Why I'm Leaving Design–and What That Says about It's Future

“Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or come change the world with me?”

Steve Jobs asked that in 1983. It still applies.

After a decade at the intersection of design, product, and research, I’ve made a decision: design is no longer the primary lever. The center of gravity has moved.

It now sits in systems, orchestration layers, and agents that reason and adapt. Interfaces can be generated. Taste is no longer rare. The real value lies in model internals, routing logic, and infrastructure that shapes behavior.

I’m stepping away from my design title—not to abandon design, but to go deeper. From Head of Product Design to Member of Technical Staff. Not a pivot. A progression.

I wrote about the five forces driving this shift: paradigm, innovation, leadership, distribution, and wealth.