products – Christa Avampato

I’m so excited to share that I’m joining Cornell Tech as a Critique Advisor for their Fall Product Studio Course. During the course, students answer “How Might We Challenges” posed by leading startups, companies, and organizations. Students use their learnings from the course to develop their ideas and products, demo a compelling product narrative, and validate their product with users.

To aid in this process, students participate in weekly critique sessions with external practitioners to drive momentum and receive validation, feedback, and critique. These practitioners are active, product owners, technical managers, and entrepreneurs in New York City who come to campus to provide practical feedback and instruction, encourage progress, and help address any blockers or risks the students are facing.

I’m so excited to use my work as a product leader and practitioner to help these incredible students. To learn more about Cornell Tech’s exciting new campus on New York’s Roosevelt Island, see my earlier post about the grand opening last month.

Being a writer makes me a better product developer. The daily practice of writing across genres for the past 10 years has helped me understand the art of brevity, the science of engagement, and the power of inspiration. High-quality products and books, and the marketing and promotion behind them, convey their intrinsic value in simple, elegant terms. At the very heart of great writing and great products, there must live the ability for them to improve the quality of life for those who consume them. I am proud and honored to stand in the parallel worlds of product development and writing. Both acts of creativity are more than a career to me; they are a part of my soul. They are who I am.