A question from a previous guest sparks this episode: Do we go “pro” in every product category or do we eschew the spec arms race & embrace “good enough”? We interrogate our own behaviors & share implications for people in the business of making products.

INTRO & FOLLOW-UPS – 02:51
Starbucks Follow-Up with Zoran Svetlicic
Generative AI x Product with Anmol Anubhai
What McDonald’s is REALLY Like in Italy
How to Try Int’l McDonald’s Menu Items in the US

JOACHIM’S PROFILE PREFS FOR CLAUDE – 07:40

J’s TAKE: A PORTFOLIO APPROACH – 16:40
Testing the Same Products from 1975 and 2025
SHEIN's plan to take over FASHION

E’s TAKE: SPECIALISTS OVER GENERALISTS – 27:03
Do Pharmacists Buy Bayer? Informed Shoppers and the Brand Premium
Why Doesn't Everybody Buy Cheap, Generic Headache Medicine?
The Secrets of Shopping
The Rise of Indie Running Brands

SPECIALIZATION vs HYPERGROWTH – 34:43
How I Built This: Tim Leatherman
Pelican’s Indestructible Cases
The Furniture Systems Of USM Haller

LESSONS FOR PRODUCT PEOPLE – 42:12
Military can’t repair its own equipment
Bad Dye Job

RECOMMENDATIONS – 48:33
The Enshittifinancial Crisis
Matthew Wilcock: 058 Motorway Cycle XI
FlowingData: Best Data Visualizations of 2025
Notion
Phantom Thread
Dior and I on Apple TV & YouTube
Sentimental Value

CLOSING – 01:00:02

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Rant, rave or otherwise via email at LearnMakeLearn@gmail.com or on Threads @LearnMakeLearnShow.

CREDITS
Theme: Vendla / Today Is a Good Day / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Drum hit: PREL / Musical Element 85 / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

We get the inside scoop on The Brand Studios master’s program at CU Boulder from its co-directors, Parisa Tashakori & Jeff Gillette. Unique in its accelerated 12-month span & remit across both experience design and creative advertising, the program welcomes those with a passion to “put your weird to work.” Is it right for you?

INTRO & FOLLOW-UPS – 00:55
Why is Design So Boring? with Nate Grubbs
LAP Coffee
The LAP coffee Berlin backlash: when innovation meets resistance
Ernest to present at Creative Mornings on Dec. 12th

MEET PARISA TASHAKORI & JEFF GILLETTE – 10:07
Parisa’s faculty profile
Jeff’s faculty profile

ON ACADEMIA VS AGENCY LIFE – 13:52
Higher ed must do more to support teaching

THE BRAND STUDIOS: THE WHAT & THE WHY – 19:11
The Brand Studios at CU Boulder
AdAge: New portfolio school aims to fill a widening gap in training junior ad professionals in the wake of AI (paywall)

WHO IS THE PROGRAM FOR? – 36:34
The Students

ON STAYING SMALL & HUMAN – 41:09

GEN AI & BETTING ON CREATIVITY – 49:22
John Maeda on the Design Better podcast
Cory Doctorow: Reverse centaurs are the answer to the AI paradox

WEIRDOS WELCOME & HOW TO APPLY – 56:43
Ready to apply?

RECOMMENDATIONS – 01:01:55
Parisa: The Collaborative Habit
Jeff: The Art of Whittling & Atomic Habits
Joachim: BOSS Katana-AIR EX & Swag Lee’s Habibi Loops
Ernest: Hamnet (the novel), Lavinia & A Larger Reality at Ox

CLOSING – 01:13:26

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Rant, rave or otherwise via email at LearnMakeLearn@gmail.com or on Threads @LearnMakeLearnShow.

CREDITS
Theme: Vendla / Today Is a Good Day / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Drum hit: PREL / Musical Element 85 / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

We're joined by Zoran Svetlicic for this fast follow-up to our previous episode on Starbucks’ struggles. A strategist & builder with deep expertise in brand and food & beverage, Zoran pulls no punches in his diagnosis of Starbucks’ ills. And, along the way, schools us on positioning, brand architecture & natural wine.

INTRO & FOLLOW-UPS – 00:39
Starbucks’ Struggles and Lessons for Product People

MEET ZORAN + CONTEXT SETTING – 04:09
Zoran Svetlicic on LinkedIn
Third-Wave Coffee
NYT Books review of Seeing Like a State

DIAGNOSING STARBUCKS’ STRUGGLES – 11:56
Mark Ritson: Starbucks needs to cut the crap from its brand positioning
Brand Architecture
Nestlé Takes Majority Stake in Blue Bottle (paywall)

STARBUCKS RESERVE STRATEGY – 25:17
What is the Starbucks Reserve brand — and where is it going?
Traditional vs. Occasion-Based Segmentation

HETEROGENEITY AT SCALE: McDONALD’S – 32:45
McD’s passes Starbucks as world’s most valuable restaurant brand
McD’s Just Dropped a Happy Meal Collab Straight Out of the ’90s
Why The French Love American Fast Food
For Some Travelers, McD’s Is a Destination (paywall)

GLOBAL + LOCAL: COCA-COLA – 42:12
Coca-Cola Visual ID: Before & After
We leverage design to create simplicity: David Butler
Share a Coke campaign learnings

LESSONS FROM NATURAL WINE – 55:31

RECOMMENDATIONS – 01:05:16
Raisin
Piquentum Wines & Label
UNSTUCK newsletter
M5Stack Core2
Yowana & Supwell

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Rant, rave or otherwise via email at LearnMakeLearn@gmail.com or on Threads @LearnMakeLearnShow.

CREDITS
Theme: Vendla / Today Is a Good Day / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com
Drum hit: PREL / Musical Element 85 / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com