Design Leadership Interview with Tae Kim
Hey Tae, how’s it going?
It’s going well. How are you doing this Friday?
I’m well, glad we’re able to chat today. So what do you do at DoorDash?
I lead the UX content strategy team — which is also commonly known as content design — as a part of DoorDash’s Design org. My team’s role is to help build products by thinking about usability, delight, and user needs. First, we partner with product and design peers to help align the strategy and goals for each product effort. We also work to understand the potential impacts that our decision may have on the content side.
Here’s one example: If a product is very complex, teams often rely on things like tooltips, landing pages, and FAQs to compensate for that in the product. We work to identify those needs as early in the ideation process as possible so we can solve for the root cause and remove the need for that content altogether. This ensures the user can stay focused on doing things versus reading about how to do things.
We also write the UX copy in our products, but that’s a secondary aspect of our role. Ultimately, we focus on ideation and strategy as a primary function.
I emphasize that because it’s a misconception that a lot of people have about UX content strategy and content design. Some partners think we’re just writers, but we’re really product builders.
Interesting. So from what I understand you previously used to run a business, right?
I did! I had a small business. It was a tiny little coffee bar in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco.
So how did that lead you to becoming a UX content strategist?
That was kind of a departure from my initial career, which started in games journalism. I was an editor for a gaming magazine for a long time. I then moved into other roles around audience engagement and content programming. The desire to do a small business stemmed from needing a break from what I was doing at the time. My parents we’re also restaurateurs that had a series of restaurants in San Francisco and Oakland, so I just wanted to see that side of the family business.
And it relates to my career as a UX content strategist because building user experience is essentially what small business owners do. They think a lot about what their customers want and need, and they work to connect that back to their business model.
UX content strategy’s charter at DoorDash is very similar. We think about what our users want and need, and make sure we help build our product in a way that’s best for them as well as for DoorDash’s business.
That’s a great perspective to have.
Also, running a business of my own helped me better understand the needs of small business owners and how they think, and that sense of empathy helps me serve the many merchants that use the DoorDash platform.
What ultimately made you decide to join the team at DoorDash?
The opportunity to work across the three-sided marketplace that we serve. There are fascinating and differentiated problems — whether you’re talking to a customer, one of our Dashers, or one of our merchants.
DoorDash’s mission is also something that enticed me as well. When I was in the interview phase, I thought a lot about my parents and how their business might have benefited from a service like DoorDash, and that made me excited to work on a platform that could have a positive impact on merchants.
With that in mind, what makes DoorDash unique from places you’ve previously worked or tech companies that are in a similar space?
First, I love the open and collaborative culture that we have. I think a lot of companies claim that everyone has a voice and a seat at the table, but DoorDash sincerely lives by that principle. Second, it’s the high caliber level of talent we have across the board. It’s been great for me to come in and have this top bar of excellence to shoot for, and to be surrounded by so many amazing partners that I can learn from.
I’ve had so many amazing opportunities to improve my skillset and knowledge base, which has been great.
Because you mention the collaborative nature of DoorDash, how do you think peers closest to you would describe your working style and their relationship to you?
I would hope that they would say that I’m a very collaborative and patient partner, and note the genuine sense of curiosity that I bring to every project. I ask a lot of questions to help clarify what we’re trying to do, but also to gain the context that I need.
Lastly, I would also hope they say that I’m a firm advocate for the user, but that I also try to have a comprehensive perspective and help ensure that we’re meeting the business objectives as well.
I would agree with that statement! What are some of the skills that you feel have helped you be successful here?
I think one skill that I’ve rapidly developed is my ability to ‘context switch’. We always have a lot of projects going in the different parts of the three-sided marketplace, so the ability to seamlessly transition from thinking about one unique set of problems to another has been vital. Also, being smart about resourcing and bandwidth has been key. Shameless plug here, but this is one of the big reasons why we’re trying to hire for my team so aggressively!
So given that, what type of person are you looking to hire to bring onto your team?
The first, and most important, thing is user centricity. Everything we do is in service of the user, so being genuinely passionate about user advocacy is key. But this also has to be balanced by strong business acumen and an ability to integrate strategic goals into your thinking.
Because we’re a very product-focused team, I also look for candidates with a strong product sense and design sensibility. You’ll collaborate and support some of the best product and design partners in the business, so you need to understand those aspects to a high degree.
Excellent collaboration skills, storytelling and articulation, and creativity are also some of the essential skills we look for.
Really good to know. What is some advice that you would give potential candidates that are looking to apply for a content strategist role on your team?
Something I struggled with that I’ve been trying to be better about is having a great portfolio. Documenting your work and telling a comprehensive narrative about the problem you were trying to solve, your strategies, and the final results are key.
Also, ensuring that you understand how products are built and how they work to engage users. Your work shouldn’t just focus on the words but should show attention to the overall user experience as a whole.
That said, what type of culture would you like to instill amongst your newly founded team?
Well, I’m fortunate enough to have a great blueprint to follow. Helena, who leads our Design team, is building the exact culture that I would try to foster — one that’s very open, collaborative, supportive, and empathetic.
I also really appreciate that we’re very flat org, and we’re not title obsessed. No one thinks about seniority or deferring to other people just because they might have been here longer or their level is higher. Everyone is treated as an equal, and that’s key for me as well.
Glad to see how you’ll distill this to the team, but enough about DoorDash. Tell me a little bit about what you like to do on the personal side. You’re into ice hockey and video games, right?
Yeah, hockey is a tremendous passion of mine. I particularly enjoy it because as you get older, your life tends to revolve around things that you’re good at, like your career and interpersonal relationships with your family. So finding opportunities to improve at something becomes more difficult. I’m also a diehard fan of the San Jose Sharks, so it was a natural extension of my fandom.
Video games are also another passion of mine because of my previous experience in the games industry. They offer some amazing narratives and they’re just fun to play.
Interesting. So random question, which I think you’ll be the only one that could ever answer this. What has a faster momentum, a game of ice hockey, or a day working at DoorDash?
You know, what’s funny is they’re very related in this weird way. Both require you to think about so many different factors on the fly and juggle many things. DoorDash usually has tight timelines, so you have to move very smartly and quickly, which is also true in hockey. You have to think about your skating, your stick, the puck, and what everyone else is doing on the ice, and what you’ll be doing three moves from now.
I think of the two, I’m much better at my job, but that’s only because I’m terrible at hockey right now. But they’re also very rewarding in their unique way.
Alright, one last question. What is something that someone would learn about you as they get to know you, but wouldn’t necessarily know from meeting you at first?
That’s a great question. I’m a pretty open book, and I don’t hold anything back. I genuinely try and be the same person on day one as day 100, so I don’t have a lot of secrets.
What a great way to end this interview! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Yes, I’m hiring! So if you are a content person who understands product, and you want to help build something amazing and work with some talented people, apply through the Product/Design page on our Career Website!
Learn more about other leaders at DoorDash here.
