#20: Irene Au (Khosla Ventures, Google) on scaling design teams and practices, scaling yourself and finding your why

#20: Irene Au (Khosla Ventures, Google) on scaling design teams and practices, scaling yourself and finding your why

Author: Progression January 28, 2020 Duration: 41:32

About Irene

Irene is a designer and veteran design leader, leading design and user experience at Google, Yahoo, Netscape, and Udacity. She was once even the most prolific hirer of UX talent in silicon valley. 

She now works as an operational partner at Khosla Ventures, working with fast growing portfolio companies on design and strategic problems at the highest level, as well as teaching yoga.

Our conversation covered scaling design across some of the most well known and iconic companies in the world as well as extrinsic vs intrinsic motivation, using envy to identify what you enjoy and finding the thing that gives you joy.

I loved this conversation – Irene absolutely (but politely) schooled me on some of my assumptions about the evolution of design and I learned a ton. I hope you do too!

Irene's website: ireneau.com

Irene on Twitter: twitter.com/ireneau

Design your Life – Irene's medium blog: https://medium.com/design-your-life


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Our lovely sponsor: Deliveroo

Our wonderful sponsor Deliveroo is looking for loads of designers, researchers, writers as well as leaders and managers. Go check them out at https://deliveroo.design

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Figuring out a path forward in a tech career often feels like navigating without a map. We excel at crafting elegant systems for users, yet applying that same structured thinking to our own professional growth is surprisingly difficult. The Progression Podcast exists in that space, exploring the very human, often messy process of building a fulfilling career in technology. Rather than offering simplistic advice, we sit down with regular contributors and seasoned guests to unpack the real challenges-like the tension between managing people and staying hands-on with technical work, or the gap between the skills we have and the tools we wish our managers possessed. Conversations delve into practicalities, from understanding compensation and effective training to evaluating whether a new role is truly the right fit. This isn't about quick fixes; it's a candid look at the deliberate craft of career design, offering perspectives and stories that help you make more informed decisions about your own journey. Tune in for thoughtful discussions that move beyond the code to focus on the person writing it.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 30

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