Podcast
Thursday Lunch
Hosted by Stephanie Robbins and Dan Howell · EN
Thursday Lunch dives into the mechanics, and the magic, of building great brands: from innovation to business strategy, team leadership, and everything in between. With decades of experience leading ideas from napkin sketch to national launch, Dan Howell and Stephanie Robbins unpack how strong teams, smart planning, and thoughtful execution drive category-defying results through the use of the 4cs process and understanding.
13episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Feedback and the Circle of PFG
2w ago00:34:13Tap to summarizeDan and Stephanie explore how to assess, filter, and act on feedback by judging it against your project's constraints. Not all feedback is actionable, but all feedback has some validity worth considering. From the "arbitrary value judgment" of communist vs. all-American pie to the Circle of PFG (Pretty Effing Good) that defines product development and when the product is ready to move forward, they show how to build effective feedback loops that drive better decisions without letting everyone's opinion derail your progress.
Transcribe →
Trends, The Echoes of Changing Constraints
4w ago00:30:37Tap to summarizeDan and Stephanie explore whether it's better to be first to market or best to market, and how the answer depends entirely on your company, industry, product, and, of course, brand constraints. From waiting years for sriracha to hit mainstream consciousness to Moon Fruit's experience being ahead of the curve, they show how using the Four C's framework to build alignment around trends helps companies to know which ones to chase, which to wait for, and which to ignore entirely.
Transcribe →
Trust, Culture, and Getting Your Best Work Done
Apr 200:32:08Tap to summarizeTrust—not just process—is what allows teams to get out of each other's way and do their best work. From understanding everyone's constraints (not just your own) to building a culture where people can disagree with integrity, Dan and Stephanie discuss how the Four C's framework creates the foundation for teams to collaborate without micromanaging, divide and conquer without losing alignment, and ultimately deliver better outcomes together.
Transcribe →
Baseball, Bets and Being Adaptable
Mar 1900:24:57Tap to summarizeWhen big and small companies succeed at the same rate with new product launches, we have to ask: what do they have in common? Dan and Stephanie explore why adaptable organizations succeed more often, drawing on Annie Duke's Thinking in Bets and showing how the Four C's framework builds the flexibility teams need to navigate uncertainty. Success isn't about having all the information, it's about controlling the decisions within your reach, embracing a growth mindset, and making the best bets with what you know.
Transcribe →
What You Measure Matters
Mar 500:31:27Tap to summarizeSuccess and failure are more contextual than most people realize, and what we measure matters. When we measure the wrong things we get the wrong results. From hummus projects that succeed and fail simultaneously to vanity metrics that look impressive but mean nothing, Dan & Stephanie make the case that failure isn't terminal, it's a jumping-off point for learning, if you're measuring what actually matters.
Transcribe →
Jargon: The Double-Edged Sword of Communication
Feb 1900:18:34Tap to summarizeJargon and industry-specific language can either build insider connection or alienate audiences, prompted by listener feedback about unclear terminology in previous episodes Dan and Stephanie unpack this fraught tool of language. They explore strategies for navigating unfamiliar terms in meetings and emphasize the importance of clear communication that considers your audience, whether that's across generations, industries, or organizational roles.
Transcribe →
The Tool Is Not The Solution
Feb 500:19:04Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Thursday Lunch, Dan Howell and Stephanie Robbins explore how successful teams don’t need fancy tools, they need to be clear about the processes that create alignment and accountability. Using the “poor man’s PLM” and the parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant, they show how the Four Cs, Constraint, Communication, Consensus, and Collaboration, work to focus fundamentals that build alignment toward shared progress.For those who are not familiar, PLM stands for Product Lifecycle Management.
Transcribe →
The Blind Men and The Elephant
Jan 2200:28:01Tap to summarizeExploring the parable of The Blind Men and The Elephant, Dan and Stephanie explore how different perspectives inside organizations shape decision-making, conflict, and progress. They unpack why understanding fundamentals, listening before persuading, and applying the Four Cs (Constraint, Communication, Consensus, and Collaboration) helps teams move from fragmented viewpoints to shared clarity and stronger outcomes.The cover art for this episode was created by Jono Hey, Sketchplanations
Transcribe →
The Joy of Constraints
Jan 800:18:35Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Thursday Lunch, Dan Howell and Stephanie Robbins explore why constraints aren’t creative limitations but powerful tools for focus, clarity, and better decision-making. Through real-world product stories, brand examples, and lessons learned the hard way, they show how understanding hard and soft constraints leads to stronger products, faster alignment, and greater brand integrity.
Transcribe →
Emotional Resonance
Dec 2500:26:14Tap to summarizeThis episode explores emotional resonance in food and branding. Stephanie and Dan discuss why what we love to eat is often shaped by memory, culture, and context. Through stories ranging from Kraft mac and cheese to McDonald’s, Dan and Stephanie unpack why “authentic” is a limiting idea, and why resonance, integrity, and shared meaning matter more when creating brands that truly connect.
Transcribe →