Writing

The Two Futures of Software: Fast and Cheap vs. Painstakingly Good

In 1950s post-war America, an advertising executive named Rosser Reeves proposed a simple formula: you could have it fast, cheap, or good — but only two at a time. This “Project Management Triangle” quickly became corporate gospel, the kind of phrase you’d find taped to the side of a developer’s monitor or printed on a mug in a product manager’s cupboard. It was neat. It was true. And like most good slogans, it masked a deeper, more complex story.

Why Designers Sound Negative (And Why That’s a Good Thing)

In any fast-moving product team, there’s a familiar pattern. A confident roadmap is shared. Timelines are tight but “doable.” Enthusiasm is high. Then, just as the meeting is wrapping up, a designer tentatively raises a hand and asks:“Have we thought about what happens if…?”

Design Leadership in the Age of AI: Seize the Narrative Before It’s Too Late

Design is changing. Fast.

AI is transforming the way we work — automating production, collapsing handoffs, and enabling non-designers to ship work that once required a full design team. Like it or not, we’re heading into a world where many design tasks will no longer need a designer.

If that fills you with unease, you’re not alone. But here’s the key difference between teams that will thrive and those that won’t:

Some design leaders are taking control of the narrative. Others are waiting to be told what’s next.

Why AI Interviews Could Be Bad News for Honest Designers

I recently watched a demo of a new AI-enabled recruitment tool. It used a synthetic avatar and voice to run a mock Zoom interview with a designer. Technically? Very slick. But something about the experience left me uneasy.

And no, it wasn’t the AI.

Are We All Just Figma Operators Now?

As thousands of designers settled into a cavernous event space on the outskirts of London—laptop bags slung over shoulders, Stanley cups of cold brew in hand, waiting to hear about the latest feature roadmap from Figma—it struck me how familiar this all felt. Not just the scale and spectacle, but the underlying dynamic.

How to Alienate Your Investors (Without Even Realising It)

You worked hard to raise money. You pitched. You hustled. You got the cheques. Now what?