Postlight Podcast

As an actor and communications coach, Bill Smartt knows how to speak to the room — both in person and online. Bill has been working with Postlight for years, and this week, he joins Paul and Rich with tips on how to communicate effectively and give that presentation you’re nervous about. He breaks down how to structure your deck, shares how to make eye contact on a video call, and discusses the importance of rehearsing.

Paul Ford may have coined the term “content strategist” but he’s certainly not the only expert in it. This week Paul and Rich are joined by Postlight’s Associate Director of Digital Strategy, Chappell Ellison, to discuss the three pillars of content strategy. She also discusses the difference between editorial and technical content strategists, shares her journey in finding the role, and explains why content strategy work will only continue to grow...

On October 4th, 2021, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp were all down for most of the afternoon. Meanwhile, Paul and Rich recorded this week’s episode to discuss the outage and the ongoing allegations against Facebook. They also draw parallels between regulating Facebook and regulating the tobacco industry and share their hypotheses on how Facebook got to the point of overlooking the safety of its users...

It’s the 300th episode of the Postlight Podcast! To celebrate, Paul and Rich talk with Steph Colbourn, founder and CEO of editaudio and producer of the podcast since early days. Steph gives the inside scoop on how the podcast gets made, what makes a great one, and the latest developments in the podcast production industry. She also shares Rich and Paul’s best (worst?) bloopers from the cutting room floor...

So, you’ve agreed on what you’ll deliver and signed the contract, but then a stakeholder asks for one more thing. And one more thing. Change is bound to happen when you’re shipping software — how do you keep your project on track? In part three of the Catalyst Live! event series, Paul and Rich share tips on managing change from the get-go and explain when it’s okay to say no. As always, they top it all off by answering listener questions...

Both Rich and Vicky didn’t start off in software, so how did they end up there? This week Rich is joined by Postlight’s Head of Product Management, Vicky Volvovski, to talk about their professional paths. They discuss what drives them and share tips on how to get that next role you have your eye on. Hint: Don’t be afraid to show your work in progress.

Links:

Vicky Volvovski 

A Remote Success Story - Postlight Podcast 

Postlight Careers 

Acronyms can feel cheesy, but they sure are effective — in the world of software and beyond. This week Paul and Rich discuss the value of naming your initiatives and urge you to embrace the inevitable acronym that will follow. They chat about how strong naming can help teams internalize processes and rally around projects. They also discuss how the power of naming has been a powerful communication tool of the pandemic.

Links:

QORE

Tuskegee Study - CDC

If you've been a customer of Amazon Web Services, you know the billing nightmares of services that weren't built to talk to each other. After learning firsthand, Corey Quinn founded The Duckbill Group to help companies tackle their confusing and wildly expensive AWS bills. This week, he joins Paul and Rich to share advice on cutting down your AWS bill and tips on what cloud services you should be using...

As you know by now, Rich and Paul were itching to get back to the office. They craved those IRL moments that spark conversation, build relationships, and foster innovation. This week, Senior Director and Head of Product Management, Vicky Volvovski, argues that all of that can be done remotely (and done well!). After working from home for a decade, Vicky shares her favorite tools to set up a deliberate remote working environment, build team relationships, and conceive great products...

The MTA is one of the largest transit systems in the world, and recently, Postlight helped take it digital. This week Joshua Gee, Director of Digital Customer Experience at the MTA, joins Paul and Rich to get into the nitty-gritty of updating massive government systems. From legacy platforms to procurement to getting different parts of government to talk to each other, they chat about implementing new tech platforms at the government level and why it is often so difficult...