With so many products designed to keep your attention locked on your screen, Ethan Mayers and the ChalkNotes team want their product to get you off your screen and back into the real world.

In this episode Ethan shares why he’s countering the status quo. 

He believes in the importance of shared experiences, the power of stories, and the ability of technology to improve the human condition. He infused these values into ChalkNotes — a creator, editor, and player for experiences.

Join us to hear Ethan share why he believes the business of product is about shared human experience.

Takeaways:

• Enable group experiences because people want community and connection.
• Build your brand internally before sharing it with the world.
• Trust and confidence are critical to retaining users.
• Boldly lead the future by leading conversations and asking questions.
• Exercise corporate responsibility in the early stages of your product.
• Visualize success to facilitate decisions that build great products.
• Authenticity always wins.

Things to Listen For:

• [01:15] Ethan’s early career in sports broadcasting
• [04:00] Pat Summit’s example of “soft power”
• [05:45] Words matter to your customer and brand
• [06:40] Ethan’s journey into tech
• [09:00] The inspiration for ChalkNotes
• [11:00] Why ChalkNotes focuses on audio rather than video
• [12:30] Users loss of agency in digital products
• [13:50] Building trust and confidence with users
• [16:00] How to boldly lead the future
• [17:00] Technology should be a tool for more than escapism
• [18:00] Designing a product is designing a real, human experience
• [19:00] Exercising corporate responsibility in the early stages of a product
• [20:50] Making decisions is easier when you visualize success 
• [24:00] Your ability to make decisions is one of the biggest factors in determining success
• [25:00] Authenticity and passion will keep you going on the hardest days