Sera Tajima Podcast

• Product Leader Jodi Alperstein's Secrets to Build Teams That Deliver

  In this episode, host Sera Tajima interviews Jodi Alperstein, a seasoned product leader who has served as SVP of Product and GM at Digital Ocean, VP of Product and GM at Twilio Segment, and VP of Product at Hired. Jodi shares her extensive journey from early product management roles at E-Trade to leading global teams at public companies. With over two decades of experience across financial services, SaaS, and technology companies, Jodi's career spans from early-stage startups to public companies where she's led global teams of up to 350 people and managed businesses generating up to $650 million in revenue.Connect for more good energy: ➕ Conscious Tech: https://seratajima.substack.com➕ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/seratajima⁠➕ Advising: https://www.seratajima.com/advisingChapters[00:00:00] Jodi's Journey to the C-Suite[00:04:17] Day in the Life of a VP of Product: Metrics, Teams & Deep Work[00:06:49] Product Leadership Challenges: Balancing Empathy with Accountability[00:09:14] Hiring Strategy: Culture Add vs Culture Fit in Product Teams[00:13:43] Managing Mis-Hires: Evaluation, Alternatives & Respectful Transitions[00:17:59] Design & Product Structure: Organizational Evolution as Startups Scale[00:20:38] Scaling After Product-Market Fit: Growth Engines & Intentional Hiring[00:27:45] Hyperscaling Signals: When Demand Outpaces Supply & Unit Economics[00:30:37] Top Reasons Startups Fail: Runway Management & Team Composition[00:39:05] Product Leadership & Finance: Understanding Unit Economics[00:43:34] Design Evolution: AI Impact & System Thinking in Modern Design[00:47:57] AI Tools & Ethics: Balancing Innovation with Intellectual Property[00:51:50] Company Culture: Creating Signature Experiences & Motivation Theory[00:57:32] Building Effective Growth Teams: Process Over Perfection[01:00:03] Career Pathways: From Designer to Product Leader[01:05:16] Lightning Round: Leadership Books, Success & AIWhere to find Jodi:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodialperstein/

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  1:10:28
• Design for Mindful Consumption: How UX Powers Sustainable Choices in a World of Excess

  Anna Ratkai is a UX researcher and sustainability advocate. She’s the creator of Kind Commerce. Anna reveals how design influences our buying behaviors and consumption patterns. Discover how deceptive UX patterns drive overconsumption, learn practical strategies for more ethical e-commerce design, and explore Anna's "Kind Commerce" project that's reimagining how we shop online. Scroll down to explore her pattern library. Perfect for designers, sustainability advocates, and conscious consumers looking to understand the hidden psychology behind our consumption.Please do me a favor and review the podcast ☺️ Chapters[00:00:03] Meet Anna Ratkai: UX Researcher and Sustainability Advocate[00:00:34] From Fashion Documentary to Sustainable UX Journey[00:01:22] Behavioral Science and Consumption Patterns[00:03:15] How UX Designers Impact Sustainability[00:04:40] The Sustainable Futures Design Framework[00:10:58] Digital Products' Environmental Footprint[00:11:27] Sustainable Products vs. Sustainable User Behavior[00:14:21] The Hidden Costs of Fast Consumption[00:16:31] Dark Patterns Driving Impulse Buying[00:18:14] The Ethics of Easy Returns and "Bracketing"[00:20:59] Power Imbalance in Online Shopping Psychology[00:27:58] How Frictionless Design Creates Mindless Shopping[00:32:59] Kind Commerce: Building Ethical Alternatives[00:33:24] Sustainable E-commerce Pattern Examples[00:36:26] Brands Leading in Sustainable E-commerce[00:39:20] Challenging "Don't Make Me Think" UX Narratives[00:41:46] Designing Technology for Conscious Consumption ⚡️Connect with Anna on LinkedinAnna’s MediumBe Kind CommerceGet the ecommerce pattern library Connect for more good energy: ➕ Conscious Tech: https://seratajima.substack.com➕ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/seratajima⁠➕ Advising: https://www.seratajima.com/advising

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  44:35
• Design Leadership at Customer Data Platform Twilio Segment: Career Growth and Managing Teams

  Kwasi's Journey to Twilio SegmentFrom Capital One Designer to Leading Segment: Career Insights on Design Management, Data Platforms, and Navigating Tech AcquisitionsEver wondered how designers make the leap to leadership? Join us for a candid conversation with Kwasi Twum-Acheampong, who navigated his way from designing at Capital One to leading the design team at Twilio Segment.Kwasi shares honestly about the complex, rewarding transition from hands-on design work to guiding a team of talented designers. (And yes, he admits that letting go of daily Figma work wasn't exactly easy!) He breaks down Segment's data platform in accessible terms—finally explaining what CDP and CDI actually mean without the technical jargon—and reveals how he maintained team culture through Twilio's acquisitions.Whether you're a designer with leadership ambitions, curious about customer data platforms, or simply enjoy authentic stories of professional growth, this episode delivers insights with warmth, humor, and practical wisdom that you can apply to your own career journey.⁠⁠Connect for more good energy: ➕ Conscious Tech: https://seratajima.substack.com➕ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/seratajima⁠➕ Advising: https://www.seratajima.com/advisingChapters[00:00:00] From Capital One to Head of Design at Twilio Segment[00:10:03] Design at Intuit, Mexico City, and Finding Your Next Role[00:18:13] Head of Design at Segment Reaches Out & Interview Process[00:22:48] Becoming a Manager and Handling 3 Reports[00:25:00] Segment’s Data Platform: CDI, CDP, Audiences, Events, Tracking[00:28:47] Segment’s Activation Rate and Making Human Solutions Digital[00:35:24] Identifying Strengths and Letting Go of IC Work[00:37:40] Twilio Acquires Segment & SendGrid and Co-Creating Culture[00:45:05] How Managers Document Team Skills [00:47:48] Side Hustles, Mi Casa, & Collaborating with Polish Design Agency [00:50:49] Lightning Session ⚡️Where to find Kwasi: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwasiuxd/___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Startup Advisor & Climate Tech Investor. 🤙I talk about: ⚡️ Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)⚡️ Climate Tech (Investing)⚡️ Entrepreneurship ⚡️ Sustainable Productivity

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  53:26
• Product Led Growth Strategy & Value Creation Metrics Explained

  Discover how Product Led Growth (PLG) is transforming SaaS business models in 2025. This comprehensive guide breaks down the fundamentals of PLG strategy, why it's revolutionizing customer acquisition, and the key metrics that drive sustainable growth.In this video, you'll learn:— The core principles of Product Led Growth and how to implement them— Why PLG creates a competitive advantage in today's market— The measurable benefits PLG brings and who benefits— How to build your own growth loops— Essential value creation metrics to track your PLG successWhether you're a founder, product manager, designer, or growth specialist, these PLG insights will help you create more efficient acquisition channels and improve your product's value metrics.Follow here for more good energy: ➕ Conscious Tech: https://seratajima.substack.com➕ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@seratajima⁠Chapters[00:00:00] Understand PLG[00:04:34] Why PLG is Game Changing[00:06:48] Benefits of PLG[00:10:01] Anatomy of a Growth Loop [00:12:38] Value Creation Success MetricsWhere to find more on PLG: https://seratajima.substack.com/p/your-guide-to-product-led-growth___________________________________________________________I'm Sera Tajima, Startup Advisor & Climate Tech Investor. 🤙I talk about: ⚡️ Product Growth Strategy (Growth, Design, AI)⚡️ Climate Tech (Investing)⚡️ Entrepreneurship ⚡️ Sustainable Productivity

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  14:00
• Scaling Climate Impact: Inside Watershed's Journey to Reduce 500 Mt of Global Emissions

  This is Watershed's zero to one journey. From serving tech companies with climate interest to building enterprise-grade solutions for Fortune 500s, Molly Goldberg (Group Product Design Lead, Apps and Foundations) and Tess Hannel (Product Designer, Finance) take us inside this Series C climate tech startup that's tackling global emissions at scale. Discover how they're helping multinational corporations measure, report, and reduce their carbon footprint with a rigorous approach to data and auditable artifacts. Learn how their design team balances technical complexity with user experience while working toward an ambitious goal of reducing global emissions by 500 megatons—equivalent to Brazil's entire carbon output. The conversation spans building effective design teams, tackling complex Scope 3 emissions, navigating corporate sustainability requirements, and creating measurable climate impact. Whether you're a founder looking to create impact at scale or a product designer interested in climate tech, this episode reveals valuable insights about building solutions for one of our generation's most pressing challenges.Subscribe to Conscious Technology ⁠⁠🗞️Chapters[00:00:00] The Inspiration to Join a Climate Startup[00:03:31] How Watershed is Reducing Global Emissions by 500 mt[00:06:45] Product 0-1 Journey [00:10:20] Calculate Emissions from Primary Activity Data[00:12:37] Gathering Scope 3 Emissions as Levers[00:15:55] How Watershed Found PMF Upmarket[00:19:22] Key JTBD, Policy, CSRD, ESG[00:22:15] Joining Climate Tech and Climate Expertise[00:24:50] Growth Opportunities in Financial Institutions Scope 3.15[00:27:33] Watershed Design Teams & Customer JTBDs[00:32:59] Gaps in Data, Support Team, Activation[00:39:38] Customer Profiles, Reporting, Data, Watershed Customers[00:48:00] Investment in ESG, Report Authoring[00:50:13] Future Investment Forecasting & Insurance Risk [00:52:10] Design Team OKRs[00:55:54] How to Hire a Great Design Team[01:00:39] Interviewing and Onboarding at Watershed[01:01:52] Hiring Designers Interested in Climate[01:06:33] Measuring Success on Product Usage[01:09:04] Transition Into Climate Tech With No Background[01:11:57] Biggest Surprise Working at Watershed[01:14:55] Lightning Session ⚡️Where to find Molly & Tess: Molly Goldberg, Group Product Design Lead, Apps, and FoundationsTess Hannel, Product Design FinanceWatershed

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  1:21:40

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