My Biggest Lessons from 250 Episodes / Marc Fonteijn / Ep. #250
Service Design Show
What he'd do differently starting again
Marc reflects he'd prioritize conversation quality over production polish and hire a voice coach earlier for better communication.
I'll let you in on a small secret...
Ten years ago, the Service Design Show was never even supposed to be a podcast.
And somehow here we are. We've officially hit episode 250. Its been a decade since I published that very first interview. Somewhat of a cliche but, I never expected to reach this milestone.
I still remember the early days very well when I was struggling with a "split identity". Torn between running a service design agency and following this pull toward content creation. It took me a good three years to finally take the leap, but looking back, it was the best decision I ever made.
As you'll notice, this episode is quite different. Usually, it’s my job to ask the questions, but in this one, I’m the one answering them.
I wanted to share some of the messy, behind-the-scenes lessons from the last decade. They are quite personal but who knows maybe you can use them as tools in your own practice.
We’re diving into things like my cheat code to gain clarity, the power of friction, what I’ve learned about building real connections and how "remarkable" things are often built through consistent, often unglamorous work. And yes, I even answer some hot questions from the community.
I have to say that recording this episode was both difficult and incredibly rewarding.
So, if you’ve been on this journey with me, I’d love for you to join me for this reflection. This milestone isn't just mine, it’s ours.
By the way, if you prefer our regular interview format, feel free to skip this one. I won't judge! We’ll be back to our normal schedule next week.
Thank you again for your attention, your trust, and for being part of this movement.
Be well,
~ Marc
--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---
00:00 Welcome to EP 250
03:30 Friction of a "split identity"
05:00 How did I get into service design
06:30 Overlap between engineering and design skills
07:00 Letting go of code
08:15 Biggest lessons I learned in the last decade
08:45 Don’t wait for permission to start your project
10:15 The power of consistency over perfection
12:30 Choosing guests for the podcast
13:00 The "Curiosity Filter"
15:45 The shift from generalist to specialist topics in service design
18:30 One of the most challenging episodes
19:15 Dealing with technical failures and "lost" interviews
22:00 The future of the Service Design Show
22:45 Moving towards more community-driven content
25:15 Some Advice for someone starting their own podcast
26:00 Focusing on the "Why" before the "How"
28:30 Importance of building a platform you own
31:45 The ripple effect of 250 conversations
34:30 Thank you for being part of the journey
--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---
--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---
Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.
https://servicedesignshow.com/circle
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