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  • 66. 🪴 Scaling a Product & Design Teams at a Growing Startup 🚀

🎙️ Pod Shots - Bitesized Podcast Summaries

🪴 Scaling a Product & Design Teams at a Growing Startup 🚀

Building and scaling teams in a startup is a unique challenge. This week’s Pod Shot covered a conversation with Jared Chan on the Working in UX Design Podcast. Jared is an experienced product leader who scaled the product and design team at Karo—a Southeast Asian unicorn. He covered scaling small, balancing brand and UX, hiring strategies and more.

Whilst the market isn’t necessarily in hyper-growth mode now, there are still plenty of relevant ideas in here no matter what scaling stage your business is at.

Jared Chen - Working in UX Design

🎙️ Listen to the full episode here

📆 Published: May 2nd, 2023

🕒 Estimated Reading Time: 3 mins. Time saved: 41 mins🔥

🛠️ Start Small, Scale Smart

When Jared joined Karo, the product and design team consisted of only three people: two product managers and one designer. Over four years, the team scaled across six countries and evolved into a mature, structured unit.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Prioritise lean beginnings: Start with a small, cohesive team that can wear multiple hats and iterate quickly.

  2. Adapt strategies yearly: Different growth phases require different approaches—what worked in year one may not suffice in year three.

  3. Stabilise after scaling: Growth brings chaos, but maturing the team and processes ensures long-term sustainability.

🎨 Balancing Brand Identity and UX

Karo’s distinct orange branding set it apart in a competitive market, but working with a bold colour brought unique challenges. Jared’s team leveraged visual storytelling to create a relatable and consistent brand experience.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Collaborate across functions: Work closely with marketing teams to ensure brand and UX strategies align.

  2. Experiment and iterate: Test colour schemes, iconography, and microcopy to find what resonates with users.

  3. Differentiate platforms: Use tailored design approaches for B2B and B2C products to meet the distinct needs of each audience.

👥 Hiring and Building the Right Team

One of the critical decisions Jared made was hiring a UX strategist early, rather than a design lead. This person became instrumental in standardising design processes and setting a strategic direction for the team.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Hire based on gaps and goals: Map out your roadmap and hire roles that address specific needs.

  2. Emphasise versatility: In the early stages, generalists can provide the flexibility needed to cover multiple responsibilities.

  3. Introduce specialists strategically: Bring in specialists like researchers or strategists when the team grows and the workload demands focus.

⚖️ Juggling Product and Design

Jared managed both the product and design teams at Karo, which required balancing business priorities with empathy for designers. This dual responsibility provided a unique perspective but also highlighted potential conflicts.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Foster cross-functional collaboration: Align product and design teams around shared goals to avoid silos.

  2. Balance speed with quality: While startups often demand rapid execution, ensure that design and product teams have enough time to deliver quality outputs.

  3. Encourage healthy conflict: Allow teams to resolve disagreements constructively to ensure the best ideas prevail.

📈 Introducing Specialists and Scaling Processes

As Karo expanded, Jared’s team transitioned from generalists to a more structured setup, including centralised design systems and localised strategies for different markets.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Standardise, then localise: Create a unified design system but adapt it to meet regional needs.

  2. Use data strategically: Collaborate with data science teams to prioritise features and identify opportunities for innovation.

  3. Invest in processes: Design sprints, methodology standardisation, and robust design systems can improve efficiency and output.

🌟 Mentorship, Leadership, and Retention

Mentoring was a passion for Jared, and he used it as a tool to build team morale and develop talent. Retaining employees was a priority, especially in a fast-paced, high-demand environment.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Align on business goals: Ensure team members understand how their work contributes to the company’s objectives.

  2. Prioritise retention: Avoid burning out talent by setting clear expectations and offering growth opportunities.

  3. Celebrate quick wins: Demonstrate the team’s impact with small, visible successes to boost morale and gain buy-in from stakeholders.

🤝 Collaboration with Data Science

At Karo, the collaboration between product and data science teams was fluid. Whether the data team proposed innovative algorithms or the product team outlined specific needs, both worked closely to bring ideas to life.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Foster a two-way exchange: Encourage both teams to share ideas and collaborate on implementation.

  2. Focus on impact: Ensure that data-driven innovations align with business goals and user needs.

  3. Be pragmatic: Flexibly assign leadership based on the nature of the project and expertise required.

🏆 Advice for First-Time Design and Product Managers

For new managers, Jared highlighted the importance of understanding business priorities, hiring complementary team members, and staying adaptable.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Understand the business: Product and design decisions must align with overall business goals to drive impact.

  2. Hire for diversity: Build a team with varied skills and perspectives to ensure better decision-making.

  3. Balance big and small wins: Demonstrating consistent value—both in quick fixes and long-term goals—builds credibility and momentum.

💡 Closing Thoughts: Staying Positive Amid Challenges

Jared’s final advice? Stay positive. Whether facing hiring challenges, tight deadlines, or conflicting priorities, a positive mindset is critical for making sound decisions and leading effectively.

Scaling any team requires adaptability, strategic hiring, and cross-functional collaboration. By balancing speed with quality, fostering team morale, and aligning with business goals, you can navigate the complexities of growth while delivering value to your users.

Want to know more quickly? Just ask the episode below [web only]👇️🤯
or if you prefer, 🎙️ Listen to the full episode here

📅Timestamps:

  • 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Podcast and Guest

  • 00:01:45 - Jared's Journey at Cairo

  • 00:02:27 - Cairo's Growth Story

  • 00:04:17 - The Color Choice of Cairo

  • 00:05:47 - Visual Language and Brand Identity

  • 00:06:32 - Iconography and Design Evolution

  • 00:08:06 - Competitor Awareness in Design

  • 00:10:08 - Balancing Product and Design Roles

  • 00:11:44 - The Business Side of Product Management

  • 00:12:42 - Justifying the Need for Specialists

  • 00:14:34 - Hiring Specialists in UX Design

  • 00:17:04 - The Role of a UX Strategist

  • 00:18:44 - Building a Cohesive Design Team

  • 00:20:31 - Advice for New Design Managers

  • 00:22:20 - Importance of Quick Wins

  • 00:23:04 - The Power of Storytelling in Design

  • 00:23:31 - Team Growth at Cairo

  • 00:24:12 - Hiring Product Managers

  • 00:25:07 - Collaboration with Data Science Team

  • 00:26:50 - Transitioning to a New Role

  • 00:27:33 - Mentoring and Supporting Others

  • 00:28:58 - Character vs. Skills in Hiring

  • 00:30:25 - Identifying Good Attitude in Candidates

  • 00:32:26 - Career Paths: Startup vs. Big Company

  • 00:33:38 - Encouragement for Job Seekers

  • 00:34:58 - Specialization vs. Generalization

  • 00:36:35 - The Future of UX and Product Skills

  • 00:39:00 - Challenges in Innovation Departments

  • 00:41:16 - Specialization in Early Career

  • 00:42:25 - Final Thoughts and Encouragement

  • 00:44:17 - Closing Remarks and Contact Information