Inside Intercom’s culture of design in the era of AI and PLG | Thomas Rimmer (Design Director at Intercom)

We’re happy to welcome you on the Season 2 of the Growthmates podcast where we will dive into insightful conversations with leaders from Amplitude, Canva, Intercom, Coda, HubSpot, and more to come. If you enjoy our show — subscribe to get all episodes right to your inbox on katesyuma.substack.com. Listen now on Apple, Spotify, or watch on YouTube (new!).In this conversation we invited Thom Rimmer, a design leader at Intercom, to discuss the importance of a design-led culture and user-centricity. Thom provides insightful perspectives on the pivotal role of design principles and rituals in the creation of top-tier products like Intercom. Thom also explains Intercom's transparent roadmap and how it helps create a company-wide commitment to customer satisfaction. The conversation delves into the shift toward product-led growth and the challenges of experimentation and optimization. We also explored the adoption of AI and machine learning, with a focus on leveraging these technologies to enhance customer service. Finally, Thom emphasizes the significance of mentorship and leadership in personal and professional growth. The conversation covers topics such as building internal connections and mentorship, inspiring advice and quotes, books for building a design culture, and fun team rituals to maintain a thriving culture.Some Takeaways:* Design-led culture and user-centricity are essential for creating products in a highly competitive market.* Transparent roadmaps help to create a company-wide commitment to customer satisfaction.* The shift towards product-led growth requires deeper attention to product quality.* AI and machine learning can enhance customer service and improve efficiency.* Mentorship and leadership are valuable for personal and professional growth. Building internal connections and mentorship is important for designers within an organization.* Anyone can be a mentor, regardless of their level of experience.* Having someone outside of your company to mentor you can provide a fresh perspective.* Setting weekly goals and holding yourself accountable can help build a strong design culture, and there’s an Intercom approach that Thom also shared in the episode.Follow Growthmates podcast updates on:* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://katesyuma.substack.com/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates_/Where to find Thomas Rimmer, Design Director at Intercom:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-rimmer-73903030/ * Website: https://www.thomrimmer.co.uk/Where to find Kate Syuma, Growth Advisor (ex-Miro):* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/* Newsletter: https://katesyuma.substack.com/* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syumaWhere to find Oscar Torres, Product Designer at Miro:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartorrestryme/* Website: https://www.oscartorres.me/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar_towers_/What we’ve covered in this episode:00:00 Introduction and Design-Led Culture06:01 Design Principles and Culture at Intercom08:15 Emphasis on Quality and Unique Rituals11:12 Roadmap Transparency and Customer Commitment15:08 Shared Understanding of Quality Bar17:34 User-Centricity and Customer Exposure19:30 Involving Engineers in User Research22:56 Shift to Product-Led Growth32:18 Adapting to AI and Machine Learning43:06 Mentorship and Leadership46:10 Building Internal Connections and Mentorship48:36 Lightning Round49:10 Inspiring Advice and Quotes49:43 Books for Building Design Culture50:39 Fun Team Rituals53:21 How to Connect with Thom RimmerResources referenced:* Roger Martin, “The Design of Business”: https://rogerlmartin.com/lets-read/the-design-of-business * Tim Brown, “Change by Design”: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Design-Transforms-Organizations-Innovation/dp/0061766089* Reed Hastings, “No Rules Rules”: https://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Netflix-Culture-Reinvention/dp/1984877860If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to share it with your colleagues and like-minded friends. For sponsorship and other inquiries reach out to [email protected]. Subscribe to get more episodes right in your inbox: katesyuma.substack.comThanks for reading Kate's Syuma Newsletter & Growthmates! Subscribe for free to receive new episodes and support my work. Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe