Spotlight /

February 2022

Forward Thinking with Kim Goulbourne

Kim is a TEDx speaker, Webby award-winning product designer, and full stack developer from Jamaica. By day, she leads product design at Splice and by night she crafts thoughtful products and experiences under her venture studio, Bourn.

She has spoken at events by Girlboss, AIGA, and Girls who Code and has been featured in publications and podcasts such as HER, Bustle, Revision Path, and CodeNewbie. She has served as a judge for The One Show, has been a curator for NET Magazine, and a teacher at General Assembly.

She’s worked with top creative agencies and product consultancies helping startups and established businesses revamp their digital presence.

Key Takeaways

01 Ensure that self-reflection is part of a process to learn from your mistakes

Investing time in self-reflection is a process that’s helped Kim learn from her mistakes and move forward in the future with forthcoming ventures. If you can become aware of why you went after something in the first place, you might be able to identify what you could have done differently to arrive at a different outcome.

02 When remembering your motivation, look back at your “why”

Part of Kim’s exploration process when channeling her motivation goes back to her “why.” It’s worth asking yourself, “Who am I?,” and “What am I trying to build?,” as well as looking at the market to see what gaps you might be able to fill.

03 As a creator, expand your references to broaden your thinking and creative process

Rather than just thinking about what you want and how you can work towards achieving it, take a look at what data and research already exists so that you can create something unique that hasn’t been done before.

04 Learn how you can manage your team well to achieve better outcomes together

Kim discusses the importance of a manager’s role within her team, and how there are different aspects of leading teams to work together harmoniously to achieve a desired outcome together. Within your capacity, look at how you can influence the result of a product, control the variables throughout, and develop processes to make sure your team is as effective as possible.

05 If you want to create new habits, make the decision to do so

There are apps, journals, and self-imposed rules, but unless you make the committed decision to do something, it won’t get done. If you really want to introduce a new habit into your life (and keep it there), make sure you make the mindful, committed decision to do so.

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