YouSaid · the spoken record

Upasna Gautam

lines on the record: 62
first: 2023-02-23
most recent: 2023-02-23
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“So we used to call them user testing sessions, but decided to move away from that and just call them working sessions so they're more collaborative. And again, it's a really critical part of our onboarding process. We usually do three to six of them depending on the size of the group before the team is actually onboarded for two hours per session. So they're like deep dives into their specific workflows. So as you can imagine, the way the politics team programs content is wildly different than the way the entertainment team does or the way that the health team does and the very different than the way that the CNN homepage even interacts. So all of those are separate teams we have to work with when it comes to getting feedback. So in addition to that, we also do, I mentioned breaking new stress rehearsals. And you can imagine this is exactly what it sounds like. We create a script.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“And which is our platform. And it was also a great way to kind of evangelize the product too. Coming off of a legacy system after several years onto a brand new one is a big change at a place like CNN. And so we definitely try to make sure that, you know, smart repetition in different ways is top priority. So weekly demo days is one. Working sessions are interesting. Use the term working session because it's a combination of several things. This is a really critical part of our onboarding process where we gather breakout groups of our journalists and editors to work with us to recreate their workflows in the new platform. This allows us to address any friction or issues, of course, that are occurring in their workloads. Also, we're able to gather a lot of awesome feedback from them in those sessions.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Yep, this is pretty much the foundation of all of my work. We talk to our editorial staff every single day. And after a lot of observation and learning, I implemented a system to manage that kind of intake with four different touch points or events. So we have weekly demo days working sessions, breaking news dress rehearsals, and office hours. So with weekly demo days, I facilitate those with my product design lead and my tech lead. We use that as an open forum communication to deep dive into features that exist on our platform, also to preview or give a sneak peek of new features to come and kind of recreate their workflows and do a show and tell. Again, we wanted to open that up as a forum to not just our editorial partners, but also anyone across the business who is interested in learning about the product.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Is super important because you have to be able to assess the situation as it stands. And so I think mindfulness is so important too in practices like this because being able to objectively see the scenario for what it is, make a quick decision and move on to the next phase is something we have to analyze every single day.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“It depends on the scope of the work we're doing at that time. So one of my main responsibilities is to rebuild our content management system, which also involves onboarding our editors and journalists to it off of our legacy platform and onto our new one. So when we're thinking about onboarding, especially the teams, our onboarding cycles are very long. It involves training, testing, lots of dialogue and feedback, and then only do we actually test and then we onboard. And so it is a long cycle. And it's longer than it maybe seems like it needs to be because we have to build in those buffers. Sometimes that buffer is a day or two, and sometimes it's a week or a month. And sometimes when we think we need a buffer, we get it done in a day and we quickly move on to the next phase. And so I think that quick decision making in those times.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“For us, it's not really anything we have to do. User testing done or user feedback from that user testing session with our editors. And so what do we do? Okay, well, good thing we had a backup plan, right? We don't actually have to go into that scenario, but since our editors and our journalists are customers, we're there to serve their needs, but they're not here to serve our needs. They have a whole nother job that they have to do. And so we have to have the ability to adapt and accommodate to those really chaotic schedules across global time zones. And so that happens again, like it's not like once in a while, it's a very regular thing that we have to be aware of and also account for.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Of course, to also have backup and buffers in those types of scenarios. So anytime we're planning, we build in waffers for all of that chaos that's happening on a daily basis.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“I mean, it happens all the time, right? That is the nature of breaking news. I mean, you have to be ready to pivot at the drop of a hat. And so I think more than just like the big chaotic moment in those daily interactions when there's chaos, I think that's when it really shows its power and helps me navigate those day-to-day interactions when I had a big working session planned with my users to do research with them or do user testing and breaking news breaks. And it takes so much time and effort to gather a team of editors across the globe to do a user testing session. And when breaking news happens, they have to prioritize that over everything, right? So like, what do you do in that situation? You can be frustrated. Absolutely. It's frustrating, but you always have to have the ability to ape.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“and not trying to control others. So I think when you're able to cultivate that level of self-awareness for yourself, you're able to chart a clear path forward for your team and like serve as a compass in the chaos.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“And reactivity is the root cause of so many of our workplace woes and product management frustrations. And when you're able to pause before reacting, you can start to undo and break a lot of those negative patterns in your brain. And in news, and especially the world's biggest breaking news organization, you can cut through that chaos with equanimity because it also really gives you this outsized advantage in everything from stakeholder management, team morale to the way you're able to translate user feedback to product development velocity. And the thing is, is you're always going to hear things and feedback that you don't like. And opinions that you don't like. And you're going to get frustrated. That's product management. That's light. But real power to me comes from equanimity. And that comes from managing your emotional reaction.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Love that question. And working in product, in news is a very beast. We hear a lot about having the skills to thrive in ambiguity in order to be a successful product manager. But to be a successful product manager in news, you have to be able to thrive in chaos and equanimity is the most important skill I've developed, I think, across my entire life. And it's due to all of those years of practicing mindfulness and meditation. And equanimity is one of my favorite words. It means mental calmness, composure, evenness of temper, especially in crazy stressful situations. The ability to remain unrattled in like the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. And if you think about it in the dynamic of a workplace or human interaction, it's really the ability to pause before reacting.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source
“Happens all the time, right? That is the nature of breaking news. I mean, you have to be ready to pivot at, you know, the drop of a hat. I had a big working session planned with my users to do research with them or do user testing and breaking news breaks. And it takes so much time and effort to gather a team of editors across the globe to do a user testing session. And when breaking news happens, they have to prioritize that over everything, right? So like, what are you doing in that situation? You can be frustrated, absolutely. It's frustrating, but you always have to have the ability to A pivot, of course, but also have backup and, you know, buffers in those types of scenarios.”
2023-02-23 · Lenny's Podcast · An inside look at how CNN builds product | Upasna Gautam · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source