Brian Benitez

💡 "Maximizing Customer/User Engagement: Understanding the Three Pillars of Interaction" 💡 I inserted that headline and a tremendous amount of thoughts into ChatGPT and asked it to formalize them into a digestible article... I'm very happy with what it spit out (I had to shorten it for LinkedIn's character limit). I hope this offers someone some value: Businesses and game developers alike recognize the importance of customer/user engagement. Yet, amidst the myriad of actions customers can take, it's essential to dissect the varying degrees of impact each action has on the success and sustainability of your venture. From my experience, I wanted to outline the three core fundamental customer actions – Time, Speech, and Money – and explore why they matter immensely to your business or game. #1 = Time: The Silent Indicator of Engagement When customers invest their time, they're offering more than a fleeting moment; they're dedicating a portion of their lives to interact with your brand or game. Despite its seemingly intangible nature, time is a valuable currency that speaks volumes about the level of engagement and interest your offerings generate. Each minute spent signifies a connection forged, and by nurturing this engagement, businesses can cultivate brand loyalty and foster deeper connections with their audience. #2 = Speech: Shaping Public Sentiment In an age where communication knows no bounds, the words of customers wield immense power in shaping public sentiment. Whether shared through social media, reviews, or word-of-mouth, their voices echo far and wide, influencing perceptions and shaping reputations. By actively listening to customers, promptly addressing concerns, and fostering open dialogue, businesses can not only mitigate negative sentiment but also cultivate positive relationships that resonate with their audience. #3 = Money: The Ultimate Validation of Value While time and speech are invaluable indicators of engagement, the ultimate validation of value comes in the form of monetary exchange. When customers part with their hard-earned money to purchase products, services, or invest in a company, they're not merely transacting; they're signaling trust and confidence in the value proposition offered. By delivering exceptional value, prioritizing quality, and enhancing the overall customer experience, businesses can inspire loyalty and encourage repeat purchases, ultimately driving sustainable growth and profitability. In conclusion, every business, regardless of its industry or niche, must recognize and prioritize the three pillars of customer interaction. By understanding the nuanced significance of each action and implementing strategies to optimize engagement, businesses can build and scale successful ventures. No matter who you are, the key to long-term success lies in cultivating a dynamic blend of customer actions that speak volumes about the strength of your brand and the depth of your customer relationships.

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I've been doing a lot of "playing around" (really, programming) with Tabnine's chat copilots plus Vercel's v0.dev and Replit's Agents... I'll be putting my thoughts down into a long form piece. But one thing I've found to be the most effective- even when the AI suggests things and writes code 10x faster than you/I ever would, you need to do a lot of restating, suggesting, referencing, and re-affirming to get code that looks the way you need it to for a cohesive whole. At some point it may not matter that you understand what it's doing... I just wouldn't trust any business or personal critical data, functionality, or product to code that wasn't fully understood and could drift/break/bloat because it lacked the abstracted architect to hold the whole picture together. I find myself often mentally referring to projects or code or concepts I read in a thousand other places, but that are relevant to this exact request, and while having "workspace context" plus "all of scraped GitHub context" is nice, there are a few extra layers of context that I have a really hard time imagining how to provide the models. And that's what we're here for. Providing that context so the models can be much more effective and efficient. Anywho, more thoughts to come. Just what I've been ruminating on these past few weeks of more intense use. If you haven't tried these models out for yourself, go play around. v0.dev may be the best thing to try, or claude, because you can see the immediate result in a clicking user interface.

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Do you feel like AI is a solution in search of a problem? I used to feel the same way. ChatGPT was basically a glorified search engine for me. I'd ask it things like "how do I make the fluffiest pancakes?" But after talking to AI expert Dan Shipper, I realized I was just scratching the surface. Dan showed me how to use AI to negotiate with vendors, understand dense books, compress information into tweets and so much more. https://lnkd.in/gV76DpDN

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The Power of NOT being perceived as a threat 😎 When Andreas Bischoff and I spoke about Lisa Moskotova and I doing a panel on traffic monetization via API, I didn’t think much of it other than being excited because I was going to be sharing the stage with someone whose knowledge complements mine and that loves tech as much as I do, which would make it a good session no matter what. But it turned out to be so much more than that… This is one of my favorite subjects and I speak about it very often, as per usual the audience was 95% male online marketers with different levels of experience on the subject. But this time it was so different and it left me thinking of what made it so!? 1) Lisa Moskotova and I have been friends for at least 10 years and know each others areas of expertise relatively well. 2) From the get go we set out to add as much value and knowledge as we could, given that we both dislike sessions that are disguised sales pitches. 3) We had fun with it. We understand that is a complex and complicated subject but also understand that there is power behind making something complicated seem simple and putting your audience at ease. 4) We are both extremely passionate about what we do and that translates to a great deal of positive energy in the room. 5) Like it or not the fact that it was just two women up there made it so unthreatening for the audience that by the second half of the session it became so interactive that we ended up running out of time. People opened up about their own experiences, their doubts, their fears, their challenges and because we were so nurturing and non judgmental: ALL FILTERS WERE OFF. It might have been one of my favorite sessions ever and if you have been following for a while you know I have a crazy amount of speaking engagements a year, so I decided to stop and try to come up with the answer to what made it different so I could share some takeaways to help us all: 1) Speak about stuff you are both, passionate and knowledgeable about. 2) Make the complex seem simple by not over complicating your explanations. 3) Try to gauge the level of knowledge of your audience so that you can adapt the complexity of your content to keep them engaged. 4) Do your best to add value to the attendees. 5) Understand the power of not being perceived as a threat and have sooo much FUN with it. Good vibes are contagious! #publicspeaking #onlinemarketing #affiliatemarketing #ceolife

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”Remember years and years ago when the web came out, and they put all those text boxes on the screen, we were told not to trust user inputs. And now the internet is a big giant text box and we are supposed to trust all those things.” https://lnkd.in/dK7GdbwM Mark Russinovich & Scott Hanselman explore the landscape of generative AI security and today's risks in LLM (Large Language Models), such as hallucination, indirect prompt injection, jailbreaks etc, and how we can mitigate these risks using the #Responsible #AI principles and Content Safety Filters in Azure AI at Microsoft #Ignite.

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Anil Dash on Substack's attempt to brand "writing in a newsletter": "We constrain our imaginations when we subordinate our creations to names owned by fascist tycoons. Imagine the author of a book telling people to "read my Amazon". A great director trying to promote their film by saying "click on my Max". That's how much they've pickled your brain when you refer to your own work and your own voice within the context of their walled garden. There is no such thing as "my Substack", there is only your writing, and a forever fight against the world of pure enshittification." Anil makes a point to highlight Substack's very problematic content policies: not only won't they ban someone who is using the platform to spout real hate, and have not removed most Nazis (not figurative Nazis, not right-wing voices, but literal flag-waving Nazis) from posting or earning money there. They don't deserve to brand an open platform like email. And, in fact, nobody does. I appreciate Anil calling it out.

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Hey everybody, I just wanted to check in to let you know that now is not the time to check out for the summer. I'm starting a new YouTube series on Impact Sprints. Impact Sprints are relatively simple AI Automations that full-time and fractional executives can use to make an immediate impact. It's hard to plan for the future when you don't know what's currently available. Impact Sprints represent just a starting point that you can use to get your feet wet. As with any new process or procedure there's always room for optimizations. Be sure to let me know what you think when the first episode arrives later this week. #ai #aicontent #aiautomation #youtube #impactsprints

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Take it from me, there’s no better way to learn excellent and practical ways to overhaul your experimentation efficacy! Erin makes critical thinking fun and highly accessible in this workshop, June 11:

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In my weekly conversations with product leaders, the desire for impactful PM-driven training often surfaces, highlighting a real need to empower teams. Hoda Mehr, our CEO at Products That Count, shares her thoughts below. 🤔 Here’s a question for all you product management pros out there: What kind of training do you think makes the biggest difference in accelerating a PM's career? #ProductManagement #ProfessionalGrowth #ProductCareers #ProductsThatCount

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As I was onboarding another team member to Quiet Box yesterday, I shared all of our hypotheses and experiments we've run so far. I thought I'd share them below because it's been a rollercoaster of 9 months so far. Phase 1 - Customer Discovery: Remote workers are telling us they're not leaving their house on days with multiple Zoom calls because they don't have access to private or professional meeting space outside their home. Their favorite spots to work from are cafes and coffee shops on days without Zoom calls. Hypothesis # 1: Can we turn the current phone/meeting booths into vending machines for private space in cafes? Result: 1000+ of cold emails, calls, and rejections without a single coffee shop giving us a chance and citing multiple reasons why they won't partner with us. The overwhelming reasons being a lack of space and unwillingness to change their atmosphere. Hypothesis # 2: Can we build our own co-working cafe to be directly connected to the customers we're supporting? Think of a Capital One Cafe but with a twist. Result: We didn't dislike this idea but the capital required to test this idea seemed out of reach given most VCs won't invest in Quiet Box given that it's a hardware company let alone trying out a brick and mortar location with no proven success. Hypothesis # 3: Can we create a community based resource for the best places to work remotely from (cafes, libraries, parks, etc) with community reviews? Basically an All-Trails for remote workers' workspaces (shoutout Alex Lieberman for the inspo from one of his posts about All Trails) Result: It wouldn't cost too much money to no-code build the infrastructure and we already had most of the database information. It probably was our best path forward to start solving the original ICP's pain point, but content has never been a strong point and tends to drain me of energy so we skated past this idea. Hypothesis/Action # 4: We're starting to run out of money and begin selling our Quiet Boxes to co-working spaces and offices at a discount to put some money in the bank while we continued to figure it out. Result: We started closing some business to stay afloat, but a business model with only decent margins, long lead times, and no recurring revenue wasn't the business that I wanted to build. Hypothesis # 5: Can we use this really great product that we've spent 9 months building (a vending machine for meeting space) to solve another ICP's problem? What we're testing now is to partner with convention centers. Many times, I've personally been one of these individuals who is tucked away in the corner of a B2B trade show taking a call or am working from the floor, and I've seen many others doing the same. So...we're giving it a try. Result: TBD

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A company’s product/technology org being called “EPD”, “PED” or some other acronym standing for "product, engineering, design" is a strong smell that the company is a political mess. If that org is called "R&D," it's a smell that means the company is run by finance/MBA people. Why finance, btw? "R&D" (research & development) is a legacy term — certain payroll/etc costs are tax deductible, based in the old-school manufacturing mindset that "product development" was just an investment or cost center, and not revenue-generating as it is in software.

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Interesting commentary about two firms, in very different sectors, under fire, and the strategic reset their new leadership is communicating. The recorded music industry could benefit from a similar approach. What is the purpose of music managers, record labels, distributors, retail and digital music services? To identify, develop and grow great musical artists and to connect great music to music fans. There is no quick fix to the challenges breaking new artists we experience in the UK; fulfilling this mission takes time and requires investment in artists, in music and in the teams who can help them to success. Jennifer George’s piece talks about the “frontline moves” these leaders took - action to immediately address issues. What actions would you take? 

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The bunny narrative (aka outcome-oriented writing) is also a precondition to influencing at higher organizational levels in larger organizations, i.e. everywhere you see deciders who do not have enough context about the problem and the outcomes. The main difference is that when you propose a solution, you describe the current problem, what should be done, and the impact you expect to have. It is also harder and more work than it looks to be able to write a good bunny narrative.

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13F Forms must be filed when over $100k of a stock has been bought. Meaning, (if I'm not mistaken) each of these guys bought over 100k of #GameStop on Friday. And that's just one page of a screenshot. 👀. A new system/rule is possibly being added here soon to better track the sales of stocks - over the entire stock market. It will be decided on May 7th... (I am still a little behind on this all, so... i suggest you learn more from other sources), but - i'll sorta try with the best of my knowledge: This new system will track each share/trade, called the "CAT" system - and a lot of people I like are excited about it, if it is allowed by congress. (however, many market makers & sellers of stocks are super upset about this and trying to fight/prevent it). Apparently, it'll track the sales of every trade/buy/purchase from here on out - This new system is kinda needed, because, unbelievably... at the moment there is almost zero effect when individuals buy stocks. It's left up to brokerages to "execute the trades" on their own... but do they? When? And what did they do with that stock in the meantime? Almost everything is self-reported and often, openly admitted; misreported. Data are often manipulated... people in the industry (even some currently-thriving hedge funds)... brag and reveal how their ways: inaccurately marking shorts/longs, building business models off of FTD's, selling securities they don't own, using basket swaps after hours/overseas... I'm sure my audience - at least some of you - are more onto these things than I am. Again, I'm still a newbie (and it's literally designed to be "complicated" on purpose.) But at the moment, it's almost like - a single share can be used to create massive dilution with no consequences, to the point it's completely unfair - a publically traded company easily loses value, when their shares are used against them! It's cruel, ruining businesses, jobs, resources... just for a small handful to benefit. If you learn more about this, you can hear interviews and frustration: so many CEOs are screwed by the system. I'll throw in there, too, #AMC's business model + balance sheets are looking truly fantastic, too. Now that the writer's strike is over, they're statistically set to be successful from about here on out. They've added candy, movie production, popcorn, wine, concerts, merch, an Olympics deal, even a netflix competitor with movie theater hookups... just to name a few! I'm excited for their earnings report on the 8th + updates on their debt restructure, too. 💎🔥 Let these great businesses survive & thrive.🕺. I support the CAT system. #catsystem #stocks #amc #gme #gamestop #olympics #popcorn #movies #candy #chocolate

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What's not being good at interviewing costing you? "I just cannot seem to interview well. I have lost out on roles to people who used to report to me." I was speaking to my client—let's call him Steve. He was a smart, accomplished product leader who had led successful launches of products you have probably heard of. He launched multiple hit products, drove millions in revenue, and all that jazz. But Steven had a problem—a big one. Despite being a total PM rockstar, he still interviewed like he had seven years ago. When he was interviewed, the impression he left was "Great product manager, not leadership material yet." Ever felt like you're the most accomplished person in the room, but when it comes to interviews, you can't seem to convey that? That was Steve. Do you know who didn't choke on interviews? The PM's Steve personally trained and mentored. That's right - Steve's own pupils interviewed well rose above their sensei by having better storytelling and positioning, and the executive presence and confidence that got them further in an interview. His pupils had risen to levels above him. Can you imagine how emasculating and demoralizing that must have felt? To have your star pupils, whom you groomed from scratch, outshine and outearn you just because they could describe their achievements better? Steve had already missed out on many years of success, new roles, and millions of dollars because he was worse at interviewing. He felt the sting of watching others, who he knew he was more qualified than, climb the ranks and achieve the success he deserved. This wasn't just a financial loss but a blow to his self-esteem. He wanted his kids to look up to him and be proud of his accomplishments. Enough was enough. He decided he couldn't afford to lose out anymore. He came to us as Intentional Product Manager, determined to turn things around. We worked with him to refine his narrative, boost his interview skills, and truly represent the outstanding professional he is. It took work, but he got there. The result? He's achieved a prime role at a company you would have heard of and now makes over a million dollars annually. Not only did he secure the financial success he always deserved, but he also earned the respect and admiration of his peers and, most importantly, his family. But as importantly, he carries his skills and executive presence every day. --- P.S., If this resonates with you, and you: - Are a product manager - You love to take action - You are committed to career growth But if you need help in landing that ideal next role. DM me "dream role" and I will send you details. We only work with selected folks and have started to limit how many people we accept every month.

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