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The Year of the Looking Glass
A collection of essays by Julie Zhuo on design, building products, and observing life.
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Stay Healthy. Stay Data-Informed.
Stay Healthy. Stay Data-Informed.
Diagnose with data. Treat with design. How wonderfully simple and powerful that statement is. Great solutions are built upon solid…
Julie Zhuo
Mar 18, 2020
An Ending and a Beginning
After nearly 14 years at Facebook, the time has come for me to embark on a new adventure.
Julie Zhuo
Feb 20, 2020
The Curse of Perfect
The Curse of Perfect
In the house that I grew up in, there was a formula for the American Dream.
Julie Zhuo
Oct 2, 2019
Coffee Chat Series #1: Getting Ahead as an Early-Career Designer
Coffee Chat Series #1: Getting Ahead as an Early-Career Designer
The summary of hundreds of coffee chats with early-stage designers — covering habits for success, superpowers, misconceptions and more.
Julie Zhuo
Sep 11, 2019
The Meta-Conversation
The Meta-Conversation
A technique to get your most frustrating conversations unstuck.
Julie Zhuo
Jul 16, 2019
How to Talk about Yourself in the Best Possible Way
How to Talk about Yourself in the Best Possible Way
No one wants to hear you talk about yourself all day long. I can’t stand arrogant people. Ugh, that humblebrag is so obvious.
Julie Zhuo
Apr 23, 2019
How to Make Things High-Quality
How to Make Things High-Quality
If there is one debate that is the endlessly circling “Star Wars versus Star Trek” of product development, it is what I refer to as “The…
Julie Zhuo
Jan 9, 2019
The Making of a Manager: a Handbook for New Leaders
The Making of a Manager: a Handbook for New Leaders
“I’ve seen so many people thrust into management in high-growth companies with so little guidance. From now on, I will hand them this book…
Julie Zhuo
Nov 14, 2018
How to be Strategic
How to be Strategic
So you might have heard that the more you progress in your career, the more “strategic” you should aim to be. WTF does that mean?
Julie Zhuo
Oct 2, 2018
Design for People, Use People Language
Design for People, Use People Language
The first rule of building a valuable product is that it should be valuable for someone. Meaning, an actual, real-life person (or many such…
Julie Zhuo
Aug 23, 2018
Good Pressure, Bad Pressure
Good Pressure, Bad Pressure
Here is the narrative that sometimes runs through my head. Raise your hand if it’s familiar:
Julie Zhuo
Jun 12, 2018
Many ways to learn
Many ways to learn
This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass. Every week, I answer a reader’s question.
Julie Zhuo
Dec 14, 2017
The 4 Stages of 0->1 Products
The 4 Stages of 0->1 Products
This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass. Every week, I answer a reader’s question.
Julie Zhuo
Nov 24, 2017
Launch is the beginning
Launch is the beginning
This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass. Every week, I answer a reader’s question.
Julie Zhuo
Nov 14, 2017
Finding ideas
Finding ideas
This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass. Every week, I answer a reader’s question.
Julie Zhuo
Nov 12, 2017
Pitching a product idea
Pitching a product idea
This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass. Every week, I answer a reader’s question.
Julie Zhuo
Nov 1, 2017
Responding to a promotion rejection
Responding to a promotion rejection
This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass. Every week, I answer a reader’s question.
Julie Zhuo
Oct 24, 2017
Managing more experienced people
Managing more experienced people
This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass. Every week, I answer a reader’s question.
Julie Zhuo
Oct 9, 2017
Escaping e-mail hell
Escaping e-mail hell
This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass. Every week, I answer a reader’s question.
Julie Zhuo
Sep 19, 2017
Addressing executive swoop-ins
Addressing executive swoop-ins
This was first published on my mailing list The Looking Glass. Every week, I answer a reader’s question.
Julie Zhuo
Sep 13, 2017
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