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Design Lessons from Big Tech
Design Lessons from Big Tech
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Overview

Love or hate them, there's no denying the impact of the big tech companies on our lives and world. From Amazon, Google, and even companies like SpaceX — these rapidly growing giants continue to transform, shape and influence almost everything. 

So what lessons can we learn from their experiences? How can we unpack their agile practices, inventive ideas, and use those approaches elsewhere? Well, this is by no means a definitive list but it points to some of the gems we've gleaned so far. 

This Playbook includes the following sections, select a heading to jump to that section.
TAKING THE PLUNGE
You've heard the stories - about how all of these companies started in a garage. So what were some of the early lessons behind their start up stories?
Regret Minimisation Framework
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This simple and compelling model was the one that Jeff Bezos used to leave a good-paying salaried job and bet on Amazon.
Find out more about Regret Minimisation Framework and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
First Principle Thinking
Elon Musk often cites this model as a crucial tool to reframe problems and go beyond common assumptions. It's a potentially disruptive approach and a must when challenging the status quo.
Find out more about First Principle Thinking and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
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COLLABORATION & WAYS OF WORKING
Beyond the processes, these agile companies have uncovered other important lessons to deepen collaboration and impact.
Directly Responsible Individual
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Steve Jobs adopted this method across Apple to help foster greater accountability.
Find out more about Directly Responsible Individual and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
Psychological Safety
Google's Project Aristotle famously identified the key factor behind high-performing teams as Psychological Safety. Click into the model to find out more.
Find out more about Psychological Safety and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
High-Velocity Decisions
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Bezos' model aimed to create a 'Day One' company, even as it was scaling to unimaginable growth. His decision model is focused on achieving a 'bias to action' and cut through beurocracy.
Find out more about High-Velocity Decisions and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
DevOps Mindset
A relatively recent addition to Agile methodology, this approach looked at the end-to-end process and breaking down traditional silos in organisations.
Find out more about DevOps Mindset and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
Agile Methodology
Agile methodology was born from software companies, click into this model to also explore Kanban, Scrum and other related models.
Find out more about Agile Methodology and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
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WORK PROCESSES
Software companies have led the way in reinventing the way we work and deliver on customer needs.
Amazon's Working Backwards
Amazon's obsession with customer-centricity means that they start and end there. Creating press releases and FAQ documents to test the value of the proposed project or initiative upfront, it also aligns the team if it does get to build.
Find out more about Amazon's Working Backwards and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
Musk's 5 Step Design Process
Elon Musk's 5 Step Design Process was developed from his work (and mistakes) at Tesla, and has been more consistently applied at SpaceX. It's transferable to a range of businesses and projects.
Find out more about Musk's 5 Step Design Process and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
DIBB Framework
Not keen on Musk's approach? Then you might want to consider this Shopify approach to building a data-driven culture of innovation and learning.
Find out more about DIBB Framework and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
Lean Startup
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The Lean Startup captures modern tech startups that have been reflected in broader business - particularly of focusing on a Minimum Viable Product and working with quick cycles to better meet customer needs.
Find out more about Lean Startup and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
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AND TWO 'LAWS'
Not really real 'laws' but these concepts do represent interesting observations and things to keep in mind that are related to the rise of technology companies.
Moore’s Law
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And a model to help understand the driver behind our continued digital disruption – capturing the speed of technological advancement.
Find out more about Moore’s Law and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
Zawinski’s Law
A funny one to throw in at first glance, but it was a lesson from early tech companies – specifically from the days of Netscape.
Find out more about Zawinski’s Law and add it to your Latticework of Mental Models here.
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