Andrew McGill and Andrew Phelps talk creativity, emerging tech, and the art of building great products. Subscribe for weekly inspiration and insights.
productfridays.substack.com (https://productfridays.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
A researcher runs some interviews. They produce a report. They tell everyone what they learned.
Then the product team goes back to building.
Researcher Emily Goligoski (https://www.emilygoligoski.com/) doesn’t work that way.
This week on Product Fridays, Emily says research is a team sport: “When I think about research design, I think the real cheat code is actually collaboration,” she says.
We couldn’t agree more, and we’re thrilled to have Emily on the show to discuss the art of understanding people.
Ideas we loved:
* How to do research as a team of one
* The N+1 rule for building products
* Why “cheap and cheerful” research is often enough
* Emily’s three research questions that fit on a Post-It note
* How AI is (and isn’t) changing the craft
* Why Emily still carries a notebook everywhere she goes
Mentioned in this episode:
* Rev (https://www.rev.com/)
* Leuchtturm1917 notebooks (https://www.leuchtturm1917.com/notebooks/)
* Rhodia notebooks (https://rhodiapads.com/)
* Portage reporter’s notebooks (https://www.amazon.com/Portage-Reporters-Notebook-Professional-Spiral/dp/B00KSLRG4E/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2BGI5HP5X2G2F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pT7fBXOtpZDle0IjiYvvXCsbcqKAaTJGapOdbLwtA44j4PizaKknURvVqW5yxYIMyeNf7pAwcbS-2Nj0i3JiUtj7cS79-gkgnTQ91SXDbgp78ja82oacYomQfE0joYg0M6oythnTlGobGWWnjfB6DBkNJcWt3755nV0yLsygqMxpqQMpXgkWpJM4jPZR9ECgmCdv5V157Btq89CqfG8gNXB-BxlUgssZJjuKjLSwHxom7RYEG55Eo8b0aVDfnqvAXdHbR05MhG_8ldm--GT7yXU8sunjC_UUhWzdEnrM8jA.nB9cLhAnHK7VzHOEeOXCCYMj9ORVuUBzhiznDBqDmTs&dib_tag=se&keywords=reporter%27s%2Bnotebooks&qid=1782702526&s=office-products&sprefix=reporter%27s%2Bnotebooks%2Caps%2C120&sr=1-4&th=1)
* Pilot G2 (https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Retractable-Premium-Roller-31020/dp/B001GAOTSW?th=1)retractable rolling ball gel pens, fine point, 0.7mm (https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Retractable-Premium-Roller-31020/dp/B001GAOTSW?th=1)
* MUJI gel ink ballpoint pen, 0.5mm (too fine for Phelps’s taste) (https://www.muji.us/products/gel-ink-ballpoint-pen-knock-type-blue-black-10-pack-9a63007)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit productfridays.substack.com (https://productfridays.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
29 May 2026
AI doesn't kill art. It moves the goalposts.
Did the camera kill art? Of course not, says our guest David Somerville, it pushed art to new places. Cubism. Impressionism.
“What didn’t happen is art ceased to exist,” he says. “It became about, okay, but now can I paint a feeling?”
David is one of the most creative people we know. He is a designer, creative consultant, game maker, and published Dungeons & Dragons author. (He’s also our first-ever non-Andrew guest. He’s filing paperwork to fix that.)
David’s instinct cuts against the doom take: using AI to do more of the same, faster, is self-defeating. The interesting question is what AI can do that hasn’t been done yet.
A few things from the conversation worth stealing:
* Wonder vs. empathy. Wonder looks at something from the outside (what does it look like?); empathy stands inside it (what does it feel like?). Good work comes in moving between the two.
* “Yes, and” is the whole job. When a client insists the logo has to be blue, David says yes — to the goal — then proposes a different way there. Most bad creative calls are just fear of being wrong.
* Process is a runway, not the whole flight. You need it to take off and to land. In between, you have to actually fly.
We loved every minute of David’s insights about creativity and the creative process, and we hope you do, too. Happy Friday.
—The Andrews
In this episode:
* David Somerville, founder of the creative consulting firm Smrvl™️ (http://smrvl.com/)
* Brand Deck (https://branding.cards/)
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit productfridays.substack.com (https://productfridays.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
13 Mar 2026
Introducing Sous Chef, our newest app
Big news! Sous Chef, (http://app.souschef.cool/) our AI-powered app for creative cooking, is officially in open beta 🎉
Now, we’re not saying we’re the next coming of Bobby Flay and Alton Brown, but we both know our way around the kitchen. And we’ve always been frustrated by the dearth of purpose-built products that match how we like to cook.
So, we’re designing our own. Sous Chef makes cooking amazing meals easier, more spontaneous, and more fun. Take a look! (http://app.souschef.cool)
In this episode, we break down what Sous Chef does, how McGill came up with the idea while reading recipe newsletters, and why nailing down the perfect set of features is so dang hard.
Also, should we rename the app “Cooking Idiot”? That’s what Phelps wants. We’ll let you draw your own conclusions
We’d love to hear your feedback on the beta. Give it a try and drop us a note at hello@productfridays.com (mailto:hello@productfridays.com) with your thoughts.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit productfridays.substack.com (https://productfridays.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
9 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 14 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
14
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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