In this episode of Launch With Confidence, Chris Rader sits down with Randy Ford, Director of Product Management at Fidium Fiber. Randy has spent more than 20 years leading product teams across networking, cloud, and security, but what sets him apart is his conviction that the best ideas come from observing customers in their own environments.

From stadiums packed with thousands of devices to small supermarkets with hidden connectivity issues, Randy shares how in-the-wild insights can transform product development, customer trust, and even company strategy.

If you’ve ever wondered how to bridge the gap between product roadmaps and customer reality, this conversation will change the way you think about field research and customer engagement.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why stepping outside of the office uncovers problems no survey ever will
• How to turn onsite observations into product improvements
• Ways to build personas that reflect real environments, not just demographics
• Advice for teams navigating travel restrictions and budgets

00:00 – Introduction to Randy Ford

01:01 – Randy’s role and product management scope

01:41 – Why getting out of the office matters

02:11 – Observations you only see onsite

04:14 – Problem-solving with real-world signals

05:03 – Stories from Western Digital and stadium Wi-Fi challenges

07:16 – Turning field context into product planning

08:19 – Lessons from supermarkets and everyday environments

10:05 – How observations improve customer experience

12:25 – Personas and environmental factors

15:32 – Building vertical profiles for customer segments

15:50 – Advice on connecting with customers in the wild

17:10 – Regional and environmental differences in customer needs

18:43 – Becoming a trusted partner by sharing insights

19:15 – Budgets, travel bans, and scrappy ways to stay close to customers

20:43 – Rapid-fire questions (coffee vs. tea, product mistakes, teams vs. Slack, favorite snacks, dream product