Stratatics–develop better products, teams, and people, by doing things differently.
Delivering great products and services comes from doing things differently. To do things differently, you must look at your work in a new light. Stratatics is a newsletter designed to help you do that. Each week, you’ll get a new idea to reimagine and deliver your best work. Highly relevant for design leaders and executives. And very useful for those who work alongside them.
Two new programs for those who are trying to make their own money
Hi Reader, This post is for people who are consulting, coaching, or freelancing or are thinking about it.You likely don't know this, but I've been testing a new concept with my friend Greg for about 18 months. We're calling this concept Jump Ship. Jump Ship is programming focused on helping people leave tech and go independent. After 18 months of research, testing, testing again, and more research, our first two programs are now live. Restart is a four-hour workshop that helps you decide...
Four fits to make people-first interests crucial at your company
Four fits to make people-first interests crucial at your company The Four Fits of Design Org Value, The features investors want are not the ones your users need, and doing office politics on your own terms. 👋 Hey, I'm Ryan. Welcome to the Second Wave Dive newsletter. Each week, I share insights about leading design teams, being an entrepreneur at a company of one, and growing confidence without losing your soul. There's a palpable tension between design and business. And many of us are...
I've been hiding from you.
I've been hiding from you. I've been using a filter. I'm coming out of hiding. What's on my mind this week: Two weeks ago, we lost Jarlath. Jarlath didn't hide. How I learned to listen and validate people I disagree with I think designers who can analyze data have persuasion superpowers Why is it so hard to do great work at scale? A curious metaphorical travel guide to creative problem-solving Out of hiding I've been hiding from you. Most of what you get in this newsletter goes through a...
Get my new book: Play Up Your Impact
It's time to Play Up Your Impact. Learn how to describe and hype your impact when everyone thinks it's optional. GET THE FREE BOOK You’re an expert at what you do. You have a track record of making products and services people love. Your efforts have helped your customers and company succeed. You have honed your craft and believe what you do is essential. It is. Yet, others might be skeptical, and that skepticism is taking a toll. You should not have to justify your work, but if you want to...
🚨 Reminder: CDO School September cohorts start next week!
🚨 Reminder: CDO School September cohorts start next week! It's planning season. Join one of our six cohorts and make sure you have a good plan. Hi Reader, There are four more days to apply to CDO School to join one of our September cohorts. We guarantee the conversations, context, and assignments will be tailor-made to help you address a specific challenge in weeks, not years. Here are the six cohorts: Position Design to Win; Design a Winning Org Strategy Sept 19 - Oct 17; Tuesdays; 11a-12p...
How building repeatable systems helps you grow as a design leader | Christina Goldschmidt (Etsy VP of Product Design)
How building repeatable systems helps you grow as a design leader Christina Goldschmidt, VP and Head of Product Design at Etsy, on how she creates repeatable systems through brain hacking, has learned to give things away, maintains her core self, and much more 🤘 Hi there. I'm Ryan. Welcome to the Second Wave Dive weekly newsletter. Each week, I dive into questions and tidbits about leading design, leaving corporate life, driving impact, career growth, and work stuff that's keeping you up at...
CDO School curious? Join our live Open House on August 31!
Hi Reader, It’s been a summer filled with lots of kid stuff, being a dad, and giving up on the idea that I’d have a regular schedule to get anything done. It's been super good for me to spend time away from work stuff, but school is almost back in session and I'm really looking forward to putting some time back into trying to do this whole "tiny business owner" thing. :) Also, times are weird right now. You might feel weird, and I definitely feel weird, but it’s no good for me if I’m just...
I expected things to be different; September Cohort Courses are open.
👋 Hey Reader, you're receiving this email because you signed up at Second Wave Dive or CDO School. Inside, we tackle questions and challenges about leading design teams and orgs, driving impact, and accelerating your career. I expected things to be different. It's Ryan. Today’s newsletter is going to be a bit different. I want to talk as me, not as a small business owner, teacher, coach, etc. I’m struggling to balance everything right now, and I’d rather talk about that because it’s all I can...
When you lead Design, Design is the product.
Hi Reader,Happy Friday. It's a warm, sunny day here in Vermont. I imagine there's an ice cream (called a "Creemee" here) in my future, and I'm really looking forward to my black raspberry-maple twist with rainbow sprinkles. I hope you're treating yourself in a small way today, too cause you totally deserve it. Yesterday, I was chatting with some friends about life as a small business owner and what's similar/different from leading design orgs and teams. This post is about a core element of...
CDO School enrollment is open + big updates to our programming
Hi Reader, It’s official! Enrollment for CDO School is now open. Enroll today We've just rolled out a pretty sizable update to our programming, and I'd like to share more about that change with you. This is a wordy email, so if you'd rather watch a video, here's a 5-minute Loom about the changes. Our cohorts have been very successful, and there's room to improve For the past four years, Second Wave Dive (the company behind CDO School) has been rebuilding education for design leaders from the...
Delivering great products and services comes from doing things differently. To do things differently, you must look at your work in a new light. Stratatics is a newsletter designed to help you do that. Each week, you’ll get a new idea to reimagine and deliver your best work. Highly relevant for design leaders and executives. And very useful for those who work alongside them.