Hi 👋, I am Alina Bochkacheva, Product Design Leader
Principal design consultant at Amity, leading design and research for SaaS start-ups. I started out as a front-end developer and I still love uncovering truths. Think Columbo.
As a leader
Led the product design team at Trade Me, New Zealand’s largest marketplace. Now I lead design and research for SaaS start-ups working through discovery and market fit.
How I leadAs an IC
I started as a front-end developer. Since then I’ve shipped research-led products at Duo Security and SaferMe, from mind maps through to hi-fi prototypes.
See the workI’ve hired and grown designers, and I’ve sat in the customer visits myself. Most of my career has been a mix of both.
That mix isn’t an accident. I believe the best people rarely fit neatly into one box, and the most interesting work happens where different skills meet. My own path, from front-end developer to designer to design leader, is the best evidence I have.
Great leaders are great not because they are irreplaceable. They enable each member of their team to be the best version of themselves. They teach them all the skills they have. They pass all the wisdom there is to pass. A great leader can walk away, and the team will thrive.
I believe that this is the most important quality that a manager can cultivate within their team. It takes a while to get here but as a manager, you need to work on this EVERY SINGLE DAY. Letting your team members disagree while making them feel secure is the most empowering experience you can give to anyone. Including yourself.
As designers, we’re taught that critical feedback is everything. This is also how you make excellent manager-employee relationships. Being honest with each other early and often builds the strongest foundation of relationships. And it goes both ways: you need to teach THEM to do the same for you.
We spend hours every day listening. But how often do we ACTIVELY listen and try to understand? Due to inherent biases, we may disregard what others are saying based on their skill level — and end up dismissing crucial information, great ideas, or simple good-hearted conversations.
When you get into a disagreement, discover an easily avoided mistake, or see things go completely sideways — give yourself some time, take a deep breath, and remember all the great things they have done and are capable of.
Politics emerges in the best of companies. Protecting your team is crucial so they can focus on their jobs, and not get bogged down by worries and gossip. You should stand at the forefront and accept blame when things go wrong.
At least, not yet... We have feelings; bad days and good days. As a manager, we need to recognize all of these. When your people stumble, lend them a hand so they can catch their breath and get back up.
New members of the workforce need mentors, a nurturing environment, structure, and processes — otherwise it’s a recipe for burnout. We need to give back, inspire, mentor, and set the best examples we can.
