Growth Design Podcast

Mindaugas Petritis, founder of Coho, joins us to discuss the future of design and its crucial intersection with business. He shares his unconventional journey from hospitality to community building and entrepreneurship, emphasising the importance of authentic relationships and understanding the challenges designers face in aligning their work with business objectives. We explore the evolution of Coho, from a fellowship to a platform focused on peer learning and unlocking hidden knowledge within organizations. Mindaugas also shares his insights on the evolving nature of work, the power of curated peer groups, and why more designers should consider the founder path. The conversation delves into the impact of AI on the design landscape, the need for designers to develop broader skills like communication and critical thinking, and practical advice for aspiring design founders. Key Topics Discussed: The future of work and the increasing importance of peer groups The benefits and challenges of designers becoming founders Bridging the gap between design and business objectives The impact of AI on the role of designers and the need for new skills Practical advice for building relationships within organisations Takeaways: Building authentic relationships is crucial for career growth and understanding the business context. Designers can gain valuable business insights by proactively engaging with other departments. Peer groups offer a powerful way to navigate the changing work landscape and share knowledge. Designers should consider the founder's path and experiment with side projects. The future of design requires strong communication, critical thinking, and adaptability. Don't outsource your thinking to AI; focus on developing core skills. Referenced Resources: Business Thinking for Designers by Ryan Rumsey Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:58 From Hospitality to Community Building 08:16 Understanding the Challenges of Designers 12:30 Transition from InVision to Coho 22:22 The Importance of Curated Peer Groups 29:16 The Future of Work and the Role of Coho 35:05 Designers as Founders 38:20 Challenges Faced by Growth Designers 48:23 The Impact of AI on Design 49:26 Developing Skills Beyond Design 59:47 Building Relationships and Collaboration 01:10:06 Advice for Designers Who Want to Be Founders 01:12:18 The Importance of Side Projects and Experimentation 01:14:38 The Role of Sales and Marketing in Entrepreneurship 01:18:03 Founder vs CEO: Understanding the Difference 01:26:34 If Not a Founder, Then a Restaurant Owner 01:27:44 The Books, Movies, and Profession That Inspire Mindaugas Where to find Mindaugas: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindaugaspetrutis/ - Website: https://www.joincoho.com/ Co-hosts: Emmanuel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/omoleemmanuel/ IniOluwa - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inioluwa-abiodun/ Production by ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/damilola-ilesanmi-720baa1b0/ ⁠⁠For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email hello@growthdesigncast.com

Andy is a design leader, speaker, investor, coach and founder, many times over. From ClearLeft to Seedcamp, always a designer at heart, Andy believes design is powerful in transforming companies, teams and customers' lives for the better. Andy joined us to discuss the importance of design in startups, particularly growth design's role in driving business growth and solving problems. Together, we explore practical strategies for acquiring early customers, including leveraging networks, attending industry events, and utilising outbound sales. Andy highlights the importance of growth designers in these early stages, particularly for customer discovery and research. He introduces the concept of "language-market fit," stressing the need to understand the target audience's specific language and needs. He concludes by discussing the need for adaptability and quick iterations in early-stage startups and the future of design, including the merging of roles and new tools. Key Topics Discussed: Finding early users and achieving product-market fit. The importance of founder-led sales and marketing. The role of growth designers in customer discovery and research. Understanding the language and needs of potential customers ("language market fit"). Takeaways Growth design focuses on improving existing capabilities and solving business goals, rather than just adding new features. Outbound sales and personalized outreach can be valuable strategies for acquiring early customers. Language market fit is important in effectively communicating the value of a product to potential customers Designers in early-stage startups need to be adaptable and willing to experiment with different approaches. The future of design involves the merging of roles and the use of new tools Referenced Resources: The Growth Equation: How Early Stage Startups Can Build a Powerful Engine for Growth by Andy Budd Turn the Ship Around by L. David Marquet Never Split the Difference by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz Blue Ocean Strategy by Renée Mauborgne and W. Chan Kim Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 01:13 Andy's Journey into Design 07:38 Shift from Building Design Companies to Supporting Startups as an Investor 13:02 Defining Growth Design and Its Importance 20:13 The Biggest Design Challenges for Startups in the Early Stages 27:46 Effective Tactics for Acquiring Early Customers 37:59 Finding First Customers and Founder-Led Sales and Marketing 38:45 The Role of Growth Designers in Startups 46:20 The Importance of Language Market Fit 41:34 Designers in Early-Stage Startups: Adaptability and Experimentation 56:54 Utilising Behavioural Science to Drive Growth 01:14:04 The Role of Growth Design in Startups 01:15:24 Building a Small, Independent Team for Growth Design 01:19:18 Understanding Business Partners and Applying Empathy 01:23:18 The Future of Design: Merging Roles and New Tools 01:36:10 Lightning Questions with Andy Where to find Andy: - LinkedIn: https:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybudd/ - Website: https://www.andybudd.com/ - Read a free chapter of his book here: https://www.andybudd.com/book Co-hosts: Emmanuel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/omoleemmanuel/ IniOluwa - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inioluwa-abiodun/ Production by ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/damilola-ilesanmi-720baa1b0/ ⁠⁠For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email hello@growthdesigncast.com

Jeff Callan, author, product management consultant, and CEO of Tyghtwyre, joins us to discuss strategies for effective collaboration in building great product teams. Jeff shares his journey from building toys as a kid to working with cutting-edge technologies and now helping startups scale their products. He emphasises four key steps for high-performing teams: hiring the right people, clear roles and responsibilities, providing resources, and measuring results. Key Topics Discussed: Clear communication, transparency, trust, and respect are important in team collaboration. The evolving role of product managers and the need to leverage the expertise of designers and other team members. Common pitfalls of collaboration, including misaligned goals, siloed thinking, and ego. The importance of data-driven decision-making and shared KPIs. Takeaways Defining a North Star metric and breaking it down into actionable goals and OKRs for different teams. Building a feedback-rich environment and establishing effective feedback loops. Prioritisation techniques, such as the value versus effort matrix, to focus on the most impactful tasks. Encouraging a culture of collaboration and appreciation, celebrating wins, and learning from failures. Referenced Resources: - What Makes Great Products Great: A Product Management Bootcamp by Jeff Callan - The Right Thing by Ryan Holiday - The Creative Act by Rick Rubin - Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman - Lenny's Newsletter and Podcast (Lenny Rachitsky) - Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 02:30 Introducing Jeff Callan and His Achievements 06:20 Jeff's Journey into Product Management 12:45 Defining Effective Collaboration 16:10 Key Steps to Building High-Performing Teams 20:25 The Role of Data in Decision Making 24:40 Misaligned Goals and Communication Pitfalls 30:55 The Importance of a North Star Metric 36:15 Creating a Feedback-Rich Environment 41:00 Prioritization in Product Development 46:35 Building a Culture of Collaboration 52:10 Celebrating Wins and Acknowledging Effort 57:30 Jeff's Book and Resources for Product Leaders 01:02:00 Lightning Questions with Jeff

Sara Gattoni shares her journey from being a mathematician and academic researcher to leading growth at tech companies. Known for her unique insight into data, Sara discusses the importance of balancing quantitative and qualitative data, her career transitions, and the role of data in product development. Key Topics Discussed: - Sara’s transition from academia to startups. - The role of quantitative and qualitative data in design. - How to avoid common traps when relying on data. - Strategies for designers to integrate data into their workflows. - Building a centralized data system at Localized. - The origin and significance of her nickname, "Data Witch." Takeaways: - Balance between data-driven and data-informed approaches is crucial. - Centralising data from various departments enhances accessibility and efficiency. - Designers should maintain qualitative insights alongside quantitative data. - Effective communication and collaboration between designers and data scientists are key to product success. Referenced Resources: - Airtable and Productboard for data management. - The importance of having a glossary for shared language within teams. - Use of AI tools to facilitate access to centralized data. Where to find Sara Gattoni: - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-gattoni/ Referenced: - Outcome-driven innovation (ODI) as a framework. - Books: "Alice in Wonderland" for personal and product development insights. - "Atomic Habits" and "Ikigai" as recommended reads. Co-hosts: Emmanuel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/omoleemmanuel/ IniOluwa - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inioluwa-abiodun/ Production by ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/damilola-ilesanmi-720baa1b0/⁠ For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email ⁠hello@growthdesigncast.com

In this episode, we sit down with Ben Shih, Lead Growth Designer at Localize, to discuss all things user onboarding. Ben shares his journey into design and his current focus on growth design. Here are some Key Takeaways: - Growth design is about using data, experimentation and testing to optimize getting users to a product's core value as quickly as possible. It differs from core product design. - When analysing onboarding, look at both qualitative data (user feedback, observations) and quantitative data (drop-off points in funnels) to identify problems and opportunities. - Common onboarding mistakes include overusing tooltips, landing users on empty states with no guidance, and asking for payment before demonstrating value. - Personalisation is key in onboarding to match the user's needs and get them to the "aha moment" faster. - Advice for growing as a designer This episode is a must-listen for any designer, product manager or growth marketer looking to level up their user onboarding and drive better user retention. Resources: - ⁠Growth Design School Spring Cohort, use GROWTHDESIGNPOD10 to get 10% off - https://www.growthdesigners.co/school - ⁠Mobbin, get 20% off here - bit.ly/49dX8H6 —— Where to find Ben Shih LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hbshih Website: ⁠⁠https://bento.me/hbshih —— Where to find the Growth Design Podcast and co-hosts: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/growth-design-podcast/ - ⁠Website - https://growthdesigncast.substack.com/ - ⁠Instagram - https://instagram.com/growthdesignpod - ⁠Emmanuel’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/omoleemmanuel/ - ⁠IniOluwa’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inioluwa-abiodun/ —— Production by Damilola Ilesanmi - https://damilolailesanmi.com/

Meet Alicia Cressall, a Senior Growth Designer and Mentor at DesignLab. She joins us in The Growth Designer's Career Playbook to discuss her journey as a growth-first hire and how a designer can get started with product-led growth. ---- Here are a few highlights & areas we discussed. — Discovering & defining growth design as a first-hire — Building Trust & experimentation culture. — Lessons learnt as a growth designer — Getting comfortable with failure & experimentation. — PLG is putting data-driven design into practice — PLG thrives in a cross-collaborative working environment. — Common challenges designers face when designing for PLG. —— Resources: - ⁠Growth Design School Spring Cohort, use GROWTHDESIGNPOD10 to get 10% off - https://www.growthdesigners.co/school - ⁠Mobbin, get 20% off here - bit.ly/49dX8H6 —— —— Where to find Alicia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-cressall/ Website: ⁠aliciacressall.com ⁠ Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliciacressall —— Where to find the Growth Design Podcast and co-hosts: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/growth-design-podcast/ - ⁠Website - https://growthdesigncast.substack.com/ - ⁠Instagram - https://instagram.com/growthdesignpod - ⁠Emmanuel’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/omoleemmanuel/ - ⁠IniOluwa’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inioluwa-abiodun/ —— Production by Damilola Ilesanmi - https://damilolailesanmi.com/

Christian is a Product Designer with 15 years of experience designing both enterprise software and consumer products. Over the past 7 years, he’s focused on Growth roles and has helped different companies move key metrics through the power of Design. Christian believes in simple design, working closely with engineers, testing products often, and building relationships to help Design thrive. Throughout his career, he designed for many household names, including British Gas, KPMG, Uptime, DFS, McLaren, HSBC, and Google. Continuing our conversation on the series, “The Growth Design Career Playbook”, we discussed how to stay ahead in our design career. Here are some highlights from our conversation: — Continuous learning is crucial for staying ahead in your design career. — Building a strong professional network can open doors to new opportunities and collaborations. — Staying up to date with industry trends helps you stay relevant and adaptable in a fast-paced field. — The importance of taking on challenging projects to grow as a designer. — Setting clear goals and having a long-term vision can guide your career progression. — Effective communication skills are essential for collaborating with cross-functional teams. — Understanding the global design landscape can give you a competitive edge in the industry. --------- Where to find Christian Vasile - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrvasile/ - ⁠Website - christianvasile.com —— Where to find the Growth Design Podcast and co-hosts: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/growth-design-podcast/ - ⁠Website - https://growthdesigncast.substack.com/ - ⁠Instagram - https://instagram.com/growthdesignpod - ⁠Emmanuel’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/omoleemmanuel/ - ⁠IniOluwa’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inioluwa-abiodun/ —— Production by Damilola Ilesanmi - https://damilolailesanmi.com/

A Growth Product Designer from Rocket Homes shares insights on recognizing Growth Design opportunities in current roles. Topics include mindset shifts, evolution of growth design methodologies, resources for understanding user behavior, mentorship, design iterations, and future outlook. Casual discussion on favorite foods and movies is also included.

Shawn Gong is a product advisor and head of product growth, with background in product management. He has 12 years of experience leading cross-functional teams and launched award-winning products globally. He spearheaded international expansion for Grindr, the largest social networking app for LGBTQ. He also orchestrated GOAT's expansion into China, the largest marketplace for authentic sneakers. In addition, his team pioneered augmented reality mobile apps at Daqri, acquired by Snap. In our conversation about "Monetization Mindset: Building Products That Sell Themselves" we discussed - What is monetization & different models - Understanding the Audience for Effective Monetisation - Data-driven strategies for Monetisation - Balancing Monetisation with User Experience - Adapting to Evolving Monetisation Trends - Overcoming Behavioural Barriers. —— Where to find Shawn Gong: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gongshawn/ —— Where to find the Growth Design Podcast and co-hosts: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/growth-design-podcast/ - ⁠Website - https://growthdesigncast.substack.com/ - ⁠Instagram - https://instagram.com/growthdesignpod - ⁠Emmanuel’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/omoleemmanuel/ - ⁠IniOluwa’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inioluwa-abiodun/ —— Production by Damilola Ilesanmi - https://damilolailesanmi.com/

Kristina Volchek is a Senior Product Designer who transitioned from a marketing background where she had risen to become Chief Marketing Officer. She has helped build innovative growth experiences across different startups, some of which include Flooz and Sweatcoin. At Sweatcoin, she was the Growth Product Lead on the acquisition team responsible for adding 66m new users. She joins us for the first episode in our new series, “The Growth Design Career Playbook”. In our conversation, we discuss: - ⁠ Her journey into Growth Design - ⁠Key skills of a Growth Designer - ⁠Transitioning from Product Design into Growth Design - The base you need for a career in Growth Design - ⁠Storytelling as a powerful tool - ⁠Growth mindset - ⁠Showing your impact as Growth Designer —— Resources: - Starting with Growth Design Resource by Growth Design Podcast & Kristina Volchek - https://bit.ly/3OLu0yP - ⁠Growth Design School Spring Cohort, use GROWTHDESIGNPOD10 to get 10% off - https://www.growthdesigners.co/school - ⁠Mobbin, get 20% off here - bit.ly/49dX8H6 —— Referenced: - Ruined by Design by Mike Monteiro - https://www.ruinedby.design/ - ⁠Growth Design Community - https://www.growthdesigners.co/ - ⁠Win Every Argument by Mehdi Hasan - https://www.waterstones.com/book/win-every-argument/mehdi-hasan/9781529093582 - ⁠Happier Hour by Cassie Holmes - https://www.cassiemholmes.com/happierhour - ⁠Sweatcoin case study - ⁠https://kristi.digital/shots/growth-design-case-study-66m-new-users-in-a-year —— Where to find Kristina Volchek: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-digital/ - ⁠Website - https://kristi.digital/ —— Where to find the Growth Design Podcast and co-hosts: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/growth-design-podcast/ - ⁠Website - https://growthdesigncast.substack.com/ - ⁠Instagram - https://instagram.com/growthdesignpod - ⁠Emmanuel’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/omoleemmanuel/ - ⁠IniOluwa’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/inioluwa-abiodun/ —— Production by Damilola Ilesanmi - https://damilolailesanmi.com/