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Are you a starter or a finisher?
Do most juniors tend to be finishers, while most senior-lead designers tend to be starters?
A friend of mine (and talented Software engineer), John Kueh, once asked me, “Are you a starter or a finisher?” His powerful question made me pause and reflect on myself. Here is my perspective.
1. The Starter
As the name suggested, starters are strategic thinkers who take initiative and ensure that the pre-works are done properly. A great start is like having half of the job done, but without finishers, starters can get trapped in what I call “thinking paralysis” and moving around without tangible outcomes.
Key Contributions of Starter:
- Identify the right problem to solve.
- Facilitate collaboration to ensure everyone sees the same vision.
- Define clear goals and create a plan to achieve them.
2. The Finisher
Finishers are executioners who make things happen and ensure the quality of the final deliverables. Without great execution, a great strategy can be just a cheap talk that cost a lot. However, doing the right things for the wrong reasons also gets us go nowhere.
