Hi, I'm Skipper.
Yes, that's my actual name. Skipper, not Skip please.
I'm a product strategist and designer who believes the best products come from teams that aren't burning out trying to build them. Start with curiosity, talk with customers, and focus on outcomes over outputs.
Through How This Works co, I help growing teams cut through noise to find what actually drives business growth. Most teams start with the Bullseye Customer sprint — though we also offer 1-Hour Power Hours and custom approaches for specific challenges
I've spent almost 15 years building and leading teams from early-stage startups to Fortune 100 companies. Alumni of thoughtbot SF, Fjord NY, Mediabistro, Shep, Sesame, and PBS FRONTLINE. I've also been hosting the How This Works show podcast since 2021.
Recent posts, media
- Jen Blatz
- Interviewing customers: A lightweight framework that actually works
- Interviewing customers: the unsung superpower that your product company needs right now
- Dr. Chui Chui Tan
- Understanding creativity, structure, and balance with Eames, design thinking, and Newman’s Squiggle
- Drew Burdick
- Bumhan Yu
- Aaron Young
- How Adaptive Path and Margaret Gould Stewart helped me build and manage teams remotely
- Andy Polaine
- Design sprint 2.0 & iteration sprint
- Finding authenticity and purpose in design work
- Damien Newman’s “squiggle” as a critical look at design thinking
- Hi, we’re How This Works co
- Unlocking collective power with workshops, HMWs, and BHAGs
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I write on a variety of topics, including reflections and musings on product, design, workshop techniques, technology, (something something) AI, hand-picked book recommendations, and episodes of the How This Works show.
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Whether it's around an open role, a project that could benefit from a fresh perspective, mentoring, or assisting with a connection, I'm here to help. Let's get started...