My Approach
ACTION + CURIOSITY
People have asked me before, “what’s the secret sauce?” It took me a long time to articulate, but I’m starting to get my arms around it. There is somewhat of a formula I rely on (or at least a framework), and it’s rooted in action and curiosity.
Sometimes our teams get stuck, mired in complexity and data. The solution becomes more meetings, alignment, furious emails and slack threads talking around a problem instead of facing it head on. In these scenarios it often helps to stop talking, step outside your zone for a beat, then come back and focus on making something, anything that folks can react to.
Pairing this mindset with an open mind and curiosity about our world can lead to unexpected inspiration. What does good look like in a completely different industry or context? Can we apply it here to our problem?
A good friend and colleague inspired me, calling this formula “the antidote to toxic swirl.” Bias to action and curiosity unblocks swirling teams by putting something compelling on paper and redirecting all conversation to something concrete instead of abstract. With a new and novel artifact, share with customers or stakeholders and get the validation to move forward.
That’s what I’m all about. Stepping into complex environments and saying yes, of course it’s complicated, but instead of talking in circles, is there anything we can do right now? Who else does this really well so we aren’t starting from scratch? What if we try and make something and see if that’s what a solution looks like? Even if it’s wrong, incomplete, or messy, it’s not 100%, or missing some color or detail... it is something that people can react to, and who knows, might even spark inspiration.
Let’s get unstuck together. 🖤
Superpowers
BIAS TO ACTION
SPEED + OPTIONS
DIVERGENT CREATIVE THINKING
ENERGY & INSPIRATION
SCRAPPY, ADAPTABLE
ACCELERATE BUY-IN
Testimonials
I’ve had the privilege to work with some really amazing creative and business leaders. Here’s a few kind words they’ve said about me.
“Byron brings a lot of skills to a team, but when tasked with ambiguous problems, that require innovative solutions and perspectives, he really shines.
Not just a creative powerhouse with a talent for crafting elegant and innovative digital solutions; he also brings an unmatched level of kindness and empathy to his role.”
“Byron is an outstanding design leader who excels at building and leading high-performing product design teams with a strong bias for action to develop and test concepts. His ability to balance storytelling and vision work with details we can put into production sets him apart.
Under his leadership, our product development was more impactful and moved through iterations faster.”