Whitewater vs the Climb
A comparison of designing at small start-ups & big tech companies
Its been over 7 months since I joined Design Inc. as Head of Design and I have learned more about myself and the industry than I could have ever imagined. When I left Google I was greeted with a throat punch of start-up culture–shock; equal part liberating and challenging.
Now that I have had some time to breathe and reflect, I wanted to share some of the parallels in designing/building product at start-ups and big tech companies.
Note: I have been sitting behind a desk for most of the past 7 months, so I’ll use the outdoor activities of (and live vicariously through) white water rafting and summit climbing to communicate my point. 👊
The River Wild vs Trail to the Top
Collectively I’ve spent about 5 years in big tech (Netflix & Google), and I was always surprised how quickly things changed in this industry. My meaning of “quickly” immediately changed after my 1st week at Design Inc.
Like a raging river, a start-up has many forks, dead-ends, and potential dangers. But there is one guarantee… the water will keep flowing and you have to constantly navigate. One of the biggest adjustments I’ve had to make is being okay with uncertainty and “going with the flow”. Design Inc. has been more about refining through continual failure and iteration, not betting all efforts on one pre-determined solution.
Although Netflix and Google were still very fast paced, there was a more defined and systematic approach for building product…like following a trail. There might be a couple different ways to get to the top, some easier than others, some more rewarding than others. But in the end there is a summit in mind on which everyone is focused.
Sink or Swim vs Slow & Steady
Building product on the scale of Netflix or Google is just plain hard work, like summiting a high peak. It not only takes lots of time and talent, but individually it takes endurance, patience, and persistence. Likewise, within the long arduous process of shipping a product, the team essentially dictates their own pace. There can be times to reassemble, address concerns, or even at time stop for a breather.
At Design Inc., I have learned that our pace is the complete opposite. Of course we’re very strategic and plan what we can, but our pace is directly related to a “burn rate” and how quickly we can prove out a business model and build a marketplace. It is much more like raging down a river with an impending waterfall at the end. If you don’t navigate the right way, it really gives truth to the saying “sink or swim”.
Designing at a Startup
- Leverage new learning opportunities. As a design leader at a startup, I have worn more hats then I could have imagined. From UX, visual design, recruiting, packaging, copyrighting, photography, and video production…I have had to embrace every creative role required. Beyond that I have been challenged to learn other roles outside my domain like marketing, sales, lead generation, business analytics, and taking out the trash. Every interaction, transaction, and iteration is an opportunity for professional development and personal growth.
- Stay openminded. Being open to change needs to be a constant…embrace it. Change is the lifeblood of innovation and being open to change is essential for growth. You will also need to do tasks you don’t normally do. Staying humble and being a team player is critical.
- Embrace every struggle. You will be challenged, but the unseen troubles will be your gain in the end. I am very inspired by progress and starting new things, but when we started to hit some hick-ups it was hard for me to stay motivated. I learned so much from Marc Hemeon (our CEO) & Bjoern Zinssmeister Bjoern (C0-Founder). Design Inc is not their first rodeo, and they have taught me to be patient, stay positive, and push through the tough times.
Designing at a Big Tech Company
- Listen. Being at a huge tech company is a privilege. You will be surrounded by amazing and smart people. Listen to those around you, be humble, and learn the culture.
- Be Patient. Building anything worth while takes time. You will be a smaller part of a larger team. Lean into your role and take pride in the broader initiative at hand. There are many people involved in the product process (PM’s VP’s, Legal, Marketing). Patience and endurance is essential to get anything made at a big company at scale.
- Kill It. You have so many resources and so much opportunity to have impact at a big company. This is a privilege and shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you find yourself in place of having this level of influence…treat it with the respect and responsibility it deserves.
Takeaways
- Enjoy the Journey. Regardless of where you are building software or product, its always an adventure. You will be exhausted, it will hurt at times, but the journey is what makes the end worth it. For anyone that has been backpacking or white water rafting, shipping is like taking off your pack after a long day of hiking, or finishing an intense rapid and ending in a calm eddy.
- Its all about team. Just like being on a raft with 6 other people, or trekking in the backcountry, everyone on the adventure needs to work together – in sync. My most difficult and frustrating times in both scenarios has been when communication is lacking or when the team is out of sync. I have have been fortunate to be on some amazing teams (especially at Design Inc.), but the teaming element was much more difficult at Netflix & Google due to the sheer number of people involved in a product.
- One step/stroke at a time. As a creative I have noticed I lean towards dreaming big and pondering “what it could be”. There is a time for this type of thinking, but the majority of our worth is the day-to-day grind. It’s easy to get married to what we create. Bumps and forks in the journey can be painful…which come fast and unexpected. I have been trying to embrace every step at Design Inc. and stay humble through this adventure…I can’t wait to see what is around the next bend and where this raging river leads. ✌️
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