After almost 8 years at DoorDash, it's time for me to rest from such a life-changing journey, and take a long break in 2023 before I find my next story.
When I joined as the first full-time product designer & frontend engineer in 2015, after dropping out from college (for the 2nd time!) I was a completely different person, with little experience and little understanding of what it took to find success as a startup. But from when there were only a handful of us working out of an old Animal Hospital in Palo Alto, to the post-IPO brand and product so many people love and rely on everyday, I learned so so much: how to build a product people love, how to grow a company, and how to build high-velocity teams that also really care about each other. And I got to go through all that learning with some brilliant, kind, and humble people alongside me.
This time I had with the company was long, sometimes difficult, and filled with little miracles that made me appreciate it every day. I am so proud of having contributed a small part to its story, and for having helped build the Design and Engineering orgs in their early days. And most of all, I'm proud of the Design Infrastructure function I've built the last 5 years—we did some amazing work at the intersection of design and eng with design systems/prototyping/accessibility, in service to every customer, Dasher, and merchant that used our products. We truly, deeply care, and it shows. I'm sad to be no longer leading that amazing team, but I can't wait to continue seeing their impact and cheering them on from afar.
I'm going to miss all of them, and of being a part of such an amazing story. But, I'm excited to find the next chapter of my own, in whatever shape that takes. ❤
(P.S. If you're working on cool things in design systems, design engineering, or anything adjacent, reach out—I'd love to learn about all the fun things you're doing!)