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  • Trusting vs Training Your Team

    I saw a post on LinkedIn that said, “Micromanaging is a sign of a lack of trust. If you don’t trust your team, you will never achieve great things.” This is exactly the kind of thing that gets tons of…

  • Tesla FSD Trial

    I received this email from Tesla. This came a total surprise to me. They price this package at about $10,000 per car. They also have a month-to-month subscription for it. Needless to say, I had to try it out. I…

  • Gratitude

    Two business representatives for a sneaker company went to a third world country and saw everyone wore sandals. One came back and said, “It’s no good, no one has sneakers.” The other said, “What do you mean?? This is great!…

  • Luck and Timing

    Most people at the beginning of their careers have no idea how much luck and timing will play a role in their lives. Talk to anyone middle aged or older and they will point to numerous moments that were completely…

  • How to make a difference

    I was just listening to Hold On a RadioLab podcast. There is a section where they ran an A/B test of the hold music for the national suicide hotline. Note: Suicide is a serious matter and I am sure there…

  • Design is everywhere

    Everywhere I look, I see design. Design is just decisions, after all. The height of your ceiling, the shape of your shoes, the sound of your doorbell, the way the road bends around natural obstacles; every single thing around you…

  • “Choose your own adventure” Portfolios

    Imagine a product designer portfolio that didn’t say “Hi! i’m <insert name>!” Imagine a portfolio that didn’t have long scrolling case studies and looked like everyone else’s. What if the Home Screen of the portfolio had two linked that said……

  • Optimism & Pessimism

    I am watching this anime called One Piece to bond with my kids. They love the manga, but I am watching the anime. (Over a thousand episodes!) I won’t do a full review, but there is this one character who…

  • Post Covid Observations

    Lots of random thoughts. These are in no particular order. Look at my screen Some of the best work I have done was with a partner (designer, pm, or engineer) sitting right next to me. There are moments when you…

  • Disruptions in Tech

    “Disruptive technology is an innovation that significantly alters the way that consumers, industries, or businesses operate. A disruptive technology sweeps away the systems or habits it replaces because it has attributes that are recognizably superior.” – Source: Investopedia In my…

  • How to get your first B2B design job

    About 90% of my ADPList mentees have the exact same question. “How do I get my first design job?” I figured it would be easiest for me to just write it all down here. This post is not for marketing…

  • 2024 Predictions

    It’s so hard to predict things these days. I forgot last year, but I can see how I did with my 2022 predictions. 2024 Predictions Some of these are hot takes. We shall see how it goes. Predictions are fun.…

  • Job Titles and Hierarchy

    I have been thinking recently about job titles and hierarchies. They really a different depending on the size of the company you work for. Status is often attached to these words and make a big difference in how we treat…