The Mini-CEO Mindset: How Designers Earn Their Seat at the Table
💡 “Designers need a seat at the table!”
…but what if the company doesn’t even HAVE a table?
In this episode, Tyler White and Nick Groeneveld unpack the real reason designers struggle to influence decisions—they don’t speak the right language.
We’re breaking down:
✅ Why empathy is a designer’s superpower—for users and stakeholders.
✅ The business language hack that gets you taken seriously in meetings.
✅ How to build real influence (hint: visibility = opportunity).
✅ The leadership vs. craft mastery dilemma—which career path should you take?
✅ The real reason mentorship & teaching will 10x your skills.
✅ Should designers learn to code? (Spoiler: It depends.)
If you've ever felt undervalued in meetings, frustrated by clueless stakeholders, or uncertain about your career path, this episode will give you the mindset shift you need to thrive.
🎧 Listen now and start making your design work IMPOSSIBLE to ignore!
📢 Subscribe to The Design Table Podcast!👋 More about Tyler and Nick
Hosts
Tyler White
Tyler White is a Senior Product Designer with over a decade of experience in UX, strategy, and business-driven design. He’s worked across startups, fintech, and SaaS, helping teams create products that convert and retain users.
Nick Groeneveld
Nick Groeneveld is a freelance UX and product designers from the Netherlands. He started his design career in 2015 and has since then worked for startups, government agencies, and corporations.