Pivot

In this podcast, Danny Morrow, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Extend Payments, shares valuable insights about his personal and professional growth. He discusses the magic of taking an idea to a successful startup, emphasizing the critical role of building culture, attracting the right team, and instilling a continuous learning mindset. He recounts how Extend Payments was conceived and developed and highlights the significance of creating a solid product-market fit, fostering strong relationships, and maintaining humility in the face of success. A central theme of his narrative is the importance of iterating, feedback, and remaining open to change and growth. Connect with Danny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-morrow/ Careers at Extend: https://www.paywithextend.com/careers Subscribe to the Way of Product Newsletter: www.wayofproduct.com 00:36 The Journey from CTO to Chief Innovation Officer 03:12 The Role of a Chief Innovation Officer 03:22 The Intersection of Design and Technology 03:59 The Evolution of a Career in Technology 04:31 Building a Team and a Company Culture 05:13 The Role of Creativity in Technology 10:13 The Journey to Founding Extend 11:09 The Challenges and Rewards of Starting a Company 11:58 The Importance of Curiosity and Learning in a Startup 12:13 The Magic of Design and Technology 21:58 The Story of Extend's Inception 26:52 The Importance of Founder-Market Fit 28:40 The Excitement of Learning a New Industry 29:22 The Importance of Building a Strong Team 30:27 The Art of Delegation and Trust 32:48 Building a Positive Company Culture 34:11 The Evolution of a Startup 38:09 The Role of Creativity in Business 40:55 The Journey of Building a Product 43:15 The Importance of Feedback and Continuous Improvement 46:17 The Process of Marketing and Sales 54:56 Reflections on the Journey and the Future

Hey there! Are you interested in getting exclusive updates on my latest research for my book? If so, join my newsletter at wayofproduct.com! My podcast is now focused on book research, and I want to share my progress with you. By subscribing, you'll get free updates on the book and receive a draft of the introduction sent to your inbox. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be the first to know about my book's progress and any other project I have lined up. Join the newsletter now at wayofproduct.com!

In this episode: The future of knowledge management. Difference between research reports and an insight repository. What the Dualo team is doing to close the insights/decisions gap. Connect with Nick Connect with Dan Learn more about Dualo's insights repository product --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewayofproductdesign/message

Staff design is a competency level. It could have several specializations. One of them being a strategist. Today I chat with Larry Cheng about how to progress in the IC path, and what is required on the staff designer career trajectory. Connect with Larry --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewayofproductdesign/message

How do you know if you have spotted a good idea? In this episode, I chat with the CEO and Founder of Mobilo, a smart business card about evaluating pain points and how to be decisive in your product roadmap. Connect with Pieter Learn more about Mobilo --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewayofproductdesign/message

Design getting the seat at the executive table is still a steep hill to climb. For the 100th episode of the show, I'm bringing my friend and longtime coworker Clay Walter to talk about his growth into the VP of Design role. We discuss what you have to unlearn to become influential as a designer in your org and what is looked for in a VP of Design. Connect with Clay --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewayofproductdesign/message

Today we learn from a veteran of the product design industry, Kevin Bailey from Product Design Agency "Design 1st". We talk about abandoning the term designer in favor of "product development specialist" and what we need to focus on to increase the odds of success for our product in the market. Learn more about Design 1st --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewayofproductdesign/message

Great teams make great products, great design teams get companies to the next level. My guest is Justin Tan, Cofounder and Design Leader at Turtle Design. In this episode, we chat about helping companies get the right design hires for any stage of growth. Connect with Justin Turtle Design --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode, I interview Doorloop's VP of Product, Noam Grebel, about the role of VP of Product. Connect with Noam --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewayofproductdesign/message

My guest today is Jared Odeguard, a design director and certified coach. In this episode, we talk about the most proven and effective style of management: Coaching. Connect with Jared --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewayofproductdesign/message

My guest today has airdropped into multiple cities and set up fully functional design teams for the worldwide design agency Lollypop. Anjali Deswandikar talks about hiring and establishing a design culture. We discuss diversity and how to foster it and scale something larger than yourself. Connect with Anjali --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewayofproductdesign/message

How do you harness your ideas? How do you create things that are worth making? In this episode, I chat with Joey Cafone, author of "The Laws of Creativity" a comprehensive book on the creative process. Buy "The Laws of Creativity" Connect with Joey --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewayofproductdesign/message

Repost of one of my top listened-to episodes. With a couple of Google conversation designers. Michael is currently working on conversation design at Meta. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Audio essay on impact in stops in your career. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Season 6 finale! In this episode, I talk with Anthony Armendariz about the culture he and his wife have built at Funsize, the prolific Austin TX-based design agency. We talk about reducing designer churn and the lessons he had to learn so he could grow Funsize. Connect with Anthony: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyarmendariz/ Work at Funsize: https://www.linkedin.com/company/funsize/ Listen to Anthony's podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

I have personally never worked in a company with a dedicated UX researcher, so I reached out to, Varun Murugesan, one of the contributors to UX Research publication Apple & Banana, to learn how to properly utilize a full-time research role in a design org. Connect with Varun: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varunsmurugesan/ Check out Apple & Banana's new book --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Imagine hiring a company whose value proposition is more revenue? That's the promise of Wunderkind, an agency based in NYC that uses creativity and design as levers to drive business growth. In this episode, I chat with their VP of design, Richie Lokay, about running a large design org the levers they focus on at Wunderkind to drive business growth. Connect with Richie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richielokay/ Work at Wunderkind: https://www.wunderkind.co/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode, I discuss the product design role with Peter Loving, owner of the agency, UserActive, and the differences between UX and Product Design. I recommend this interview to anyone wanting to figure out what specialty they are going to focus on in their career. Connect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterloving/ Work with UserActive --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode, I talk with Senior Director of Product Erica Gann Kitaev about how emotion and sentiment can be big indicators of product success. This episode is a great deep dive on delight. Connect with Erika: https://www.linkedin.com/in/egann/ Careers at Thomson Reuters: https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en.html --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode, I chat with Ian Peterman, Founder of the Peterman Design Firm, about the value of time and consistency when working out innovations. This interview will get you hyped to stick to something long-term because that's what it takes to be an impact player in the industry. Connect with Ian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianpeterman/ Work with the Peterman Firm --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode, I talk with serial entrepreneur Richard White, founder of Fathom, about how he balances vision and execution, and how to translate research insights into actual product roadmap moves. Connect with Richard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rrwhite/ Download Fathom --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode, I talk to Pek Pongpaet, CEO of the almost decade-old agency Impekable, about the lessons he has had to learn to grow his agency by not designing. This is a great episode for designers who want to grow into business operators. Connect with Pek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pekpongpaet/ Careers at Impekable: https://www.impekable.com/ Listen to Pek's Podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

A discussion on what good and bad strategy is and how innovation actually works. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Essay on how to carry yourself as a professional designer. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

How to identify ideas and requirements that are not backed by real discovery work. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

An essay on what it takes to create a meaningful career and life. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Season 5 Finale! In this episode I learn about excelling in your career by talking to Taylor Palmer. Taylor has found that he grows most quickly on teams and in environment where there is a culture of experimentation. He tries to set aside 20% of his time to always be working on something that's not on the roadmap. Taylor has had a steep growth curve since starting at Lucid fresh out of college. Within 5 years he became a director of UX there, and helped build a team of 20 designers. He also started an awesome side project called UX tools which is now the go-to resource for showing the top UX tools in the industry. Connect with Taylor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-palmer-6264a171/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

The design thinking philosophy outlines a way to think and approach product development. It isn't a process. In this episode, I talk with co-creator of UX tools, Jordan Bowman, about the real day to day of a product designer. We discuss: -The job is not a linear process, so your methods change based on the problem. -The best way to learn about UX, by breaking down methods and using scenarios to practice them. -How to do consistent customer interviews by reducing your planning to a single focus you need solved right now. Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrdnbwmn/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

William needed a job, and even with a strong portfolio and track record, it took him three months to land on his feet. William talks about how he learned to take control of his career from that day forward, so it no longer took "3 months" to find a new job. William is the author of "101 Random UX Facts" and a Senior Designer at PayPal and former designer at Home Depot. This episode is a masterclass on hustling to get better career prospects. Get Williams book: https://101randomuxtips.com/ Connect with William: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamntim/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

The key to performance as designer is getting to a point where you are relaxed in the role. I chat with Bobby Lloyd, a Principal at United Health and a former UX/UI Strategist at Goldman Sachs, about what needs to happen to become relaxed as a designer. Bobby calls it being "organic" and a lot of it has to do with practice and getting over imposter syndrome. We dive deep in this one. Connect with Bobby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-lloyd-52a8b35/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode I chat with Janet Lee on operating a design business. Janet is Director Of Operations, Digital Agency for the prolific agency Impekable. Where she started off as a design intern. We discuss her shift from designing to becoming an operator of the business itself. Recommend this episode with anyone who is curious about operations in a design or product organization. Find Janet here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janplee/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

This episode is about creating products that are designed to "generate value" for consumers, in place of "extracting value" from consumers. There is a big difference! George Serediuc is a Principal Designer based in Romania. He runs a consultancy gig to help companies & institutions build inclusive digital products that are purposeful & human-centered. We talk about the philosophy of user-centered design and I make a prediction of the end of free trials, as more regulation is created in digital products. Connect with George: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeserediuc/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Why are designers moving into Product Managment roles? I bring on an old guest, Bryan Mortensen, to talk about our recent discussions on why we both are considering moving into Product Managment one day. We discuss designers losing influence at the business seat of the table, how product management is taking over aspects of design thinking we both like doing, and why having a solid PM is a game changer for a company. Connect with Bryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanmortensen/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode, Carey Jenkins and I talk about Digital Optimism, a school of thought that empowers technologists to believe in the power of technological innovation to improve our lives and society. Carey Jenkins is CEO of Substantial, a world-class product development studio based in Seattle, serving a diverse set of clients - from Fortune 50s like Google and Amazon to emerging start-ups and social impact organizations. (They are also hiring remote friendly positions) Connect with Carey here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/careyvjenkins/ Check out Careers at Substantial Here: https://substantial.com/careers --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

UX can be romanticized as a profession that can airdrop into any business and work miracles, when it's really just another stakeholder. In this episode, I chat about the pitfalls of UX's rising popularity with Michael Tinglin. We also talk about the non-linear career, which is giving yourself the freedom to jump back and forth between IC and management roles as a design professional. Michael has a lifetime of experience in the field, and provides some awesome nuggets of wisdom based off his decades of experiences working on innovative products and services for companies like 7-Eleven and Fanny Mae. Connect with Michael here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltinglin/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode I chat with Adam Fry-Pierce, a former director of the design leadership forum at InVision and current head of design ops at Docusign. He has personally onboarded and interacted with over 3200 design leaders in the DLF and has some takeaways and lessons from those experiences that you might find interesting. Topics we cover: - If all design leaders have everything together. - Leadership and Culture lessons. - Diversity. Connect with Adam here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfp/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Audio Essay on Winning Companies --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

An audio essay on critical thinking --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Why product work is about making complex things complicated. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode I interviewed Terell Cobb, design leader at Microsoft and active leader in the Black UX community about diversity in design. He eloquently reframed the diversity argument in a way that really resonated with and made sense to me: "Its about exposing future designers to successful people that look like them, so they know what's possible in their career" Connect with Terrell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terellcobb/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode, I chat with Patricia Dwyer, about designing for ecosystems. Patricia is a content designer on Intuit's Platform Design team, and shares what the design challenges are in a platform environment. Anyone interested in how design contributes to huge architectural efforts should give this a listen. Connect with Patricia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciabdwyer/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Let's talk about the next iteration of the internet. Web 3.0. In this episode, I chat with Tian Zhao about what kind of products and experiences will be possible with mass adoption of distributed computing. Connect with Tian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tntyzhao/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Drew Bridewell is the head of design and product at GrowthDay. and is the CEO and Founder of Next Level UX an education company designed to help designers level up their, planning, systems thinking, and soft skills so they can be a better contributor to their teams and be high performing UX designer overall. We talk about what it takes to actually solve complex problems, how to map complex problems and how to effectively plan your work for maximum impact. Find next level UX here: https://www.nextlevelux.me/ Connect with Drew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abridewell/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode, I get together with Johnathan Shariat, author of "Tragic Design", cohost of the "Design Review" podcast, and interaction designer at Google. We chat about the concept of his book "Tragic Design" and the consequences, big and small, poor design brings to people. Connect Johnathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanshariat/ Buy Tragic Design: https://www.tragicdesign.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this interview I chat with Tait Wayland about how the industry evaluates designers. Tait recently wrote an article that resonated with a lot of people, including me, called, "Stop Evaluating Product Designers like we’re Visual Designers" on how hiring managers give preferential treatment to visual design over other disciplines like interaction design and systems thinking. Find the Article here: https://uxdesign.cc/stop-evaluating-product-designers-like-were-visual-designers-a470cff49990 Connect with Tait: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taitwayland/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Aaron Moncur is the owner of Pipeline Design and Engineering. A physical product design shop. In this episode we talk about physical product design, the Parallels it has with the digital world, and picking what kind of work you do depending on your interests. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

In this episode, I chat with Bryan Sebestia, a modern day renaissance designer, about planning an information diet and charting out how broaden your design skillset. We talk courses, how to learn, and how to be be an eclectic generalist. Connect with Bryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryansebesta/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

How do you define what we do, and how does that influence hiring? Michael Canar and I discuss hiring designers, and how good hiring managers know how to build a team based on the strengths and specializations of each designer they evaluate when hireing. Connect with Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ca%C3%B1ar-747a104/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Ben Crabtree and I talk about the discovery process in this episode. It comes down to defining the problem. Ben provides practical ways to define the actual problems you are solving in a project. Connect with Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-crabtree-582b0180/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message

Lucid software is known for its high-performing design team, and today I interview one of their A-Players, Sanjana Mathur. In this episode, we discuss the end of the "dev handoff", how to not cut corners on UX, and how we can better blur the lines of responsibility in the product team to quickly collaborate and learn as a unit. Connect with Sanjana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjana-mathur/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewayofproductdesign/message