Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Exit Interview #1: Greg Petroff: From Silicon Valley Executive to Sonoma County Possibilitarian
This video is featured in the Josh's test playlist playlist and 1 more.
Summary
After years leading design at Google, ServiceNow, and Cisco, Greg Petroff made a bold move—leaving Silicon Valley for Sonoma County and traditional corporate leadership for fractional executive work. Now building two consulting practices while serving as fractional CDO for a fintech startup, Greg embodies what he calls being a “possibilitarian”—seeing opportunity in moments of change. We’ll explore his transition to the emerging world of fractional leadership and how he’s helping organizations navigate our AI-infused moment
Key Insights
-
•
Greg pivoted from architecture to tech and UX without initially knowing it was called UX.
-
•
Increased competition and ageism impacted Greg’s search for enterprise UX leadership roles recently.
-
•
Greg’s current consulting focuses on outcomes-first AI strategy for SMBs and enterprises using design thinking.
-
•
Letting go of professional identity was key for Greg to successfully pivot away from chief design officer roles.
-
•
Flexibility between startup and enterprise environments comes from understanding core design and leadership principles, not context.
-
•
Greg and Jorge Arango’s Unfinished practice involves service design methods but not building software themselves.
-
•
Successful AI adoption requires understanding an organization’s existing systems, tacit knowledge, and readiness to change.
-
•
Greg uses intention statements and periodic self-evaluation to guide his evolving career direction.
-
•
The biggest challenge in consulting with traditional companies is managing long-term vision versus their readiness for change.
-
•
Having trusted partners and accountability structures supports sustainable entrepreneurial pivots.
Notable Quotes
"I know exactly this job, all its problems and dysfunctions, and I don’t want to do that anymore."
"How can I guide my community to design the form and behavior of light on the edge of becoming this?"
"The tools are more important than ever even if the title UX becomes less central."
"The AI conversation is slapping technology on everything versus actually looking at how humans work."
"If I don’t make a dollar doing this, I’ll be okay, but I actually am making a dollar doing it."
"You need to respect tacit knowledge and culture when redesigning workflows."
"I get bored super easily; that’s why I’m super into the AI stuff right now."
"We’re not marketing ourselves as providing UX services, but the toolkit we use is a very strong service design toolkit."
"One super small step of value is better than proposing the big picture if the client isn’t ready."
"End your day by writing the to-do list for tomorrow; it’s easy to get distracted when you’re not in a full-time gig."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"The more participatory the practices, the deeper and more intentional the engagement needs to be."
Alexia Cohen Adriane AckermanIncreasing Health Equity and Improving the Service Experience for Under-Served Latine Communities in Arizona
December 4, 2024
"The timing is key—you want to interrupt them when they are in that flow state."
Marc Majers Tony TurnerInterrupted UX - Add A Dose of Reality To Usability Testing
March 11, 2022
"Designers set out to resolve ill-defined problems using abductive thinking — making things that we know are kind of wrong to test solutions."
Jorge ArangoDesign as an Antidote to VUCA
May 9, 2019
"People work with autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Autonomy is very motivating."
Brenna FallonLearning Over Outcomes
October 24, 2019
"The Shakers’ principled approach to design was a precursor to Bauhaus’s form follows function and today’s user-centered values."
Daniel GloydWarming the User Experience: Lessons from America's first and most radical human-centered designers
May 9, 2024
"Sometimes accessibility isn’t perfect, but consistency lets me shop on Amazon in my sleep because of muscle memory."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
October 3, 2023
"Data is not just numbers; it tells us the story of student learning."
Kristin SkinnerFive Years of DesignOps
September 29, 2021
"When we start changing our behavior, we start changing the voices and behavior around us."
Denise Jacobs Nancy Douyon Renee Reid Lisa WelchmanInteractive Keynote: Social Change by Design
January 8, 2024
"Recruit fees from panels can escalate from $100 per participant to $600 due to international and professional targeting."
Roberta Dombrowski Lianna Aduana5 Reasons to Bring your Recruiting in House
September 30, 2021