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Julie Zhuo

@joulee

26 Feb

Do you feel you should "build your network?"

Do you wonder why everyone says you should?

Does the idea of 'networking' make you die a little inside?

Do you wonder how you can continue to network in this remote, socially-distanced era?

Then this thread is for you. 👇

First, what does it mean to "have a great network?"

A simple litmus test: If you have a problem or desire X, will someone you know be able to help you solve that problem or get X?"

If the answer is frequently 'yes,' then congrats! You have a great network.

If you have a great network, lots of things become easier. Your network can...

1) Connect you to jobs, sales, deals, or investments

2) Give you advice on challenges you're going through

3) Put in a good word for you

4) Introduce you to someone they know that you want to meet

Read 19 tweets

Julie Zhuo

@joulee

18 Feb

Do you struggle with "office politics," like when Colleague got a promotion because they seem to have the same hobbies as the boss?

Do you have no idea how to play the game?
Do you recoil at the very word?

Then this thread is for you 👇

First, what exactly is "office politics?"

The definition I'll go with is that it's the actions people take to advance the things they care about in the workplace.

These can be:

1) The company hitting its goals
2) The success of one's projects and initiatives
3) A promotion
4) A plum assignment or leadership role
4) A change in workplace culture, values or process
5) The advancement of a colleague / group of people
6) Personal reputation

Read 20 tweets

Julie Zhuo

@joulee

11 Feb

A frequent question I get when talking with senior designers: Will my growth as a designer stall if I start managing?

There is often a second question underneath that, which is:
Will I no longer be respected as a design leader if I can't keep up as a designer?

Thread below👇

My short answer to "Will my growth as a designer stall if I manage?" is yes, absolutely, if "designer" is someone who produces design work.

Managing a 5-8 ppl team does not leave you time to design. When you don't practice a craft, you should not expect to get better at it.

However... (and this is a BIG however)...

What you *can* continue to grow (as both a design manager and a designer) is the following:

1) Your design eye
2) Your design voice

Read 19 tweets

Julie Zhuo

@joulee

5 Feb

Great designers are strong at "product thinking." This is a key aspect of many design interviews, as well as many PM or VC ones.

But what exactly is product thinking? And how does one get good at it?

Thread below 👇

First, what is "product thinking?"

My definition is simple: Do you have good instincts about what makes a product useful and well-loved by people

More than that, could you design toward that outcome?

To have good instincts about what makes a product beloved, you generally have...

1) Curiosity about how people think and behave

2) Understanding of why various products are popular/unpopular

3) A habit of analyzing new products

4) An eye for seeing good/bad user experiences

Read 11 tweets

Julie Zhuo

@joulee

28 Jan

4 months ago, I woke up one day and decided to start a mentorship circle with a small group of talented, high-potential female designers.

It was the most amazing experience. Here's a thread on what I learned 👇

Some background first—in my own career, I came to the benefits of mentorship late. I really struggled with asking for help. I saw it as a weakness.

This is a fallacy many folks with imposter syndrome believe. We like the idea of "mentorship", but not "exposing vulnerabilities."

To have a mentor truly help you, three things need to be true:

1) You have to know when to ask for help and what specifically you need help with,
2) You have to be willing to honestly share your dreams
3) You have to be willing to honestly share your worries

Read 21 tweets

Julie Zhuo

@joulee

22 Jan

A thread (and story) about managing with different cultural contexts. 👇

Some of you immigrants/minorities will know what I'm talking about when I say that it took me maybe three decades to know how to answer: "What do you want? What do you care about?"

This seems like a staggeringly simple question in American society. But I'd freeze whenever someone asked me that.

And it came up all the time. When meeting new folks in college.

In a job interview.

When asked about my 3-5 year career plans.

If you come from an individualist culture, since you were a toddler people have asked you what you wanted, what makes you happy, etc.

But growing up in China, I was asked to consider: "What is appropriate to this context?" "What's best for this group?" "What does Person X need?"

Read 7 tweets

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