Every tech SaaS company has Pendo or Amplitude or a similar analytics tool. The question is whether we are using these tools effectively. Spoiler alert: I think not. The key to using any analytics tool actually starts in the mind of the designers and product managers. (namaste!) The most important question that never gets asked…
One technique that I teach almost every mentee is to conduct informational interviews as often as you can. This is especially useful in the early stages as you graduate from school, start your first job, and navigate your career. Informational interview 101 Simply put, it is a meeting (in person or remote) where you ask…
One of the most important skills of a designer is the ability to break down a problem into coherent building blocks. Unfortunately, I find most designers struggle with this task. It seems that there is an expectation that breaking a problem down is a PM or Engineering thing to do. This is the kind of…
Im scheduled to be a speaker at the upcoming BeMore Festival. The festival is put on my ADPList. It’s a free service for designers to get mentorship. I have been an active mentor on that platform since Feb 2022. My talk is specifically for designers in the beginning of their career, but much of the…
I recently heard someone say that using a design system took all of the creativity away from the designer. I found this point of view troubling and ultimately think it leads to unhappy designers and poor software. Many designers get into design as a career because as children they liked to draw and be creative.…
There is a philosophy of management I believe in called Servant Leadership. The easiest way to think about it is that the goal of a leader is to help those around them succeed rather than focus on themselves and their own aspirations. Notice, I didn’t say manager. Anyone can be a leader, even the most…
It’s weird advice, I know. This comes from a person who has (mostly) been working for 35 years straight. There were several moments in my career when I optimized for happiness, and I regret almost all of those decisions. Ill explain my logic. Financial Independence The reality is that life is very expensive. Housing, health…
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 likes. Unfortunately, I think it’s highly misleading and taken literally will lead you to terrible…
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 are trained professionals in charge of it making the experience as optimal as possible. If…
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 are designing when its appropriate to say “Look at this” and get a quick reaction.…
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 design where you will mostly be making websites and brochures. Also it is not for…
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 each other. I am not going to cover all of it. Mostly, I will be…
I have noticed over the years how perfectionism can be a blight on both work and personal relationships. It is a cultural issue and often is the cause of poor user experience. You would think it would increase quality, but it does the exact opposite. The way I experience perfectionism in the world is when…
People sometimes confuse direction with dictation, both as an IC and a manager. One technique I often use is dueling principles. They are delivered two at a time and are contradictory. I ask the individual to use practical wisdom and judgment to make the final decision using the principles as guides. Here some examples I have used…