Smash Notes
What Are You Gonna Say Yes to? (with Joel Beukelman)
“There’s a consequence to the prioritization of anything. It’s about having a framework for understanding those tradeoffs, and creating a pattern of decision-making so you can have a structure for your priorities.”
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Notes
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Anthony Armendariz introduces Joel Beukelman on the Hustle podcast as a senior interaction designer at Google, working on Chrome desktop from the Venice, California office. Before Google he was head of design at Design Inc, a former sponsor of the show, and he also worked at Netflix. He grew up around Southern California, has three children, and runs a YouTube channel about his career, with interviews and lessons for other designers. Beukelman calls himself a dad and a designer who spends as much time on fatherhood, money, and health as on the interface work.
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There is definitely no time for everything and something has to give. You have to be okay with that, and to be clear as to what your priorities are. For example, Joel admits that he is a better designer when he is healthy, so health has to be set as a priority.
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Having a baby gave Anthony Armendariz a reality check and a reminder that investing in his relationship with his wife and his baby is so much more rewarding that hustling for his business. At the end of the day, being a happy person makes him a better boss, and creates a net-positive outcome for his company.
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Joel Beukelman, a senior interaction designer on Google Chrome and a father of three, tells Anthony Armendariz that becoming a parent resets privacy. He says getting to use the bathroom without a child knocking is a rare good day, and that people without kids should not be expected to understand that trade. His wife runs a business with about six contractors, and he says she carries most of the school runs and coverage, with help from family and friends. He contrasts the chaos at home with how manageable Google felt after years inside a startup.
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Joel speculates that many people like him are often living with an imposter syndrome, constantly prioritising work over their personal needs, be that health or family.
Before working at Google he spent two years working for a startup, spending every waking moment living and breathing the needs of that company. One would think that joining Google would be easy, and allow Joel to rest, but even then, he's always feeling like he is not doing things fast enough.
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Design is a multi-faceted field with many niche aspects and no common language to describe them all. Being able to focus on your own proficiencies is the key to doing great work that makes you happy.
The best way to understand what would make you happy is to try it all. Some might prefer to stay as individual contributors, some would move into management..etc. To each their own, and that's okay.
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