What it takes to be a design legend

What makes a design legend? Re-reading Jony Ive's biography after many years revealed that even a design virtuoso of his caliber needed Steve Jobs as his champion to truly reshape Apple’s future and our world.

Jobs didn't just appreciate Ive's talent; he put design at the heart of every decision, transforming Apple's entire DNA in the process.

This dynamic between Jobs and Ive remains rare in today's tech landscape. While every growing company rushes to hire CTOs and CPOs as soon as they reach maturity, CDOs in the C-suite remain conspicuously absent.

To my fellow designers eyeing the C-suite: Technical excellence alone isn't enough. The path to executive leadership isn't just about mastering your craft - it's about positioning design as a strategic driver of business success. It means adopting the strategic mindset of product management while staying true to our design roots. And yes, we can do this without drowning in administrative overhead, endless meetings, and lengthy PRDs that often bog down PMs.

The next generation of transformative products won't just need visionary designers - they'll need design leaders who can shape company strategy, rally executive support, and champion the power of design to transform businesses. 

Just as Jobs amplified Ive's impact, we need to be our own advocates, find champions who believe in design's transformative power and and create the future we know is possible!