About
Design leader who builds
01 — Work
As a
leader.
I’ve been in product and design for almost two decades, in hands-on leadership roles for about half of that time. I’ve worked across a range of company stages and industries, and I particularly love solving for ambiguity, whether it’s an early- to mid-stage startup trying to scale quickly or a more established company looking to break out of the mold and establish a new venture.
I’ve always stayed close to the craft, even as a leader. These past few years I’ve gone all in with AI, in part for the joy of building, and in part to be an effective leader who understands the workings, opportunities and limitations of the technology.
These are my 10 mantras that I try to hold in my professional life to support my team and keep myself accountable.
- Openness and candor inspire trust.
- It’s your job to make work joyful.
- Care about every last detail.
- Leaders can be builders.
- Innovate, don’t imitate.
- Lead from the front.
- Be in the weeds.
- Connect dots.
- Be an owner.
- Show care.
02 — Life
As a human.
I live in Brooklyn with my wife, son and bernedoodle. I love to learn new things and as a result I have a lot of hobbies. My latest obsessions are tennis, fly fishing in the Catskills, and running. I’m a semi-classically trained guitarist who has had a number of actual bands over the years. Recently I’ve been teaching my son how to write and produce music.
03 — Timeline
Places I’ve been,
things I’ve done.
I believe a range of life experiences, professionally and personally, gives you a broader perspective that makes you a better maker and leader.
LivedSan Francisco · San Jose · Los Angeles · Philadelphia · New York · Catskills · Treviso, Italy
BeenJuneau · Seattle · Bozeman · Salt Lake City · Las Vegas · Boulder · Santa Fe · Austin · Bentonville · New Orleans · Chicago · Miami · Boston · Portland, Maine · Mexico City · Tulum · Santa Teresa, Costa Rica · Lima · Buenos Aires · Santo Domingo · San Juan · Toronto · Ottawa · Montreal · Jerusalem · Tel Aviv · Jordan · Dublin · London · Amsterdam · Paris · Cannes · Madrid · Barcelona · Lucerne · Rome · Berlin · Prague · Vienna · Oslo · Istanbul · Cape Town · Beijing · Shanghai · Seoul · Tokyo · Kyoto · Bangkok · Railay, Thailand · Ho Chi Minh City · Queenstown
I strive for personal growth in both my professional and personal life, always looking for new challenges.
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ProfessionalStudied Design, Computer Science, Psychology
Personal- Studied flamenco guitar
- Taught Argentine tango
- Live music performance for the mayor of Istanbul and Turkish national TV
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ProfessionalInterned at Microsoft, pitched Bill Gates at his home
Personal- Started an SF-based band
- Played The Independent
- Sang karaoke for the first time in China
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ProfessionalLed product design at multiple startups
Personal- Ran Artifacts, a creative event series for over 1,000 people
- Collaborated with Jon Batiste at Norwood House, NYC
- First solo art exhibit, SF
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ProfessionalWorked at Uber when it was an early experiment
Personal- Met my now-wife
- Launched a non-profit food donation platform in the US, France and Mexico
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ProfessionalFirst design leadership role at Google
Personal- First time dad to one human and one puppy
- Taught inner city Bronx kids to play guitar
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ProfessionalFirst double-digit team size at Meta
Personal- Lived in a forest in the Catskill mountains during Covid
- Ran my first half marathon (under 2 hours)
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ProfessionalLed teams at Big Retail, eCommerce and FintechFirst time managing other leaders
Personal- Became a licensed fly fishing guide
- Played my first tennis competition
