Working together

Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success.
Henry Ford

Why I wrote this?

After decades of working across continents, cultures, startups, and scaled organizations, I’ve developed certain ways of working that help me (and the people I work with) get things done – without losing our sanity or sense of humor. I created this document to help new team members, partners, and collaborators quickly understand how I operate, what I value, and how we can do our best work together.

This is not a set of rules – it’s a playbook for alignment, efficiency, and, ideally, some fun along the way. When we work in sync, we can deliver outsized impact and enjoy the process too.

Communication & Collaboration

Clarity is kind. Over-communication beats confusion. Here’s what I value in our day-to-day communication and teamwork:

Set and meet expectations. Say what you’re going to do – and do it. I don’t enjoy chasing or reminding.
Come prepared. Before you ask an open-ended question, take a first stab. Show me you’ve thought about it.
Keep it simple. Use clean structures when writing or speaking. Bullet points are your friend.
Story first, then data. Lead with the “why” or narrative. Numbers stick better when there’s meaning behind them.
Be solution-oriented. Don’t just raise problems – bring ideas, hypotheses, or paths forward.
Think originally. I love new perspectives, reframing, and unexpected ideas. Show your thinking.
Add humor. Work gets better with levity. Jokes, memes, GIFs – even bad puns – are welcome.
Make me think. If you challenge my thinking, we’re both learning. That’s the goal.

Organization & Work Ethic

I’m obsessed with structure and timing. Here’s how to stay in my good books:

Be organized. In your thoughts, documents, and calendar. A tidy Figma file brings me joy.
Be punctual. I believe time is a sign of respect. Show up when you say you will. Deliver when you commit.
Take ownership. Don’t wait to be told. If something looks off, fix it – or flag it with context.
Prioritize wisely. Know what’s urgent vs. what’s important. Escalate early – before things snowball.
Leave things better. Whether it’s a shared doc or a Slack thread, aim for clarity and closure.

Trust & Transparency

Trust is earned – and once it’s there, you’ll have room to run.

Be transparent. If something’s off track, say so early. I value honesty over polish.
Don’t hide mistakes. I make them too. What matters is how quickly we course-correct.
Earn autonomy. I give lots of room to those who take accountability.

Culture & Environment

We do serious work – but we don’t have to take ourselves too seriously.

Laugh a little. Humor builds trust, breaks tension, and makes collaboration enjoyable.
Banter is encouraged. Bring your personality to work – your quirks are welcome.
Celebrate wins. Small or big. Progress deserves a pause.
Think big. Don’t settle for incremental. Ask, “What if…?”

Non-Negotiables (a.k.a. My Quirks)

These are things I care deeply about, and I don’t compromise on them:

Clean, tidy, structured work. Messy documents, cluttered boards, or vague meeting agendas drive me up the wall.
Punctuality. Late shows a lack of respect. On time earns trust.
Transparency. Don’t sugarcoat. Give me the real picture – good, bad, or messy.
Ownership. If you see it, you own it. Don’t pass the buck.
Originality. Bring yourself into the work. Not just your skills, but your ideas and intuition.

How I Think About Design and Product

Start with the right problem. Don’t jump to solve -frame and reframe first.
User insight is the foundation. No feature without a traceable user need.
End-to-end matters. We design for holistic journeys, not isolated screens.
Experience > consistency (when needed). We prioritize the best user fit over enforcing internal uniformity.
Design is everyone’s job. I coach cross-functional teams to think like designers.
Choose tools that accelerate, not complicate. Use what moves the work forward.
Balance user needs with business outcomes. It’s not a zero-sum game – we can (and must) do both.

Let’s Build Something Great

I wrote this so we could hit the ground running, minimize misfires, and maximize momentum. If you’ve read this far – thank you. You now know how I work, what I care about, and how we can team up effectively.

Let’s do meaningful work, take smart risks, make each other better – and remember to laugh along the way.

Read about my Design Thinking approach and views on the Design Process.

See End-to-end Case Studies where I have applied Design Thinking methodologies to various projects.

Learn about my workshops on Design Thinking for Youth

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