Writing

Startups and Investing

Escalating Commitment to a Losing Strategy - Why Founders Refuse to Quit

As a startup founder, shutting down your business will be one of the hardest decisions you'll ever have to make. However sometimes it's also the smartest option. Especially if you're able to close things down gracefully, give folks a good severance package and potentially return some unused funds to investors; not to mention gaining back some valuable time. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs refuse to admit defeat and keep pouring resources into a failing endeavour. The tendency for people to double down in the face of growing negative evidence is known in behavioural psychology as "escalating commitment to a losing strategy". In this short article I highlight a few of the common cognitive biases that help make this happen.

Design Practice

The Role of Design in an Increasingly Financialized Business Environment

In recent years, businesses have become increasingly decoupled from traditional outcomes like profit, and many are now seen as financial instruments whose value is primarily driven by shareholder sentiment and market perception. This shift towards financialization is evident in many industries, from tech startups to established corporations, and has significant implications for designers who work in these businesses.

Design Practice

The End of Design As We Know It? How Automation and A.I. is changing the Face of Design Forever

As the technology landscape continues to evolve, so does the field of design. The rise of industrialization and automation has led to a shift from traditional craft skills to more assembly-based work. With the development of AI, we are seeing the possibility of even more automation in design. This raises questions about the future of the profession and the role of human designers. In this article I look at the commercial and technological trends facing the industry and try to imagine what comes next.

Design Leadership

The Truth About Strategy

Most people massively over complicate the concept of “strategy”. Ultimately a strategy is the general approach you are going to take in order to deliver your company mission/goals. Having a clear strategy is important as it allows people to decide between competing approaches, markets, customer segments, activities and product features. As such your strategy is the thing that informs and connects what the company is trying to do and how it is trying to do it, with the people who are responsible for delivering it.

Personal

50 Cool and Unusual Things I’ve Done (In No Particular Order)

Here's a slightly random list of cool and unusual things I've done over the years. If you find yourself chatting to me at a conference, party or social event and are unsure what to talk about, feel free to pick something from this list to ask me about.

Personal Development and Coaching

Why you Should Keep a Brag Document

The end of the year is a natural time for self reflection. It’s an opportunity to take stock and consider the accomplishments you made over the past 12 months. The big things are usually obvious. You made these hires, you worked on these projects, you shipped these features and, if you're lucky, have some positive stats to show for the work.  However the details are always a little bit fuzzy.