Reliving Pendomonium 2022: Day 1 highlights

We’re halfway through Pendomonium 2022, and our heads and hearts are already brimming with new knowledge, connections, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Hopefully, you’ve been following along with us on social media (or better yet, are with us for all the action live and in-person in sunny Raleigh, NC). Regardless of where you’re tuning in from, these highlights from day one will give you a glimpse into all the fun and excitement we had today.

We started the day with donuts and a DJ

What better way to kick off a full day of learning and excitement than with strong coffee, pink donuts, and a live DJ? The energy in the plaza at Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts was absolutely electric, and set us up perfectly for a packed day of learning, networking, and product-led inspiration.

We learned how to win the future with product

We kicked off the day’s sessions with an insightful keynote from Todd Olson (CEO, Pendo), Trisha Price (CPO, Pendo), Eric Troan (CTO, Pendo), and Mark Mitchell (CPO, Morgan Stanley at Work). 

“More people are using software today than ever before in history.” – Todd Olson

Olson opened the address with an overview of the current state of the world and what these challenging economic conditions really mean for businesses today. In particular, he discussed how these circumstances are continuing to spur the need for organizations to deliver great digital experiences, and forcing traditionally “analog” industries to evolve and digitally transform. The bottom line: We can’t and shouldn’t go back to the old way of doing things—the only way is forward. Olson also talked about:

• Why efficiency is one of the most critical areas companies should be focused on today—and why a product-led strategy is the key for unlocking efficiency throughout the business
• What it means (and why it’s so important) for software companies to build in an inclusive, accessible, and empathetic way
• The role of digital tools in the employee experience—and how going product led makes that experience even better

Mitchell shared stories from the field, and how Morgan Stanley at Work uses the Pendo platform to measure and influence what he called “happiness markers.” Using Pendo, Mitchell and his team are now able to clearly see user behavioral trends—many of which are indicators of customer happiness and which allow Mitchell’s team to predict (and prevent) churn—so they can build even better digital experiences. 

Next, Price and Troan took the stage to share the latest features and enhancements released in the Pendo platform. They shared amazing success stories from several Pendo customers—including Covetrus and JLL—who have all leveraged Pendo to improve their users’ experiences and enable efficient growth. They also announced many exciting updates and releases in the Pendo platform (spanning almost all product areas) and were joined onstage by members of the Pendo Engage and Adopt teams, Travis Brown from Q2, and Teresa Lamantia from IQVIA to demo new functionality and discuss how Pendo helps teams innovate and operate more efficiently.

To learn more about the new releases and updates announced during Pendomonium, check out these blogs:

• Introducing SaaS Portfolio Insights and Cross-App Everywhere
• Introducing the new and improved Data Explorer
• Introducing NPS Insights
• Introducing Guide Orchestration
• What’s new in Pendo Feedback

We ate everything (no, really)

After all that learning, we were hankering from some grub. We headed outside to grab lunch from some of Raleigh’s best food trucks (pizza, bulgogi, smoothies, oh my!), enjoy the sunshine, and mingle with our fellow Pendomonium attendees and friends.

We heard from innovative companies who are changing the game

Bellies and hearts full, we headed back inside for a riveting roundtable discussion between Roxanne Bullard (Director of Product Operations at Truckstop.com), Christina Bourne (Lead Product Manager at CallRail), and Christopher Schunke (Senior Product Manager at Red Hat Learning Subscription)—moderated by Pendo’s senior director of product operations, Christine Itwaru. 

Bullard, Bourne, and Schunke shared how they’re harnessing the power of product-led strategies to boldly innovate in their respective fields while going above and beyond to delight their customers. They talked about the importance of data in their product-led journeys; detailed how becoming product led has helped them operate more efficiently, collaborate more effectively, and build better experiences; and shared tips for building product led buy-in in your organization.

We kicked off our breakout learning tracks

After a short break, we moved into the festival’s first two blocks of breakout sessions. Attendees had a choice of four different learning tracks to align their schedules to—or they had the option to mix and match the sessions that were most interesting to them. Here’s an overview of the topics we explored today:

1. Unlock efficiency track
We learned how product-led companies are doing more with less in the era of efficiency; and explored how cultivating an efficient, effective, and right-sized digital toolset can turn your digital workplace into a competitive differentiator.

2. Decide with data track
We unpacked the 10 key KPIs business leaders should track to measure the true value and success of their internal software applications, and learned the critical role of product analytics in having productive executive-level decision-making conversations.

3. Delight users track
We learned how Rocket Central used Pendo to get closer to their users—leveraging insights and targeted marketing to grow the business—and discovered how iRobot uses product-led messaging to deliver delightful B2B customer experiences.

4. Drive adoption track
We explored how Q2 is staying nimble and innovating the digital banking space with Pendo, and analyzed how successful software companies are taking a product-led approach to discover product-market fit with Battery Ventures.

We expanded our minds with a star-studded luminary keynote

After a networking and refueling break, we came back together to glimpse into the future with our rockstar lineup of luminary keynote speakers: Dr. Michio Kaku (theoretical physicist and futurist), Sophia Chang (legendary music director, manager, and author), and Sam Rad (entrepreneur and author). 

“Learning to unlearn can help you embrace change.” – Sam Rad

In this session of interlocking talks, we contemplated what awaits us, where we’re heading, and how our values might change as humanity continues to evolve. Dr. Michio Kaku kicked things off with an examination of the universe and our place in it—and what we can expect in the future we’re collectively building. Sophia Chang shared her powerful story of acceptance and belonging, as well as her thoughts on human creativity and what drives us to innovate. And finally, Sam Rad closed us out with an exploration of the dawn of the metaverse and how it will shape our reality and experiences. We left inspired, curious, and eager to play a role in creating the future we all desire.

We unwound with an evening of mixing and mingling

We ended the jam-packed day with a laid-back reception on the grounds of Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. We enjoyed classic southern snacks, toasted to a great day of learning, and made priceless connections and memories with fellow product people.

Attendees—we can’t wait to see you bright and early for another full day of learning, connection, and inspiration as Pendomonium day two gets underway tomorrow. Stay tuned for another highlight post tomorrow evening after we close out the festival!