Differential

We're #hiring a new Executive Assistant in Cincinnati, Ohio. Apply today or share this post with your network.

Should people still learn to code? In this episode, Tyler, Shahbano and technical leader Marcelo Reyna talk about AI copilots, automation, and the future of programming. Full episode --> https://lnkd.in/gJgeaT3Y

Three product people talk about how they'd redesign popular apps like shopping, dating, and job search using Generative AI and LLMs 🤖 Full episode linked in the comments. Drew Barontini Shahbano Imran Tyler Siegrist

Are you ready to take the next step in your HR Career? Differential is searching for an energetic and dedicated Human Resources Generalist to join our team. If you excel in a fast-paced environment, have a passion for working with people, and are eager to drive meaningful change, this could be your ideal role! We’re #hiring. Know anyone who might be interested? #HRGeneralist #Cincinnati #HumanResources

This is my favorite way to track progress on a project 👇 The “Hill Chart” is one of my favorite ways to represent the progress of work. This concept originated from Jason Fried and the team at 37signals. I don’t trust percentage completions. I want to know how the team feels about the work. The Hill Chart helps clarify that progress. It’s a representation of the team’s collective intuition, knowledge, and experience. And you can’t represent that with a percentage. Work is like a hill. There’s work required to figure things out (uphill) and then make it happen (downhill). The Hill Chart is a visual representation of that distinction, which is important to understand progress. Each independent scope of work is tracked as a dot on the hill. This is a built-in feature of Basecamp, but this visualization can be used anywhere. I've used tools like FigJam and Whimsical boards to create Hill Charts. You could even sketch it on a piece of paper (I have!). Hill Charts spark conversation and ignite curiosity. They help the team conceptualize the work and have real discussions to identify and resolve the unknowns. This isn’t about trying to determine a completion percentage. Being at the top of the hill does not mean you’re 50% through the work. You can have 99 out of 100 tasks complete, but the last one could be riddled with unknowns and complexity. And there could be several undiscovered tasks. Even when I’m not using Basecamp to track the work, I always come back to Hill Charts as the best method to understand where the work really stands. #productmanagement

I had the pleasure of listening to my longtime friend and mentor, Richard Lackey, on The Differential podcast recently, hosted by Shahbano Imran and Tyler Siegrist. Richard’s unique ability to merge deep technical expertise with strategic business insights never fails to inspire. His views on using AI not just as a technological tool, but as a strategic asset to enhance productivity and focus on high-impact tasks, were particularly striking. His journey and experiences offer invaluable lessons on the evolving role of technology in shaping business leadership. Highly recommend giving it a listen if you're interested in how technology can drive real business value! #Leadership #Technology #AI #Podcast

Our conversation with CIO Richard Lackey made us curious about the future of databases. Here are 5 awesome early-stage startups transforming the way we organize data: OmniAI (YC W24) Transforms unstructured data into beautiful SQL databases using AI 💫 PandasAI (YC W24) Let's you query your database in conversational language 💬 Trellis Turns financial documents, voice calls, and emails into a structured, SQL-queryable format in seconds 📊 Roe AI AI-powered ETL using multi-modal data extraction, classification RAG 📄 Menza AI data analyst that transforms unstructured data and builds reports 🤖 The full podcast episode: https://lnkd.in/gv7kg48s

If you run a product built on React Native, I need your feedback 👋 We’re considering offering React Native support contracts at Differential, but want to ensure there’s a genuine need first. If you own a React Native mobile app, do you need ongoing support for maintenance like upgrades and bug fixes that are a pain to manage internally? Details here: https://lnkd.in/eVjJp6_Z Please feel free to drop your thoughts in the comments or reach out directly.

In the early 2000s, Google revolutionized access to information, giving early users a unique “superpower.” Today, Richard Lackey, CIO at National Healthcare Solutions, sees ChatGPT and LLMs as the modern equivalent. Mastering these tools is no longer optional but essential for professional success across all levels of his organization. 🌟 Join Shahbano and Tyler in our latest podcast episode as they delve into the impact of Generative AI with their brilliant guest. Full episode: https://lnkd.in/gv7kg48s

Here’s a common Shape Up objection from clients and how I think about it 👇 ”SIX WEEKS?! So now I have to wait longer for work to be completed?” Compared to standard two-week sprints we're accustomed to, it’s really not. Here’s why: Traditional two-week sprints, with their ambitious deadlines and half-baked estimates, often fall short, pushing delivery timelines further and further away — two weeks turns into four weeks and then six weeks and then eight weeks as the scope continues to grow. Six-week cycles give enough time to deliver meaningful work, but maintain a clear and visible deadline that forces trade-offs and decisions on what to ship. And cycles are not exclusively for six-week features. We also deliver features that take one or two weeks, shipping them as soon as they are completed. Here's why six weeks make a difference: - Those additional four weeks provide a valuable buffer, enabling teams to deliver meaningful work without the constant pressure of unrealistic deadlines. - With six weeks, we're not just extending deadlines. We're creating an environment where the team is empowered to deliver what truly matters. - Software development is riddled with unpredictability. Even with years of experience, new challenges emerge, demanding flexibility and adaptability. The essence of Shape Up lies in: - Shaping work with the right level of detail, neither too abstract nor too rigid. - Empowering the team to take ownership, allowing them to identify and create tasks based on the work discovered along the way (not “imagined work”). - Keeping scope flexible within fixed timeframes, focusing on solving the core problem while staying open to scope adjustments. In my 17+ years of building software, one thing has remained consistent: unknowns. Shape Up doesn't shy away from these; it embraces them, integrating them into the development process. It's about putting up guardrails while giving the team the freedom to navigate through the work as they encounter it, much like how a boxer adapts to their opponent in the ring. As Mike Tyson bluntly said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." In software development, it's about having that plan while being ready to adapt on the fly. I'll continue to shout-out Jason Fried and co. at 37signals for pioneering this process, sharing the knowledge, and finding better ways to work 🤘 Image credit: https://lnkd.in/ePyDmBvc #productmanagement