Year In Review
An open letter to Little Miss Robot
Dear Team,
All good things come to an end, even Christmas dinners and New Year’s Celebrations. I hope you enjoyed quality time with the people who matter most and (re)charged your batteries. Maybe you have reviewed 2014 and dreamed about the future, just like I have. If that’s the case I truly hope you are proud of what you achieved and have set some exciting new goals.
I’m writing this email because I wanted to share how I feel about our year in review.
Teamwork Wins Championships.
2014 immediately introduced a few changes in our team. We kicked off with saying goodbye to some colleagues who bravely started their own businesses. Letting them go was hard, but when we see their great work we can only be proud. Maybe, if you look closely, you’ll find some Little Miss Robot flavour in portfolio work of Wonderland, Next Apps & Going Public. Guess they learned from the best, I secretly whisper. I’d like to thank them all for being part of our story and wish them the best of luck in 2015.
At that same time in January we rejoined forces with our co-founder Wim Vanhenden, who had spent a year exploring the boundaries of interaction design at his own startup No Computer. A deeper understanding of technology and interaction design was exactly what we needed to push our work forward and turn dreams into reality. Welcome back, partner. Let’s kick some ass, ok?
Our team also welcomed many other talented people this year. During summer Alex decided to help us build a better company, instead of taking time off to work out his own game (which he announced a few months earlier). For me this was a surprising turnout, a relief actually, and a very big highlight. We also welcomed our product manager Kristof and decided to hire Wouter after a very successful development internship. This must have inspired Pieter, who volunteered for a UX internship in November and turns out to be a great fit. Welcome on board, all of you.
In 2015 I hope to find the right talent to help us grow further. We have started early conversations with product managers, UX and visual designers and will keep you posted. Whoever finds his way to our team, I’m sure he or she will enjoy the great interactions I experience myself on a daily base.
Designing Better Products.
I have to admit, it took us a while to figure out who we are and what we want to do exactly. We have always believed in the opportunity and responsibility to improve people’s lives through innovation and design. This year I feel we have finally grasped that momentum, we have found the sweet spot let’s say.
It has never been so easy for product & service providers to target customers directly and contextually. Product differentiation is shifting from functionality to convenience. From technology to user experience. We help pioneering companies design meaningful products & services. By creating an environment where small teams bring new ideas to market and where design culture is included throughout the entire development process. I feel that Eric Schmidt points it out very clearly in How Google Works:
Today, great products win.
While we have years of experience in the digital creative industry, moving away from marketing and advertising to product innovation is a big step. It requires a more sustainable mindset and a totally different creative approach. Many companies struggle with this and our Product Design Meetup takes a leading role in inspiring and educating product teams. I’m super proud we are building this community and look forward to the next meetup in our very hometown. I hope our entire team can attend, just like it did last time. It’s a truly remarkable statement that we care about what we do every day.
The Network Always Wins.
As I mentioned earlier we found our market fit. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that we will try to maximize it’s potential. In 2015 we will take our first steps in becoming a network organisation. This means we are going to invest in (our own) bright people, coach them and help their own initiatives thrive. This type of company growth is one of the reasons why our shareholders Cronos and Heaven Can Wait are so sustainable and successful in an industry that is constantly changing and reinventing itself. Wim and myself feel ready to start putting that same vision into practice.
As of 2015 we will support our colleague Dave in starting his own service design studio Knight Moves. It’s amazing how much Dave has grown in the 2,5 years he has worked with us. He has been of a vital importance for our company to succeed, survive even, and I’m grateful for all of the loyal energy he has put into our team and our vision. I’m looking forward to, in his own words that is, more disco.
2015.
Over the past few years we have made many innovative products & services happen here at Little Miss Robot. We helped clients respond to aggressive disruption in industries such as radio, finance, education, HR & healthcare. As a strategic design partner we’ve teamed up with over 100 passionate product teams, Making The Right Product Happen Fast.
In 2015 we will focus heavily on improving our creative process and finding the right people to strengthen our multidisciplinary team. I’m going to keep exploring and discussing everyone’s ambitions and desires and do my very best to match them with our purpose. Whether it’s finding the right projects, providing challenging tasks and responsibilities or support any initiative of which you truly believe it extends our vision.
I’m sure these projects and initiatives will proudly represent the great amount of energy we spend together, our desire to challenge the status quo and carry out a higher standard. I am proud to be part of what I believe is an exceptional group of talented people, sharing one thing in common beyond great skills and expertise: positive energy.
I consider myself very lucky to be surrounded by it. Every single day.
…transfer completed
Thomas
