Summary

In this episode I’m joined by Gil Vaisman. He’s the founder of GoADU, a construction company focused on building accessory dwelling units.

We explore how he went from a 15-year career in film editing to building a construction business that helps homeowners unlock equity and create new living spaces.

What started out as a personal project in his own backyard turned into a growing business built through trial, error, and constant iteration.

Gil shares how he tested his way into the market, from helping friends navigate permitting to evolving into a guaranteed fixed pricing model. We also dig into how he qualifies customers, avoids costly mistakes, and thinks about what to test next in an industry that’s rapidly changing.

If you’re trying to turn a personal pain point into something scalable, this episode is a great look at how testing can lead to a viable business.

Enjoy my conversation with Gil Vaisman.

Takeaways

1. Great businesses often start as personal pain points - Gil’s ADU company emerged from building one in his own backyard and helping friends navigate the same confusing process.

2. Transferable skills matter more than industry experience - His background in film production translated directly into construction, both require coordination, budgeting, timelines, and managing complex teams.

3. Early traction came from education, not selling - In the beginning, most customers didn’t even know what an ADU was, growth required teaching the market before capturing it.

4. Trial and error built the real expertise - Navigating difficult permitting processes and making costly mistakes early on became the foundation for a repeatable, refined system.

5. Pre-qualification is critical in complex services - Gil now asks 20–25 upfront questions before taking on a client, ensuring alignment and reducing downstream risk.

6. 
   Competing on price is a starting point, not a strategy - The business initially won work by being the cheapest, but evolved into a premium, top-20% offering focused on quality and service.

7. A strong value proposition can reduce industry fear - Guaranteed fixed pricing became a key differentiator, directly addressing customer anxiety around hidden costs and change orders.

8. Future innovation is constrained by feasibility, not demand - Customers clearly want faster, cheaper builds (prefab, SIPs), but adoption is limited by execution risk, expertise gaps, and inconsistent quality.

Guest Links

GoADU: https://www.goadu.com/

Vaisman Construction: https://www.vaismanconstruction.com/

If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode I’m joined by Bill Fienup. He’s the co-founder of mHUB, one of the world’s leading hardtech innovation centers, located in Chicago, IL.

We explore how he went from building Nerf gun prototypes at MIT to creating a space where thousands of hardware founders can prototype, test, and scale physical products. What started out as a meetup group and a spreadsheet, grew into a full ecosystem with millions of dollars in equipment and billions of dollars in economic impact.

Bill shares how to test hardware ideas without burning capital, why most teams over-focus on feasibility instead of desirability, and how to validate what people will actually pay for before you build.

If you’re working on physical products, or funding them, this episode is a masterclass in how to test before you invest.

Enjoy my conversation with Bill Fienup.

Takeaways

1. Start with the problem, not the solution. The biggest risk isn’t building something, it’s solving a problem that customers don’t care enough about to act on.

2. Desirability and willingness to pay matter more than feasibility early. Teams often over-focus on building, but the real uncertainty is whether customers value the solution enough to pay.

3. Test demand before investing in development. Simple experiments like landing pages or fake purchase flows can validate real interest before committing resources.

4. Iterate in spirals, not stages. Move across desirability, feasibility, and viability repeatedly, increasing investment only as uncertainty is reduced.

5. Avoid building the wrong thing the right way. Strong execution can’t fix a fundamentally misaligned product, validation must come before scale.

6. Use competition as validation. Existing solutions signal real demand and confirm the problem is worth solving.

7. Focus on the majority, not edge cases. Designing for the loud minority can increase cost and complexity without improving overall product-market fit.

8. Community can be a powerful starting point. MHub began as a meetup and shared spreadsheet, showing how real user pain can evolve into a scalable ecosystem.

Guest Links

mHub’s Website: https://www.mhubchicago.com/

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fienup/

If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

Summary

In this episode I’m joined by Dr. Akvile Ignotaite, a data scientist and founder building AI-powered skin health technology used by more than 800,000 people around the world.

We explore how her team combines data science, health tech, and creative marketing to rethink skincare for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. From building a vast skin care dataset to launching a TikTok influencer pimple called Pimsy that has almost 40k followers, Akvile shares how cultural insights and small tests drive their product strategy.

We also get into the challenges of building health technology for younger audiences, how to test ideas across different global markets, and why treating skin as a health problem, changes how you design products and measure success.

If you’re interested in experimentation and AI in health you’ll enjoy my chat with Akvile.

Takeaways

1. Start small and imperfect to learn faster. The team prioritizes quick MVPs, sometimes built in days, to test ideas before investing heavily in development, branding, or marketing.

2. Customer language and psychology matter. The original millennial-focused “compliance app” failed because it sounded too technical; shifting to Gen Z language, emojis, and storytelling dramatically improved adoption.

3. Meet users where they already are. Channels like TikTok became critical for reaching younger audiences, even though the team initially resisted the platform.

4. Creative experimentation can unlock growth. The “Pimsy” influencer pimple character started as a small test and quickly grew to tens of thousands of followers, proving unconventional ideas can resonate strongly with audiences.

5. Micro-learning can drive high engagement. A simple, quickly built “myths vs. facts” quiz feature created massive engagement and generated valuable behavioral data about user beliefs.

6. User feedback is a competitive advantage. Hiring a developer who criticized the Android experience highlighted the importance of listening closely to real user complaints and improving where customers actually are.

7. Cultural assumptions can mislead founders. Expanding into India revealed how preconceived ideas about markets, healthcare practices, and culture can be wrong, reinforcing the need for curiosity and humility.

8. Structured programs don’t always fit real user behavior. Highly designed 6- or 8-week skincare programs failed because users resisted rigid routines, showing how human behavior often breaks logical product design.

9. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are forming a global digital culture. The app’s success without localization suggests younger generations increasingly share common digital behaviors and language across regions.

Guest Links

System Akvile: https://systemakvile.com/
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-akvile-ignotaite/
Pimsy TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@i.am.pimsy

If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

In this episode I’m joined by Jim Morris. We chat about the wake-up call that pushed him from building first to testing first. Jim and I discuss loyalty programs no one wanted, roadmaps filled with sequenced risk, AI prototypes that hallucinate and the uncomfortable reality that confidence often replaces evidence.

We also dig into something deeper: why smart teams ignore data, why leaders fall in love once an idea hits the roadmap, and why testing isn’t about better UX, it’s about real value.

Jim shares how he even tests his own teaching process for students at Berkeley.

Because as he puts it:

Enjoy my conversation with Jim Morris.

Takeaways

• Testing is crucial to ensure product effectiveness and user engagement.

• Data analysis can reveal the true usage of product features.

• Mindset plays a significant role in how product ideas are perceived and developed.

• Not all ideas will succeed; testing helps identify the viable ones.

• User motivation is key to the success of features and programs.

• Prototyping tools can enhance the testing process but require careful implementation.

• Learning from failures in testing is essential for growth and improvement.

• Roadmaps should be flexible to adapt to changing priorities and evidence.

• It's important to focus on the core value proposition of a product.

• Continuous experimentation and adaptation are vital in product management.

Guest Links

Website: https://productdiscoverygroup.com/

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmorrisstanford/

If your leadership team is about to make a big strategic bet, the real risk usually isn’t the idea, it’s the assumptions behind it that haven’t been surfaced yet. A Decision Sprint is a focused 6–12 week engagement where we extract, map, and test those risks so leaders can make a clear Commit, Correct, or Cut decision before major capital moves. Learn more or apply at precoil.com.

Summary

In this conversation, David J Bland and Dan Olsen discuss the evolution of product management, the impact of vibe coding, and the importance of cross-functional collaboration. They explore the challenges of prototyping, user research, and the role of AI in product development. The discussion emphasizes the need for strong product management fundamentals and the future of product management in a rapidly changing landscape.

Takeaways

• The awareness of product management has significantly increased over the years.
• Vibe coding allows for rapid prototyping and testing without heavy technical resources.
• Cross-functional collaboration is essential for successful product development.
• User research is becoming more valued in product management.
• Prototyping should focus on learning rather than just building.
• AI can assist in generating ideas but lacks judgment in prioritization.
• The pace of innovation in product tools is accelerating rapidly.
• Understanding customer problems is crucial for product success.
• Rushing to high fidelity prototypes can lead to missed opportunities in the problem space.
• Product management fundamentals will be key in differentiating successful products.

Guest Links

Website: https://dan-olsen.com/

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danolsen98/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/danolsen

Lean Product Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/lean-product/

Vibe Coding Product Brief: https://dan-olsen.com/vibe-coding/

Vibe Coding Spectrum: https://dan-olsen.com/vibe-coding/

The Lean Product Playbook: https://amzn.to/1EYCUdP

Struggling to decide which bets deserve more time, money, and people?

Join my AI-Assisted Decision Workshop and learn how to use AI to surface assumptions, map risk, and reach a Commit, Correct, or Cut decision in just 3 hours.

👉 Register now on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-assisted-decision-workshop-commit-correct-or-cut-tickets-1978758230133?aff=oddtdtcreator

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/

Struggling to decide which bets deserve more time, money, and people?

Join my AI-Assisted Decision Workshop and learn how to use AI to surface assumptions, map risk, and reach a Commit, Correct, or Cut decision in just 3 hours.

👉 Register now on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-assisted-decision-workshop-commit-correct-or-cut-tickets-1978758230133?aff=oddtdtcreator

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/

Struggling to decide which bets deserve more time, money, and people?

Join my AI-Assisted Decision Workshop and learn how to use AI to surface assumptions, map risk, and reach a Commit, Correct, or Cut decision in just 3 hours.

👉 Register now on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-assisted-decision-workshop-commit-correct-or-cut-tickets-1978758230133?aff=oddtdtcreator

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/

Struggling to decide which bets deserve more time, money, and people?

Join my AI-Assisted Decision Workshop and learn how to use AI to surface assumptions, map risk, and reach a Commit, Correct, or Cut decision in just 3 hours.

👉 Register now on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-assisted-decision-workshop-commit-correct-or-cut-tickets-1978758230133?aff=oddtdtcreator