The Design Thinker

Introduction:

Chandni Motwani is the epitome of future-proof. With a degree in engineering at university and a fascination with renewable energy, Chandni started her career at one of the world’s top consulting firms, Booz Allen. At the same time she founded her own startup in renewable energy, took a year to travel around India, and discovered her passion for product development. She then moved over to Google where she helped them build some of their top products like Google Docs and Google sheets, and now has found herself in Hong Kong at a company called Nest where she helps corporates (big companies) with design thinking and innovation.

On this episode we discuss everything from the highly popular practice of design thinking to the need for empathy in all aspects of work and life situations.

Show Notes:

0.00 - 02.30:

• Helping corporates innovate and become digitally savvy
• The definition of a corporate
• Why corporates often find it difficult to be innovative

02.30 - 05.00:

• Why she did engineering at university, despite not enjoying it
• Chandni’s interest in renewable (solar) energy and how it arose from spending time in India and seeing the poverty
• How this then led her to working for one of the world’s top consulting firms
• Founding a start up that creates renewable energy solutions for developing countries
• Her growing interest in product and business development

05.00 - 07.30:

• The unglamorous side of consulting in her early years
• Securing a product development job at Google after several years of applying and trying
• Moving to Hong Kong, joining Nest, and increasing her work in design thinking
• What is design thinking and its relation to empathy

07.30 - 10.00:

• The relevance of empathy in business, not only in relating to others but also in developing products (for humans)
• The importance of understanding your emotions so that you can empathize with others
• Using emotional intelligence in life and work situations

10.00 - 12.30:

• The outer world being a reflection of your inner
• What Chandni was like at 16 and her advice to teens on using that time for self exploration
• The motivations Divya had at 16 to be successful

12.30 - 15.00:

• The pressure for teens to prove themselves, especially with university applications
• The futility of planning to “be somewhere" at a certain age
• Looking back at age 30 and realizing that you “never arrive”, that it’s an ongoing journey
• Her tips on getting over the nervousness of presenting and public speaking

15.00 - 17.30:

• Chandni's view on failure and how it evolved throughout her career
• The difficulty she felt in speaking up for herself at the beginning
• Divya’s fear of disappointing others and the impossibility of pleasing everyone
• The importance of not taking things personally because people project their own issues and it’s usually not about you

17.30 - 20.00:

• Chandni’s tips on speaking her truth, even in front of highly demanding clients
• How emotional intelligence helps you succeed in the workplace
• Having empathy for yourself, and being ok with how you feel
• Disassociating from your “negative" emotions and realizing that they’re not a permanent part of you

20.00 - 22.45

• Divya’s tips on speaking to senior executives and CEOs as a very young and inexperienced professional