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50 things I know

It’s August—my birthday month!

I’m not turning 50, but as I look back on the decades behind me, I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned and am learning.

These weren’t handed to me—they were hard-won through trial and error, wins and losses, stumbles and breakthroughs.

I feel inspired to share them with you all. So, here we go: 50 things I know.

1. I’m not trying as hard as I think I am. Really though, even as a “problem-solver”, I’m definitely trying, but not as hard as I think I am. There’s always more I can do. I often find new ways by asking myself, “What would I tell a friend to do in my situation?”

   “Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.” — Dostoevsky

2. My best work is authentic. This is especially true of my writing. When I’ve tried to write what I thought would perform well, those pieces have done the worst. But when I write based on what I’m currently going through or interested in… those pieces have resonated with my audience best.

3. I’m going for “no”. I hate rejection and don’t want to look foolish. But that fear holds me back. So I’m going for “no.” I’m making audacious asks. I’m trying things I’m not good at. Asking questions. Asking why if someone says no. I’m done assuming. If I want something, I’m going to fight for it. And then accept the outcome, whatever it may be.

4. I learn things when I need to. School taught me to prepare first, then take the test. But life works the other way around—you get the test first, then learn the lesson. I couldn’t have known better.

   “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” — Maya Angelou

5. Support friends that are out there creating and putting themselves out there! I regret not doing this sooner. Follow their newsletter, buy their children’s book… the cost to support them is low and typically free. Reshare their work, leave comments, give likes… (Big thanks to my friends that do this for me! It really does mean so much to me.)

6. To thrive in the age of AI, I must become exceptionally skilled at human connection. I'm investing time in nurturing relationships—because while AI can mimic and replicate, it can’t be truly original. Fortunately, I can and we all crave deeper connection.

7. Celebrate all the big, little and micro-wins! Life is hard. Some times it’s really hard. We’ve all got mountains to climb and sometimes we slip down. Or when cycling, have to bail and walk up the rest of the hill. But there’s lots of silver linings and joyful moments I can celebrate for myself and others. Write your wins down. Bake the cake. Buy the balloons! Celebrate all your progress!!

8. I get to write the script! When I’m getting caught up in what others might be thinking, I choose a better narrative. Instead of “she’s slow on the bike,” I hear: “Wow, she’s getting faster!” I choose the story in my head. And I’m making it ones that empower me.

9. Hot take: stress is a choice. When life gets busy and stressful, especially with work, I don’t have to play into it. More often than not taking a break to go workout or cycle helps give me the clarity and boost I need to get my work done. Stress can be a badge of honor we put on. But honestly? It’s not that impressive... and I’d rather have fun and enjoy life than be overwhelmed and stressed by it.

10. Time is finite and it’s time to start. There’s comfort in “it’s never too late” and there is some truth to that but eventually time will run out, or it’s going to be 100x harder to do. So I’m getting to work! Today is the day! The time is now.

    “The best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago. The second-best time is now.”
    — Chinese Proverb

11. Designers are in sales. I gotta know how to sell my work. I’m a big believer that sales is a part of every role. So I learn how to speak their language, communicate the pros and cons of my designs, and understand the business side of implementing my proposed solutions.

12. If I’m constantly compromising, I’m in the wrong room, relationship, or company. Compromise becomes a problem when it erodes my core values and leads to self-abandonment. True connection is built on alignment, not negotiation.

13. Run experiments. I created worksheets for myself where I write out my hypothesis, the duration, when I’ll evaluate it, the costs, and so on. Writing it all out helps me and takes the pressure off.

    All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

14. Simplify. I constantly ask myself “is there a better, simpler way to do this?” throughout the day, at every part of the design process.

15. Ask for feedback earlier than I’d like. The best designers don’t let their ego prevent the work from evolving and incorporating feedback from others. If I get no feedback, it’s not a win. My work can always get better.

16. I can be a part of the Art of Information movement or the Art of Distraction. I want to use my talents to serve others. I strive to create meaningful work! Sometimes it’s in my 9-5 and sometimes it’s on my own.

17. The person that says “hi” first is the winner! People, myself included, seem to have so many rules about how the other person should be. They should reach out, or be the one to say hi, they should initiate plans with me… Ugh. It’s too much! I’m choosing to be the friendly one! And when someone pops into my head or I hear good news about someone, I’m reaching out to them.

18. I’m not afraid to quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt. In the early part of my life I took a lot of pride in gritting things out. I wasn’t a quitter. As Seth Godin explains tho, strategic quitting is the secret of successful people. Sometimes quitting is to protect my ego, other times it’s because it’s not a fit like I thought it’d be or I have new data. It takes practice and good self-awareness to know the difference.

19. Users lie in research, but their behavior tells the truth. I watch what people do, I don’t just listen to what they say they do. Their actions reveal actual needs and pain points and I design for them.

20. Education is part of my job. I’m the expert and I get to teach stakeholders and non-designers about design. I’m always explaining my rationale and ideally using data when I share work.

21. Measure task completion rates, error recovery, and user satisfaction alongside business goals. Data is your friend. While the design may look great, collecting and reviewing these metrics will help you know if the design is working how you intended it to.

22. I don’t just get a seat at the table, I have to earn it. I had to take the initiative to demonstrate strategic thinking before I got brought into strategic discussions. Designers too often can be seen as just the execution arm. That might be my starting point but I won’t be there for long.

23. I gotta work on my portfolio while the project is happening, not when it’s time to look for a new job. Capturing the key moments to tell a story about my work and the process helps me highlight the work and my contribution. Working backwards for your portfolio is a game changer!

24. Ship early and often. This might be my biggest learning at Amazon. Ship things when they’re good enough and then improve them based on real user feedback rather than trying to perfect it in isolation or with research studies. Research is good but learning in market is essential.

25. A lack of credentials aren’t my problem (or yours). If we’re being real, they’re an excuse. I didn’t have formal training in UX or Conversation design, but here I am! I put in the time to master skills, evolve my skillset and demonstrate it in my portfolio.

26. Focus on what’s important, not just the urgent. When I’m focused on the most urgent thing or on too many things, my energy becomes scattered, my thinking diluted, and my impact watered down. I’m busy, but not necessarily my most effective. So I’ve been making a new habit of checking in on my values and how I’m spending time to make sure they are in sync.

    “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” — Stephen Covey

27. I trust my instincts. I don’t go along just because others do. If something doesn’t feel right, I speak up. I question it. I explore it. Even when it's inconvenient, I trust my instincts.

28. Specialization sets you apart. Early in my career I learned that the people who are the best in the world can wear many hats but have a specialization. Wearing multiple hats is important with the advancements of AI, but I’m still a big believer in the power of specialization. My leaders says: “we need Raika for this problem” not just a UX or conversation designer. My specialization has changed many times throughout my career and will continue to. (PS to be specialized just means I’m a little further down the path. I know a bit more than everyone else.)

29. It’s okay to imitate! And I don’t have to be shy about it. Bruce Mau's gives great advice about imitation. And in fact, this whole post was because I saw another “50 things I know” post on Substack (credit and links at the end :). I can imitate and add my own twist. And I’ll always give credit where credit is due.

30. It's crucial that I learn to love, address and accept my needs. They're what make me me. And they matter. When I take my needs seriously, I feel more grounded, more clear, more myself. It’s not selfish. It’s self-respect.

    

31. Life is more fun when I don't always do things the way they've been done before. As long as I stick to existing processes I’ll keep getting versions of the same results.

32. I gotta expect the dip. More good advice I learned from Seth Godin. The process may be fun at the beginning but a dip is guaranteed. So I’ve started to anticipate the dips in advance and plan for them.

33. True change doesn't come from dramatic moves—it comes from small, consistent ones. Big changes are tempting when things aren’t how I want them: move cities, get a new job, wipe my phone (jk that’d be crazy). But they're often easier than the quiet discipline of daily choices: going to the gym before work, keeping my promises, writing instead of scrolling.

34. Don’t say “have to” or “ought to”. I have autonomy and a good attitude. I don’t “have to go to work”, “I get to go to work”.

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35. Build good relationships along the way. I’ve gotten almost all of my jobs by being referred by colleagues. The people in my life are crucial to the life I build. Networking is best when it’s sincere vs transactional.

36. I’d rather try and look silly than be critiquing and ripping on the people trying.

    Theodore Roosevelt’s quote will always be a favorite of mine. As someone that can be too consumed by what others think of me, I find his words stirring.

    “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt, Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

37. I’m a high agency person (and you can be too). A high-agency person is someone who believes they have the power to shape their own life. They don’t wait for permission, blame circumstances, or get stuck in helplessness. Which means I’ve chosen to take initiative, find a way, own my choices, focus on what I can control and believe my actions matter.

38. Constraints are my best friend in the design process. If I don’t have them, I create them. Constraints breed creativity. Embrace the limitations—budget, time, technical restrictions… They force me to find elegant, focused solutions instead of over-designing or trying to design for everyone.

39. A tired body and a satisfied soul, that is my goal. I’m at my best when I’m doing things that bring me joy and align with my purpose.

40. Make something. Make anything! I’m a deep thinker. Which is great but I’ve learned I need to limit my thinking and get to doing.

41. The rougher the work, the better the feedback I’ll get. This is especially true for user research. Stay in low-fidelity early on—sketch, scribble, iterate fast. Not only does it lead to better ideas and better outcomes, but once something looks polished, people assume it’s close to final—even when it’s not. Which makes them less likely to give honest, critical feedback. Instead, they may just say it looks “nice,” because they don’t want to hurt my feelings or question something that seems finished.

42. Good conversational experiences use progressive disclosure. Don't dump everything at once. Great AI experiences mimic great human experiences. Train LLMs to reveal information and options gradually as the conversation develops and context becomes clearer.

43. Conversation design is mostly about error handling. (And so is life). Learn how to handle failure gracefully. Plan for misunderstandings, errors, and edge cases. Design clear recovery paths that don't make users feel silly, stupid or stuck. Apologize quickly and own any mistakes.

44. Lead with listening, not talking. Design conversations that prioritize understanding the user's intent before providing solutions. Confirm assumptions when appropriate or ask clarifying questions.

45. I don’t need to run massive studies to uncover major usability problems. User testing with 5 people reveals about 85% of issues.

46. Always allow people to submit forms to see where the error is. Never make the CTA to submit a form disabled until all required fields are completed. Throw up some errors. Take the guesswork out. That’s where people abandon.

47. Stressing about the potential of layoffs (or whether or not I’ll get an offer) is a waste of time and energy. What’s meant to be will be. There were jobs I really wanted and didn’t end up getting. And, I love where my path has led me! I likely wouldn’t be at Amazon doing conversation design and getting to work on AI experiences if I had gotten those jobs. Time is better spent working than stressing.

48. Consistency creates trust. Use patterns for similar elements. When users learn how one thing works, they should be able to predict how related things work.

49. Real friends will encourage and support my dreams. There are different levels of friendship. Real friends will be offering to help however they can and cheering me on.

50. I’m hopeful. There’s so much good ahead! It’s easy to be a cynic. The news makes you think things are worse than ever and we’re doomed. Yes, we live in a broken world and sometimes it feels like the best days are behind me. I miss old groups of friends or past seasons of life. But I’ll feel that way about today at some point. Growth is still unfolding. Love is deepening. And the best is yet to come!

    "Cynicism is not a neutral position — and although it asks almost nothing of us, it is highly infectious and unbelievably destructive. In my view, it is the most common and easy of evils. I know this because much of my early life was spent holding the world and the people in it in contempt. It was a position both seductive and indulgent...

    Unlike cynicism, hopefulness is hard-earned, makes demands upon us, and can often feel like the most indefensible and lonely place on Earth. Hopefulness is not a neutral position either. It is adversarial. It is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism. Each redemptive or loving act, as small as you like... keeps the devil down in the hole. It says the world and its inhabitants have value and are worth defending. It says the world is worth believing in. In time, we come to find that it is so." — Nick Cave

I got this format from Cate Hall, who got it from her husband, who got it from Mari Andrew. It’s a good format... I probably have a full post in me for about 1/3 of these, so if you like one of them, let me know!

And I want to encourage you to write and publish your own. And then tag me!

Favorite Quote and Photos of the Week

“We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience.” — John Dewey

That’s it for today.

Thanks a ton for reading, whether this is your first or 50th time. I sincerely appreciate you. Please let me know if you have a topic you’d like me to write about. Just reply to this email, I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,
raika

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The mindset shift I didn’t expect to learn at Amazon

The creative process itself is a journey – starting with a blank canvas and building layer by layer, making new discoveries along the way. The best designs often come from playful explorations, happy accidents or unexpected combinations that I never would have planned.

Sometimes it's easy and fun all by itself. I get a cup of coffee and put some music on and the ideas flow.

Other times when I sit down to do my work, I feel blocked or heavy resistance. I hear:

"That's an awful idea."

"No one wants that."

"That would never work."

“I need more inspiration.”

"I should work on something else."

Time is passing and I haven't made any tangible progress. My inner critic is sabotaging me!!

It's feeding off of the lie that I must think of the perfect idea before I take action.

Well more accurately, it's trying to keep me safe. But that also means preventing me from taking creative risks.

It's a quick path to a depressed or anxious mood. In fact, self-criticism is considered to be among the most common and destructive stressors linked to different forms of psychological suffering, including depression, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome among others.

"Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure, fabricate; it will seduce you. Resistance is insidious." — Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

Great designs are created in exploration, not in pontificating.

So, what's the mindset shift I've learned at Amazon to stop my inner critic from killing my creative motivation? I do these 8 things:

1. Personify my inner critic

Mine takes the form of a troll. I've tried giving it a name but none have felt right. It tries to make me feel ridiculous to prevent me from doing great work. But when I magnify it, it becomes comedic.

The troll pops out behind trees trying to get in my head. But it can only go so far, it's bound and limited. And as I continue down the path I leave him behind.

2. Remind myself of who I am

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly…” — Theodore Roosevelt

Pulling from Theodore Roosevelt, I remind myself that I'm someone in the arena. I'm out there trying. Designing new experiences, creating art or writing. I want to do the things I love in this life! Regardless of the critics.

3. Start with a warm up entry

This one has been a fun addition. I write whatever comes to mind! I keep it short and fun. A little creative writing to get things flowing. It's my equivalent of stretching before a workout.

4. Envision my audience

I picture someone specific that I'm writing to or "having a conversation with". A curious friend or colleague. I think about what questions they would ask. What I could share with them, what I think would be unique or a good reminder.

5. Put pen to paper daily

"I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired at nine o' clock every morning." — Peter De Vries, American editor and novelist

As they say, inspiration is cultivated through consistent effort. So with writing daily, I've given myself permission to have a surplus of drafts. I have time blocked off on my calendar to write daily. If I don't have a topic in mind, I'll use Claude to help me pick one. I don't have to publish but I must write.

6. Change my environment or move

When I'm feeling really blocked I change my environment to a favorite coffee shop, the library, a different part of the office or shake things up with a quick neighborhood walk or a workout. I've found a little change in environment or movement can be just what I need to find flow and make writing feel a little more fun.

7. Talk it out

Whether it's with a friend or leveraging voice memos, sometimes verbally processing my ideas is what spurs new ideas. I bring them into my brainstorming process. I let them see my messy drafts or designs. I don't have to figure everything out myself and neither do you!

8. Give myself iteration cycles to hit and deadlines

One of the biggest lessons for me at Amazon has been don't wait for perfect to ship a product. It's better to be roughly right and fast than precisely right and slow. How I extended that advice to my design process is when I'm feeling blocked I shift to focusing on quantity of output vs quality. I'll then do a cycle of iterations on the explorations that feel right. This helps me get out of the trap of perfectionism. And I give myself deadlines. Time pressure works for me. So I use time boxing and I set micro deadlines for myself.

Great designers commit to the daily habit of creating and create when they don't really feel like it.

I used to think that the further I got in my career, the quieter the critic would get. Instead what I'm realizing at Amazon is it's something to master. Something to work with. A signal to lean in. And I remind myself, the act of creating something is far more important than the result. Once it exists, I can always make it better. But it must first exist.

The quicker I can get back to having fun with my work, the better the output.

Now as Johnny Cash said to Bob Dylan, go track some mud on the carpet. ◡̈

Favorite Quote and Photos of the Week*

“Being engaged is a way of doing life, a way of living and loving. It's about going to extremes and expressing the bright hope that life offers us, a hope that makes us brave and expels darkness with light. That's what I want my life to be all about—full of abandon, whimsy, and in love.” - Bob Goff, Love Does

That’s it for today.

Thanks a ton for reading, whether this is your first or 50th time. I sincerely appreciate you. Please let me know if you have a topic you’d like me to write about. Just reply to this email, I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,
raika

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OpenAI’s new image generator made WAVES last week—and I’ve been having a blast experimenting with it in my design process.

It’s wild to see how far these tools have come. Naturally, the question on everyone’s mind: Are designers being replaced?

Personally, I don’t think so.

AI excels at repetitive, production-level tasks—but that’s not where the magic of design lives. Great designers don’t just push pixels. They understand human behavior, solve complex problems, and craft experiences that connect with people.

That said, if you’re a designer, it’s definitely time to improve and incorporate AI into your process. YouTube and coworkers have helped me level up in Figma, but lately, I’ve been turning to Perplexity AI more and more.

Perplexity AI + Figma Q&A

Whether I’m troubleshooting Figma problems or looking for faster ways to work, Perplexity’s been a game-changer (highly recommend giving it a spin » here).

Now for Figma, these five shortcuts have become second nature to me.

Figma shortcuts

1. Scale

Select the art board (or component) and press K, then click and drag the corners of the image to scale.

2. Crop

Hold ⌘ Command for Mac (or Control for Windows) while clicking and dragging the corners of the image to crop.

3. Zoom to panel

Select what you want to zoom in on, then hit Shift + 2 to zoom into the selected objects on the canvas.

4. Adjust nested image

Hit Option + double click to resize or move image

5. Temporary comment

This one is great for when you’re collaborating! Hit the Backslash “/” key (next to shift) and type your message.

✨ BONUS: Shortcut panel

Okay had to include the shortcut to the shortcut panel. Hit Control + Shift + ? to view the shortcut panel full of all sorts of shortcuts!

→ What did I miss? Leave your most used/favorite in the comment section! 🦦

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

"You are as old as the risks you take. In many ways, aging is not the process of growing old, but rather the slow death of becoming overly protective, scared, and worried about losing what you have. Youth is found in the energy of going for it, taking the risk, and trusting that you'll figure it out along the way." ― James Clear

That’s it for today.

Thanks a ton for reading, whether this is your first or 50th time. I sincerely appreciate you. Please let me know if you have a topic you’d like me to write about. Just reply to this email, I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time,
raika

Subscribe now

Have you ever solved a complex problem while doing something completely unrelated?

Often the breakthrough you're desperately seeking is waiting for you away from your desk.

Back at the beginning of my career my co-worker (we’ll call him Henry) came to me feeling guilty.

Henry’s teammate hadn’t left the conference room for hours on end, tirelessly trying to find a solution to the problem they had to solve for a client. Henry, on the other hand, took a break to get lunch and walk along the Chicago riverwalk. And the solution simply came to him as he stepped away.

Sometimes it’s stepping away that gets us to the solution faster—not giving into the desire to obsess and overthink.

I call it unconscious problem-solving.

Meditation has been my favorite way lately to step away and solve that problem faster as I work to solve big, complex problems at Amazon. Whether that’s guided meditations or breath work, I’ve found it to be the best way to re-center and gain mental clarity.

I get that it’s tempting to dismiss meditation as trivial. But mindlessly scrolling as a break is like junk food for your brain—it might feel good in the moment, but it doesn't nourish your mind or spark creativity. Meditation, on the other hand, clears the mental clutter and creates space for those 'aha' moments to surface.

See what meditating for 5, 10 or 15 minutes can do.

You’re not too busy.

I bet you’ll quickly see a dramatic boost to your well-being, reduced anxiety, and sharpened focus, all helping you solve problems not just faster but better.

Ideas will come to me both during and following the meditation.

These are three of my favorite ways to go about it. Pick one and give it a try:

1. Gratitude Guided Meditation

This one is a bit long but a favorite of mine. I’m big on gratitude, especially when I’m feeling stressed. While I perform well under pressure, I’m a big believer that pressure isn’t what’s creating a good outcome. Dispenza has some great meditations and I really enjoy this one for a mindset of abundance and gratitude.

2. Forest bathing

Getting outside and moving is so helpful for me to have “fresh eyes”. Ideally, I’m in in a forest or garden, but I’ll do this one wherever I am. I turn off my devices and to get out of my head I engage each of my senses. Moving slowly, a shift from my normal pace offers me another mental shift and helps me be more present. This ancient Japanese relaxation technique is simple but powerful.

3. Breathing Exercises

Breathwork is another great way to get back into the present. I love doing this one with Huberman and Rick Rubin for a quick, 5-minute coherence breathing exercise to up my HRV. It’s a 5.5-second inhale followed by a 5.5-second exhale using your nose. Another great way to change your state and mix things up.

Brilliant things happen in calm minds. Be calm. And remember, you're brilliant.

Find the style that works best for you. Have a guided meditation that you love? Reply to this email or share it in the comments :)

If you enjoyed today’s post, please consider giving it a like 💛

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

"The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good. Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom." — James Allen

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading! Have a topic you want me to cover? Reply to this email, I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time,
raika

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It’s been a few months since I last posted. Work is in a busy season and burnout feels like it’s slowly been consuming me. So I’ve been trying to change things up to get those creative juices flowing and overcome my writer’s block.

For me that has included a queue of YouTube videos, seeking renewal through epic conversations between Rick Rubin and Pharrell, and hearing Caroline Winkler’s ideas for making your home INSTANTLY stylish.

So a big thank you to Caroline and YouTube for showing me where two of my loves, flowers and sculpture, overlap.

→→ Ikebana

Ikebana, the art of Japanese flower arrangement, brings my love for flowers and sculpture together in the most lovely way.

And the more I learn about what makes a great arrangement, the more connections and parallels I see with what makes a great experience. Which makes me excited to design.

So diving in, what makes a great arrangement?

A great arrangement has clean lines, considers the use of space and aims to create harmony between the plants, container, and surrounding environment.

It’s created through simplicity, asymmetry, negative space, natural harmony and subtlety to ultimately create a composition that highlights the natural beauty of plants and reflect philosophical concepts.

Getting there is a process of adding and subtracting. A process of adaptation. And of course, experimentation.

Let’s dive a little deeper now into 5 of the principles.

1. Kanso | Simplicity

No big surprise here, simplicity is worshipped when it comes to design. And the Ikebana masters carefully select each element, considering its essential nature and contribution to the whole.

Similarly, in UX design, we strive for simplicity and clarity. A great UX designer when designing a new feature or interface is asking: "What is the core purpose?" Then, ruthlessly eliminates elements that don't serve that core purpose.

A streamlined design, like a minimalist Ikebana arrangement, allows users to focus on what truly matters. Less is more. Less is better.

2. Fukinsei | Asymmetry

While Western art often emphasizes symmetry, Ikebana embraces asymmetrical balance. Doing so creates a dynamic tension that draws the eye and evokes emotion.

Asymmetry in design can guide the user’s attention and create visual interest.

Consider using the Rule of Thirds in your layouts, experiment with off-center focal points to create a more engaging journey.

3. Ma | Negative Space

In Ikebana, the space between elements is just as crucial as the elements themselves. This concept, known as "Ma," creates breathing room and emphasizes the beauty of what's present.

White space isn't just “empty” space—it's a powerful design tool.

Great UX uses white space to improve readability, highlight important elements, and create a sense of calm in your interfaces.

What you leave out is as important as what you put in.

4. Shizen | Natural Harmony

The hardest of them all I think is mastering shizen, natural harmony. Shizen challenges artists to create arrangements that appear effortlessly natural yet are deeply thoughtful.

It’s about connecting the practitioner and viewer to nature, fostering mindfulness and respect for the environment while allowing for personal expression within the art form.

Finding that sweet spot between capturing the essence of nature and creating a sense of effortless beauty. Or in more UX terms, creating intuitive designs that feel natural to the user. Striving to align your interfaces with your users' mental models and real-world experiences.

Leverage familiar patterns and metaphors to create a sense of familiarity, even in your most innovative designs.

5. Yugen | Subtlety

I saved my favorite one for last. Yugen refers to a subtle, mysterious sense of beauty in the universe. It's about suggesting rather than stating, hinting at deeper truths through minimal expression, and appreciating the beauty in what's not fully revealed.

Not overwhelming with information.

Use progressive disclosure techniques to reveal complexity gradually for a great UX. Hint at additional features or content to encourage exploration without cluttering the initial experience.

Suggest more than you show, leave room for imagination.

Designers, embrace simplicity, use thoughtful aesthetics, and craft interfaces that suggest more than they explicitly show, inviting users to engage on a deeper, more emotional level.

As you approach your next UX challenge, consider these Ikebana-inspired questions:

1. Have I stripped away all non-essential elements?

2. Does my design create a sense of balanced asymmetry?

3. Am I using negative space effectively to highlight key elements?

4. Does the interface feel natural and intuitive to users?

5. Have I left room for user discovery and imagination?

Create designs that are not only functional but also deeply resonant and aesthetically pleasing.

Great design, like a masterful flower arrangement, is a delicate balance of presence and absence, complexity and simplicity.

With the lens of Ikebana, the practices of great UX are brought back to life and breath new life into my work.

I hope this framing does the same for you. 🌸

Ikebana Tips | Can You Tell What's Wrong? Nageire Tips for Beginners

Favorite Quote and Photos of the Week

“All that matters is that you are making something you love, to the best of your ability, here and now.” ― Rick Rubin

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading! Here’s to finding the reframe, skirting burnout and being true to ourselves 😊

Until next time,
raika

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The latest trend taking over my For You page is color analysis. If your social media algorithms are anything like mine, you've seen TikTok videos of someone draping large fabric swatches over another person to see what’s flattering and what isn’t.

And just like that, I’ve fallen down the color analysis rabbit hole...

There are many options to finding the best color palette for you, ranging from TikTok filters to books to paying a pro (typically costing around $300). But my favorite way to date is using ChatGPT.

It’s free.

It’s easy.

And a fun way to leverage LLM and conversational interfaces.

How to find your season with ChatGPT:

Use your phone or laptop to complete the following steps…

Step 1: Take a photo without makeup in natural light.

Step 2: Use the color dropper to find the following 3 hex values

• Skin color #

• Hair color #

• Eye color #

Note: to do this on your iPhone, open the photo in the Photo app > Edit > Marker (top right) > Color Swatch (bottom right) > Eye dropper > Tap Skin, Hair or Eye > back in the Color Slider View, copy the Hex Color #

Step 3: Copy and paste this prompt in ChatGPT, replacing the values with your own

My skin tone is #E8B4A5 and my hair is #7C6858 and my eyes are #727274. Which skin tone palette am I? In terms of spring, winter, summer, autumn please.

That’s it! You’ll have your season just like that.

Now if you want to really maximize ChatGPT, here are some additional follow up questions to ask:

1. What are the best colors for me?

2. What colors should I avoid?

3. What are the best lip and blush colors for me?

4. Should I wear gold or silver?

Like all things LLM, it’s best at this point to consider it an input. Think about the colors you’ve consistently worn with success. Opinions are helpful as it can be difficult for people to see themselves objectively. Comparison can also be helpful if your tones are more subtle. Have fun with it!

Excerpt: Color Me Beautiful

The genes that determine your skin tone, hair, and eye color also determine what colors look best you. When you study your coloring, you will find that your skin, hair, and eyes have either blue or gold undertones. Your inherited skin tone does not change; it simply deepens with a tan and fades with age. The same colors will always look good on. you.

In our classes, we drape each client in all the colors of her season, contrasting wrong colors for the sake of comparison and illustration. The right color brings out the best, while the wrong shade detracts. It’s exciting to see the differences. Many women do not know how pretty they are.

Before you take the color test, let’s look carefully at the palettes. The Winter palette has either blue-based or true colors—colors with a balance between yellow and blue, black and white. The Summer colors have either blue, rose, or gray undertones. Because of these undertones, Winter and Summer are the cool palettes. Autumn’s colors are based on golden tones, and Spring’s have clear, yellow undertones. These are the warm palettes. Your coloring, like your palette, is either cool (blue) or warm (golden).

— Carole Jackson, Color Me Beautiful (page 26)

Favorite Quote and Photos of the Week

“Of all the great works that we can experience, nature is the most absolute and enduring. We can witness it change through the seasons. We can see it in the mountains, the oceans, the deserts, and the forest. We can watch the changes of the moon each night, and the relationship between the moon and the stars.” ― Rick Rubin, The Creative Act

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading! Here’s to looking our best and mastering color in 2024 😊

Until next time,
raika

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I think we all agree, the best way to find out what your customers want is to talk to them.

But how do you write a great, impactful research doc to share the findings?

Throughout my years at Amazon, I’ve experimented with different doc formats. In my experience, the best docs strike a balance between objective and personal. As well as:

1. Precise with their language, surfacing the supporting data

2. Clearly articulating the study objective and if the hypothesis(es) was confirmed or busted

3. Treated as a one-pager, distilling down the core takeaways to one page (resisting the urge to over-elaborate or include everything) ◡̈

My Template for Qualitative Studies:

Now, let me break it down a bit…

[Research Study Name - keep it simple]

Lead with the quote that best encapsulates the research findings

Background

A short section answering the following questions:

• When was the research conducted?

• Who and how many people did you talk to?

• What was the objective of the study?

• What was tested?

• What methodology was used?

What We Showed Participants

Include the stim (images or video) here with labels and a concept description

TLDR

Bullet points act as the executive summary. Prioritized from most important to least important. The bold sentence captures the key insight. The following sentence provides the data to support it.

Example: Participants would recommend this fitness experience to friends. (95.5% of participants were likely to extremely likely to recommend the fitness feature to a friend.)

Summary

Different quote that nicely encapsulates the research findings

Written summary sharing common themes and findings in a couple of paragraphs - what participants were positively and negatively responding to, their preferences, concerns, potential risks, etc.

From Our Biggest Fans | From Our Biggest Critics

Incorporate videos of a single participant or compilation. Make sure to have a balanced number of quotes from each side.

While not pictured above, here are additional sections I include:

Feature/Concept breakdown

• Detailed insights

• Visuals

• Metrics

What Was Lovable

Customer quote(s) that best represents sentiment

• Share what customers loved

• What stood out to customers

New Ideas to Explore

A bullet list of ideas spurred by the insights and how conceptual work will evolve

Next Steps & Design Actions – Improvements to Make

Appendix/FAQ

• Questions you anticipate from leadership and/or colleagues. Some favorites of mine:

  • How convicted are we of our designs based on this research?

  • How close is the design to being lovable?

  • What/who is the vendor (if applicable)

  • How should I think about insights derived from small sample-size research?

  • What were the participant criteria and breakdown?

A great template can help ensure the study is asking the right questions. Before you launch a study, ask yourself: Where will each question be used? How will I share the findings of this question or section?

3 Common mistakes to avoid:

1. Unclear language (“most people” vs “82% of participants”)

2. Overly positive, trying to soften the critical feedback

   1. While nice, it’s important to not just talk to the customers who love you ;) Check for product sentiment and include a range during participant selection.

3. Lacks clear, memorable takeaways (you gotta be ruthless to have an impact)

Templates are guides! Use this as a starting point and adjust as needed. Use videos, images and quotes to highlight the insights. The more people can hear directly from customers the better.

And that’s how I craft winning research docs at Amazon. Always striving to be precise, honest and objective.

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

“Color is magic.” ― Carole Jackson, Color Me Beautiful

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading!

Until next time,
raika

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We’ve all heard it said:

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

For UX designers working on AI this means we need to be careful to not over-index on predictive UX. Human input, judgment, and context are crucial to delivering great results with AI.

Great AI UX = Implicit Inputs + Explicit Inputs

Getting predictions right requires a lot of customer data, which let’s face it, retention isn’t a given these days.

As designers, we need to be creative about how we get these inputs from customers. A combination of implicit and explicit helps us get the best outcomes.

Spotify

For today’s post, I’m going to use Spotify as an example. Don’t get me wrong, Spotify is doing lots of cool things with AI but…

What if I know next week is going to be stressful so I want to intentionally listen to more upbeat, but calming music?

What if I’m drained and need some happy music to energize me?

Or I’m tired of the music I listen to and want something drastically different to mix things up?

Today I have to go find that music for myself because the dynamic playlists they make for me (Daily Mixes, DJ mode, Discover Weekly, Release Radar, Daylist, etc.) are all based on my past listening.

Personally, I mostly do this off of Spotify. And then hope that Spotify updates my taste if I want it to stick.

Instead…

Spotify could use AI to help me reduce the wild amount of options I have when picking something to listen to. Endless playlists to choose from turns into decision paralysis.

Discover Weekly (as an example) could co-create my next playlist with me by:

1. Giving me vibes to choose from (or give me more of X, less of Y)

2. Letting me create a mood board and then use my visual inspiration

3. Leveraging a conversational UI for a natural interface

AKA find fun and playful ways to help me play music.

"AI” All The Things! is not a great strategy when it’s 100% predictive.

Find the balance. Don’t be afraid to ask the customer what they want and then deliver on it.

Great UX both predicts and anticipates the customers’ needs and wants while giving them explicit inputs to alter or fine-tune the output.

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning

That’s it for today. Have a product or service you want me to look at? Reply to this email!

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,
raika

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Happy New Year! And a big welcome to all our new subscribers!

As we kick off 2024, I wanted to share some ways I plan to grow my career. Because if you ain't growing, you're... not growing and where’s the fun in that?

There’s lots of advice out there for how to grow, like:

• Seek out a mentor

• Grow your professional network

• Pursue leadership development

• Improve communication skills

• Further your education

All great ideas. After reflecting with a retro of my career (what I’d do more of, less of, start doing, stop doing, and keep doing) I’ve narrowed mine down to 3 specific goals.

Goal #1 — Become an AI expert

Leveraging AI is the new must for products. No surprise here. LLMs are a key focus area of mine working on Alexa but I want to challenge myself to have a broader expertise. So my first career goal for 2024 is to be an AI design expert. Finding new and creative ways to use AI to solve problems or bring life to products. Being intentional about knowing the landscape and having technical knowledge to help me add value and deliver results.

Measure of Success: Try a minimum of 2 products with AI each month and complete a simple audit, + complete 1 AI course this year

Goal #2 — Create more than I consume

It’s easy to fall into the trap of mindless scrolling and consumption, so my second goal is to create more than I consume. I’ll continue writing. Writing has been a great way for me to clarify my thinking and problem-solve. And sharing my writing helps me build my brand.

I’ve also found that designing outside of work helps me maintain my love for UX. Work has constraints that can wear on you, but fun personal projects are great for developing new skills and staying inspired.

Measure of Success: Write at least 2x a month and design for a minimum of 1 hour each week, time-boxed and just for fun! (Monday or Saturday AM)

Goal #3 — Build relationships

My third goal is about people. In this post-covid world where colleagues live in different cities, I want to be more intentional in building relationships and growing my “network” (both at work and outside of work). I don’t love the word “network” but knowing good people in my field has served me well in multiple ways. I’ve gotten jobs thanks to people I know or used to work with. And when there’s a job opening, I have people to recommend (which becomes increasingly important as I climb higher in my field).

And like they say, we become like the people we surround ourselves with. Countless times it’s been the learning I’ve had from conversations with fellow designers that I’ve taken into meetings and interviews or has spurred new ideas.

Measure of Success: Set up 2 in-person/virtual coffees each month or attend a local event (Creative Mornings, Ladies that UX, AI meetups, etc.)

Remember, as you define your goals for this year, a great goal is SMART:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable

• Relevant

• Time-based

What are your goals? Leave a comment or reply to this email to share. I’d love to hear yours and see how I can support your growth! 😊

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

“Professionals stick to the schedule; amateurs let life get in the way.” ― James Clear, Atomic Habits

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading!

Until next time,
raika

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Happy December! And a big welcome to our new subscribers! Before we dive into today’s post, do you agree or disagree with the following?:

Great design can encourage out-of-the-box thinking and innovation.

Great design can help break down complex problems into manageable, effective parts.

Great design can improve usability, accessibility, and the overall experience.

Great design can make products, services, or systems more functional and user-friendly.

But one of the toughest design challenges is staying focused and ruthless with design decisions.

I’ve found in my work that the broader or more vague the problem my design is attempting to solve, the more difficult it is to stay focused. My litmus test:

What pain points or problems am I solving for my customers? And how concisely can I articulate them?

Let’s be honest, sometimes no one can even really articulate what the customer's problems are. The business problem or objective is often far easier to articulate:

We need to increase sales.

We need to decrease lapse.

We need to monetize.

All important, but the way to address the business problems is by understanding why customers are failing to purchase, lapsing, or unwilling to pay. And what specific pain points we can solve for our customers.

Products that solve narrowly defined problems are often hallmarks of great UX, as they cater precisely to the user's needs without unnecessary complexity or confusion.

“Our failure to take time in the moment to get down to what really matters sets us on the path to complication. When we opt time and again to add more to what exists, we wind up with a web of complexity we can’t even begin to fathom.” ― Lisa Bodell, author of Why Simple Wins

Design artifacts like problem statements help me in the early phase of the design process. They act as a compass to guide the direction of efforts to find a solution.

To write a design problem statement, I say what we need to fix, why it's important, and who we're helping.

A perfectly crafted problem statement isn’t the goal. In my statement, I refrain from injecting a personal point of view and instead focus on clearly observable facts.

Once I have my problem statement, I set off to find solutions to those problems.

I write down the core objective of what I’m designing for, and then I question my designs again and again to deliver better experiences.

Six questions I’m constantly asking of my designs:

1. How is this solving the problem?

2. Is this (part of the design) adding or taking away from the solution?

3. Is this helping address the root cause or key contributing factor of the problem?

4. What feedback, insights, or data do we have to support my design decision?

5. What alternative solutions exist, and why is this option preferable or superior?

6. How can I simplify this?

The cost to add this or that may seem low, but everything has a cost. And as a UX designer, it’s my job to make sure we strike the balance between simple and valuable.

Keep bringing things back to the customers.

Keep asking the tough questions.

Invest the time it takes to clearly define the problems you’re solving for. As Charles Kettering put it,

“A problem well stated is a problem half-solved.”

Great UX comes from products that solve specific problems with simple, intuitive designs.

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

“If you get stuck, get away from your desk. Take a walk, take a bath, go to sleep, make a pie, draw, listen to ­music, meditate, exercise; whatever you do, don't just stick there scowling at the problem. But don't make telephone calls or go to a party; if you do, other people's words will pour in where your lost words should be. Open a gap for them, create a space. Be patient.” ― Hilary Mantel

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading!

Until next time,
raika

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ChatGPT had its 1st birthday today. And it’s made quite the impression in year one...

A lot of people right now are understandably asking “Is AI going to replace my job as a designer (product manager, customer service rep, etc.)….?”

As a UX Designer, I’ve always felt a sense of job security because someone was needed to design these new experiences.

But the truth is, jobs have become obsolete in the past and will continue to become obsolete in the future as innovation continues.

I don’t think designers are going away, but I do think some of the responsibilities will become obsolete and some will shift.

"AI is not going to replace managers, but managers who use AI will replace the managers who do not"​. — Rob Thomas, IBM Senior Vice President

At Amazon, we like to say “The only constant is change”. Being adaptable and evolving your skillset is as important as ever.

Here are 3 things I’m doing to stay “future-proof”:

1. I’m studying and learning all I can about generative AI from the technical side to marketing approaches

2. I’m mastering prompt writing and experimenting with AI tools

3. I’m willing to put a stake in the ground and risk being wrong

And I encourage you to prioritize taking action over resisting change. Finding ways to incorporate AIs like Large Language Models (LLMs) into your day-to-day.

Today I want to focus on writing great prompts.

In my design process, I’ve been using LLMs to help me in many ways, most notably to:

• Generate concepts

• Create user personas

• Generate research questions

• Create a user journey for X product or a persona description

• Generate requirements

The volume and speed have been helpful not for the exact output but for getting me past the blank page. And as a collaboration partner when I’m the solo designer on a project. Having a clear objective and a well-written prompt is essential.

I. The different roles LLMs can play

ChatGPT, Bard and other text-based generative AIs are powerful. But to get the full value from these new services, you need to know how to write a great prompt.

There are a number of different “modes” or roles you can use LLMs for. The main roles I use services like ChatGPT or Bard for are to be my:

1. Idea Generator

2. Research Assistant

3. Editor and Proofreader

4. Critic

5. Creator

6. Teacher

7. Translator

8. Role-playing Partner (especially great for conversation designers)

To dive a bit deeper into the role-playing mode by asked ChatGPT to “Role play a conversation with me of a customer making a return. You be the store employee.” Here’s a snippet of the sample dialogue:

II. Prompt-writing

With clarity, creativity, and strategic thinking, a well-crafted prompt leads to more accurate and helpful responses. Whether you're a researcher, a creative writer, or just an AI enthusiast, understanding the nuances of prompt crafting can significantly elevate the effectiveness of your interactions with AI.

Specifying the desired tone, format, and length are common parts of a prompt to start with. That’s just scratching the surface. Consider using the following to write great prompts:

• Language - Request the desired language(s) for the response, if different from the prompt.

• Keywords - List important keywords or phrases to be included.

• Limitations - Specify constraints, such as word or character count.

• Audience - Specify the target audience for tailored content.

• Act as - Indicate a role or perspective to adopt (e.g., expert, critic, enthusiast).

• Citations - Request the inclusion of citations or sources to support information.

• Points of view - Ask the Al to consider multiple perspectives or opinions.

• Counterarguments - Request addressing potential counterarguments.

• Terminology - Specify industry-specific or technical terms to use or avoid.

• Analogies - Ask the Al to use analogies or examples to clarify concepts.

• Quotes - Request the inclusion of relevant quotes or statements from experts.

• Statistics - Encourage the use of statistics or data to support claims.

• Visual elements - Inquire about including charts, graphs, or images.

• Call to action: Request a clear call to action or next steps.

A great prompt doesn’t have to include everything in the first message or iteration.

While conversational experiences in the past required you to get the prompt (or utterance) right on the first try, now if the response didn’t meet your needs, you can iterate and refine building a chain.

With LLMs, you can build a chain. Meaning:

1. First prompt: Give me a summary of X

2. Modify output: Use the summary to write a post that explains the topic to beginners

3. Modify limitations: Summarize it in 500 words

4. Modify tone: Change the tone and make it sound more professional but still friendly

5. Modify the format: Convert the above into text for a presentation with 1 key point per slide

We’re drinking from a firehose right now so make sure to pace yourself.

Throughout my career, when a new technology or product was gaining traction, I quickly started using it and learning everything I could. Experimenting with it, noting what worked well and didn’t work with the UX. I learned the technical side, marketing, reading “reviews” and so on.

With AI, find ways to improve your own workflow.

Sure, jobs that require human qualities such as emotions, empathy, creativity, critical thinking, and innovation are not as easily replaced. But competition is always out there.

To get to great, stay curious and keep evolving your skillset.

And make sure you’re subscribing. 😊 Next time, I’ll be sharing a list of AI tools for design.

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

"Life is harder when you expect a lot of the world and little of yourself.

Life is easier when you expect a lot of yourself and little of the world.

High standards, low expectations."

— James Clear, author of Atomic Habits

Support the newsletter

If you enjoy my content, here’s how you can help support me:

• Like or comment on this post 💛

• Reply with a question or topic you’d like covered

• Forward it to a friend and recommend that they subscribe

• Share it with your network

Share Secrets to Great UX Design

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading!

Until next week,
raika

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I'm back this week and eager to share some of my recent learnings about Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI with you.

First, tons of AI news this week, here’s a recap:

• Sam Altman was fired as OpenAI CEO just days ago but is now returning as CEO with mostly new board members

• ChatGPT launched its voice feature to all free users

• The generative AI startup AI21 Labs, known for the generative AI writing and reading assistant Wordtune, added $53M to the earlier $155M funding round

• Microsoft renamed Bing chat to Copilot, expanding Copilot branding and generative AI features

• You.com launched search APIs giving generative AI chatbots real-time web access

• Amazon shut down hundreds of Alexa positions last week

• Amazon unveiled PartyRock an AI app creator that counters OpenAI’s GPT Builder

So many things we could discuss but today I’ll focus on my first impressions of ChatGPT Voice, tips for fine-tuning LLMs, and design considerations for generative AI experiences.

I. First Impressions of ChatGPT Voice

Simply put, I’m impressed. The voice feature is seamless, the tone makes the longer more conversational responses enjoyable, and details like the response “it seems like your question got cut off…” make it feel very human-like.

1. The voices offered (Juniper, Sky, Cove, etc.) appear to have unique personalities and communication styles. Their short intros about “teaming up”, “working together”, and “hitting the ground running” bring a positive energy and new promise to being an assistant.

2. The ability to keep the app running in the background makes ChatGPT a strong competitor to Siri on iPhones. The microphone is still open even when you’re looking at other apps or your phone is locked.

3. The experience is hands-free, however, you must “tap to interrupt”. No “wake word” keeps you tied to your phone for now. Because interrupting is important given the long-form responses when multi-tasking, I’m curious to see how they’ll address this given they don’t own the device.

All in all, I’m excited to keep using the voice feature. I encourage you to give it a try — it totally changes the ChatGPT experience.

🔥 I would love to hear your thoughts, reply to this email or leave a comment!

II. Tips for Fine-tuning (training) LLMs

LLMs like ChatGPT and Bard have shown immense promise for natural language generation. As we’ve seen, with good data and proper training, these models can produce remarkably human-like text.

For a conversation designer like me, that means my role is changing. Instead of writing out all variations of utterances (how the user phrases their request, now referred to as prompts) and responses, I help train and fine-tune the model. After all, LLMs still have limitations and will generate text that is inconsistent or not tailored to the specific needs.

Fine-tuning is the process of taking a pre-trained LLM and steering the LLM towards producing the kind of output you want. When fine-tuning:

1. Keep the prompts simple and focused, avoid compound sentences

   1. Good prompt ✔️ : “Suggest a recipe that’s quick to make”

   2. Bad prompt ❌: “It’s getting late, what’s a quick food option?”

2. Correctly note punctuation

   1. Punctuation is generally important when fine-tuning large language models (LLMs)

   2. When you fine-tune a language model for a specific task, the model learns from the input data, including the patterns and relationships between words and punctuation marks

3. Be mindful of bias and experiment with diverse training scenarios

4. Iterate for optimal performance by testing with real customers to ensure the models align with actual expectations and needs

III. Design Considerations for Generative AI

Most generative AI experiences are wrapped in a user interface (UI). One of the biggest design challenges we see in this space is that customers “didn’t think to try that” or “don’t know where to start”. So, here are some things to keep in mind when designing:

1. Design for continuous education and discovery of how to engage with the AI

2. Show don’t just tell, use examples to illustrate what the AI can do

3. Manage customer expectations by communicating limitations

4. When teaching customers how to write or speak prompts, the more detailed a prompt the better the output will be

5. Good responses and outputs consider context, offering concise options for the customers

6. Add mechanisms to collect feedback from customers to improve the model

That’s all for now. More to come on generative AI and LLMs! Please send questions or comments, I read each one.

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

"Curiosity is the one thing invincible in Nature.” — Freya Stark, British explorer and travel writer

Support the newsletter

If you enjoy my content, here’s how you can help support me:

• Like or comment on this post 💛

• Reply with a question or topic you’d like covered

• Forward it to a friend and recommend that they subscribe

• Share it with your network

Share Secrets to Great UX Design

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading!

Until next week,
raika

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The secret to a great, lovable product?

As you create, share early and often. Brian Cheskey, co-founder of Airbnb, put it perfectly:

“It’s really hard to get even 10 people to love anything, but it’s not hard if you spend a ton of time with them. If I want to make something amazing, I just spend time with you.”

Back in May, I shared my #1 rule - no bikeshedding, the tendency to devote a disproportionate amount of our time to menial and trivial matters while leaving important matters unattended (read it here).

Today I’m sharing my second rule: as you create, share early and often.

Since undergrad, I’ve had people reach out when they have a product idea. I found there were two approaches:

1. Some were secretive, asking for help and advice but kept things as vague as possible to protect their idea.

2. Others were an open book, seeking feedback and input, ultimately assessing product-market fit throughout the product development process.

I’m a big believer in the latter approach.

From ideation to post-launch, sharing early and often leads to great products.

A great experience solves the right problems. And while polish is important, if you aren’t solving the right problems, the product can never be great.

I’ve worked on countless projects where the solution we started with, drastically pivoted from early concept feedback.

The earlier you confirm you’re solving the right problems for your customers, the better.

It’s tempting to want to put a little more time in, get it a little further, practice a little more before sharing… but sharing during those early parts of the process regardless of your confidence or lack of confidence ensures you’re pointed in the right direction.

Ego check.

Am I seeking feedback or validation?

At the beginning of my career, when I sought feedback, I was really looking for validation that my work was good. Hoping I had it “right”.

As I’ve grown, I now go into critiques and research sessions with the desire for feedback, not validation. Seeing how people respond and engage with what I’ve created. Collaborating on aspects that aren’t yet working. Striving to consistently evolve my work.

If I’m only hearing good things, I can’t get better.

Here’s the thing, just putting my early work in front of people doesn’t result in good feedback by default.

I must have a clear ask.

When I have a clear ask, I can explain what’s wrong and what problem I’m attempting to solve with my new version to get good and valuable feedback.

Being specific about what feedback I am and am not looking for results in better feedback:

• “I’m not looking for feedback on the visual design at the moment, but I would love feedback on X, Y and Z.”

• “I'm presenting my work to the team next week. Could you give me high-level feedback on the story arc?”

• “After our next workshop could you give me feedback? I'm trying to improve my facilitation skills.”

Yes, sharing work early and often can be daunting, but it's worth it in the long run. By sharing work, I can get feedback, build momentum, and iterate my way to a great UX.

To get useful, actionable feedback remember to:

1. Show work early and often (before you feel ready)

2. Have a clear ask

Spotlight: Airbnb

Home visits became Airbnb’s secret weapon. It’s how they learned what people loved. In Brian Chesky’s own words:

“Early on, Joe Gebbia and I literally commuted to New York from Mountain View [to visit our Airbnb hosts in person]. We literally would knock on the doors of all of our hosts. We had their addresses and we say, “Knock knock. Hello. Hey, this is Brian, Joe, we’re founders and we just want to meet you.”

We’d find out ‘Hey, I don’t feel comfortable with the guest. I don’t know who they are.’ Well what if we had profiles? ‘Great!’ Well what do you want in your profile? ‘Well I want a photo.’ Great. What else? ‘I want to know where they work, where they went to school.’ OK.

So you add that stuff. And then you literally start designing touchpoint by touchpoint. The creation of the peer review system, customer support, all these things came from — we didn’t just meet our users, we lived with them. And I used to joke that when you bought an iPhone, Steve Jobs didn’t come sleep on your couch. But I did.

I remember we met with a couple hosts…. We walk up to the apartment and we went there to photograph the home. And we’re like, ‘I’ll upload your photos to the website. Do you have any other feedback?’ He comes back with a book, it’s a binder, and he’s got dozens of pages of notes. He ends up creating a product roadmap for us: ‘We should have this, this, this, this and this.’ And we’re like, ‘this is our roadmap because he’s the customer.’ I think that always stuck in our mind: The roadmap often exists in the minds of the users you’re designing things for.”

Listen to the full episode:

Favorite Quote and Photo from the Week

“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” — Dolly Parton

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Four years ago I flew out to the Seattle headquarters for a full day of in-person interviews. It was quite the experience.

Reflecting back on my interview process (and what I’ve seen other interviewees do well), I wanted to share 3 things that I believe helped me get an offer.

Before I dive in, I want to note that I had a really great recruiter. He gave me helpful feedback as I progressed through the interview loop which no doubt helped me get an offer for which I’m very grateful. And a former colleague gave me an honest take on what design looked like at Amazon and the culture for design.

Interviewing is an art.

Walking into an interview is full of uncertainties. You don’t know what questions you will be asked. You don’t know who you are competing against. You don’t know how the decision will be made.

Man did I prepare. I studied the Leadership Principles, used the products, reviewed my career stories, practiced my presentation and more. But these 3 things made all the difference:

1. Told and then showed them what kind of designer I am

“Show don’t tell” they say.

But when it comes to interviewing, you need to do both.

"If you don't know what you want to achieve in your presentation your audience never will." — Harvey Diamond

The purpose of a portfolio review is to show the work you’ve done and share about your process. But you have to tell'em what you are going to tell'em, tell it to them, and then tell'em what you told them.

In my portfolio presentation, I had a slide at the beginning where I explicitly told them what kind of designer I am (strategic, curious and empirical). This set the stage nicely for the work samples that I then walked them through.

I was strategic about the work samples I selected, making sure they were relevant to Amazon and the role I was interviewing for. A few of the things I made sure to include in each case study were:

• The ask

• The challenges we faced

• My role and specific contribution

• The team makeup

• Key learnings

• What I would do differently

• Metrics and outcomes

2. Respectfully defended my work

Have conviction… A bit of context if you aren’t familiar with bar raisers. The bar raiser’s role is to help hire the right candidates by evaluating them against Amazon’s leadership principles and how they embody Amazon’s vision, culture, and spirit. Amazon Bar Raisers are specially trained and skilled interviewers unique to Amazon’s interview process.

It wasn’t too hard to figure out who my bar raiser was. He was critical of my work and didn’t hold back. I didn’t get offended tho. Instead, I was able to calmly communicate when I disagreed and when I agreed. As a result, it turned into a great conversation about innovation and voice.

Being able to handle pushback is important. And some interviewers will test you on it. So be ready and embrace it!

3. I was myself

Probably the most important thing I did was really be myself. I absolutely prepped for the interview but I didn’t try to contort myself into what I thought the hiring manager and team wanted in their next hire.

While my ego wanted an offer, I knew it was more important to naturally be a good fit. I couldn’t be out of alignment with myself just to get a job. I’d be miserable in a job like that. So I shared about myself, showed my sense of humor and tried to have fun with the interview process.

When the nerves came, I visualized myself in a conference room presenting to a group rocking the presentation. I felt natural and comfortable. It couldn’t have gone better. Then! I visualized myself in that same conference room but I was visibly nervous and fumbling through it. In both scenarios, I pictured God sitting at the table with a beaming smile. Proud of me. My performance didn’t change my value or worth. What a powerful sense of relief that was.

BONUS: Had a thoughtful answer to why I wanted to work there

One last thing I’ll add is I had a strong answer to why I wanted to work not just at Amazon (company) but on Alexa (product) and in AVS (organization/team).

I know I love to ask this question when interviewing people. It tells me quickly if they’re just looking for a job.

I shared why Amazon fits into my specific career path. How and why I was excited for the opportunity to contribute and how I wanted to learn while working at Amazon.

Interviewing is a skill best developed by practice and honed by experience.

So, if you have an interview coming up, remember to show and tell them what you bring to the table, be open to feedback but respectfully defend your work and be yourself.

Best of luck!

(As always, would love to hear your thoughts and any advice for interviewees in the comments.)

Favorite Quote and Photos from the Archives

"The most important thing to remember in a job interview is to be yourself. People can spot a fake from a mile away." — Sheryl Sandberg

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Does this surprise you? According to a 2022 Gallup study of over 15,000 employees in the United States:

• 47% of employees receive feedback from their manager only a few times a year or less

• Just 23% found that feedback was helpful to them in improving their performance

That’s not great…

Feedback helps us become the best versions of ourselves.

I'd argue that giving feedback is an essential soft skill for career success. So, how do we give helpful feedback?

If you struggle with giving feedback a mindset shift is a good place to start, read → Doing this makes giving feedback easier

Throughout my career I’ve found feedback is typically most helpful when:

• It’s given at the right time and place

• Focuses on specific behaviors and results, rather than giving general praise or criticism

• Uses “I” statements, framing it as your perspective or feelings vs. making it accusatory. (i.e. “I noticed that..." instead of “You always...”)

• Offers concrete examples to illustrate your points

• Delivered in a constructive and supportive way

• Encourages a two-way conversation by asking questions like, "How do you think we can address this?" or "What support do you need?"

During my time at Amazon, two things have stood out to me about how we give feedback:

1. Feedback is tied to our Leadership Principles

Every company has a set of values that define how employees should operate within an organization, but, oftentimes, these values are forgotten.

Amazon, on the other hand, is known for its leadership principles (LP) because they’re such a core part of our culture. From the interview process to doc reviews to performance reviews, our leadership principles are a framework we are returning to on a daily basis.

Using our leadership principles has created a common language and framework for assessing performance.

Are you demonstrating bias for action? Are you thinking big? Showing customer obsession?

Here are two examples of how feedback can be given tied to a leadership principle:

Example A — Ownership

LP: "Leaders act on behalf of the entire company. They think long term and don't sacrifice long-term value for short-term results."

Feedback: "I appreciate your dedication and hard work on the project, and it's evident that you're committed to achieving short-term goals. However, I'd like to encourage you to think more about the long-term implications of our decisions. It's essential to consider how our actions now might impact the company's future success. Let's work together to ensure that our current efforts align with our long-term goals and don't compromise the company's sustainability."

Example B — Think Big

LP: "Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results."

Feedback: "You've been doing great work, and your contributions have made a positive impact on our team. However, I believe there's an opportunity for you to 'think big' and set an even more ambitious vision. Let's not settle for the status quo; instead, let's brainstorm ways to take our projects to the next level. By setting bolder objectives and inspiring the team with a visionary direction, we can achieve results that truly stand out and make a significant difference for our organization."

2. Feedback goes both ways

At Amazon, we place a strong emphasis on continuous improvement. The fact that feedback is a part of our culture means feedback goes both ways.

When feedback goes both ways, managers can get valuable insights from their employees about what they are doing well, what they could improve, and how they can support their team members better. Employees can also benefit from receiving feedback from their managers, as it can help them to identify areas where they need to develop and to set goals for improvement.

The result? A more open and collaborative work environment. When people feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback, they are more likely to be honest and transparent with each other. This can lead to improved communication, better decision-making, and stronger relationships.

Remember, feedback is a gift. It is a way to help others improve and to grow yourself. So don't be afraid to give and ask for feedback regularly.

The more you give feedback, the more comfortable you’ll get. Read books and articles on how to give and receive feedback effectively. Because…

Feedback helps to create a positive and productive work environment.

Feedback is essential for building trust and rapport.

Feedback is an opportunity to learn and grow.

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

“Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people.” — Jim Rohn, American Entrepreneur

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Feedback is how we get to great.

I’d go so far as to say what makes someone a great designer is their ability to give and take feedback.

I’ve always prided myself on being receptive to feedback. But as I’ve progressed in my career I’ve realized that a great designer (leader, partner, etc.) must not only take feedback but give feedback as well.

If you’re someone who wants to get better at giving feedback, this post is for you.

There are lots of great tactics and resources out there for giving feedback. They’ll tell you to:

1. Focus on observations, not judgments.

2. Express your feelings to help the other person understand how their behavior is affecting you.

3. Make a clear request of what you would like the other person to do differently.

But if you struggle to give feedback, I suspect it isn’t for a lack of tactics. A reframe and mindset shift needs to happen.

“It’s brutally hard to tell people when they are screwing up. You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings; that’s because you’re not a sadist. You don’t want that person or the rest of the team to think you’re a jerk. Plus, you’ve been told since you learned to talk, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Now all of a sudden it’s your job to say it. You’ve got to undo a lifetime of training. Management is hard.” ― Kim Scott

So, here’s my question for you:

Do you want to be a peacekeeper or a peacemaker?

Being a peacekeeper means trying to maintain harmony by avoiding or smoothing over conflicts.

Being a peacemaker means actively working towards resolving conflicts and finding a solution that works for all parties involved.

Your choice can have major consequences or benefits in your relationships.

I know I want to be a peacemaker. Effectively giving feedback and moving towards resolution. Speaking the truth in love.

Healthy conflict is a means to foster growth and improvement.

When I started to see giving feedback as me investing in the other person, things began to shift, and giving feedback started to get easier. After all, some level of discomfort or confrontation is necessary for growth and resolution in relationships.

Tactics are good and I’ll share more on that in a future post but the best tactics won’t make giving feedback easy. You need to know why you’re giving feedback. Your mindset matters.

We all need people who will give us feedback. And we need to be people who give feedback. It’s how we improve.

Book Recommendation

Radical Candor by Kim Scott is a game-changing guide to effective leadership and communication. With compelling anecdotes and practical insights, Scott will empower you to create a culture of candid feedback that drives personal and professional growth. If you want to elevate your leadership skills and transform your team dynamics, Radical Candor is a must-read.

Find it on Amazon

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

“Average players want to be left alone. Good players want to be coached. Great players want to be told the truth.” — Doc Rivers

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raika

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When we start a new project, we’re excited about the possibilities.

In fact, most of us have a natural bias towards seeing the positive side of things. But if you’ve been working for a bit, you know things never go as planned.

In fact, 70% of all projects fail according to a study by the Standish Group.

From internal conflict to poor planning to unrealistic expectations. There are a number of reasons projects go over budget, get delayed, fail or bridges get burned, people quit and so on.

I’ve been on a number of projects like this. One redesign was particularly challenging. There was endless conflict. It turned out that engineering had a financial incentive to launch by a certain date while the brand team’s goals were tied to the brand experience + sales.

That meant the teams were inherently at odds and headed in divergent directions.

I think Design can help teams avoid this by uncovering these risks early. So now when I start a project, I conduct a pre-mortem.

A pre-mortem is an exercise in which the team imagines that a project has failed and works backwards identifying the reasons why it failed. Doing so helps identify potential risks and challenges early on so that they can be mitigated or avoided.

In the words of Charlie Munger:

“Invert, always invert: Turn a situation or problem upside down. Look at it backward. What happens if all our plans go wrong? Where don’t we want to go, and how do you get there? Instead of looking for success, make a list of how to fail – through sloth, envy, resentment, self-pity, entitlement, and all the mental habits of self-defeat. Avoid these qualities and you will succeed. Tell me where I’m going to die, that is, so I don’t go there.”

Better questions = better pre-mortems.

Here are some problem-focused, solution-focused and action-oriented questions to consider asking:

I. Problem-focused questions

Use these questions to probe further into “what could go wrong?” and examine your upcoming project from every angle, so you’re prepared for the worst. 

1. What does failure look like?

2. What are the biggest risks we face in executing this project?

3. What could go wrong with our project or plan?

4. What incentives do team members have? Are they aligned?

5. What are the key assumptions we have made, and what happens if they are proven wrong?

6. What early warning signs would tell us something is going wrong?

7. What external factors (i.e. market changes, economic conditions, or competitor actions) are likely to impact our success?

8. What could we end up doing to cause our own failure?

9. What are the potential blind spots in our plan or approach?

10. What are the potential unintended consequences of our actions?

11. What could cause delays or other roadblocks to success?

12. What could we overlook or underestimate?

13. What could go wrong that we haven’t even considered yet?

14. What risks have we faced in the past that are still unmitigated?

15. What’s the most likely reason this project fails?

16. What’s the most likely and most threatening reason this project could fail?

17. What factors could cause us to miss the deadline of this project?

18. What factors could cause us to go over budget on this project? 

19. What if we don’t have the necessary resources (time, money, personnel, etc.) to complete the project?

20. Are there any unexpected legal or regulatory changes that could affect the project?

21. What if the market or customer’s needs change mid-project?

22. What if the project scope or requirements are unclear or constantly changing?

23. What could we do if team members leave or become unavailable during the project?

24. What if our competitors launch a similar project or product while we’re still in development?

II. Solutions-focused questions

Now that you’ve identified some potential causes of failure, follow them up with the questions below. These questions are designed to help you dig deeper into how to mitigate risks. 

1. How might our team communication break down during the project?

2. How can we ensure that we have the necessary resources to complete the project on time and within budget?

3. How can we address potential conflicts or disagreements among team members?

4. How might we avoid overlooking key project requirements or deliverables?

5. How can we keep up with changing market or customer needs throughout the project?

6. How might we adapt the project plan if unforeseen challenges arise?

7. How can we ensure that our project timeline is realistic and achievable?

8. How might we mitigate the risks associated with using new or untested technologies?

9. How can we ensure that project goals and objectives are clearly defined and understood by all team members?

10. How might we address the potential impact of external factors on the project, such as economic conditions or supply chain disruptions?

11. How do we fill in the gaps if someone is sick?

III. Action-oriented questions

The ultimate goal of a pre-mortem is to reduce risk and increase the chances of project success. Use this last bank of questions to identify actionable ways to proactively mitigate risk.

1. Given everything we’ve discussed, what precautions should we take?

2. What action can we take now to mitigate the risk?

3. Are there any risks we haven’t considered in this pre-mortem?

4. Are there risks you are worried nobody is talking about? 

5. What do we have the power to impact and what’s outside our control?

6. What’s one simple thing we can do to reduce the risk of failure?

7. What’s the easiest thing we can do right now to reduce the risk of failure?

8. If we could only do one thing to reduce the risk of failure, what would it be?

Once the team has identified a list of potential risks, discuss each risk in detail. Include the likelihood, the impact, and potential steps to mitigate or avoid each risk.

As you facilitate the conversation, don't be afraid to challenge each other's assumptions. Focus on the root causes of the risks, not just the symptoms. And remember to follow up on the plan and make sure that the risks are being managed effectively.

So in summary, when we identify and mitigate risks early on, we increase our chances of delivering a great product experience on time, within budget, and to our required quality standards.

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

“Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.” — Denis Waitley

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During my first few weeks at Amazon, I asked my boss what format to use for a VUI deliverable. His response was to ask, “What did you do in your previous role?” That was not the response I was expecting. I was expecting there to be a standard at Amazon.

But his response was a gift. It reminded and encouraged me to lead instead of follow.

How would I ask that question now?

I’d approach the situation by saying something like:

“…this is how I put together my design deliverables in the past, is there a standard at Amazon that I should follow instead?”

A far more assertive way of asking the same question.

This shift offers the chance for a richer conversation and creates the opportunity to take my learnings and improve the process.

It can be easy to fall into the habit of asking others what to do or looking to someone else to provide possible solutions.

But leaders take the initiative and come up with solutions. By doing so, you’ll not only be seen as a valuable team member, but you’ll also be taking ownership and showing bias for action to find solutions or a path forward.

Here are a few more ways to practice assertiveness in the workplace:

1. Communicate clearly

   Speak in a confident and direct manner, using “I” statements to express your own thoughts and feelings. Be honest if you don’t know something and offer to go find out.

2. Practice active problem-solving

   Suggest solutions when discussing problems or concerns, instead of just complaining. Come to the table with ideas prepared when possible.

3. Be confident

   Believe in yourself and your abilities, and don’t be afraid to speak up or take initiative. It’s not about being right all the time, what you say may spark an idea for someone else.

4. Listen actively

   Listen to others, acknowledge their perspective and avoid interrupting them.

5. Seek out feedback

   Ask for feedback from your boss and colleagues, and use it to improve your assertiveness skills.

A reflective mindset will serve you well. Keep engaging. Do what you can to not only identify problems but help solve problems, it’ll make you indispensable.

Photo of the Week

The way I see it, you should live everyday like its your birthday. — Paris Hilton

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Last week I shared how to get a high-level mentor (read it here). Today I want to talk about how to be a high-level mentor.

My main role as a mentor is to support, inspire, and encourage my mentee through thoughtful conversation and consultation.

To use my expertise and experience to help them grow and achieve their goals.

I’m a big believer that being a high-level mentor is *not* about having all the right answers for your mentee. But rather helping your mentee navigate and figure out the right answers for themselves.

Like all things, the more I’ve mentored, the more I’ve learned how to best serve my mentees.

Here’s what I strive to do as a mentor:

1. Encourage my mentee to focus on the process, not the outcome.

When we focus too much on winning or losing, we create pressure and anxiety that can interfere with our performance. As a mentor, I want to help my mentee focus on the process of doing their best. To stay focused on what’s within their control.

Things to try:

• Help them break down the big goal into smaller, more manageable steps to be less daunting and more achievable.

• Help them identify and prioritize the specific skills and knowledge they’ll need to achieve their goals.

• Encourage them to make a timeline for achieving their goals to help them stay on track and stay motivated.

• Celebrate their progress when they hit a milestone.

2. Help my mentee to identify and quiet their inner critic.

Inner critic, imposter syndrome, a fixed mindset... that voice in our head that is constantly judging and evaluating our performance can really get in the way. And it’s often a major obstacle to peak performance. As a mentor, I can help them identify their inner critic, question it and find ways to quiet it down.

Things to try:

• Help them to question the accuracy of their inner critic's thoughts. Is there any evidence to support what their inner critic is saying? Is their inner critic being realistic?

• Help them to focus on their strengths. What are they good at? What have they accomplished in the past?

• Help them to set realistic goals. Goals that are too difficult or unachievable feed that inner critic.

• Encourage them to take calculated risks to build confidence and resilience.

• Model positive self-talk by speaking to yourself in a kind and supportive way, when you make mistakes. And share your own experiences of overcoming challenges with your mentee.

3. Encourage my mentee to reframe mistakes as growth opportunities.

Everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is for my mentee to learn from them and not let themselves get derailed or give up. Some mistakes are really painful and have a cost, so reframing them isn’t trying to ignore the struggle and make everything positive, but mistakes can’t always be avoided. As a mentor, I want to encourage my mentee to acknowledge the mistake, learn from it, and move on. To not beat themselves up. To observe not judge.

Things to try:

• Ask them open-ended questions about their mistakes to see things from a different perspective and encourage learnings. What did you learn from this mistake? What could you have done differently? What are some strengths that you developed as a result of this mistake?

• Share your own experiences of making mistakes to show that everyone makes mistakes and that it is not the end of the world.

• Help them develop a growth mindset. A growth mindset is the belief that our abilities can be developed through hard work and effort.

• Provide them with support and encouragement so that they can learn and move on.

4. Help my mentee trust their own intuition.

We all have a natural ability to do things well. The best thing I can do as a mentor is to help develop trust in their own intuition and instincts. The more they can trust their own intuition and let go of conscious control, the better they will perform. Forcing things often doesn’t work. It takes time and experience to discern what is fear and what is your intuition. Helping my mentee relax and let their natural abilities take over, will help them perform at their best.

Things to try:

• Create a safe and supportive environment. Be non-judgmental and accepting of their ideas, even if you don't agree with them. They’ve got to own their decisions.

• Listen without interrupting. When your mentee is sharing their thoughts and feelings, really listen to what they have to say.

• Give constructive feedback but don’t tell them what to do.

• Ask open-ended questions to understand their perspective. What’s your intuition telling you? What are the pros and cons of following your gut feeling? Can you think of a time when you trusted your intuition and it worked out well (or didn’t work out well)?

• Validate their feelings. Let them know that it's okay to feel the way they are feeling.

• Share your own experiences of when you did and didn’t trust your intuition.

In essence, a high-level mentor goes beyond the transactional aspects of mentoring and focuses on building a transformative relationship. Fostering personal and professional growth.

“One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination.” — John C. Maxwell

I’m always growing as a mentor. But I’ve found that without a doubt, the more I invest in my mentee (taking the time to really understand their values, personality, goals, and individual circumstances) the more I’m able to tailor my guidance to their unique needs.

The best mentors don't tell you what to do. They show you how they do things. They encourage individualization and autonomy.

What have you found makes a high-level mentor? Reply or leave a comment.

Favorite Quote and Photo of the Week

“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” ― Steven Spielberg, American film director

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raika

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Before I dive in, I want to make a quick case for mentors. The right mentor can change your career. Here’s my current thought:

The world would be a better place if we all had a mentor (and were mentoring).

There’s even data to prove it.

• People with mentors are happier at their current jobs than those without

• People who served as mentors experienced lower levels of anxiety and described their job as more meaningful than those who did not mentor [HBR]

• Mentors found that mentoring enhanced the meaningfulness of their work [HBR]

Finding a mentor vs a high-level mentor are two different things. Finding a high-level mentor, is both a science and an art.

Throughout my career I’ve been fortunate to have had some really great mentors. Both formally and informally.

If I were to attribute it to one thing, it’d be having the courage to approach people with a curious and focused mindset.

After all, people want to help people.

But a high-level mentor is likely constrained on time. So, here are 3 things I did:

#1 – I had a clear ask

I knew my why.

I put in the time to get really clear on what and why I was looking for a mentor.

Generic goals and questions are going to get you generic results.

I didn’t ask for “career advice”. I got specific.

Was I looking for coaching on how to frame my experience? How to switch from an individual contributor to manager?

What about that person’s experience did I want to learn about? What about their experience made them a good resource for me?

I put in the time to get crystal clear on what my needs and asks were and why I was seeking help from this person.

#2 – I focused on quality over quantity

For the initial conversation, I started with one core question to ask them.

This is so important - when I reached out, I shared what it is I was looking for and why I was asking them specifically.

I made my message short and sweet but impactful.

I told them my question and said I would like to pick their brain for 10 minutes. Then as we talked through it I could see if there’s chemistry.

I treated it like any meeting, I shared my agenda before hand. Had an allotted amount of time to manage. And I took notes.

#3 – I came prepared

Knowledge needs experience to be really powerful.

What had I already tried? What did I find when I googled my question? What had I read, watched or listened to on the topic?

Reddit, Google, ChatGPT, Youtube, TikTok, Substack… there are so many platforms out there with a wealth of knowledge. I used them to prepare so I could ask more informed, deeper questions.

That way I could ask questions like: “what’s your take on approach X?”, “When I tried X, Y happened instead of Z. What am I missing?”, “Have you found Y to be true?” and so on.

The more preparation I did, the more valuable and fruitful the conversations were.

All of this really boils down to being respectful of their time.

And remember, a good mentor relationship is not talking all about yourself and asking for advice.

Kobe Bryant put it perfectly:

“We’re surrounded by people who do incredible things, and the information is right there for us to learn from.”

Ask good questions. Take time to find out what they did. And make it a mutually beneficial dynamic.

The beauty of an authentic relationship is its reciprocity.

So get on out there. Talk to everyone! See who you click with. Get to know people and their journey. The best mentor relationships develop naturally.

Next week I’ll share how to be a high-level mentor. If you aren’t already, subscribe to receive it straight to your inbox!

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"A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you." — Bob Proctor, Author

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That’s it for today. Thanks for reading!

Until next week,
raika