Why Marketers Need a Product Mindset | Michael Kaminsky (Recast, Harry’s, Away)

"There’s no magic bullet in marketing—just daily experimentation, measurement, and iteration."

In this episode of Growth Talks, Michael Kaminsky, Co-founder of Recast, joins host Krystina Rubino to explore how marketers can rethink the way they measure success. Drawing from his early days at Harry’s, Michael shares how managing a lean media budget sparked his deep dive into media mix modeling and experimentation.

He offers insights on how marketers can adopt a product mindset—treating measurement as an iterative process, not a final answer. Learn how ongoing optimization, directional data, and adaptive systems can help brands stretch their budgets, make smarter decisions, and scale effectively across channels.

🗝️ Key Takeaways:

• Embrace uncertainty. No model is perfect—but that’s not the goal. Structured experimentation brings clarity, reveals customer insights, and drives better decisions over time.
• Last-click attribution is limiting. It favors bottom-of-funnel tactics and short-term wins, while overlooking the long-term impact of brand-building and upper-funnel influence.
• Media mix modeling is evolving. Smart marketers are moving beyond slow, outdated models—adopting faster, real-time approaches that align more with consumer behavior.
• Stop overcomplicating measurement. You don’t need perfect data to move forward. Simple directional signals are often enough to guide strategic, timely decisions.
• Think like a product team. Continuous optimization and experimentation should be built into every marketing plan to stay agile and drive consistent growth.

⏰ Timestamps

00:10 - Intro to Michael Kaminsky

03:26 - From Harry’s to Recast: Why measurement needed a reset

07:21 - The blind spots of last-click attribution

14:34 - Why traditional media mix models fail modern marketers

18:38 - How brands can balance digital and offline measurement

23:37 - The importance of causal inference in marketing analytics

35:24 - The dangers of over-relying on data without strategic intuition

45:27 - Common mistakes brands make in cross-channel measurement

50:46 - The future of marketing measurement and why agility matters

55:46 - How to build a marketing strategy that adapts and scales

 

🔗Mentioned in this episode:

• Recast: https://getrecast.com/
• Harry’s: https://www.harrys.com/
• Away: https://www.awaytravel.com/
• Mockingbird: https://hellomockingbird.com/
• Rocket Money: https://www.rocketmoney.com/

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