Best of 2024 - Derisking and Evolving on your OKR (Objectives and Key Results) Implementation
Release Date: 01/15/2025
Best of Convergence: Building Customer-Centric Teams: Josh Seiden on OKRs and Agile
Convergence.fm
In this episode, Ashok sits down with , to explore key insights from Josh's latest book, "Who Does What by How Much." The conversation centers around using OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to align teams and improve organizational outcomes. They examine the challenges many teams face when implementing frameworks like OKRs or Agile and emphasize the importance of understanding the "why" behind these systems. Josh also reflects on his early work, such as developing the Kensington Turbo Mouse and collaborating with Alan Cooper, widely known as the "Father of Visual Basic." Unlock the full...
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Best of Convergence: How Generative AI and DORA Metrics Transform Software Development Teams with Derek Ferguson
Convergence.fm
Derek Ferguson from The Fitch Group returns to share how his team of 600+ developers leverages generative AI tools like Amazon’s CodeWhisperer and implements DORA metrics to boost productivity and team health. In this second part of the conversation, he delves into the transformative impact of these tools and the innovative strategies driving adoption and success at scale. Listen to Derek’s experiences in introducing cutting-edge tools to a large organization, his lessons in fostering experimentation, and the surprising parallels between today’s AI adoption and the internet boom. From...
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Best Of Convergence: Crafting "Surprisingly Great" Developer Experiences with Kenneth Auchenberg
Convergence.fm
Great developer experience isn’t just about clean docs or helpful error messages—it’s about intentionally delighting your user at every step. In this episode of Convergence.fm, host Ashok Sivanand is joined by Kenneth Auchenberg—former product leader at Microsoft and Stripe—for a masterclass on what it really takes to design and scale developer-centric platforms. The Convergence.fm podcast team is taking a break in the month of August, but we’ll be back with new episodes in the fall. Until then, Ashok wants to share one of his favorite episodes. We’ll be back in September with a...
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Best Of Convergence: How To Drive Product Development and Market Expansion with Ben Foster, Prodify
Convergence.fm
As former Chief Product Officer at Whoop, Ben Foster had a front-row seat to one of the boldest product decisions in wearables: selling hardware as a subscription. In this encore episode, Ashok and Ben explore what it takes to align hardware, firmware, and software teams to create a seamless membership experience—and how that strategy set the stage for Whoop’s continued success, including the recent release of the Whoop 5. The Convergence.fm podcast team is taking a break in the month of August, but we’ll be back with new episodes in the fall. Until then, Ashok wants to share one of his...
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Q&A: No One Understands Your Demo? Here’s WHY | TDD Isn’t Just for CODE — Use It Everywhere!
Convergence.fm
If you’ve ever wondered how to make test-driven development more than a coding technique, this episode is for you. Ashok Sivanand and producer Doug Branson answer listener and Reddit-sourced questions about building better product teams—covering everything from mindset shifts to hard truths about performance reviews and strategic alignment. Ashok connects TDD to the principles of Essentialism by Greg McKeown, revealing how teams can define success before they begin and cut through the noise of Slack and OKRs. Hear practical advice for first-time founders struggling to articulate value...
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The Dangers of Vibe Coding Addiction and Single Points of Failure - Your Product Team Questions Answered!
Convergence.fm
What happens when your lead engineer leaves and takes the product knowledge with them? In this episode, Ashok Sivanand tackles some of the most pressing product and engineering questions straight from the community—including how to prevent panic-inducing knowledge loss, when founders should or shouldn’t vibe code, and how to choose between building full-service or self-serve platforms. Ashok is joined by producer Doug Branson for a first-ever audience Q&A format that covers real problems from real teams. From unit test-driven documentation to AI-assisted code exploration, this episode...
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The Missing Link in Hybrid Teams? A Sense of Belonging.Why It’s More Strategic Than DEI
Convergence.fm
Dan Berger led Social Tables through a $100M exit and now he’s focused on something even harder to build: belonging. In this vulnerable conversation, he shares what most leaders miss about culture, how his board almost ousted him due to a toxic exec hire, and why belonging should be treated as a leadership choice — not an HR initiative. He also unpacks why rituals matter, why alcohol doesn’t belong in team settings, and what founders can learn from AA meetings about structure, vulnerability, and connection. We also get into his latest venture, Assemble Hospitality Group, a new asset...
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Authenticity by Design: Building Mental Health Tools That Actually Work with Seth Micarelli of Volo Health
Convergence.fm
AI can make therapy more accessible—but only if it's done right. In this episode, ex-Google and Amazon product leader Seth shares his journey from panic attacks to building Volo Health, an AI-powered tool for anxiety, depression, and addiction. He breaks down how most therapy tools get it wrong, what makes human-centered AI actually safe, and how product teams can reconnect with the humans they serve—even at scale. Seth opens up about leaving Silicon Valley, his personal journey with emotional healing, and the limits of traditional therapy. Along the way, we explore the ethics of AI in...
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Startups Are Nailing Agentic Workflows — And Why Enterprises Aren’t
Convergence.fm
Karthik Suresh has seen the software industry from all sides — high-frequency trading, Meta’s product teams, early-stage startup trenches, and now the frontier of AI agents. As co-founder of Double-O, he’s building a platform that helps non-technical teams automate complex business processes using AI agents described in plain English. In this episode, Karthik shares hard-won lessons about what it really takes to make agentic workflows work in production — and why most companies are still getting it wrong. We talk about the structural failures hiding inside most AI proof-of-concepts,...
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Scaling Intelligently: What Intrapreneurs Can Teach Startup CEOs and Investors with Scott Jones, Realeyes
Convergence.fm
Some of the biggest product breakthroughs didn’t come from startups — they came from intrapreneurs. In this episode, we speak with Scott Jones, a career intrapreneur who has launched new lines of business at Lenovo, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Realeyes, a computer vision AI company serving some of the world’s most influential platforms. Scott shares a detailed, experience-backed look at what it takes to make innovation work inside companies that weren’t built for speed. He breaks down the mindset, team dynamics, and cultural rituals that allow new bets to thrive — and provides...
info_outlineFrom Intel's engineering labs to Silicon Valley's unicorns, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) have transformed how tech companies translate vision into measurable outcomes. But what separates successful OKR implementations from failed experiments? And how can technology leaders avoid the common pitfalls that derail even well-intentioned rollouts?
In this episode, we dive deep with leaders who've shaped OKR practices at some of tech's most influential companies. Our guests Josh Seiden, Holly Bielawa, and Deepika Yerragunta share battle-tested insights from their experiences at Intel, Amazon, Google, and beyond. The episode compiles the best segments around getting started on your OKR journey, de-risking and iterating your rollout, and our guests’ tips on self-checking the health of your OKR implementation.
Whether you're launching your first OKR initiative or iterating on an existing framework, you'll learn practical strategies for cascading objectives across teams while maintaining strategic alignment. Our conversation includes war stories from the field, as well as intuitive insights on what actually works: fostering genuine collaboration, maintaining human centricity, and achieving the elusive balance between ambition and accountability.
Inside the episode...
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Why OKRs are a powerful alternative to traditional goal-setting frameworks.
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How OKRs promote collaboration and alignment across all levels of an organization.
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Best practices for implementing OKRs: starting small, iterating, and setting clear priorities.
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Tips for integrating OKRs into your product teams using human-centered design principles.
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Differentiating between business OKRs and product OKRs to avoid organizational misalignment.
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How to set and measure strategic objectives with actionable, customer-centric key results.
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Lessons learned from failed and successful OKR implementations, including war stories from the field.
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The role of product operations in making data accessible for measuring OKR progress.
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Why tying OKRs to compensation or promotions can derail the intent of the framework.
Mentioned in this episode
Convergence Episodes featured
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Building Customer-Centric Teams: Josh Seiden on OKRs and Agile
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Driving Cultural Change: PepsiCo's Deepika Yerragunta on Customer Obsession and Product Mindset
Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge.
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