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Product Stories

Product Stories

By Kaushik Murali

Product Stories is a podcast for product and design enthusiasts to understand how best designers and product managers work by telling them their stories and talking about the problems they solved that can inspire solutions and actions.
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#4. Designing in Europe and Booking.com with Aiswarya Kolisetty (Product Designer at Alan, Ex - Booking.com, Zomato)

Product StoriesJun 02, 2021

00:00
48:06
#29. The Researcher's Voice: Exploring UX Research Opportunities in India with Dharmesh

#29. The Researcher's Voice: Exploring UX Research Opportunities in India with Dharmesh

This week, our guest is Dharmesh. He is one of the leading user research experts in India. He was previously working as the Head of Research at Setu. He also worked in various fintech companies like ClearTax and Rupeek before that. We talk about opportunities in research today. How convince leadership to allocate budget for research. We also talk about some of his latest projects.

Reach out to Dharmesh here: 🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharmeshba/ 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/dharmeshba 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dharmeshba/?hl=en 🌎 Website: https://linktr.ee/theindianotes

Jun 14, 202301:10:38
#28. Designing Success: From Early Employee to Director - Chetty Arun from Razorpay

#28. Designing Success: From Early Employee to Director - Chetty Arun from Razorpay

This week, our guest is Chetty Arun. He was previously the Director of Design at Razorpay. One of the best fintech companies in India. We talk about his journey of becoming a designer. How he went about scaling the design team of Razorpay. His personal challenges and learnings along the way. We also touch upon organizational culture as a topic. Chetty has had an amazing journey. I had a wonderful time talking to him. I hope you enjoy the episode as well. ------------------------------------------ Reach out to Chetty here: 🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chettyarun/

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChettyArun

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chettyarun/

🌎 Website: http://chettyarun.com/

May 31, 202301:06:44
#27. The Role of Designers in Shaping the Future of Web3 - Paul Finney from Spacekayak

#27. The Role of Designers in Shaping the Future of Web3 - Paul Finney from Spacekayak

This week, our guest is Paul Finney. He is the Founder of Spacekayak. Spacekayak is a web3 native creative studio and they work with some of the finest web3 companies in India.

We talk about his journey of becoming a founder. How did he build Spacekayak’s team from scratch. What are his thoughts about the future of web3 design. And of course what are the future plans for Spacekayak.


Reach out to Paul here:

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulfinneyx/

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/paulfinneyx

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulfinneyx/

🌎 Website: https://www.spacekayak.xyz/

Mar 23, 202349:19
#26. Breaking Boundaries in Design: From Copywriting to Product Design - Chandra from Gojek

#26. Breaking Boundaries in Design: From Copywriting to Product Design - Chandra from Gojek

This week, our guest is Chandra. He is a Product Designer at Gojek. He was previously working with Obvious, one of the best design agencies in the country.   

We talk about his journey to becoming a designer. His time at Obvious and his experience while building Pause. He also talks about the current design education and design job market. We touch on a bit about mistakes to avoid while applying for design jobs.  

Reach out to Chandra here:   

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandrasekharn/

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ncresq

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maybe_chandra/

🌎 Website: https://nchandrasekharr.github.io/

Mar 01, 202301:11:06
#25. Designing for AI: Challenges and Opportunities - Akshay from Observe AI

#25. Designing for AI: Challenges and Opportunities - Akshay from Observe AI

This week, our guest is Akshay. He is a Senior Product Designer at Observe.ai. He is also the author of the book “Designing Human-Centric AI experiences”   

We talk about the framework that he uses to design for AI. We also take a deep dive into AI, what role it will play in the future of design, and some of the misconceptions and exciting predictions around AI.

Reach out to Akshay here:   

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshaykkore/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/akshaykore
📚 Book: https://akor.in/aibook-in/

Feb 15, 202301:07:57
#24. Bringing Products to Life: A Look at the Product Illustration Process - Shivam from Swiggy
Jan 25, 202343:18
#23. Taking Your Side Projects to the Next Level - Karthika from Vodafone

#23. Taking Your Side Projects to the Next Level - Karthika from Vodafone

This week, our guest is Karthika. She is a Product Designer at Vodafone and she is a builder.   

We take a deep dive into talking about her side projects. How she went about building them. We also talk about her journey and her advice for builders or creators who are getting started.   

Karthika’s story is truly inspirational and I had a wonderful conversation with her.   

Bangalore Roomie: https://twitter.com/BangaloreRoomi
Flinder: https://flinder.netlify.app/
Bookmark of the day: https://www.bookmarkoftheday.xyz/


Reach out to Karthika here:   
🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/s-karthika-37a6aa13a/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/designermaybe
✍️ Writing: https://medium.com/@skarthika
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kkkkkarthika/

Jan 11, 202341:17
#22. What is DesignOps? - Sanket from Postman

#22. What is DesignOps? - Sanket from Postman

This week, our guest is Sanketh. He is a Design Ops Lead at Postman and previously worked at Deloitte.   

We take a deep dive into talking about Design Ops and its importance of it in organizations. We also talk about how to convince stakeholders to invest in Design Ops, and also about building and measuring the value of Design Ops.

Reach out to Sanket here:   

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanketpath/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/sanketpath
✍️ Website: https://blog.sanketpathak.com/

Dec 28, 202246:09
#21. Getting Started with Content Creation - Chhavi from Bumble

#21. Getting Started with Content Creation - Chhavi from Bumble

This week, our guest is Chhavi Shrivastava. She is a Senior Product Designer at Bumble and she previously worked at N26.   

We take a deep dive into talking about content creation and how we got started with it. We also talk about what first steps you as a listener can take to get started with content.

Reach out to Chhavi here:   

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chhavishrivastava/?originalSubdomain=uk
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/justchhavii
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justchhavii/
✍️ Medium: https://justchhavii.medium.com/

Dec 07, 202253:37
#20. Designing Health CareProducts - Deepika from dVerse Labs

#20. Designing Health CareProducts - Deepika from dVerse Labs

This week, our guest is Deepika Gopalkrishnan. She is a Healthcare Designer and the founder of Dverse labs. It is a healthcare-based startup that started by developing disruptive technologies for combating COVID-19.   


We take a deep dive into understanding how physical products are designed, and how she took her product from zero to one. We also talk about the challenges of being a designer as well as an entrepreneur and how she tackled them.


Reach out to Deepika here:   

🌎 Website: https://www.deepikagk.com/
🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepika-g-6b2481154/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/deepika_gk
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/design_a_ton/?hl=en


May 09, 202245:40
#19. Diversity and Inclusiveness in Design - Kshipra from Razorpay

#19. Diversity and Inclusiveness in Design - Kshipra from Razorpay

This week, our guest is Kshipra Sharma who is currently a Lead Product Designer at RazorpayX. Kshipra started her career architect before moving into product design.   

We take a deep dive into understanding concepts like diversity, inclusiveness, and what are discriminatory practices in design. We talk about the practices Kshipra and her team adopted to increase diversity in Razorpay’s design team and make it a more inclusive workspace. We talk a bit about how her journey in taking RazorpayX from 0 to 1 and what it means to a Lead Product Designer.

Reach out to Kshipra here:   

🌎 Website: https://kshiprasharma.com/
🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kshiprasharma22/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/kshipra_sharma
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kshipra_sharma/

Apr 26, 202251:29
#18. Designer to Product Manager - Akash from Flipkart

#18. Designer to Product Manager - Akash from Flipkart

This week, our guest is Akash Kuttappa who is currently a Product Manager at Flipkart. Akash has previously worked in Scapic as the Head of Product, which eventually got acquired by Flipkart.   

We take a deep dive into his journey of becoming a designer and then a product manager. We also talk about 3D and AR which is his domain of expertise. We also talk about what he is currently working on at Flipkart.   

He is also the first guest who is a Product Manager on this podcast.  

Reach out to Akash here:   

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akashkuttappa/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/kttppa
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akashkuttappa/

Mar 23, 202258:53
#17. Design Systems and Work at Google - Murari Jha from Google

#17. Design Systems and Work at Google - Murari Jha from Google

This week, our guest is Murari Jha who is currently a UX Designer at Google. He previously worked in notable companies such as Headout, Instamojo, and Bookmyshow.   

We talk about design systems, a few very interesting design case studies from his days in Instamojo, and what it is like to work in a company like Google.

Reach out to Murari Jha here:  

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/creativemj/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamcreativemj

Mar 09, 202245:18
#16. Working Abroad & Creating Side Projects - Darshan from GraphCMS

#16. Working Abroad & Creating Side Projects - Darshan from GraphCMS

This week, our guest is Darshan Gajara who is currently the Head of Design at GraphCMS in Berlin. Darshan also runs a newsletter called Product Disrupt which helps designers find resources and stories on design & tech.   

We take a deep dive into his journey of moving abroad to work in Berlin, how he runs Product Disrupt, and a few stories from his freelancing days.   

Product Disrupt: https://productdisrupt.com/
Work Abroad (Waitlist): https://workabroad.guide/

Reach out to Darshan here:   

🌎 Website: https://darshan.design/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeirdoWizard
📸 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DarshanGajara
🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darshangajara/

Feb 23, 202201:00:53
#15. Problem Solving for Designers - Debashish from Twitter

#15. Problem Solving for Designers - Debashish from Twitter

In this week's episode, we have Debashish Paul who is currently at Twitter and previously worked at Facebook or now known as Meta where he invented many systems and interfaces with over 60 patents to his name.   

We're going to dive into his journey as a designer in solving problems, his experience working in some of the biggest tech companies, and the process he follows.


Reach out to Debashish here:   

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debstract/ 
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/debstract 
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debstract/ 
🌎 Website: https://debashishpaul.me/

Feb 07, 202201:10:06
#14. Building Design Communities - Rohan from Urban Company

#14. Building Design Communities - Rohan from Urban Company

In this episode, Rohan Mishra. Rohan is currently working as a Senior Product Designer at UrbanCompany. He previously worked in Zomato and lead multiple initiatives there.   

He also runs a community called ‘Design Sundays’ which helps designers who are just getting started. We talk about multiple things like building and growing a community, mentorship, learnings from Zomato days, and what he is currently working on in UrbanCompany.   

We also talk about building and launching a product in another country.   

Design Sundays: https://home.designsundays.in/

Reach out to Rohan here:   

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamrohanmishra/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamrohanmishra
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamrohanmishra/
🌎 Website: https://rohanmishra.design/

Jan 25, 202249:21
#13. Crypto, Community and Side Projects - Akhil from Drumworks

#13. Crypto, Community and Side Projects - Akhil from Drumworks

In this episode, we have Akhil from Drumworks. Akhil is very well experienced in building and launching side projects. In last year alone, we launched 3 different side projects and all three of them got a significant engagement. He also talks about Product Hunt, Build community, and what the future holds for his side projects.

Letterhunt: https://www.letterhunt.co/
Adsets: https://www.adsets.xyz/
Buy Me A Crypto Coffee: https://www.buymeacryptocoffee.xyz/

Reach out to Akhil here:   

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bvsakhil/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/akhil_bvs
🌎 Website: https://akhilbvs.webflow.io/

Jan 12, 202243:25
#12. Becoming a Design Manager - Vaibhav at Gojek

#12. Becoming a Design Manager - Vaibhav at Gojek

Our guest for the latest episode of Product Stories is Vaibhav Bhasin. Vaibhav is a self-taught Product Designer. He is currently working at Gojek as Design Head of Mobility Products.   

We talk about transitioning between various organizations, designing for southeast Asian countries, one of Vaibhav’s projects at Gojek, and his transition from being an individual contributor to a manager.  

Find Vaibhav on ADP List: https://www.adplist.org/mentors/vaibhav-bhasin
Designing to Encourage the Habit of Tipping: https://blog.gojek.io/ka-ching-designing-to-encourage-the-habit-of-tipping/

Reach out to Vaibhav here:   

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaibhavb8/
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/vaibhavb8
🌎 Website: http://vaibhavb8.com/

Oct 27, 202156:06
#11. Graphic Designer to UX Designer - Radhika at Microsoft

#11. Graphic Designer to UX Designer - Radhika at Microsoft

The guest for our latest episode is Radhika Sen. She is a graphic designer turned UX Designer. She is currently working as a UX Designer in Microsoft. We talk about studying in a design school, her exchange program, what is interaction design and how can one get started, and her most challenging design project.  

Reach out to Radhika here:  

🔵 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhika-sen-88bb3436/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radhika_sen_88/
🌎 Website: https://www.radhikasen.com/

Oct 06, 202143:09
#10. Why did I start Product Stories?

#10. Why did I start Product Stories?

A question that I constantly keep getting is why did I start Product Stories or why do I host a podcast. Tbh when I started, I was not clear about why I wanted to do it. Over time, it became clear about what the podcast is about and who is its audience. In the latest episode, I talk a bit about my design journey and how Product Stories podcast took shape. 

Contact me:  
🌎 Website: https://getproductstories.com/
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/kaushikmuraliux
🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaushikmuraliux

Sep 08, 202116:07
#9. Working Remotely as a Designer - Sankalp Sinha at SellersCrowd.com

#9. Working Remotely as a Designer - Sankalp Sinha at SellersCrowd.com

Our guest for today’s episode is Sankalp Sinha. He is currently working as a Senior Product Designer at SellersCrowd. He is someone who has been working remotely long before the pandemic. In this episode, we talk about working remotely, how to collaborate remotely, and his side projects (YessCSS and Rooster).  

Reach out to Sankalp here:   

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hellosankalpsinha/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sankalpdomore/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sankalpdomore  

Aug 25, 202101:01:55
#8. Leveling up in the Design Industry and How to Keep Growing as a Designer - Sahil Pandita at Gojek

#8. Leveling up in the Design Industry and How to Keep Growing as a Designer - Sahil Pandita at Gojek

In the latest episode of Product Stories, we have Sahil Pandita. Sahil is a Product Designer at Gojek. We talk about the design process at Gojek, documentation for designers, mistakes junior designers make, roles and responsibilities of a designer, and the design landscape in India.

About Sahil:
Sahil is a Product Designer at Gojek. He previously worked at Ibibo and various other companies. Sahil also runs a YouTube channel called The Creative Hustle.

Valley Girl (Substack article): https://apoorvagovind.substack.com/p/how-to-waste-your-career-one-comfortable

Reach out to Sahil here: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahilpanditauxd/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sahilxdesign/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sahilxdesign
The Creative Hustle: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPLz3vzYDRyhh8sDY5q-bxw

Aug 10, 202101:40:05
#7. How to Build Side Projects That Matter - Kushagra Agarwal at Rainway (Ex Zeta, Housing)

#7. How to Build Side Projects That Matter - Kushagra Agarwal at Rainway (Ex Zeta, Housing)

In the latest episode of Product Stories, we have Kushagra Agarwal. He is currently a Lead Designer at Rainway. We talk about how to come up with side project ideas. We also talk about his side projects, Cone, Unwind, and CSS Battle. 


**About Kushagra:**

Kushagra Agarwal is currently a Lead Designer at Rainway. He was previously at Zeta, Housing, and Wingify. Kush is a front-end developer turned designer who also develops apps.

Reach out to Kushagra here:  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kushagra-agarwal-549b7666/
Website: https://kushagra.me/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kushsolitary/

CSS Battle: https://cssbattle.dev/
Cone: https://cone.app/
Unwind: https://unwind.to/

Jul 23, 202127:23
#6. Building Figma Plugin and Side Projects with Milan Maheshwari (Product Designer at Swiggy)

#6. Building Figma Plugin and Side Projects with Milan Maheshwari (Product Designer at Swiggy)

In the latest episode of Product Stories, we have Milan Maheshwari. Milan is a Product Designer at Swiggy. He is a graduate of IIT Roorkee, he interned in Blackbuck and Cleartrip while at college.   In this episode, we talk about getting design internships as an engineer. We also talk about Milan's side projects, Morph and Spectrum. Last, we talk about designing video games.

Reach out to Milan here:  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milan98/
Website: https://milanmaheshwari.design/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/millons098

Jun 30, 202143:28
#5. Designing FinTech Product for the USA with Niket Kamat (Product Designer at OnJuno)

#5. Designing FinTech Product for the USA with Niket Kamat (Product Designer at OnJuno)

In the latest episode of Product Stories, we have Niket Kamat. Niket is a Product Designer at OnJuno. We talk about building the Corona Tracker and scaling it to 5Mn users. We also talk about what it's like to design a FinTech product in India for the US audience. We touch upon other topics like business competency for designers, specialist vs generalist, etc.

Reach out to Niket here:  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nsks/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_nsks_/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NiketKamat

Jun 16, 202135:31
#4. Designing in Europe and Booking.com with Aiswarya Kolisetty (Product Designer at Alan, Ex - Booking.com, Zomato)

#4. Designing in Europe and Booking.com with Aiswarya Kolisetty (Product Designer at Alan, Ex - Booking.com, Zomato)

In the fourth episode of Product Stories, we have Aiswarya Kolisetty. Aiswarya is a Product Designer at Alan. She was previously working with Booking.com and Zomato. We talk about how to get a design job abroad and move, what it is like to work in a big design team (Booking.com has over 200 designers). We also talk about how the design culture has been changing and a bit about illustrations.

Reach out to Aiswarya here:  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aiswaryakolisetty/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiswaryak/
Website: https://aiswaryakolisetty.com/

Jun 02, 202148:06
#3. Internships and Personal Branding with Rahul Goradia (Product Designer at Meesho)

#3. Internships and Personal Branding with Rahul Goradia (Product Designer at Meesho)

In the third episode of Product Stories, we have Rahul Goradia. Rahul is a Product Designer at Zomato. We talk about design school, how to bag internships in top companies in India, personal branding for designers, and common mistakes to avoid as a junior designer.

Reach out to Rahul here:  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RahulGoradia1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulgoradiadesigner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rahulgoradia/

Dexign Workshops: https://www.dexignworkshops.com/

May 19, 202139:48
#2. Being a Full Stack Designer with Anoop Sethumadhavan (Senior UX Designer at Zeta)

#2. Being a Full Stack Designer with Anoop Sethumadhavan (Senior UX Designer at Zeta)

In the second episode of Product Stories, Anoop Sethumadhavan talks about how to transition from a developer to a designer, being a solo designer at an early stage startup, synergizing with engineering and product teams, being a full-stack designer, and Kerala Designers Collaborative (KDCo)

Reach out to Anoop here:  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anoopsethu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopsethumadhavan/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anoopsethu/

Kerala Designers Collaborative: https://kdco.info/

Feb 08, 202150:19
#1. Developer to Designer and Side Projects with Shubham Bhatt (Product Designer at Udaan)

#1. Developer to Designer and Side Projects with Shubham Bhatt (Product Designer at Udaan)

In the first episode of Product Stories, Shubham Bhatt talks about how to transition from a developer to a designer, how side-projects can help designers, what is All Design Events, and how it all started.    

Reach out to Shubham here:  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/s4tr2
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shubham-bhatt/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s4tr2/

All Design Events: https://www.alldesignevents.co/

Jan 02, 202140:22
Trailer - Product Stories

Trailer - Product Stories

A gist of what the podcast is going to be about and what kind of content the users can expect. 

Dec 05, 202000:39