IDEO’s Post

I've been working with a few nonprofit clients to build new things and new revenue-generating ideas that can take the pressure off of the endless fundraising cycle. I'm leading the leaders through design thinking and business incubation. One framework that hits the mark with teams is this one from IDEO. Most operating teams are great at understanding FEASIBILITY - Can we do this? It takes more discipline to really understand DESIRABILITY - Do they want this? And even more to gauge VIABILITY - Should we do this? Does the value outweigh the cost? I coach teams to be able to spot their comfort zones (usually feasibility). Then lean into the discomfort (financial viability and user desirability) with each experiment or prototype. Here is the slide i created with this framework. You could build an image from this and put it somewhere on the post. This is from IDEO.

Little did I know that accepting an offer from IDEO 10.5 years ago would lead me on such a transformational journey. Before joining, I had heard much about the company’s unique culture and ways of working, but nothing could have truly prepared me for the incredible people and content that would surround me. In my first month, during a conversation with a senior leader, I told him that "I've found home." I have not experienced leadership so empowering and human-centered anywhere else. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has profoundly contributed to my growth as a leader throughout my decade at IDEO. There are far too many of you to name - you know who you are. After a decade, I have decided to move on from my role at IDEO. This month marks the beginning of a creative sabbatical for me to pause, reflect, and to play with new possibilities. While my mind remains open about what comes next, I am deeply passionate about advocating a new way of leadership - a gift from my time at IDEO that I look forward to sharing with many others down the road. During this sabbatical, I will not be taking on any formal, full-time roles but am open to fractional roles or interesting briefs in leadership development, talent strategy, and executive coaching. If you’d like to jam on these topics that are close to my heart, reach out for a chat! #creativesabbatical #ideo #creativeleadership #whatanepicjourney

🔍 Have you ever felt the spark that comes from truly connecting with others over a shared journey? In my experience, the most meaningful growth comes from these moments of connection—whether collaborating on a project, exchanging ideas, or simply sharing stories. After re-reading IDEO’s approach to “design thinking” this week, I’m reminded of how powerful it can be to connect across disciplines, cultures, and experiences. Design-driven thinking isn’t just about solving business problems—it’s about tackling society’s biggest challenges through collaboration. The heart of innovation lies in our ability to understand and empathize with others. 💡 ...So, I’m curious—how have connections influenced your personal or professional growth? 👉 Share your thoughts... I’d love to hear how connection has played a role in your journey!

Sometimes finding time to invest in growth amidst work and life commitments can feel overwhelming. However, carving out space for learning new skills is a valuable self-investment. Recently, I completed a 5-week class on Cultivating Creative Collaboration with IDEO U. The experience not only equipped me with valuable tools and ideas but also connected me with a diverse group of professionals from various industries on the same learning journey. Excited to apply these insights to future projects! 🌟 #ContinuousLearning #CreativeCollaboration

Who is in your guild? No matter your profession, who are the people who help you learn and grow your craft skills? Picture yourself shaped as a “T”. Your skillset associated with your professional craft or discipline defines the vertical depth stroke of that "T". Lest we lose our edge, we each need to continuously sharpen the saw of our chosen craft. So many daily pulls of organizational life increase your breadth of skills — the top stroke of the “T” — but what is making you deeper, spikier, more able to bring unique value to the world? My personal answer to this question has been to seek out what I call “guilds” — groups of individuals who come together to provide craft-centric know-how, advice, and support. To sharpen the Chief Product Officer element of my "T", I belong to the Skip Community for CPOs. And now I'm proud to stay that I'm a member of the Design Leaders Community, a fantastic way to keep growing my design leadership acumen. #creativity #innovation #creativeleadership #leadership

🙋♀️ Who else has admired work from IDEO over the years??! We have an incredible masterclass next week with Duane Bray who will share his experience of being the Chief People Officer at IDEO, and how he used design to architect the people experience. 💫 Duane will talk about: 👉🏼 moving beyond best practice 💥 👉🏼 thinking of people as a source of inspiration 💥 👉🏼 bringing values to life 💥 👉🏼 embedding purpose 💥 👉🏼 embracing the power of rituals 💥 This is for our Excellent Members - and is NOT TO BE MISSED! I know we will all walk away inspired and with ideas we can execute in our own workplaces. ✅ If you aren't already a member of Excellent, and are working on creating a work experience that drives high performance, join us (link below!). #employeeexperience #design

Learning how to get buy-in won’t get you promoted. 👇 You’ve probably heard the same advice on repeat: “Speak up more.” “Get buy-in.” “Show your value.” “Be more confident.” But here’s the reality: If you’re a woman in product, you already know it’s not that simple. The usual advice falls short when you’re in high-stakes, ambiguous roles where success isn’t clearly mapped out. Here’s what’s missing: Getting promoted isn’t just about being louder or more visible. Most women product managers get stuck because they’re focusing on just one piece of the puzzle. But to actually move up, you need all four key areas: 1. Hard skills: Mastering product strategy, GTM, metrics, and understanding user psychology so you can drive real impact. 2. Meta skills: Influence, storytelling, and getting buy-in from the people who matter. 3. Mindsets: Building the confidence to bounce back from failure and navigating the biases we all face. 4. Actionable Strategies: Using proven tools to lead teams, tackle challenges, and deliver results that count. Our mission at PMDojo is to ensure it doesn’t take 100 years to reach workplace parity. Moving into product leadership is tough for women, but it shouldn’t be impossible. After helping 1500+ women at companies like Microsoft, Netflix, Uber, and Amazon, we know promotion follows when you work on all the four areas. Ready to accelerate your career? Reach out. ------- #womenleadership #productleadership #womeninproduct #productmanagement #careergrowth

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot from fellow designers about the constant demand for promotions—organizations moving people up the ladder quickly, titles changing frequently, and everyone rushing to the next level. But here's the question that keeps coming up: Are we really growing, or just ticking boxes? Promotions are exciting but can sometimes lead to new challenges we’re not fully prepared for. This is where the 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 comes in: it suggests that people are promoted based on their success in their current role, not their suitability for the next. Eventually, we reach a point where we’re no longer thriving because we’re set up for a role that we weren't equipped to handle.  (Spoiler alert: I’ve almost been that person too, but luckily I have mentors like Prasad Kantamneni, who mentored me and provided guidance in my career) This isn’t to say we shouldn’t aim for growth, but it’s important to be mindful of how we grow: 💡 Understand your strengths: Leadership is about making an impact, not just getting a title. 💡 Seek mentorship: Learn from those who’ve successfully navigated growth beyond their comfort zone. 💡 Embrace lateral growth: Sometimes, honing your craft and deepening your expertise is more valuable than climbing the ladder. Let’s design our careers with the same thoughtfulness we put into our products. Great UX doesn’t happen by accident, nor do good careers and great leaders. #careers #uxlead #uxdesigners #peterprinciple

We need to make 'being green' universally compelling and desirable. Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, emphasised the importance of desirability in solutions we already have. According to Tim, we must first make existing solutions desirable before inventing new ones. He also highlighted the need to imagine a future we can fall in love with, and he remarked how he and his generation were so taken and inspired by Star Trek they grew up to be the ones to create almost identical real-life technology. Seemingly Star Trek's imagined tech is now nearly all a part of our culture - bar the Transporter. So - let's cultivate imagination for a future we can fall in love with to drive innovation and progress. #FutureImagination #Sustainability #Creativity #NewYorkClimateWeek IDEO, kyu Collective,

I'm thrilled to share that I've recently earned my Business Innovation certificate from IDEO U! This journey has been incredible, diving deep into creativity, strategic thinking, and innovative problem-solving. From ideating breakthrough concepts to designing impactful business models, this course has broadened my horizons and equipped me with tools to drive meaningful change. Key Takeaways: - Embracing a human-centered approach to innovation - Mastering the art of prototyping and iterative testing - Building resilient and adaptable business strategies A massive shoutout to IDEO U for connecting the realms of business and design thinking. As I continue my journey in product management and digital innovation, I am excited to bring these new insights and skills to the table, helping to create products that meet user needs and spark joy and excitement. Here's to pushing boundaries and creating the future, one innovative idea at a time! #BusinessInnovation #IDEOU #ProductManagement #Innovation #HumanCenteredDesign