Hi! As a Strategic Digital Product Design Freelancer, I help businesses thrive for 17 years by creating better human-centered digital experiences that keep planetary boundaries in mind. Every now and then I can be found at meetups and conferences talking about how to develop emissions-free digital products. I guide teams hands-on through digital product development - from initial research-based product strategy to experience design to market-ready solutions: Both in Discovery + Delivery phase. I co-founded Hamburgs first UX Conference "UX Camp HH", am an Alum of Product for Net Zero and enjoy sharing my experiences creating new value for humans, businesses and the planet.
My Mentoring Topics
- • AMA UX/Product Strategy and Design
- • How to be a Strategic Designer
- • Sparring for Continuous Product Discovery
- • How to sell design to business stakeholders
- • How to sell sustainability to business stakeholders
- • Human-centeredness
- • How to Freelance
- • Portfolio Review and Sparring
- • All things Sustainability and Circular Economy
A.
10.January 2024Andreas has an incredible wealth of experience, and he shares it generously. I was interested in customer research, and he was open about it. An avid advocate for continuous product discovery, Andreas added a lot of value to my understanding of the challenges product and design teams face. Thank you so much!
M.
8.November 2023I had a friendly conversation with Andreas. He has shared plenty of things with me about career goals, behavioral questions, effective job search strategy, etc. He gave some tips to improve my interview skills as well. Also he has shared about work culture in Germany. I'm really really glad to be connected with him. Thanks Andreas. I'm looking forward to connecting with you again.
A.
6.November 2023I am very thankful for Andreas being very transparent on his career experiences. My session with him gave me a lot of certainty to proceed the way I planned to go and had some doubts or uncertainties about.
R.
6.June 2023Andreas and I had a very open conversation about how to navigate my career. It was really helpful and insightful for me :)
M.
22.February 2023I had really resourceful session with Andreas, He was a really good listener, gave executable insights, I enjoyed the session while going through the portfolio and prototype I am glad that got to be a mentee of Andreas and have mentorship with him Thank you so much, Andreas, for giving me valuable insights, spending time on mentoring me
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Lean Impact - How to Innovate for Radically Greater Social Good
Ann Mei Chang
Key Insights from the Book: Importance of prioritizing impact over process: The book emphasizes on measuring success by the magnitude of the impact rather than the perfection of the process. Testing and iterating for success: The value of running small experiments and using the findings to iterate and improve is highlighted. Use of Lean principles for social good: It applies the principles of Lean Startup methodology to the social sector, showing how they can be used to drive large-scale social change. Understanding your customer: The book stresses on deeply understanding the needs and behaviors of the people you aim to serve, instead of making assumptions. Thinking big and starting small: The book encourages to envision a grand, audacious goal but to start with small, manageable steps that allow for learning and adjustment. Importance of scalable solutions: The focus is on creating scalable solutions that can be expanded to serve more people and create greater impact. Driving innovation in the social sector: The book discusses how innovation can be fostered in a sector that is often risk-averse and slow to change. Building a culture of learning: It suggests fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement within organizations. Sustainability and revenue generation: The book discusses the need for social impact organizations to think about sustainability, including revenue generation models. Importance of partnerships: It highlights the need for collaboration and partnerships to maximize impact. Measuring impact: The book emphasizes the importance of defining and measuring impact, and using those measurements to drive decision-making. In-Depth Analysis of the Book: "Lean Impact - How to Innovate for Radically Greater Social Good" by Ann Mei Chang is a comprehensive guide that redefines how we approach social change. It applies the principles of Lean Startup methodology to the social sector, drawing on Chang's extensive experience in both the tech and non-profit sectors. The book starts with the premise that we need to prioritize impact over process. Chang argues that success should not be measured by the perfection of the process but by the magnitude of the impact. In the social sector, this means focusing on the transformative change we can bring to individuals and communities. One of the critical insights of the book is the value of testing and iterating for success. The book emphasizes the importance of running small experiments, measuring their impact, learning from the results, and using these learnings to improve and scale. This approach is a departure from traditional models in the non-profit sector, which often focus on delivering a pre-determined solution rather than evolving based on feedback and results. Understanding the customer is another key theme in the book. In the social sector, this means deeply understanding the needs and behaviors of the people we aim to serve. Chang stresses that making assumptions about people's needs can lead to ineffective solutions. Instead, we should seek to understand their lived experiences and design solutions that truly meet their needs. The book encourages us to think big and start small. Chang argues that while it's important to envision a grand, audacious goal, we should start with small, manageable steps that allow us to learn and adjust our approach. This approach mitigates the risk of failure and allows for more effective solutions to be developed over time. Building a culture of learning within organizations is another important point raised by Chang. She suggests that organizations should foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement. This includes encouraging curiosity, accepting failure as a learning opportunity, and rewarding those who contribute to the learning of the organization. Partnerships also play a crucial role in maximising social impact. Chang emphasizes the need for collaboration and partnerships to leverage resources, scale successful solutions, and achieve greater impact. She further stresses on the importance of defining and measuring impact, and using those measurements to drive decision-making. Lastly, the book discusses the need for social impact organizations to think about sustainability, including revenue generation models. Chang argues that in order to scale and maintain impact, organizations need to think beyond grant funding. They need to consider how they can generate revenue, either through selling products or services, charging fees, or creating income-generating activities. In conclusion, "Lean Impact - How to Innovate for Radically Greater Social Good" provides a new framework for thinking about and driving social change. It encourages us to challenge traditional models, experiment and iterate, deeply understand those we aim to serve, and relentlessly focus on maximising impact. It's a must-read for anyone interested in driving large-scale social change.
ViewRadical Product Thinking - The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter
R. Dutt
Key Insights from Radical Product Thinking Product diseases: The book introduces the concept of product diseases, which are common pitfalls that hinder product innovation and progress. Radical Product Thinking (RPT): A new mindset for innovation that focuses on solving systemic problems rather than symptoms. Vision: RPT emphasizes the importance of having a clear, well-articulated vision that guides product development. Strategy: The strategy defines how the vision will be achieved. It is about choosing what not to do as much as it is about deciding what to do. Prioritization: The book highlights the significance of prioritization in product development. This is how resources are allocated to deliver maximum value. Iteration: RPT promotes the iterative approach to product development which involves creating, testing, learning, and improving continuously. Organization: The way a company is organized can significantly affect its ability to innovate. The book discusses various organizational designs that foster innovation. Product culture: The book stresses the role of culture in product development. A healthy product culture is one where everyone understands and is aligned with the vision. Product leadership: The book emphasizes the importance of leadership in driving product innovation. Good leaders inspire, motivate, and lead by example. Product toolkit: The book provides a toolkit that includes templates and guides for practicing RPT. Case studies: The book includes numerous case studies that illustrate the concepts of RPT in action. An In-Depth Analysis of Radical Product Thinking In her book, R. Dutt introduces the concept of Radical Product Thinking (RPT), a new mindset for innovating smarter. The author argues that many companies fall into the trap of product diseases, which are systemic problems that hinder innovation. These diseases include myopia, narcissism, indigestion, obsession, and schizophrenia. By identifying and addressing these diseases, companies can avoid common pitfalls and achieve sustainable innovation. RPT is a methodical approach to innovation that focuses on solving systemic problems rather than symptoms. It requires a clear, well-articulated vision that guides product development. This vision should be a north star that everyone in the company understands and aligns with. As a seasoned professor, I have always emphasized the importance of vision in product development. R. Dutt's emphasis on vision resonates with my long-held belief. The book also emphasizes the importance of strategy in achieving the vision. Strategy is about making choices, deciding what to do and what not to do. It requires understanding the market, the competition, and the company's unique strengths. This aligns with Porter's framework of competitive strategy, which involves positioning the company in the industry where it can best defend itself against competitive forces or can influence them in its favor. Prioritization is another critical aspect of RPT. In product development, resources are always limited. Therefore, it is vital to allocate resources in a way that delivers maximum value. This requires understanding the needs of the customers and the impact of each feature or improvement on the overall product experience. RPT promotes an iterative approach to product development. This approach involves creating a minimum viable product (MVP), testing it in the market, learning from the feedback, and making improvements. This aligns with the lean startup methodology, which advocates for rapid prototyping and iterative development. The book discusses various organizational designs that foster innovation. It argues that the way a company is organized can significantly affect its ability to innovate. This aligns with my experience as a professor. I have observed that companies with flat organizational structures tend to be more innovative because they promote communication and collaboration. The book also stresses the role of culture in product development. A healthy product culture is one where everyone understands the vision and is committed to achieving it. This aligns with Schein's model of organizational culture, which emphasizes the importance of shared beliefs and values in driving behavior. The book highlights the importance of leadership in driving product innovation. Good leaders inspire, motivate, and lead by example. They create an environment where creativity and innovation can flourish. This aligns with the transformational leadership theory, which posits that leaders can inspire their followers to exceed expected performance by articulating a compelling vision and fostering a culture of innovation. Finally, the book provides a toolkit that includes templates and guides for practicing RPT. It also includes numerous case studies that illustrate the concepts of RPT in action. These practical resources make the book not just a theoretical guide but also a practical manual for product innovators. In conclusion, Radical Product Thinking is a comprehensive guide to product innovation. It provides a new mindset and practical tools for innovating smarter. Whether you're a product manager, a startup founder, or a business leader, this book can help you avoid common pitfalls and achieve sustainable innovation.
ViewPlaying to Win - How Strategy Really Works
Alan G. Lafley, Roger L. Martin
Key Insights from "Playing to Win - How Strategy Really Works" Strategy is a choice: Strategy is not about being the best, but about making specific choices to win in the marketplace. The Five strategic questions: The authors outline five key questions that every company must answer to create a successful strategy. Winning Aspirations: Companies must define their purpose and set aspirations that guide their strategic choices. Where to Play: Companies must make deliberate choices about where they choose to compete. How to Win: It's crucial not only to decide where to compete but also how to win in those chosen areas. Core Capabilities: Companies should identify and leverage their unique capabilities to gain a competitive advantage. Management Systems: Companies need systems and structures in place to support their strategy. Reverse engineering of strategy: The authors propose 'reverse engineering' of successful strategies to understand how they work. Strategy is dynamic: Strategy is not a static plan but a dynamic process that needs to be revisited and revised regularly. Role of the leader: The CEO or leader plays a crucial role in crafting and implementing the strategy. Analysis of "Playing to Win - How Strategy Really Works" "Playing to Win - How Strategy Really Works" is a remarkable book that provides profound insights into the world of strategic management. Co-authored by Alan G. Lafley, former CEO of Procter & Gamble, and Roger L. Martin, the Dean of the Rotman School of Management, the book brings forth a wealth of practical wisdom and experience. First and foremost, the authors emphasize that strategy is essentially about making choices. It's not about being the best but about making specific choices to outperform competitors. This insight is critical because it underscores that the essence of strategy is about deliberately choosing to be different, as pointed out by Michael Porter, the renowned strategy guru. The authors outline five strategic questions that every company must answer: What is our winning aspiration? Where will we play? How will we win? What capabilities must we have in place to win? What management systems are required to support our choices? These questions provide a practical framework for developing a strategy. The importance of Winning Aspirations is underscored as companies often fail to achieve their strategic goals because they do not set clear, ambitious, and achievable aspirations. The authors argue that it is essential to have a clear vision of what winning looks like for the organization. The discussion on Where to Play and How to Win is particularly insightful. The authors argue that these two questions are at the heart of strategy, and companies must make explicit choices about where they will compete and how they will win in those chosen areas. This resonates with Porter's concept of 'strategic positioning'. The authors also emphasize the need to identify and leverage the organization's Core Capabilities. This aligns with the Resource-Based View (RBV) of the firm, which suggests that companies should build their strategies around their unique resources and capabilities to gain a competitive advantage. The authors highlight the importance of Management Systems. They argue that to effectively execute a strategy, companies need the right systems, structures, and measures in place. This insight resonates with the Balanced Scorecard approach, which emphasizes the need to align the organization's structures and systems with its strategy. Interestingly, the authors propose a 'reverse engineering' approach to strategy whereby managers can learn from successful strategies by dissecting them to understand how they work. This is a novel approach that can provide valuable insights for strategic decision-making. The authors remind us that strategy is not a static plan but a dynamic process that needs to be revisited and revised regularly. This aligns with the modern view of strategy as an iterative process that evolves over time, as suggested by Mintzberg. Finally, the book underscores the crucial role of the leader in crafting and implementing the strategy. This echoes the view of many leadership scholars who argue that strategic leadership is key to the success of any strategy. In conclusion, "Playing to Win - How Strategy Really Works" provides a practical and insightful guide to strategic management. It offers valuable lessons for managers and leaders seeking to make informed strategic choices that can lead to sustainable competitive advantage.
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F.
4.March 2024Andreas hat mir viele wertvolle Ideen dazu gegeben, wie ich meine Kunden als Freelancer besser erreichen, mein Netzwerk erweitern und in neuen Themenbereichen Fuß fassen kann. Vielen Dank für deine fundierten Einschätzungen und Insights!