Hands-on vs. management trade-offs

In this episode of Growthmates, Kate Syuma speaks with Catt Small — Staff Designer at Dropbox, author of The Staff Designer, writer, teacher, and indie game developer.

Catt shares how she built a book, a course, and a creative practice while working full-time — and why small daily progress matters more than waiting for the perfect moment.

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👉 Partners who support Growthmates

• Mobbin — the largest UX & UI reference library for real product inspiration: https://mobbin.com/

• Obi by Cor — AI-powered onboarding voice assistant for modern product teams: https://bit.ly/3NaMzyF

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Welcome to Growthmates with Kate Syuma — Growth Advisor, ex-Miro. This season, The Creator’s Path, explores unconventional journeys of designers, founders, and builders redefining what it means to create — especially in the age of AI.

Growthmates is where top product and growth leaders share real strategies and insights to help you turn ideas into successful products. Learn from experts at Dropbox, Adobe, Amplitude, Canva, and more in deep dive interviews with Kate Syuma, ex-Miro Head of Growth Design and founder of Growthmates.

🔗 Find more insights on growthmates.club and follow on your favorite platforms for more episodes.

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Key highlights from this episode 👇

• We discuss how creative projects can grow alongside a full-time career without requiring a dramatic leap.

• We explore why small, consistent steps often lead to bigger outcomes than waiting for perfect conditions.

• We unpack how sharing ideas publicly can gradually open doors to new opportunities.

• We examine how perfectionism can slow creators down — and why “good enough” helps you move forward.

• We talk about the importance of transparency when balancing side projects with a full-time role.

• We explain why teaching or testing ideas first can be a powerful step before writing a book.

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Where to find Kate Syuma:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

Newsletter: https://www.growthmates.news/

Where to find Catt Small:

Personal website: https://cattsmall.com

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/cattsmall

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/catt.design

Book (The Staff Designer): https://rosenfeldmedia.com/books/the-staff-designer/

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What we covered:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:10) Catt's background in UX design and gaming

(04:22) How to find (and make) time for big creative projects

(07:00) Writing a book in small daily increments

(09:47) How Catt built her relationship with Rosenfeld Media

(12:23) Validating your book idea through teaching and community

(15:13) Overcoming fear of sharing unfinished work

(18:06) Applying a design thinking approach to creative projects

(19:19) Should you start with a course or a book?

(23:24) Navigating employer transparency around side projects

(27:44) The mission behind The Staff Designer

(33:19) The future of the staff designer role in an AI world

(42:21) What gives Catt energy to keep creating

(47:45) Dealing with creative blocks and burnout

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Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the show on growthmates.club and get the free playbook with frameworks and insights.

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Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe