1. Make a way, make it right.
These words changed my life several years ago in a conversation with a mentor. I told him I felt stuck because I didn’t see a clear path forward. He said, “Make a way.” I pushed back: “What if it’s the wrong way?” His answer was simple: “Then make it right.”
That mindset shapes how I lead and build today. We’re blazing trails and making a real impact on the industry. We’re solving hard problems and delivering solutions that touch many different scenarios, companies, and technology ecosystems. There isn’t always a playbook. But our resolve is clear in that we’re here to make a way, and then make it right.
2. Be trusted first, liked second.
My leadership goal is straightforward. It is to be trusted first and liked second.
I love leading my team and watching them grow and thrive. Nothing makes me happier than seeing them accomplish huge wins and do things I know I couldn’t do alone.
Earning trust shows up in the small, daily decisions. It can range from choosing to spend extra time on tech debt so we don’t accumulate hidden risk, to planning work carefully so the team doesn’t have to pull unnecessary late nights, or staying transparent about tradeoffs, priorities, and why decisions are made.
I want my team to know I have their backs. If they trust that, we can move faster, take smarter risks, and build better products. Being liked is great, but being trusted is a non-negotiable.
3. Share the vision and let it flow in every direction.
As a company, we’ve worked hard to make product and user experience a team sport.
Vision often starts at the top with leadership, but it shouldn’t end there. Here, it comes full circle and our entire team collaborates on the product, the experience, and the direction we’re heading.
You can see the impact in how we define our culture and where we spend our time. I strive to make sure everyone has a voice and a chance to contribute their ideas, creating space for healthy debate, questions, and feedback, and treating vision as something we build together rather than something handed down.
The result is that instead of looking upward for direction, we can look around the room and see a shared vision that belongs to all of us.
If we lead by solving hard problems, backing our teams, and co-creating where we’re headed, we won’t just build great products. We’ll build a place where people do the best work of their careers.
