Best Manager Ever Best Manager Ever: Jared Erondu – Hard Mode Leadership
Dec 10, 2025
Jared Erondu, design leader and Head of Design at Span, shares his insights from nearly a decade at Lattice, where he scaled design teams during intense growth phases. He discusses the importance of selective transparency, balancing tough news with team morale, and the unique challenges of non-founder leaders. Jared emphasizes managing one's mindset, recruiting exceptional talent, and maintaining high craft standards while supporting team development. He advocates for humility in leadership, treating teammates as individuals, and the necessity of continuous vigilance in quality.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
From Consultant To Design Org Leader
- Jared joined Lattice as a consultant and worked late nights designing through the early days.
- He transitioned to full-time as the team scaled from about ten people and grew the design org over eight years.
Battle-Tested Calm Comes From Cycles
- Surviving startup troughs hardens leaders and creates repeatable calm during future downturns.
- Seeing cycles coming lets you adapt communication and mindset proactively instead of reacting in panic.
Selective Umbrella For Teams
- Management is like a selective umbrella that blocks noise but lets clarity-relevant info through.
- Choose what to share so the team gains context without being destabilized or overloaded.
