Design Meets Business is a podcast that inspires designers to think beyond pixels. On this show you'll hear design leaders from all over the world talk about their stories, lessons they've learned during their careers, and how you can use Design to make a bigger impact in your organisation.
The Accountability Ladder, Learning to Lead by Leading Yourself, and Why Wisdom Matters More Than Intelligence, with Steve "Buzz" Pearce (ex-Skype, Microsoft, SkyScanner, TravelPerk, Monday.com)
Steve "Buzz" Pearce is a design leader with 25 years of experience spanning companies like Skype, Microsoft, SkyScanner, TravelPerk, and Monday.com. Since his early days, Steve has chosen to focus on doing great work, learning from amazing people, and being challenged, rather than always seeking promotions. On the last episode of this season we chat about the progression from tools to craft to invention, the accountability ladder framework that changed how he leads, why you need to play the victim less and take ownership more, and his leadership style of leading like a shepherd—guiding people to greener pastures whilst protecting and nurturing the team.
Timestamps:
02:16 – Steve's career arc
07:08 – Proving competence before getting promoted
11:16 – The framework: tools, craft, invention, and influence
20:44 – Balancing micromanagement with giving space
32:16 – Building people up, not crushing them
34:50 – Giving permission to be honest and role modelling feedback
39:50 – The mental flip: business, team, then yourself
40:26 – What to let go of when moving into leadership
54:44 – The accountability ladder
59:06 – Leading like a shepherd
01:00:32 – End of show questions
Connect with Steve
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebuzzpearce/)
Selected links from the episode
Leading with Questions (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36756.Leading_with_Questions), by Michael Marquardt
The Accountability Ladder (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mRcFdqUP_E&t=30s)
Hatch Conference Lisbon 2026 (https://leadershipateliers.com/lisbon)
7 Jan 2026
From Bad Management to Great Leadership, The Pendulum Swing Back to Craft, and Making Boring Projects Exciting, with Cap Watkins (ex-Amazon, Etsy, BuzzFeed, Lattice)
Cap Watkins was most recently VP of Product Design at Lattice, and previously he's held design leadership roles at Amazon, Etsy, BuzzFeed, and Primary.com. Cap started his management career as an experiment after experiencing bad management himself, deciding to do the opposite of everything he'd hated from previous managers. On today's show we chat about the basics of great management, why design lost its craft over the past decade, how senior ICs influence without authority, and how to make any project exciting enough to build your reputation.
Timestamps:
02:16 – Cap's intro
06:46 – Management basics: transparency, showing up, and treating people like adults
09:24 – Should you try management or stay on the IC track?
12:08 – How to avoid being a bad manager when you're starting out
19:24 – Building divisive opinions and culture through transparency
20:26 – How senior ICs influence without formal authority
25:40 – How design lost its craft and became too strategic
28:28 – The hiring crisis: from 1 in 10 to 1 in 100 pass rates
36:40 – Making boring projects exciting
44:14 – End of show questions
Connect with Cap
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/capwatkins/)
Selected links from the episode
Managing Humans (https://randsinrepose.com/archives/managing-humans/), by Rands
Turn The Ship Around (https://davidmarquet.com/books/turn-the-ship-around-book/), by Lt. David Marquet
The Making of a Manager (https://www.juliezhuo.com/book/manager.html), by Julie Zhou
10 Dec 2025
Staying Useful as a Designer, Making Good Trouble, and How AI is Reshaping Design, with Matt Davey (CXO at 1Password)
Matt Davey is Chief Experience Officer at 1Password, where he's been for over 13 years, starting as a part-time contractor and growing alongside the company through multiple chapters of change. On today's show we chat about staying at one company for such a long time and what that means, the importance of self-awareness in recognising when your role has changed, why a healthy tension in a product team is important, how to make 'Good Trouble,' and how AI is reshaping Design.
Timestamps:
02:14 – Matt's journey at 1Password and growing with the company
04:42 – Recognising chapter changes at work
08:30 – The loneliness of design leadership and talking to peers
11:22 – Doing what you want to be doing and giving away responsibilities
17:48 – Storytelling and getting buy-in from execs
29:36 – Building products without much data
38:06 – Good trouble and healthy tension
54:06 – How AI is changing Design
01:07:32 – End of show questions
Connect with Matt
Website (https://mattdavey.co.uk/)
Selected links from the episode
Making Good Trouble (https://mattdavey.co.uk/posts/2024/making-good-trouble/)
What you can expect to work on as a 1Password intern (https://1password.com/blog/what-work-on-1password-internship)
1Password Careers (https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/1password)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
9 ratings
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