Growthmates: Create and Grow Meaningful Products & Careers

We’re happy to welcome you on the Season 2 of the Growthmates podcast where we will dive into insightful conversations with leaders from Amplitude, Canva, Intercom, Coda, HubSpot, and more to come. If you enjoy our show — subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com. Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).In this episode, Iain Dowling, Growth Design Leader at Canva, shares insights into his career path and the culture at Canva. He discusses the growth of Canva and the significant changes he has witnessed during his 6 years at the company. Iain also explains the transition from individual contributor to manager and the importance of coaching at Canva. He highlights the 4 pillars of Canva's growth and development framework and the training provided to coaches. Iain discusses the influence of designers on Canva's culture and the role of the “Vibe Team” in creating a positive work environment. He also shares insights into hiring for growth teams and the importance of effective one-on-one meetings. In this conversation, Iain discusses the importance of effective communication and provides valuable insights on building strong relationships, active listening, non-verbal communication, and overcoming communication challenges.Some Takeaways:* Canva has experienced significant growth over the years, but has maintained its core values and culture.* Coaching is an integral part of Canva's leadership approach, focusing on the growth and development of team members.* Canva's growth team is organized around key metrics, such as monthly active users (MAU) and annualized recurring revenue (ARR).* The “Vibe Team” at Canva plays a crucial role in creating and maintaining a positive and engaging work culture.* Hiring for growth teams requires individuals with a data mindset, an interest in user flows, and a focus on impact and iteration. Effective communication is crucial for personal and professional success.* Building strong relationships requires open and honest communication.* Active listening and empathy are essential skills for effective communication.* Non-verbal communication plays a significant role in conveying messages.* Overcoming communication challenges requires patience, understanding, and adaptability.Follow Growthmates podcast updates on:* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/Where to find Iain Dowling, Growth Design Lead at Canva:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idowling/Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/* Newsletter: https://katesyuma.substack.com/* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syumaWhere to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/What we’ve covered in this episode:00:00 Introduction and Background01:20 Becoming a Growth Design Leader at Canva02:26 The Growth of Canva04:41 Transitioning from Individual Contributor to Manager06:21 The Role of Coaching at Canva08:30 The Four Pillars of Canva's Growth and Development Framework09:25 Training for Coaches at Canva10:41 The Influence of Designers on Canva's Culture15:59 The Growth of Canva18:36 Establishing the Growth Team at Canva21:55 Organizational Structure of the Growth Team25:16 The North Star Metrics for the Growth Team28:10 Introducing Magic Studio and AI at Canva35:19 The Role of the Vibe Team in Creating Canva's Culture38:53 Factors for High-Performing Growth Teams42:56 Recognizing Growth Talent and Hiring for Growth Teams47:51 Effective One-on-One Meetings and Team Bonding51:36 Favorite Book on Team Culture54:12 Closing Remarks and Contact Information02:30 The Importance of Effective Communication10:00 Building Strong Relationships20:00 Active Listening and Empathy30:00 Non-Verbal Communication40:00 Overcoming Communication Challenges50:00 ConclusionResources referenced:* Simon Sinek, “Leaders Eat Last”: https://simonsinek.com/books/leaders-eat-last/ * Sam Harris’s “Waking Up” app: https://www.wakingup.com/* "Growth and Development 12 Skills" framework — coming soon in a follow-up article! If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.comSubscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.comThanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe

We’re happy to welcome you on the Season 2 of the Growthmates podcast where we will dive into insightful conversations with leaders from Amplitude, Canva, Intercom, Coda, HubSpot, and more to come. If you enjoy our show — subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com.—In this episode, I talked to Jenny Chang, interim Head of Design at Amplitude, who shared her insights and experiences on transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager and the mindset shifts required to become a leader. In the first part of the conversation, we discussed the key challenges we encountered while transitioning from IC to a Manager and emphasized on the importance of maintaining well-being during career growth. Later in our conversation, we discussed the role of data in decision-making, the need for a data-informed culture, and the collaboration between stakeholders and data teams. Jenny also provides tips for making data meetings engaging and suggests questions that designers should ask their data analysts to build a more informed user experience. Jenny concludes by recommending books and resources for further exploration that you can find below in the episode description.Some Takeaways:* Transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager requires a mindset shift and the ability to let go of hands-on work.* Maintaining well-being is crucial during career growth, and prioritizing health can lead to better career outcomes.* Data should be used by everyone in a product team, not just data analysts, and collaboration between stakeholders and data teams is essential.* Engaging data meetings can be achieved by incorporating visualizations, session replay tools, and creating a collaborative environment.* Designers should ask data analysts about the most engaged users and their actions within the product to better inform the user journeys. Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Follow the podcast updates on: * Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/Where to find Jenny Chng, interim Head of Design (Amplitude):* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejennychang/ Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/* Newsletter: https://katesyuma.substack.com/* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma Where to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/What we’ve covered in this episode: 00:00 Introduction and Background06:11 Transitioning from IC to Manager14:20 Mindset Shifts for Becoming a Leader18:12 Maintaining Well-being During Career Growth25:13 Data-Informed Culture and Who Should Use Data29:22 Collaboration Between Stakeholders and Data Teams36:00 Engaging Data Meetings46:24 Data Questions for Designers49:22 Surprising Data Insights51:36 Recommended Resources51:53 Conclusion and Contact InformationResources referenced: * Julie Zhuo Zhou, “The Making of a Manager”: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Manager-What-Everyone-Looks/dp/0735219567* Scott Belsky, “The Messy Middle”: https://www.amazon.com/Messy-Middle-Finding-Through-Hardest/dp/0735218072/* C. Pam Zhang, “Land of Milk and Honey”: https://www.amazon.com/Land-Milk-Honey-Pam-Zhang/dp/0593538242/If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to ekaterinasyuma@gmail.com Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.comThanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and get all new episodes right in your inbox. Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe

About a year ago, we launched Growthmates to connect with like-minded folks and share personal and professional growth stories. Since then, we published 10+ episodes with fantastic leaders from Dropbox, Miro, Pinterest, Adobe, Atlassian, and season 2 is coming in January 2024!As we wrap up this year, we created a special episode where Oscar and I dive into a genuine, reflective conversation — something we've never done before on the podcast. We'll spill the details on:* who we are today* how 2023 transformed us personally and professionally * new habits we've adopted to support wellbeing* reflection on my last 6 years at Miro* my move from Miro to a solo journey* and our aspirations for 2024.It's a raw, open dialogue that I believe is crucial to carry into the next year and the future of our podcast. After the holidays, we'll be back with Season 2, featuring fantastic leaders from Amplitude, Canva, Coda, Dropbox, Intercom, HubSpot, and more.Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/* Website: https://katesyuma.substack.com/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katusyuma/Where to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends.Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.comThanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe

Discover how Atlassian balances velocity and quality in digital product design with the 'Good, Better, Best' framework. Learn about personal growth frameworks and career development insights shared by Adam Furness. Stay tuned for Season 2 of Growthmates coming in September!

Today we had a very deep and balanced conversation Verna Bhargava, Senior Experience Design Manager at Growth in Adobe. We unpacked the topic of vulnerability for leaders and individuals who are constantly trying to achieve high results for themselves and their companiesJoin this conversation to hear about how Growth is organised at Adobe, what frameworks help to find space for innovation, and how vulnerability can help you build a stronger team culture.If you enjoy this episode, don't forget to share it with your friends and give us a good review.Resources mentioned:* The Emergence of a Growth Designer: https://adobe.design/stories/leading-design/the-emergence-of-the-growth-designer* Radical Candor, Kim Scott* The Making of a Manager, Julie Zhuo* Dare to Lead, Brene Brown* Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert* The Artist's Way, Julia CameronWhere to find Verna Bhargava, Sr. Experience Design manager, Growth at Adobe express:* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verna-bhargava/Where to find Kate Syuma, Head of Growth Design at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/* Blog: https://medium.com/@kate_syuma* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katusyuma/* Website: https://katesyuma.com/Where to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends, and give us a good review or send us your feedback to growthmates@substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit growthmates.substack.com Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe

Today we're going to dive deep into the topic of UX research and explore how it plays a crucial role in driving growth within Miro.We’re happy to welcome a man which we have the pleasure to work with, Andrej Balaz, UXR at Miro who will share with us some of the fascinating insights and practices he employs to conduct UX research in the growth field.Stay with us to hear about building a UXR culture in an Hyper-growth stage company, what are those unique things about running research at Miro, and some tips and best practices in that field.Resources mentioned:* www.elicit.org* Book: On the Self Regulation of Behavior – Charles S. Carver and Michael F. Scheier* Book : The New Economics - W. Edwards DemingWhere to find Andrej Balaz, Staff UX researcher at Miro:* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrejbalaz/Where to find Kate Syuma, Head of Growth Design at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/* Blog: https://medium.com/@kate_syuma* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katusyuma/* Website: https://katesyuma.com/Where to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends, and give us a good review or send us your feedback to growthmates@substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit growthmates.substack.com Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe

In this episode we have none other than Lex Roman, the founder of Super Easy Digital and the Growth Tracker community, but most important, Lex is one of the true pioneers in the field of Growth Design.We dived into Lex's inspiring transition from a comfortable job in the tech industry to embarking on the path of solopreneurship. Leaving behind the security of established companies such as Invision, Carbon five and The Black Tux to name a few.Lex shared with us the importance of focusing on real problems and what should the term "Delightfulness" actually mean when it comes to create user experiences.Learn more about Lex at https://supereasydigital.comTake Lex’s course on getting clients and use code GROWTHMATES for a special discount https://supereasydigital.com/getmoreleadsBecome a Growthtracker: https://supereasydigital.com/growthtrackersFollow Lex on Instagram @supereasydoesit https://instagram.com/supereasydoesitResources mentioned:* Lex article about Growth Design written in 2018: https://medium.com/criticalpath/what-is-a-growth-designer-1b342d55a358* The story of Slawsa: https://www.sharktankblog.com/business/slawsa/Where to find Kate Syuma, Head of Growth Design at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/* Blog: https://medium.com/@kate_syuma* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katusyuma/* Website: https://katesyuma.com/Where to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends, and give us a good review or send us your feedback to growthmates@substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit growthmates.substack.com Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe

Zander Whitehurst, Founder of Memorisely, ex. UX Designer at HotJar, shares his journey from UX to CEO and the challenges of transitioning to a Founder role. They discuss the future of education, effective methods for continuous learning, personal growth, and cultivating community. They also explore the idea of an education retreat on Ibiza and offer advice for transitioning into product design and choosing a bootcamp.

Allen shared with us his journey into design, starting more than 20 years ago and working in top companies such as Google, Facebook, Apple and Ebay. He's been for 4 years now at Pinterest, where he manages the growth design team. We also dived into the current state of Growth Design on tech companies and talked about the future of this role.On the second half of our conversation, Kate and Allen shared the challenges they both faced when transitioning from IC’s to Managers, and dived into some of the learnings they've made so far.Where to find Allen:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenjordan/* Website: http://allenjordan.com/* Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.es/allenjordanWhere to find Kate Syuma, Head of Growth Design at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/* Blog: https://medium.com/@kate_syuma* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katusyuma/* Website: https://katesyuma.com/* Twitter: https://twitter.com/kate_syumaWhere to find Oscar Torres:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends, and give us a good review or send us your feedback to growthmates@substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit growthmates.substack.com Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe

Priya Bhatia is a Growth Product Manager at 7Shifts. We started our conversation with unpacking her story of becoming a Product Manager in Growth, and discussed collaboration with product design and how to make it impactful. Then we landed on some crucial topics such as maintaining wellbeing and mental health in a high-paced environment, and even reflected on our recent experience of practicing silent meditation and vipassana.We hope that this part of our conversation can inspire you to try out some of the practices that can help you grow, feel well, both personally and professionally.Where to find Priya:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyabhatia0210/* Newsletter: Where to find Kate Syuma, Head of Growth Design at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/* Blog: https://medium.com/@kate_syuma* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katusyuma/* Website: https://katesyuma.com/* Twitter: https://twitter.com/kate_syumaWhere to find Oscar Torres:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends, and give us a good review or send us your feedback to growthmates@substack.com. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit growthmates.substack.com Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe