It’s all about relationships

This week, I had a handful of conversations, all revolving around the same theme: relationships are at the core of getting things done.

When teams work well together, shared goals seem possible. Feedback lands the way it was intended. Collaboration feels lighter, faster, more natural. But when those relationships are weak or nonexistent? Even small projects feel like uphill battles.

In a moment where AI is taking center stage, it’s easy to forget that human-to-human connection still powers everything. Models can write the first draft, crunch the data, or generate the mockup. But they can’t build trust. They can’t create empathy. They can’t replace the patience, listening, and investment it takes to truly connect with another person.

Relationships are what allow tough feedback to be heard, strategy to be debated, and ambitious ideas to actually come to life.

Don’t just invest in tools, automation, or efficiency hacks. Invest in the people around you. Build stronger relationships. That’s the real force multiplier.

AI Should Empower People, Not Replace Them

Many companies still view AI primarily as a cost-cutting tool, focusing on automation, headcount reduction, and increasing productivity with fewer resources. But the real opportunity isn’t replacement—it’s enablement.

What if every employee had an AI advantage? Imagine:

• A monthly stipend so employees can explore new AI tools

• 5–10% protected time each week for automation or experimentation

• “AI talent shows” where teams demo what they’ve built

• An internal AI center of excellence for coaching, templates, and best practices

• A bounty program rewarding employees with a share of savings or gains from AI-driven innovation

That would transform a culture. It would create a competitive edge by equipping everyone—not just the survivors.

The most successful companies will be those where people are enabled, encouraged, and rewarded for leveraging AI effectively.

Hiring someone with no domain experience might be the smartest hire you make

We’re taught to hire for expertise. For familiarity. But lately, I’m seeing the opposite unlock better outcomes.

When you bring in someone with no baggage—just raw problem-solving skills and a beginner’s mindset—they question everything. They notice friction others accept. They redesign from first principles.

And more often than not? That leads to simpler, smarter solutions your users actually love.

The difference between surviving and thriving

The difference between surviving and thriving often boils down to who kept learning when no one was watching.

Most people sock away money for later—retirement, rainy days, a shot at some peace and quiet when they’re done grinding it out at work. Really, it's just to have greater control how they spend their time. Later.

But very few treat learning the same way.

That’s a shame, because learning new skills isn’t just some noble act of “self-improvement”. It’s not just staying ahead of the robots. It’s a practical, no-nonsense investment in freedom.

Learning new skills is like saving for retirement, only faster.

Freedom’s Not Just a Lifestyle—It’s a Skillset

Every new skill you pick up now—design ops, storytelling, team coaching, prototyping in Framer—is like adding a few more bricks to the runway that gets you more optionality in the future.

Learning buys you the freedom to say no to bad leaders, bad clients or politics-drenched orgs. It lets you walk (not run, not panic-driven sprint) toward work you actually care about.

This isn’t just for junior folks. Senior ICs, design leader, execs; whatever the title, the learning can’t stop. Because the moment it does, the ceiling lowers. Quietly, almost imperceptibly. But it does.

The difference between surviving and thriving often boils down to who kept learning when no one was watching.

Learning isn’t just for career pivots

A career makeover or pivot isn’t the only reason to invest in learning. And yyou don’t even need a formal plan. You just need to treat skill-building like compound interest.

Set aside something.

A few hours a week. A few dollars a month. Whatever works for you.

Read an article that challenges your thinking. Join that weird, intriguing design Slack you’ve been ignoring. Take a stab at that AI tool your team’s been quietly scared of.

Little moves. Small bets. They add up—faster than you think. And unlike money, skills don’t get taxed. No one can take them away. They just keep opening doors.

Build for now, Hedge for later

Here’s the beautiful twist: the stuff you learn now doesn’t just prep you for a future role. It makes you better today.

You start asking sharper questions in critiques. You understand why your PM’s roadmap feels like a jigsaw puzzle. You manage your junior designer with more empathy and precision. You notice patterns—across users, across orgs, across your own damn habits.

Learning, it turns out, is a cheat code for awareness. And awareness? That’s the root of every good decision you’ve ever made.

So, What’s Your Monthly Skill Budget?

Set it. Keep it small if you need to. But guard it like your future depends on it—because, it kind of does.

Whether you’re aiming to lead a team, jump to a new role, or just stay relevant in an industry that moves like quicksand, consistent learning is the only habit that keeps paying you back.

No sabbatical required. No grand career reinvention. Just enough curiosity to keep the gears turning. Just enough commitment to keep growing.

And hey—if you’re reading this, you’ve probably already started.

Contracts

When starting any engagement or client work, it’s best to have a contract. This is to protect both parties by being clear about what each person will do.

Seth Godin wrote a great post on this. In fact, you should probably just read everything Seth has ever written. Chances are he’s covered every topic you need when starting a business, running a business, and launching a product.

Seth’s point is there is no reason contracts have to be written in legalese. He recommends including a clear piece of text to simplify things if the project goes south:

"Any disagreements over the interpretation of this agreement will be resolved through binding, informal arbitration. Both of us agree to hire a non-involved attorney, submit up to five pages of material to state our case, and abide by her decision."

This is so simple, but so smart. This ensures both sides are heard, both sides can trust an impartial party will a decision, and both sides have a small, equal cap on legal expenses. Brilliant.