Published inThe Design CoachThe Role of Design in an Increasingly Financialized Business EnvironmentIn recent years, businesses have become increasingly decoupled from traditional outcomes like profit, and many are now seen as financial…Jan 51Jan 51
Published inThe Design CoachCultivating the Right Kind of ConflictThe ability to share conflicting views about a situation or problem and still get on is a vital component of any high functioning team. It…Jan 5Jan 5
Published inThe Design CoachDealing With Conflict Using the PLEASE FrameworkIn my previous post I shared the idea that high functioning teams are comfortable with high levels of conflict, as long as it’s the right…Jan 5Jan 5
Published inThe Design VCWhy Hiring Ex-FAANG Employees Might Be a Mistake for Early-Stage StartupsFor many early-stage founders, hiring team members from FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) companies feels like a shortcut to…Jan 31Jan 31
Published inThe Design VCSchrödinger’s Rebrand: From Leather Seats to Starship ChicJaguar’s recent rebrand feels like it exists in a quantum state — both a daring pivot and a colossal misstep, depending on who you ask…Dec 16, 2024Dec 16, 2024
Published inThe Design VCHow Optimising for Value Delivery Unlocks Startup GrowthIn my recent talk on The Growth Equation, I shared the story of Marta, a founder archetype whose journey reveals a common but often…Dec 12, 2024Dec 12, 2024
Published inThe Design CoachThe Battle Between Shipping and Perfection: A Designer’s DilemmaDesigners, let’s talk about an uncomfortable truth. For many of us, the joy of our craft lies in creating work that is not just functional…Dec 6, 2024Dec 6, 2024
Published inThe Design VCThe 10 Practical Startup Books Every Growth-Obsessed Founder Should ReadA quick search for “startup books” will give you classics like The Lean Startup, Crossing the Chasm, , No Rules Rules, Blitzscaling, and…Dec 5, 20241Dec 5, 20241
Published inThe Design VCWhy You Can’t Build Your Way Out of Slow GrowthIn my recent talk on The Growth Equation, I introduced Barry, an archetypal founder whose story might sound all too familiar. Barry is a…Dec 5, 2024Dec 5, 2024
Published inThe Design VCWhat Startup Founders Get Wrong When Raising Money (and How to Fix It)As a Venture Partner at a VC fund, I’ve reviewed hundreds of pitch decks in my time. In fact most funds will receive thousands of decks a…Dec 4, 20248Dec 4, 20248
Published inThe Design VCA Simple Framework for Startup GrowthOne of the most common — and deceptively simple — questions founders ask is: “How can I grow my business faster?” It feels like the kind…Nov 28, 2024Nov 28, 2024
Published inThe Design VCHow and Why I Chose to Self-Publish The Growth Equation | Andy BuddBack in 2005, I wrote my first book — and learned the hard way why traditional publishing isn’t for everyone. The book, one of the first…Nov 15, 2024Nov 15, 2024
Published inThe Design CoachThe Future of Design: How AI is Shifting Designers from Makers to CuratorsWhen we think about designers, two main characteristics often come to mind: craft skills and taste. Craft skills are the technical…Nov 1, 2024Nov 1, 2024
Published inThe Design CoachJust Grow Up: Why Design Maturity Models Might be Harming Our Industry!Designers often look to design maturity models as benchmarks, comparing their own companies to idealised industry standards and thinking…Nov 1, 2024Nov 1, 2024
How Amazon KDP ruined my book cover (and derailed my launch)“I know it’s a long shot” I typed to the CX person in the support chat “but is there anybody at Amazon I could speak to who understands…Oct 25, 20248Oct 25, 20248
Published inThe Design VCWhy VCs Turn Founders Down (Note: It’s Not Always About the Idea)Let’s break down some of the most common reasons why VCs pass-and what you can do to improve your chances.Oct 20, 2024Oct 20, 2024
Published inThe Design CoachThe Historical Context of UX, UI and Product DesignThis morning I found myself writing a long response to a question somebody posted on a design leadership Slack about the difference between…Aug 14, 20233Aug 14, 20233
Published inThe Design CoachThe Real Reason Why Executives Don’t Want you InvolvedWe’ve all been there. You get hired for your expertise in a specific domain, and yet for some reason the powers at be seem to ignore your…May 15, 2023May 15, 2023
Published inThe Design CoachMove From “System One” to “System Two” Thinking When Making Product DecisionsEvery day people approach company leaders with problems in need of a quick fix. “The team is going to miss its deadline if we don’t do…May 2, 2023May 2, 2023
Published inThe Design VCEscalating Commitment to a Losing Strategy — Why Founders Refuse to QuitAs a startup founder, shutting down your business will be one of the hardest decisions you’ll ever have to make. However sometimes it’s…Apr 10, 2023Apr 10, 2023