Taking off the lifejacket, 30 Life Lessons

Joshua Northcott at UXDX Community: Taking Action on Data, Career and Work Life. Video: https://youtu.be/t5DCnBV50KI

Readable transcript: edited from the recording's captions for readability (fillers and false starts removed, punctuation and section headings added). Wording is the speaker's own. Timestamps are positions in the video. Names marked [?] could not be verified against the audio.

Introduction

[00:00:00] Joshua: Hey, thanks so much, Rory, thanks for having me. This is really awesome. As was just stated, we'll be talking a lot about the life lessons that we've learned over the years. To give a little bit of an idea here, the whole purpose of this talk is to unlock something in each and every one of us, something that we could be better at. It challenges us. It challenges me every time I give this talk. It challenges us with a weak spot we may have, or something we might have heard, and it just refreshes you and ignites you and inspires you to do something that you may have heard before or never have done before. So enjoy. We're going to rapid-fire a lot of different points and lessons throughout, so it's going to be pretty fast paced, and I'm looking forward to it.

[00:00:52] Just to get right into it, I'll mention myself really quick. I am the CTO and co-founder at Hounder. Previous to starting my own company, I worked at other software organizations, so I have more of a corporate background. I was a web director at Esri for about 10 years. So I've really been lucky to have this unique career over the years, to be able to see what it's like from a larger corporate leadership type of role, as well as starting my own company and growing that from the ground up, in more of that startup type of mentality.

[00:01:33] A lot of these lessons and tips we're going to go through are really looked at from both of those perspectives. So whether you are working for a business or you have your own, this will pertain to all of you. A little bit about what we're doing now: we are a digital design and development company, and we partner with a lot of the largest companies in the world to build products, new experiences and all that good stuff. So that's just a little bit about myself and us.

Business lessons: honesty, customer success and constraints

[00:01:58] Getting right into it, the business side of things. We're going to break down a lot of these things learned over the years that are going to challenge all of us, starting with things in the business. It doesn't matter if you work for yourself, or you have your own company, or you work for somebody; this all pertains to everyone.

[00:02:21] First and foremost, honesty. Oftentimes we talk about honesty as something everyone does, a no-brainer, but in all respects it's actually very difficult in many contexts and many cases. Really embrace being honest, especially about what you're good at and what you're not good at. When you're in the hiring process, be upfront about things that you know you still need to grow in, because when you're honest it is a breath of fresh air to everybody, and it's really done wonders. I've had to really learn this, because it was hard for me, especially when we created a company from the ground up. There were times where we really wanted to work with a particular client, but they started to ask us for stuff that wasn't really aligned with our area of expertise.

[00:03:13] And there's that ethical part where it's like, oh, we need this, we're running really lean, this would be great. But luckily we were honest about it. I said, you know what, we might not be the best people if this is what you're looking for, even though we really wanted that. And that was a breath of fresh air to these organizations, and it actually led to more and more projects with them just because of that fact. So when in doubt, be brave and be honest.

[00:03:35] Measure yourself by customer success. It doesn't really matter all the things you think you might be good at, necessarily. Measure yourself by what your customer success is. Look at how you are making that boss look good. If you're working with a client or a customer, are they seeing success? Measure yourself by that outcome, by those results. It is the ultimate best way to see where you need to get better and what you're already good at.

[00:04:11] Embrace constraints. For all our UX and UI designers out there: being a former designer as well, whenever I had a project that didn't have a brand guide to start with, or the client was just telling me, hey, whatever you want to do, that's chaos to me. You want to embrace constraints. If you don't see some in a project, or in a product you're working on, start asking: what are the technical constraints here? What are the design constraints? What are the brand constraints? Constraints give us good barriers, so we know what the focus is and can be. It can also really help on the financial side of things. If you are a startup, those pennies and that little bit of money you might have, you will use every cent of it and use it the right way, because you have those constraints. Embrace those constraints. It is a real game changer.

Ideas, rocket science, tools and ten-minute meetings

[00:05:00] Also, ideas are free. Really cultivate in your culture, in your work, a culture of ideas. The best products, the best services, all come from people starting to talk about ideas. Sometimes the first one might not really hit the mark, but that spurs the next one and the next one and the next one, until you land on something. So always, in every meeting, ask people, what do you think? Do you have any ideas here? Call it out, especially for those that might be quiet. People are sometimes sitting on some amazing ideas, and they're free. So just really think about that when you're in those conversations.

[00:05:42] Pretend you're a rocket scientist. I love this one. It actually comes from a friend of mine named Mark Hemian [?], who has been an amazing founder of several different startup companies over the years, and several of these are ideas I've learned from him. Whether you're working on a product, designing something new, or starting your own company, think of yourself as that kind of scientist. Because no matter what, every product that ever goes out is the ultimate science experiment. You think you might know what someone needs, you think you might know that this will meet someone's goals and help them, but in reality you have a theory and you're testing your hypothesis. So approach new projects, new designs, new organizations, each and every one of those, like you're a rocket scientist, and get really scientific with it. It really helps.

[00:06:44] Also, business needs over tools. Don't let tools dictate your business processes. You can use a cork board for your workflows and things like that until you realize how your organization, or the division that you're in, should really work and operate, and then implement tools to help automate those things. But don't let the tools dictate how you should work.

[00:07:14] Also, 10-minute meetings. This was a game changer for me. It's amazing what you can discuss and talk about if you give yourself that constraint of 10 minutes, and then it opens your day to get the actual work done. So really engage in that. Obviously if you're doing the big discovery meetings that take a day or two days, of course. But for most conversations with your team, or with a stakeholder, you can try to limit it to 10 minutes and see what it does for you. It's pretty remarkable.

Handwritten cards, punching above your weight, and creativity

[00:07:41] Other than honesty, this is something that also got Hounder really great success, and we went off the back of it: mail handwritten cards. If you're doing a new idea or a new project, or you're trying to make new connections, mail handwritten cards. It's amazing. We started doing it, and that's what really drove a lot of the customers and work that we got, because we got their attention by knowing them and understanding them and handwriting the card to them, which no one does or sees anymore. So just a neat, fun little tidbit there. People would take pictures and tweet it and all that stuff, so it's really cool. Highly recommend it.

[00:08:27] Also, punch above your weight class. If you're still talking to the folks that you're currently working with on an intensive basis, great, that's awesome. But if you want to continue to move forward, if you have higher goals, or other sights beyond where you're currently at, start talking to those folks. Start commenting on their LinkedIn posts and things like that. Start engaging, and really just look for that goal that you have and go after it. Don't sit and wait for it to come to you, because it never ever will. Constantly look at, what's my next goal in life? What's that thing I'm doing? If I'm influenced by this person, I'm going to go and talk to them. Don't be afraid to do that and engage them. Punch above your weight class, always.

[00:09:04] Everyone's involved in the creative process. Us creatives sometimes have to stop saying, oh, this is a creative domain, this is just for the creatives or the designers or something like that, because in reality everyone is truly involved in that creative process. The product managers have a lot of creative ideas, because they're talking to those customers. The developers have a lot of great ideas in that creative process, because they understand the engineering side of how it has to be done and created. So really have a culture of including people, similar to what Kat said as well. Really provide that inclusion, because everyone truly is involved in that creative process.

[00:09:53] And a company that talks about itself is boring. For our designers and our marketing friends that are here, really look at the outcome of things to talk about. Customer successes: talk about the customer, how you made them successful because they used your product, and the outcome of what resulted. Talk about them, because at the end of the day it's all about people. No one wants to just hear a company talk about how great they are. It's the worst. So marketing managers, content marketers, keep that in mind, because the true story is the product, it's the outcome, and it's the people.

Observe first, outcomes over projects, challenge assumptions

[00:10:29] Observe and learn before you create. It saves you so much time if you really take the time at the beginning to truly learn and understand what the needs might be for any project or any product, and learn specifically what it really needs to be, before you even start picking up the pencil and paper, before you start doing any design work or development work. Really take that time to observe and learn first, before creating, always.

[00:11:10] A good reminder, and it's always a good reminder for me: people pay for products, services and outcomes, not projects. It's great to be task oriented and task minded. That goes down to the basics of just getting things done and being responsible. But when it comes down to it, people are looking for outcomes, so we also need to be results oriented. When we're discussing with our stakeholders, instead of spending too much time just talking about all the tasks that are going on, although that is important, we do need to refocus on the outcomes, because that's what people are paying for. They're paying for the outcomes, for seeing the results that come out of it. So always keep that in mind.

[00:11:47] Challenge assumptions frequently. This is one that I constantly have to work on, because I'll assume something and then think it's fact, because the assumption just makes sense in my own brain. So challenge those assumptions frequently. It's amazing what that will spark, especially if you're working with a team. Challenge those things in a good way, and great things will come out of it, because we assume so many things even though we don't realize it.

Personal lessons: saying no, showing up, staying hungry

[00:12:23] Now we're going to get into talking more about us, from more of a personal perspective. Saying no is a strength. I've really had to learn this, especially in leadership, and especially when I started my own company. Deep down I want to be a people pleaser. I want to say yes to almost everything that comes up. But just like a muscle that you have to develop and strengthen, you have to constantly exercise it, and the word no is very much like that. It is hard in a lot of circumstances to say no, even when you know something's the right way to go and the right thing to do. Designers see this all the time. Developers see this all the time as well. Saying no is a strength, and remember that. When something comes up, don't be afraid to say no, especially when you know it's for the greater good. Be ready to do so.

[00:13:18] Something Kat mentioned as well, with a slightly different spin: show up every day. Don't tell anybody, but sometimes, even as a co-founder, there are times that I don't want to be super present and talk to a lot of people and be very engaged. But oftentimes, on certain days, I've got to stir myself up. When you're like that on some days, which I believe everyone gets at one point or another, life happens, you need to stir yourself up about why you like doing what you do and why you care about it again, and just show up and be engaged. Don't be that person in those meetings or calls that looks like they're doing something else. Be engaged. Look people in the eye.

[00:14:09] Stay hungry as well. At the same time, it's very similar: just keep stirring yourself up. The days that you feel like it the least are when you really need to stir something inside you. So stay hungry. When I lose that, when I feel like I'm losing that fire, that's when I need to wave that "I need help" flag a bit. Because if you don't start stirring yourself up and staying hungry, you can get into that little lull. To avoid that, when you feel it the least, stir it up.

Titles, owning your ideas and learning every day

[00:14:49] Your title doesn't matter. Some folks might look at this and go, well, hold up, Josh, my title does matter, because in the organization that I'm in, my title actually determines how much I make and things like that. And I 100% understand that. What I'm really referring to here is, maybe you have junior designer as your title today, because it's only been a few years, but you can go ahead and start operating right now at the capacity of a senior-level designer. Make sure you're spending time being mentored by the folks that you want to be like, or that work at that level and capacity. Start with it in your head and start getting there, start operating at that ability, learn and operate at that ability. And guess what? When it comes down to it, when the company needs the really good ideas, they don't look and go, well, they're just a junior so-and-so. No, they'll say, we need him or her in here to go over this, because they see the potential, they see what you do. So don't just operate at your title level. You're more than that.

[00:15:56] Stop saying "I feel" or "in my opinion." I say this because I am very guilty of doing this oftentimes. But the reality is, own your idea, own your thought. Be confident in yourself. If you recognize something that might need to get better, or be different from where it's going, you don't need to discount it in any way, shape or form. Say it and own it and be confident in it, because it'll spur some really great ideas as well, and create positive change.

[00:16:40] Take 20 minutes to learn something new each day. Out of a lot of them, this is the one I always need but struggle with the most. But every time I get into a good habit of learning something new each day, it is remarkable how often it comes up in conversation, whether with a client or with our team, and really helps us get over a hurdle, or it becomes something I can utilize because I've learned it. I use the Pocket app now, and it's a really great app where you can choose topics you're into or want to learn more about, and it will feed those things to you in nice bite-sized chunks. Or sometimes I'll scan Twitter with certain people that I'm following, just to take a few minutes to learn something that I didn't know already. And like I said, every time I do that, it seems to come up in a conversation, or in a customer or client's needs in some way, shape or form, pretty quickly after I learn it. It's remarkable.

Cheerleaders, soft skills and hiring

[00:17:37] Be cheerleaders for others, all the time. We love it when people are all in for us, and inspire us, and are always on our side. We love that. And sometimes we'll think to ourselves, inherently, oh, that's maybe this person in leadership's job. But in reality it's all of our jobs to build people up, to be there for people. It's all about people at the end of the day, like we said before. So be those cheerleaders, be that person to inspire and to enable and empower all those around you. It's not just for someone who might have a leadership title or anything like that. Operate in that, and good things will come about.

[00:18:38] Soft skills are difference makers. I think we can all look at those people that we love to work with, and go, I love working with her, or I love working with him. Oftentimes it's because they have really great soft skills. They're easy to talk to. If someone sends aggressive emails or anything like that, they know how to respond in a very good way, a very positive way. Soft skills are difference makers. People want to work with you, people want to have those conversations with you, they want to include you in things. So have those soft skills. It truly is a difference maker. I'd rather work with someone who might not be as talented than someone who's just grumpy and doesn't really want to engage. So just something to be aware of.

[00:19:28] When it comes to hiring, focus on the person. We all learn new things every day in this field. Things are happening so quick. I can always teach someone how to be a better designer, or how to be a better front-end developer. I can't teach someone how to treat people. So look at those areas and ask yourself, is this someone I'd like to work with every day, if you're looking at hiring. Because remember, we can teach, and we can also inspire, and everyone learns something new every day, especially in this industry. So focus on the person, as well as their skill sets.

Disagreement, transparency and optimism

[00:20:05] Disagree: it sparks creativity. There's a great book by Aaron Irizarry called Discussing Design. I highly recommend it for all of us in UX and UI, and even product managers and program managers. It is really great. Really create a culture where it's OK to disagree, because when you do that and you talk about it, and you disagree in the right ways, where no defenses are up, that's where the real, true amazing ideas and creative thoughts come into play. So don't be afraid to do that, and do it obviously in a nice way and not a harsh way. Disagreeing sparks creativity.

[00:21:04] Transparency equals trust. You're never too big or too high up the chain of any organization to not show transparency. It's something we all need to do and really think about on a daily basis, and make sure it's instilled in us as best as possible.

[00:21:17] I've never met a successful pessimistic person. Anything good always starts first with a belief in something: a belief in seeing this through, a belief in working on this project, or in designing out experiences for people. It starts with the belief that this is going to be something special, something that's going to change lives or change the world around us. So make sure you're checking yourself here, because some of us can sometimes be naturally that way. I know I can, so it's something that I always have to check myself on as well, because it all starts with that belief.

Email breaks, busyness and balance

[00:22:09] 10-minute email breaks. This is another one. I'll do one, less than 10 minutes, in the morning, then in the middle of the day, and then at the end of the day. That way you can focus on the work that needs to be done, things that move your business or your product and company forward. It really is a game changer. Take those little breaks here and there. Don't let it rule you, that's for sure.

[00:22:34] This one's for me as well: stop saying "I'm so busy." Everyone's busy. We're all busy as professionals here. Sometimes saying that, even though you might not mean to, makes other people feel like, oh, you must be busier than me, and maybe I'm less important, or something like that. There are some things that can come out of that. So just be aware. I like to try to erase that from my vocabulary, even though it wants to come up every once in a while.

[00:23:10] Balancing everything. This just goes without saying. Work-life balance is obviously really key, but too much of anything is usually not very good, so just keep an eye on it. Keep an eye on the time you're spending working, with family, and on yourself. Make sure there's balance in all of those things.

Rapid fire: essentials, heck yeah, time and sales

[00:23:22] All right, now getting into the risk side. We're going to just rapid-fire these. Focus only on what's essential. If this is going to move my product forward, or my business forward, or our team forward, that's what I need to focus on: what moves the needle. Everything else doesn't matter. It really doesn't. Focus on what truly is the goal, what's going to move things forward, and laser-focus on those things.

[00:23:50] If it's not a heck yeah, it's a heck no. This is something we live by here at Hounder. Even if it's a hiring decision: heck yeah, we would love to work with this person every day. If it's not that, then it's a no. Or if it's a partner we want to work with, or a new client: oh yeah, heck yeah, this is a no-brainer, then that's a yes. Anything else, it's a no. Something for all of us to remember.

[00:24:17] Time is expensive. Whether you own your own company or you work for somebody, just being a good employee, think about your time and what you're investing it in. Also, the most important thing that you have is your time. So look at what you're spending your time on, because it's expensive one way or the other.

[00:24:42] No sales equals no business. There are times where designers and developers alike have had to stop what they're doing, pick up the phone and start making sales calls. Five of the biggest software companies in the world, by revenue, all make sales and marketing tools. No company can exist without sales. So don't underestimate that. For every minute you may spend building a product or designing your product, you'll probably have to spend two times that on marketing and sales for it. You can't underestimate what it takes to get people to really utilize your product, even if your product or your website is amazing. You've got to spend that time.

Growth, teams, documenting and persistence

[00:25:18] A couple of quick ones. Grow as demand for you grows. Especially in the startup world, growth is key. But the biggest thing is to make sure you're doing great work, that people like what you're doing, that your product is being utilized, and focus on that. Then, as that demand grows, grow. You don't want to self-implode.

[00:25:42] Build teams based on individuals, not skills. Cross-functional teams are key. If you're a manager in this place, look at who needs to be paired together. Don't just group everyone together based on their skills.

[00:25:56] Last ones. Document, don't create. When you're doing social media, just document what you're doing. Don't feel like you have to create all new content just for social media. If you're helping the company move forward, document what that looks like and put it out there. Don't feel like you have to create all this new content from scratch, because what you're doing is pretty remarkable, and people are more interested in that genuineness and what's real.

[00:26:29] And lastly, with anything that's worth anything, you're usually not going to get a yes right away. So keep grinding, keep going. A lot of us have a tough time with the word no, and when we hear it we don't try again. Just keep going, keep following up, because it's usually the 9th, 10th, 12th, 20th time when you get to where you need to go. So don't get discouraged, and don't give up, and don't stop.

[00:26:54] That's everything for me. I really hope you got something out of this, that at least you were able to get a couple of little pieces that spoke to you and unlocked something in you. I would love to hear from you at any point, so feel free to reach out to me, and I'm also looking forward to any questions you might have. Thank you.

Q&A

[00:27:21] Rory: Great, thank you very much, Josh. Those were rapid fire, as you said, but there are some really good pieces of insight there. There's one question: please repeat the name of the book and the author that you mentioned.

[00:27:38] Joshua: Yes, it's called Discussing Design, and it's from Aaron Irizarry. He co-wrote it with another person too; I can't remember his name. I believe it's an O'Reilly book. It's called Discussing Design, a really great book that can really help set the stage the right way when you want to discuss design, when there are disagreements and that creativity that sparks from them. It's a wonderful book that helps your team.

[00:28:06] Rory: Brilliant. So, Natalia, I hope you can look up that book now. One question that I had, actually, because there's so much: where do you struggle the most? What are the one or two that you have to keep reminding yourself of?

[00:28:19] Joshua: Oh, that's a really great question. The biggest one I struggle with the most, that I really have to check myself on, is focusing on what truly matters, what moves the business forward or moves a project forward. Because I love to say yes to a lot of things. I love to be involved; that's just a part of who I am. So I've had to really learn, and I have to constantly remind myself, that what's really going to move this forward is if I do this, not if I do that other thing. So really checking myself a bit when it comes up, because I can see a squirrel pretty quickly and go, oh, that looks fun. But it's really being locked in on what truly matters and will move things forward.

[00:29:16] Rory: Yeah, it's difficult as a co-founder, because you're trying to juggle so many balls in the air. It's something I struggle with as well.

[00:29:29] Joshua: Oh, it's always a constant juggling act.

[00:29:29] Rory: Well, I think that actually brings us to time, so I just want to say thank you once again for sharing all of your tips.

[00:29:43] Joshua: Thanks all, thanks so much.