What Happened to Paul?

Episode 5: The Future of Product Launches in an AI World

Friday’s Slack message seemed harmless. But by Monday, everything had to change. In this final episode of What Happened to Paul?, Jarod Greene [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarodgreene] talks with Trevor Jett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-jett-childers-946a606/], Vivun [https://www.vivun.com/]’s Chief Revenue Officer, about a product launch where nothing stayed still, not even for a minute. Paul, the steady product launch playbook behind past launches, was gone. In his place, a new reality took hold. There were no clean handoffs or final messaging. AI moved faster than the team could keep up, and the features didn’t exist long enough to document. Each new capability forced them to rewrite how they sell, how they talk, and how they work. So, when does it all hit? Trevor explains how a “cool new feature” casually dropped into Slack quickly snowballed into a go-live scramble. He opens up about what it took to keep the team aligned for launch day without falling back on traditional feature-function playbooks. In this episode, you’ll learn: 1. How fast things change – Slack to launch, sometimes in hours. 2. What GenAI breaks – Consistency, certainty, and the idea of being “done.” 3. Where teams find their footing – Not in process, but in adaptability. Things to listen for:  (00:00) Introduction (01:19) “Oh, we’re doing this now” (01:58) When the launch really began (03:06) No more features, only direction (05:05) Launching with open-ended capabilities (06:23) Reaching repeatability in the sales motion (07:44) The big reveal

Episode 4: How We Communicated the Pivot

The message wasn’t ready, but the product wouldn’t wait. In this episode of What Happened to Paul? Jarod Greene [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarodgreene] sits down with Lindsay Morton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsayoneal/], Vivun [https://www.vivun.com/]’s Director of Demand Generation, to talk about what it really takes to communicate a moving target. As Ava evolved and accelerators started dropping, the team had to rethink everything they thought they were going to say. No prep time. No buffer. The website became the message board.  Ava, too, wasn’t just the product. She was part of the team now – and that changed the story. Lindsay walks through the moment everything flipped, how real-time collaboration helped the message stay clear, and why some fire drills are worth running toward. In this episode, you’ll learn: 1. Why accelerators changed the game – Proactive output reframed what the product was and how to talk about it. 2. Why startups ship at 88% – Field feedback is faster than perfect positioning. 3. What makes speed possible – A clear checklist and a reason to sprint. Things to listen for:  (00:00) Introduction (01:06) The accelerators that changed everything (02:11) Why the website became the central hub (03:58) Translating product features into human impact (06:29) Managing fire drills that actually matter (10:12) What it felt like when the launch went live

Episode 3: Creative Vision vs. Constant Product Change

Paul never liked surprises, but this one hit from all sides. In this episode of What Happened to Paul? Jarod Greene [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarodgreene] sits down with Victoria Myers [https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rio-myers], Senior Content Marketing Specialist at Vivun [https://www.vivun.com/], to unpack what happens when a launch loses its footing mid-stride. The product changed. The audience shifted. And the team had to rethink everything, fast. More than just a product rename, this marked a shift in identity for the company—and for the people behind the scenes trying to hold it all together. In this episode, you’ll learn: 1. Why creative work takes the first hit – Messaging unravels the moment the product direction shifts. 2. How emotion enters the process – Change hits harder when identity’s on the line. 3. What freedom really looks like – Scrapping the plan made room for bolder and better ideas. Things to listen for:  (00:00) Introduction (01:27) What the launch plan originally looked like (03:15) How the creative stays flexible through chaos (05:12) The moment Victoria knew everything would change (07:09) Responding emotionally, then rebuilding practically (08:27) Why the final preview meant so much to the team

Episode 2: Planning While the Product Rewrites Itself

Paul never missed a step in the plan—until the plan started shifting beneath him. In this episode of What Happened to Paul? Jarod Greene [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarodgreene] talks with Dominique Darrow [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominiquedarrow/], Vivun [https://www.vivun.com/]’s co-founder and CCO, about the moment a solid launch plan ran straight into the chaos of change. The strategy was in place. The roadmap was clear. But Ava’s new capabilities didn’t care. They moved faster than any draft, forcing the team to rebuild in real time. Planning became about building a structure that could bend without breaking. Dominique shares how the team stayed aligned, how iteration became the rule, and why communication mattered more than ever when nothing stayed still. In this episode, you’ll learn: 1. Why rigid plans break – Flexibility shapes how momentum is maintained. 2. How teams stay synced – Communication and clarity drive every moving part. 3. What planning really means – It’s about structure that evolves with the work. Things to listen for:  (00:00) Introduction (01:03) The Friday night call that changed everything (03:13) Turning strategy into a three-phase execution plan (04:12) How to plan when everything keeps changing (05:06) Keeping cross-functional teams aligned without confusion (07:43) Final steps before moving into creation mode

Episode 1: The Strategy Everyone Thought Would Work

Paul was built for certainty, and still, he vanished without warning. In this episode of What Happened to Paul? Jarod Greene [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarodgreene] dives into a product launch that didn’t just veer off course. It outgrew the very playbook designed to guide it. Paul, the trusted playbook that shaped every GTM move for over a decade, suddenly stopped working. What began as a familiar launch rhythm—strategy, plan, execution—quickly unraveled as AI capabilities evolved faster than expected. So, where does it all start?  Russell Witham [https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellwitham/], Vivun [https://www.vivun.com/]’s Director of Product Management, helps explain the initial strategy before the change. He shares how planning for Ava, Vivun’s AI sales agent, forced the team to rethink everything as AI capabilities evolved quicker than anyone expected. In this episode, you’ll learn: 1. Why playbooks go quiet – The signs aren’t loud, but the fallout is. 2. How strategy loses its footing – Fast-moving AI doesn’t wait for final drafts. 3. What it takes to move forward – Launches don’t pause. You adapt, or you stall. Things to listen for:  (00:00) Introduction (00:52) Who is Paul? (03:19) Launching Ava required a new kind of strategy (05:26) Managing product strategy in the fog of AI (08:53) Why cadence keeps cross-functional teams aligned (10:17) When Ava shifted from reactive to truly proactive