In this special Christmas episode of the Product Agility Podcast, host Ben Maynard reflects on the past year and shares a message of gratitude and optimism.
From challenges to triumphs, this year has been one of growth, connection, and inspiring conversations with amazing guests from across the agile and product communities. Ben also shares his hopes for the future, some candid behind-the-scenes insights, and his Christmas wish for more feedback and interaction from listeners like you.
If you’ve ever wondered what drives the Product Agility Podcast, this warm and engaging message is the perfect way to close out the year and gear up for the exciting plans ahead.
Key Takeaways:
- Gratitude: Celebrating our growing community of frequent listeners.
- Honest Reflections: The challenges and rewards of balancing podcasting with life and work.
- Looking Ahead: A sneak peek into 2025 with promises of more inspiring guests and diverse perspectives.
Links and Resources:
- Connect with us: hello@sheev.co.uk or message us on LinkedIn!
- Got a story or feedback? We’d love to hear from you.
This uplifting episode is a fitting wrap-up to 2024, offering a glimpse into the dedication and passion behind every conversation. Tune in for a dose of Christmas cheer and start the new year inspired!
Host Bio
Ben is a seasoned expert in product agility coaching, unleashing the potential of people and products. With over a decade of experience, his focus now is product-led growth & agility in organisations of all sizes.
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Ben Maynard
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Product Agility Podcast
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- iTunes - https://apple.co/3YvTX8p
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It’s Christmas. Listen to the jingle bells, go through the intro, and then I’ll share a little Christmas message with you.
Welcome to the Product Agility Podcast, the missing link between Agile and Product. The purpose of this podcast is to share practical tips, strategies, and stories from world-class thought leaders and practitioners.
Why, I hear you ask? Well, I want to increase your knowledge and your motivation to experiment so that, together, we can create ever more successful products.
My name is Ben Maynard, and I’m your host. What has driven me for the last decade is a deep-rooted belief that people and products evolving together can achieve mutual excellence.
So ends 2024 for the Product Agility Podcast. It’s been a great year. It’s been a challenging year. There have been some amazing guests.
This episode is here to say thank you to a few people and to update you about next year.
Next year, we’re going to be hanging around.
I have to admit, there have been times this year when I’ve wondered why I do the podcast. It’s a lot to balance client work, training gigs, family life, recording episodes, and getting them edited. It’s hard—it’s been a hard balance.
There were times I wondered, “Is this really what I should be doing with my time?”
But here I am, still producing content.
The fact that we have so many more listeners than we did last year—getting close to 1,000 or so frequent listeners—that’s amazing news.
The fact that so many of you want to listen to me, after what started as a little hobby, is just incredible. You get something from these conversations, and that’s brilliant.
If I had a Christmas wish, it would be to get more feedback from you all. More messages, emails—whatever it is.
Let us know you’re listening.
I don’t even care if you tell me what you like or don’t like—just share a little story about where you listen to the podcast. Are you going for a jog? Are you on a walk? Does it help you focus at work? Whatever it might be.
To those of you who reached out this year to share how the podcast has positively affected you: thank you so much. Your feedback has meant the world to me. There were times I had tears in my eyes—it’s nice to know you’re having an impact.
So, my Christmas wish is this: send us a message. Email us at hello@sheev.co.uk. Drop us a message on LinkedIn. Whatever it takes—let us know you’re there, listening, and getting something from this.
Your feedback and motivation—that’s what keeps me going and keeps me producing this content.
When I started the podcast, it was just me trying to promote large-scale Scrum, but it’s morphed into so much more.
Next year, we’re looking forward to having even more interesting conversations with a wide selection of guests. We’re an open door and welcome many perspectives—even if the topics are tangentially related to product agility.
Before I sign off, I want to thank some people who have supported the podcast and me this year:
- Andrew Marque, Jose Casal, and Jean Paul Bailey for their support and partnership with Lean Agile London and Productized.
- Daniel Horst North for joining the podcast, introducing me to great guests like Jeff Gothelf, and for everything you’ve done for the product and agile community.
- Josh Stein and Jeff Gothelf for making me a certified training partner for Simplicity and Response Learning.
Special thanks to Shereen, who works tirelessly behind the scenes to make this podcast possible. She schedules, organizes, and ensures everything runs smoothly. Thank you, Shereen!
To my kids—if you’re listening to this in the future—know this podcast is a small insight into who I am.
And to my wife, who doesn’t listen (and I don’t blame her because she hears me enough in real life), thank you.
Finally, to everyone who listens: thank you.
Your listenership is deeply appreciated.
I’ve had a hectic six months, so I’m signing off for the year.
We’ll be back in the second week of January with more awesome guests. As for who they are—well, let’s keep that a surprise.
This is Ben, signing off. You’ve been listening to the Product Agility Podcast.
Happy holidays, and thank you!
