Growth is built through reps, not comfort
#003
I believe repetition is preparation and a reflection of what matters most.
This week, that showed up in a few places. I gave my team more ownership, not as a test, but as preparation. At the same time, I stuck to my own reps, including writing this reflection, knowing full well that growth rarely feels smooth.
Reps are not comfortable. They expose gaps. They surface frustration. They make you want to retreat to what is familiar. I have learned, both as a leader and as a parent, that this discomfort is the signal, not the problem.
Teaching my kids to drive has made that especially clear. You stay close enough to guide, but you do not take the wheel. They need space to feel the tension, make small mistakes, and build confidence. The same is true at work. If you remove all discomfort, you also remove the conditions for growth.
I will look back on this writing someday and probably cringe, the same way I do with old portfolios. But that is the gift. Repetition gives you proof of progress.
Anything of value takes time, energy, and a little discomfort. Whether it shows up in the product, the business, the team, or in someone’s career, here or somewhere else, these reps compound.
And they are worth it.
Smiles & Thoughts
Ideas That Stuck
Posts and moments that challenged how I think about leadership, boundaries, and growth.
This scene lands because it’s a reminder that judgment skips the most important step: understanding intent. As a design leader, curiosity helps me see why someone made a choice, not just whether I agree with it. That understanding is what lets you bridge the gap between where someone is and where they’re trying to go, instead of talking past each other.
LinkedIn Post
Ioana Teleanu (Case studies while the work is fresh): What resonated was her focus on removing the friction from an otherwise painful process. Helping designers capture and shape their case studies while the thinking is still alive sparked an idea for me: why don’t we give teams a way to collect and archive their work at the end of a project, before context fades?
Nic Bertino (Defining taste and craft for yourself): This was a quiet nudge to document my own point of view. What do taste, craft, and quality actually mean to me as a leader? It feels like a theme worth returning to and unpacking in a future reflection. Article Link
Emanuele Pasin (Build what you need): This reinforced a broader shift I keep noticing. Designers are no longer waiting for perfect tools. With learning resources everywhere and platforms like Lovable lowering the barrier, it’s time to build the things that solve your own day-to-day problems. Invention really does come from necessity.
Keep learning. Keep growing.
Have a nice week!
