Still buzzing with the energy of CONFIG2023

, I found myself drawn into the magnetic wisdom of , CEO. His potent words resonated, ‘…the designers are equal to the product managers; actually we got rid of the classic product management function. Apple didn’t have them either.’ I highly encourage to check out the conversation that I attach in the notes at the end.

Bold and disruptive, yet profoundly insightful. His proposition dared us to rethink the age-old paradigms, to challenge the orthodoxies, and to allow design to become our compass.

Immersed in the entirety of the discourse, I’ve gathered the essence of it, just for you. It’s more than a mere summary; think of it as a distillation of critical insights, a shortcut for those yet to venture into the full presentation:

At the heart of product creation lies the ability to converse about it. The company’s top brass must share a unified brain, each neuron pulsating with the same vision.

Design is not confined to a department. It’s a mindset, a way of approaching problems. It shouldn’t be dictated but should arise from the designer’s intuition and understanding, not just about adjusting pixels but distilling complexity to its essence.

In the journey of product development, Design and Engineering (alongside PMs) should hold hands from the beginning. Here, Design nudges Tech beyond comfort, while Tech sprinkles inspiration onto Art.

Every CEO is a custodian of the roadmap, a vision of the next three years that adapts each week. Stability in short-term plans, flexibility in the long.

The company’s heartbeat is the bond between marketing and engineering. The former being the courteous waiter, the latter, the master chef. Harmony is found when the waiter understands the kitchen, not disrupting it.

Early involvement of marketing is crucial, underlining the importance of PMM, an amalgam of PM abilities and marketing prowess. Together with designers, they orchestrate how to manifest new ideas.

Every novelty starts with an insight. It’s about designing the journey of personas, capturing a panoramic view of your product, pinpointing touchpoints, and systematically refining the core product.

Design is not just a whimsical guess; it’s an artifact born from a profound understanding of a problem.

In the face of two undesirable choices, the best solution is often a third, a product of creativity and heart — the designer’s forte.

To encapsulate, the talk was a nod towards the 21st-century superpower — fundamental thinking, deep problem comprehension, creativity, empathy, and tenacity.

Designer, PM, PMM — it’s the attributes that truly count.

Everyone, irrespective of their title, can harness these qualities to become superstar contributors

Notes

• Leading through uncertainty: A design-led company — Brian Chesky (Config 2023)