both teams to share ideas and collaborate on implementation.
Focus on impact: Ensure that data-driven innovations align with business goals and user needs.
Be pragmatic: Flexibly assign leadership based on the nature of the project and expertise required.
🏆 Advice for First-Time Design and Product Managers
For new managers, Jared highlighted the importance of understanding business priorities, hiring complementary team members, and staying adaptable.
Key Takeaways:
Understand the business: Product and design decisions must align with overall business goals to drive impact.
Hire for diversity: Build a team with varied skills and perspectives to ensure better decision-making.
Balance big and small wins: Demonstrating consistent value—both in quick fixes and long-term goals—builds credibility and momentum.
💡 Closing Thoughts: Staying Positive Amid Challenges
Jared’s final advice? Stay positive. Whether facing hiring challenges, tight deadlines, or conflicting priorities, a positive mindset is critical for making sound decisions and leading effectively.
Scaling any team requires adaptability, strategic hiring, and cross-functional collaboration. By balancing speed with quality, fostering team morale, and aligning with business goals, you can navigate the complexities of growth while delivering value to your users.
Want to know more quickly? Just ask the episode below [web only]👇️🤯
or if you prefer, 🎙️ Listen to the full episode here
📅Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
00:01:45 - Jared's Journey at Cairo
00:02:27 - Cairo's Growth Story
00:04:17 - The Color Choice of Cairo
00:05:47 - Visual Language and Brand Identity
00:06:32 - Iconography and Design Evolution
00:08:06 - Competitor Awareness in Design
00:10:08 - Balancing Product and Design Roles
00:11:44 - The Business Side of Product Management
00:12:42 - Justifying the Need for Specialists
00:14:34 - Hiring Specialists in UX Design
00:17:04 - The Role of a UX Strategist
00:18:44 - Building a Cohesive Design Team
00:20:31 - Advice for New Design Managers
00:22:20 - Importance of Quick Wins
00:23:04 - The Power of Storytelling in Design
00:23:31 - Team Growth at Cairo
00:24:12 - Hiring Product Managers
00:25:07 - Collaboration with Data Science Team
00:26:50 - Transitioning to a New Role
00:27:33 - Mentoring and Supporting Others
00:28:58 - Character vs. Skills in Hiring
00:30:25 - Identifying Good Attitude in Candidates
00:32:26 - Career Paths: Startup vs. Big Company
00:33:38 - Encouragement for Job Seekers
00:34:58 - Specialization vs. Generalization
00:36:35 - The Future of UX and Product Skills
00:39:00 - Challenges in Innovation Departments
00:41:16 - Specialization in Early Career
00:42:25 - Final Thoughts and Encouragement
00:44:17 - Closing Remarks and Contact Information
That’s a wrap.
As always, the journey doesn't end here!
Please share and let us know what you would like to see more or less of so we can continue to improve your Product Tapas. 🚀👋
Alastair 🍽️.
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