Unicorn

unicorn ranch
keywon chung

http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/robboudon/6035811624

weird title, Bad news
How “unicorns” & t-shaped
people rule this age of
software innovation

how we’re disappointed with
the korean talent pool


outline

WHAT IS A UNICORN?
why is everyone looking
for unicorns?
what is a unicorn ranch?
How do we build a ranch?
can we build it in korea?
what do you think?


what is a unicorn?
How do you evaluate talent?

What makes your talent more
valuable than others?

what is a unicorn?
historical perspective

I asked:

Why is it so difﬁcult to Richard Buchanan said:
explain to my parents
You need a
what I do?
history lesson.

I was studying Design & Human-Computer Interaction
at Carnegie Mellon in 2001. He was the dean of School of Design at
Carnegie Mellon and a prominent academic.

what is a unicorn?

law medical banking art cooking

lawyer doctor banker painter chef

Understand law Memorize anatomy Learn bank products Learn to draw Memorize recipes
Advise people Diagnos illness Make calculations Master your medium Practice the dishes
Represent people Perform surgery Enroll customers Sell your paintings Shop for ingredients

License exam Anatomy book Calculator Canvas Recipe book
Law books Scalpel Spreadsheet Oil paint Knives
Case studies Pills and herbs Customer Rolodex Sketchbook Oven

what is a unicorn?
This is vertical. historical perspective
Trade or domain





what is a unicorn? This is horizontal.
Across multiple domains





what is a unicorn?
Middle Age: Verticals historical perspective
Everyone was in their narrow trench





what is a unicorn?
Renaissance: Horizontal
Think Da Vinci, a Renaissance Man





what is a unicorn?
Post-Renaissance: Verticals again historical perspective
Think Industrial Age, 20th Century





what is a unicorn? Design started as a vertical
Industrial design, car design, logo design

law medical banking art Design

lawyer doctor banker painter Designer

Understand law Memorize anatomy Learn bank products Learn to draw Draw logos
Advise people Diagnos illness Make calculations Master your medium Make clay models
Represent people Perform surgery Enroll customers Sell your paintings Proof CMYK print

License exam Anatomy book Calculator Canvas Offset printer
Law books Scalpel Spreadsheet Oil paint Photoshop
Case studies Pills and herbs Customer Rolodex Sketchbook Foam models

what is a unicorn? New types of design is emerging
Problem solvers, strategists, experience



These designers work across verticals
Medical device, credit card, charity branding Learn bank products
Understand law Memorize anatomy Learn to draw Draw logos
Advise people Diagnos illness Make calculations Master your medium Make clay models
Design is both horizontal and vertical
Making it very confusing to others


what is a unicorn?



But these horizontal types are not
Understand law unicorns. anatomy
Memorize Learn bank products Learn to draw Draw logos
Advise people These are just generalists.
Diagnos illness Make calculations Master your medium Make clay models


what is a unicorn?
definition

Someone who can perform
multiple specialty functions and
solve a broad set of problems
your team faces.

what is a unicorn?
example

“Seed-stage startup looking for rockstar
junior designer to sketch wireframes and
design beautiful mockups. You’ll be
responsible for crafting our logo and brand
and writing UI copy. Must know how to run
usability studies, prototype and write
production-ready HTML and CSS.”

Braden Kowitz

what is a unicorn?
This job posting describes... a unicorn designer
Someone both broad and deep

research interaction writing visual Ui dev

visual ui
user product copywriter
designer junior
researcher designer
developer
editor
communica-
usability interaction
tion designer frontend dev
expert designer content
manager
gui designer ui prototyper
product ui designer
analyst brand
identity ios developer
ux designer strategist
designer

what is a unicorn? “Unicorn” Designer
a unicorn designer
They exist. But unlikely you can ﬁnd or hire them.


visual ui
designer junior
researcher designer
developer
editor
communica-
manager
product ui designer
analyst brand
designer

what is a unicorn?
T-Shaped Designer “T-Shaped” Designer
You can ﬁnd them... only in certain places


visual ui
designer junior
researcher designer
developer
editor
communica-
manager
product ui designer
analyst brand
designer

what is a unicorn?
what is “t-shaped?”

Disposition for collaboration
Across different disciplines.
Curiosity, enthusiasm, empathy.

Depth of skill
Contribute to creative process.
Competitive & competent

Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO

what is a unicorn?
Horizontal stroke = defining factor

Disposition for collaboration
Across different disciplines.
Curiosity, enthusiasm, empathy.

Depth of skill
Contribute to creative process.
Competitive & competent

Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO

what is a unicorn?
unicorn vs. t-shaped

The pyramid is skewed
Much fewer unicorns than Ts exist

Most are neither unicorns nor Ts
A lot more mediocre people

The Rest

what is a unicorn?
unicorn + t-shaped

Value increases exponentially
Both provide much better value than the rest

The Rest

what is a unicorn?
unicorn + t-shaped

In this presentation, we will use the term “unicorn” for
Existing unicorns
+
T-shaped people
striving to evolve into a unicorn.

why is everyone looking for unicorns?
a recent phenomenon

Everyone’s looking for a unicorn.

who’s looking?

“Seed-stage startup looking for rockstar
junior designer to sketch wireframes and
design beautiful mockups. You’ll be
Designer
responsible for crafting our logo and brand
and writing UI copy. Must know how to run
usability studies, prototype and write
production-ready HTML and CSS.”

Braden Kowitz

who’s looking?

Developer

SiliconFlorist.com

who’s looking?

1) Exceptional at deep analysis of data and
running tests.
2) Gifted at creating content and
Marketer
3) Brilliant at branding.
Oh, and it would be awesome if they were also
world-class project managers.

Dharmesh Shah

who’s looking?

“Something has gone terribly out of whack in
looking for realistic talent,” Ms. Weinstein said.
Many companies are looking for “a five-headed
Advertising
monster,” focusingandon creative and highly
the list goes on.

technical skills (number crunching, data
visualization, quantitative analysis) and a strong
business acumen.

New York Times

what’s causing this rush?

Why?
Sudden high demand for unicorns?

software development has changed

Lean Startup y-combinator

Agile dev
a/b testing
mobile first
python, ruby
software as a
service analytics

open source
design first
angelist

software development has changed

Lean Startup y-combinator

Agile dev
a/b testing
What kind of people thrive in
mobile first

(and deﬁne)python, rubyera?
software as a this new
service analytics

open source
design first
angelist

standout companies

Creators of Ruby on Rails Creators of Paper iPad App
Design company -> Web apps 1.5M downloads in 2 weeks
Basecamp, Backpack, Campﬁre Apple Design Award winner

Silicon Prarie News FiftyThree

because you need them

What do you think is required to build
and join these standout companies?
Technical knowledge? Not really.
Good schools? Screw that.
8 tenets of standout tech companies

1/8

Scratch your own itch
Be your own customer

Love your problem
Are you solving a problem that you truly care about?
Are you scratching your own itch?
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/9516941@N08/2286083797

2/8
Empathy for customers
Think like your customers

Love your customers
They are your allies and partners with the same itch you have.
You exist to make their lives simpler and better.
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/eurleif/66875875/

3/8

Anti-Tablet PC = iPad
“Finger is the ultimate input device”

Make opinionated product
Take sides. Pick an enemy. Have a vision and attitude.

http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/viagallery/2037438708/ http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/oxtopus/5102485260

4/8

cross-function
Create opportunities to expand yourself.
Do only what you already know -> Create only what already exists.
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/altuwa/4398216485

5/8
Or, better yet...
Start a project with a peer or mentor.

Screw textbook
Just start hacking and designing.

learn quickly
Learn problem solving, not the answers.
Ask questions.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajkjuu/3671301881 http://www.flickr.com/photos/rsms/4794163953/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ter-burg/5520205712

6/8

Decisions are temporary
“Done” is the magic word

momentum-sensitive
Win small victories consistently.
Push your product forward every day, every week.
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/orcmid/3879260297

7/8

Stay away from Preferences
Be decisive for users, and move it forward

Quick decisions
Bring in your own point of view.
Simplify the product for your customers.
http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/lyndonhill/6911975683/

8/8

Effective, concise thinking
Valuable in every aspect

good communicator
Good speakers and writers make good designers and coders.

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/i_wont_hire_people_who_use_poo.html

make
love your love your cross-
opinionated
problem customer function
product

World view, value system,
passion for improvement
good
learn momentum- quick
communi-
quickly sensitive decisions
cator

make
love your love your cross-
opinionated
problem customer function
product

This is about attitude.
Not as much about resume or skills.
good
learn momentum- quick
communi-
quickly sensitive decisions
cator

it’s more about attitude than skills
this is a cultural shift

facebook
ideo
stripe

Same situation at other
idolized companies.
dropbox
google
airbnb

all these companies are looking
still most people are “I-shaped”

High demand, low supply.

http://www.quora.com/Designers/Why-is-there-such-a-stunningly-short-supply-of-designers-in-Silicon-Valley-right-now http://www.quora.com/Silicon-Valley/Why-is-there-such-a-stunningly-short-supply-of-good-developers-in-Silicon-Valley-right-now

do i need unicorns?
Why do they offer higher value?

Value increases exponentially
Unicorns and Ts provide much better value

The Rest

yes, you need unicorns
the difference is simply too big

Unicorns are no accident.
They are self-aware and culture-aware.

advantages of unicorns

Passion for improvement and innovation included
Improving oneself beyond what’s offered by
school or work system included
They get the culture Quick learning included

we compete in. Problem solving included
No need to explain all this Ability to deal with ambiguity included

Empathy and cross-functional growth included
Point of view and decision making ability included
Good communication included

is it greedy? no.

You don’t need unicorns for new hires, but
you need T-shaped people to
compete in this age.

it is necessary

And one more thing:
Founders need to become unicorns,
if they aren’t already.

unicorn ranch
building a collective

http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/robboudon/

unicorn ranch
User Interviews we are unicorns Patent Filing
Videography Event Organization Pitch and Presentations
Code Review
Press and PR Visual UI Design Photography Financial Modeling SEM Campaigns
Branding and Identity Interaction Design Academic Paper
SEO Analytics
Trend Research HTML/CSS Pitch and Presentations Python/Django Data Mining Market Sizing
Sketch, storyboard, wireframe
Infographics Copywriting UI Designer Mathematical Algorithms Recommendation Engine
Print Design and Tester Keywon Michael
Machine Learning
Computer
Physical Prototyping Scientist Natural Language Processing
Visual/Graphic
Facilitation Designer Handwriting Recognition
Software
Market Sizing Developer Production Backend
Competitive Analysis Product Planner
& Manager Customer Production JS and Frontend
Professional Brainstorm Quantitative
Researcher Venture
XCode Storyboarding Look & Feel Moneyshot Founder
MarketingObjective C Prototyping Fundraising
Academic Paper HR/Recruiting HTML/CSS
Source Control VC Relationship
Motion Graphics Software Testing Deployment Acquisition
Interactive Media Art
UI Design Review Guidelines & Documentations Performance Optimization Statistical Analysis

unicorn ranch
three ranches we lived in

IDEO MIT MEdia lab microsoft research
palo alto, CA boston, ma redmond, wa

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/2475731 http://www.flickr.com/photos/edublogger/838786841 http://www.flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/413378149

unicorn ranch
possible for startups? Yes.

How do we bring this level of
excellence to startups?

37 signals fiftythree stripe
32 people 10 people 31 people

Silicon Prarie News FiftyThree Stripe

unicorn ranch
lab80 experiment

Our experiment in
unicorn ranching

unicorn ranch at lab80
what we are

Personal Investing in the US
Early startup, 4 people
Seoul+SF
Targeting US consumers

Unicorn Founders
Design Thinking + Data Science + Lean Startup

Mission Driven
We help people invest in their beliefs

international search for bootstrap city

2011/02 Peru Initial idea
2011/04 Brazil Startup Chile
2011/06 S’pore Prototype1
We opened Lab80 in Seoul
“Good talent at a lower cost” 2011/08 Seoul Prototype2
2011/11 SF Data processing
2012/02 Seoul Lab80 opens
2012/06 Seoul team of 5
2012/09 Seoul team of 4 + hiring

http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/cubagallery/7690090178

benefits of being one in korea

We get to meet & host
Industry leaders and thinkers from the US

Kevin kelly tim brown
founder of wired ceo of ideo

principles of a ranch

Just enough to establish the
direction to run toward

1. set up an environment
common goals
common language
basic structure & process
2. we all run as fast as we can
in the same direction
3. See who keeps up

Recognition & ﬂex time

lab80 experiment, summer 2012
1. set up an environment

weekly release
weekly user tests
customer feedback
team synthesis
pitch & demo to all guests
crit & checkpoint

2. run as fast as we can

8 weeks
5 prototypes, 11 releases
16 user interviews
200+ user quantitative test
5+ events & talks
20+ talents interviewed

3. see who keeps up

who thrives?
those who really want to improve.
“willingness” to improve isn’t enough.
“greedy” and ambitious people do well.

people with solid vertical skills.
T-shaped > i-shaped > generalists

culture fit and point of view
trumps process or resume.

an idea to reinforce the unicorn mentality

immersion in excellence
“work in the valley” month
every year,
we will take the entire team
to san fracisco
or another unicorn habitat
and work there for a month.

lessons learned 1/3

The best way to become a unicorn is to
Work with unicorns and see
if you can grow into one.

lessons learned 2/3

You can’t teach someone to become T-shaped or a unicorn.
Either you are unicorn material
or you aren’t.

lessons learned 3/3

In order to not “burn through people”
We have to be rigorous and selective
in the beginning.

to sum it up...
there is a cultural shift

We need T-shaped people to
compete in this age.

a unicorn ranch in korea?
desire vs. reality
Desire

Reality

Threadless / Allan Faustino

we are frustrated

We’ve been here 7 months
interviewing dozens of people.
And we’ve had only one
recruiting success.
Here are 3 things we are really sick of hearing
from the Koreans we meet.

how it sucks - 1/3

After working at a startup...
I can get a nice job at
Samsung or Google.

how it sucks - 1/3

After working at a startup...
a pr ivile ge.
nice s
I can getaa tup ijob at
at a st ror Google.
ingSamsung
Work

how it sucks - 2/3

Oh I need to learn a new skill?
I’ll buy a book and study it.

how it sucks - 2/3

F*ck textbIo to learn a new skill?
Oh need
oks. Landn
ear studydit.
I’ll buy a book by oing.

how it sucks - 3/3

Shit, I don’t know the answer, so
I’ll shut up and wait until
you tell me the correct answer.

how it sucks - 3/3

you already
Shit, I don’t know the answer, so
’shut rup what until
e dI’ll t ca e and wait
W on
tell me ro
youknow. Pthe correct lve.
blem-soanswer.

we are discouraged

We are considering

remote hierarchy &
expat recruiting collaboration apprenticeship
instead of hiring with unicorns in
instead of finding peers
korean talents sf/overseas who will have a
instead of looking for “seat at the table”
Korean talents

this is not what we want

what do you think?
are we wrong?

We don’t have a great impression of
Korean talent pool so far.
Can Korea compete in this environment?

what do you think?
are we wrong?

We don’t have a great impression of
Korean talent pool so far.
Can Korea compete in this environment?
Do you see an excellent startup coming
out of Korea now? Next year? Ever?

what do you think?
question us, challenge us.

Are you T-shaped? Talk to us.
Lab80.co
@keywonc

references
Richard Buchanan IxDA Keynote: How design makes our own subject matter

Tim Brown: T-Shaped People ChiefExecutive.net Interview

Unicorn Designer Hiring a Designer Why Can’t Startups Find Designers?

Advertising Talent Gap New York Times article

Quora: Short Supply of Designers http://www.quora.com/Designers/Why-is-there-such-a-stunningly-short-supply-of-designers-in-Silicon-Valley-right-now

Quora: Short Supply of Developers http://www.quora.com/Silicon-Valley/Why-is-there-such-a-stunningly-short-supply-of-good-developers-in-Silicon-Valley-right-now

Quora: Facebook & Google culture http://www.quora.com/For-a-CS-major-out-of-college-which-is-better-taking-a-job-as-a-Facebook-Software-Engineer-or-Google-

37Signals: Getting Real http://gettingreal.37signals.com/

37Signals: FastCompany Interview http://www.fastcompany.com/3000852/37signals-earns-millions-each-year-its-ceo%E2%80%99s-model-his-cleaning-lady

FiftyThree http://www.ﬁftythree.com/about

Make Opinionated Products: Tablet PC vs. iPad http://www.cultofmac.com/126116/steve-jobs-created-the-ipad-to-show-one-microsoft-employee-what-a-tablet-really-can-be/

What it’s like to work at Stripe http://blog.alexmaccaw.com/stripes-culture

Don’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar http://bit.ly/TrCjL0

Lab80: Keywon Chung http://www.linkedin.com/in/keywon

Lab80: Michael Shilman http://www.linkedin.com/in/shilman

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