INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS: I can't separate what I earned from what I was given

I tell my daughter to try to judge people by intent, not outcomes. Actions can be accidental. Outcomes get corrupted by teams, timing, politics. Intent is pure.

When I see big company names on LinkedIn, I think right place, right time. Gorgeous products mean great teams. And those things matter, but they're not the true measure of talent.

Often it was a leader doing heavy lifting behind the scenes to craft that product and champion it. Or an old connection who needed someone when timing aligned.

I've had some of those things. Great mentors. Lucky timing. Titles that sounded bigger than they felt. And I can't separate what I earned from what I was given.

Drive, luck, and network are essential to a rockstar career, but they don't make you a great designer. Access gets you in the room. Talent determines what you do once you're there. Crafted talent with intentionality is what actually matters. You can't see it on a resume. But when you find it in someone's work, in how they think, in what they care about, it's unmistakable.

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