Chart Your Path to Product Leadership, talk given at UXcamp Ottawa 4 on Saturday, Nov 9, 2013. Wonderful event!

1. Chart Your Path to
Product Leadership
Bill DeRouchey
UXcamp Ottawa

2. I’ve been thinking about
UX Careers.

3. I don’t have all the answers.

4. We are all quite
Lucky.

5. Our job is to talk to people,
flickr : kunchia

6. and learn from them,
flickr : kunchia

7. and then make things for them.
Studio Neat : Cosmonaut

8. But we have a
Problem.

9. It’s extremely difficult to
Plan a UX Career.

10. As an example, my path...

11. 1993
1998
2003
2008
2013
Production & Layout of Textbooks
Web Producer / Writer / Print Manager
Freelancing Information Architect
Interaction Design of Products
Studio Lead, GE Aviation

12. But then I began to hunt for
Real Problems.

15. Problems or
Opportunities?

16. 1968
1978
1988
1998
the
webweb
2008 2013 2018
touch
2028
2038
2048
flexible
neural
displays? nanoimplants?
personal
datadermal
replicators? patches?
2058
?

17. 1968
1978
1988
1998
2008 2013 2018
2028
2038
2048
food
energy
riots?
shortfalls?
economic
churn
healthcare rising
crisis?
oceans?
the web
connectivity
2058
?

18. Problems will become more
Dramatic.

19. Food
Energy
Banking
Education
Insurance
Transportation
Water
Science
Social Care
Health Care
Government
Environment

20. That world will need quality
Leadership.

21. That world will need
Your Skills.

22. That world will need
You.

23. Agent
Change
of

24. What are the future leadership skills you
Already Know?

25. How to learn about
people in their worlds.
1

26. How to approach a problem
with an open mind.
2

27. How to dig deep to understand
what the real problem is.
3

28. How to distill, frame,
and explain the problem.
4

29. How to experiment
with solutions.
5

30. So what skills do you need to
Learn Next?

31. le
Peop
y
olog
n
Tech
Customers
Context
Goals
Pains
Behaviours
Processes
Interactions
Business

32. le
Peop
Software
Hardware
Materials
Networks
Mobile
y
olog
n
Tech
Customers
Context
Goals
Pains
Behaviours
Processes
Interactions
Business

33. le
Peop
Software
Hardware
Materials
Networks
Mobile
y
olog
n
Tech
Customers
Context
Goals
Pains
Behaviours
Processes
Interactions
Business
Business Models Marketing
Budgeting
Strategy
Change Management
Money
Planning

34. y
le
Peop
YOU
Software
Hardware
Materials
Networks
Mobile
olog
n
Tech
Customers
Context
Goals
Pains
Behaviours
Processes
Interactions
Business
Business Models Marketing
Budgeting
Strategy
Change Management
Money
Planning

35. y
le
Peop
YOU
olog
n
Tech
Who are you
trying to help?
What materials
do you have to
work with?
Business
How will the solution survive in the world?

36. The usual way.
Start
Learn about the people.
Explore available technology.
Explore potential solutions.
Ship

37. The better way.
...then this meant nothing.
Start
If nothing happens here...
Ship
Stick
How will your solution thrive in the world?

38. Business is the mechanism for making
Solutions Thrive.

39. Pitching. How do you get a project started?
Financing. How will all this effort be paid for?
Development. How will it be manufactured?
Marketing. How will people learn about it?
Adoption. How will people commit to using it?
Metrics. How do you know you’re doing well?

40. In corporate-speak, solutions need to get
Operationalized.

41. Learning this world helps you to
Shepherd Ideas.

42. How do you
Get Started?

43. Recognize your strengths.
1

44. Practice clarity.
2

45. Notice when design
problems are really
business problems.
3

46. Learn your company’s
business model.
4

47. Uncover barriers
to customer adoption.
5

48. Learn how an industry works.
6

49. Food
Energy
Banking
Education
Insurance
Transportation
Water
Science
Social Care
Health Care
Government
Environment

50. Act as if YOU are
the product leader.
7

51. Start by trying this
Exercise.

52. 1. Picture yourself five years older.
You
today
You
+5 yrs

53. 2. Pick a vision for what you’ll be doing.
Leading
a Team
You
today
You
+5 yrs

54. 3. What are aspects of that vision?
Guiding Projects
Mentoring People
Providing Feedback
You
today
Leading
a Team
You
+5 yrs

55. 4. That’s what you should work on!
Guiding Projects
Mentoring People
Providing Feedback
You
today
Leading
a Team
You
+5 yrs

56. 5. Find mentors to help you on your path.
☺
☺
You
today
☺
Guiding Projects
Mentoring People
Providing Feedback
☺
☺
☺
Leading
a Team
You
+5 yrs

57. For example, here’s my plan.
☺
☺
Me
today
☺
Project Evangelism
Industry Dynamics
Change Management
☺
Run Complex
☺
☺ Initiatives
Me
+5 yrs

58. So, what does your future look like?
☺
☺
You
today
☺
☺
an aspect of that
another aspect of that ☺
and one more thing
☺
Something
You Love
You
+5 yrs

59. Build upon your UX skills
to become a leader
and solve real problems
in the world.

60. Thank You.
Bill DeRouchey
UXcamp Ottawa