In today’s episode, I speak with Jason James. Jason is the VP of Design at Instacart, a grocery delivery and pick-up service where he leads product design, brand, and research. Previously, he served as VP of Design at Thumbtack and was leading design early in his career  for Earnest, Intercom, Kin, and DoneDone. Jason is a mentor at Made in the Future, a program for emerging under-represented designers.

We dive into the competitive field of design and how it fosters hustle culture, the factors that contribute to burnout, and how meditation and therapy can help designers cope with burnout by becoming more mindful in their design process and interactions with others.