Four fits to make people-first interests crucial at your companyThe Four Fits of Design Org Value, The features investors want are not the ones your users need, and doing office politics on your own terms. |
👋 Hey, I'm Ryan. Welcome to the Second Wave Dive newsletter. Each week, I share insights about leading design teams, being an entrepreneur at a company of one, and growing confidence without losing your soul. There's a palpable tension between design and business. And many of us are feeling it right now. We can feel it every time a company makes a decision. Today, we have a few posts that lean into this tension. In this newsletter, we cover:
Four Fits to make design crucial at your company while pushing for people-first interests. For a long time, I’ve been examining the difference between design teams that have become crucial to their company’s success and teams that are considered “nice-to-have” but not necessary. While this is entirely anecdotal, there is a pattern I see:
In this article, I share a framework to help the leaders who oversee design organizations consistently calculate (and recalculate) how and where design and their team fit within the business using four critical dimensions:
––––– ––––– The features investors want are not the ones your users need.In the wake of widespread tech layoffs, this insightful article by Lindsey M. West Wallace, delves into the complex relationship between UX practices and business priorities, urging a balanced approach that values people-first interests without losing sight of the company's capitalist imperatives. Wallace explores the tension between designing for user needs and catering to investor demands. Through candid discussions and personal reflections, the article highlights the pitfalls of overemphasizing business objectives at the expense of user-centric innovation. ––––– ––––– Doing office politics on your termsNiven Postma initially believed that office politics were beneath them, but getting laid off unexpectedly was a harsh wake-up call to the importance of growing political intelligence in the workplace. Through intensive self-education and professional guidance, Niven uncovered the myths surrounding office politics, learning that it's not about manipulation but influence, relationships, and navigating organizational dynamics effectively. ––––– ––––– 🧐 I've finally gotten around to sharing some quick videos on Tiktok. These are quick video responses to a lot of the questions I've gotten or lessons I've learned over my career. Today's video is about one good way to get execs to listen to your feedback. Have a good weekend, and I'm proud of you. If you can, get some time away from your feeds and streams. Cheers, P.S. Do you want to find credible evidence that your decisions make sense and are having an impact? I'm leading a rare live course starting February 26. It's called Metrics and Scorecards for Product Teams, and it's lining up to be a good one. Watch a 3-minute video that explains what we'll be doing. |
Delivering great products and services comes from doing things differently. To do things differently, you must look at your work in a new light. Stratatics is a newsletter designed to help you do that. Each week, you’ll get a new idea to reimagine and deliver your best work. Highly relevant for design leaders and executives. And very useful for those who work alongside them.
We just announced new features, and our pricing is changing as a result. Purchase membership by November 8 to lock in current pricing. Hi Reader, Today, I announced a suite of new features for our Pro membership (including 1:1 Coaching and Role-Playing Cohorts) and new pricing that reflect these updates. It's my utmost goal to continue giving you the largest, high-quality selection of resources to sharpen your Business IQ and nurture your Leadership EQ as a design leader. Here’s what is...
Hi Reader, This post is for people who are consulting, coaching, or freelancing or are thinking about it.You likely don't know this, but I've been testing a new concept with my friend Greg for about 18 months. We're calling this concept Jump Ship. Jump Ship is programming focused on helping people leave tech and go independent. After 18 months of research, testing, testing again, and more research, our first two programs are now live. Restart is a four-hour workshop that helps you decide...
I've been hiding from you. I've been using a filter. I'm coming out of hiding. What's on my mind this week: Two weeks ago, we lost Jarlath. Jarlath didn't hide. How I learned to listen and validate people I disagree with I think designers who can analyze data have persuasion superpowers Why is it so hard to do great work at scale? A curious metaphorical travel guide to creative problem-solving Out of hiding I've been hiding from you. Most of what you get in this newsletter goes through a...