At The Predictive Index (PI), a company often referred to as the world’s oldest startup, I embraced the opportunity to lead our platform team in a transformative journey. My mission was to design and develop foundational platform capabilities that would not only enhance our 2.0 product modules but also redefine how we connect our suite of products. Central to our mission was the Behavioral Assessment (BA), a robust framework that helps individuals understand their working styles and improves collaboration across diverse teams. With this 60-year-old legacy in mind, I took on the challenge of evolving PI into a modern tech company centered around our unique BA.
As the Director of Product Design leading our platform initiative, I understood the critical need for a cohesive platform that would enable our products—Hire, Design, Diagnose, and Inspire—to function seamlessly. It was essential that our platform addressed foundational needs such as permissions, user management, data integration, and navigation. To do this, I sought to dive deep into the existing landscape and better understand how we approached building our solution. I recognized early on that our offerings were connected yet siloed, operating in what we referred to as a “little p platform.” I envisioned a new direction: the “big P platform” concept for our 2.0 product maturation.
Facilitating Research & Discovery
To move from concept to action, I facilitated a week-long design sprint with ten key stakeholders from various departments. This collaborative effort was aimed at defining the product direction for our Inspire 2.0 module. My leadership during this sprint involved guiding discussions, synthesizing diverse perspectives, and identifying potential risks—particularly those related to platform readiness and architecture. It was a testament to my ability to mobilize cross-functional teams and align them around a shared vision.
The challenge, however, was not only about vision but also about execution. With five teams operating in silos, we faced significant challenges regarding accountability and roadmap clarity. I recognized that duplicative efforts were muddling our customer experience; for instance, the way sharing was implemented in the Hire module was vastly different from the Design module. This inconsistency was an area of concern I aimed to address head-on.
I led my platform team through a series of workshops focused on distinguishing platform-centric capabilities from module-specific features. This process involved intensive brainstorming, where we meticulously cataloged every possible action and job within our software. From this comprehensive exploration, we identified core platform capabilities such as User Management, Permissions and Access Control, Sharing, and Navigation. My ability to facilitate collaborative discussions ensured that my colleagues felt engaged and empowered, ultimately driving home the importance of a unified approach to our platform capabilities.
Leading Leaders
To further strengthen our direction, I sought input from my peers, encouraging an open dialogue to refine our list of platform-centric features. This collaborative refinement process not only validated our decisions but also fostered a sense of ownership among the team, reinforcing my leadership as an inclusive and strategic thinker.
As the platform took shape, it became evident that our future relied on clear communication and collaboration among all business units. Drawing from my experience, I initiated a cross-functional directors cohort that enhanced alignment and improved the collective planning of our product roadmap. By fostering better communication among directors, we broke down silos and created a culture of collaboration, enabling our teams to work toward a shared vision more effectively.
Outcomes
In summary, my tenure at The Predictive Index exemplified not just technical leadership but the art of design leadership—an ability to envision the future, mobilize diverse groups, and create clarity amidst complexity. As we built a robust platform for our products, I ensured that design principles, user experience, and thoughtful strategy guided every decision. This case study illustrates how my skills, direction, and design thinking can drive meaningful change in an organization, ultimately paving the way for a more integrated and impactful product experience.
