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Your team needs a better balance between starters and finishers

Delving into the different UX mindsets of starters and finishers in the tech world

Slava Polonski, PhD
UX Collective
8 min readMar 9, 2023
Starters and finishers in a race
Starters and finishers (Image by author via Midjourney)

Ever wondered how some people seem to have the knack for coming up with brilliant ideas and getting them off the ground, while others excel at bringing projects to successful completion? Or why some projects seem to take off like a rocket, while others sputter and fail to launch?

It’s not just about having the right resources, technology, or strategy — it’s also about having the right mix of people. In particular, it’s about having a balance between starters and finishers. In every project, whether it’s in the technology industry, pharmaceuticals, video games, or elsewhere, it’s important to have a team with a range of skills and behavioral tendencies between these two extremes.

In this post, we’ll explore the different strengths and motivations of these two types of team members, and how project managers can find the right balance to maximize their team’s potential. So buckle up, get ready for takeoff, and let’s explore the fascinating world of starters and finishers!

The spark and the flame

But what exactly are starters and finishers? Apple, for instance, is often cited as a…

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Published in UX Collective

We believe designers are thinkers as much as they are makers. Curated stories on UX, Visual & Product Design. https://linktr.ee/uxc

Written by Slava Polonski, PhD

UX Research Lead @ Google Flights | 20% People+AI Guidebook | Forbes 30 Under 30 | PhD | Global Shaper & Expert @WEF | Prevsly @UniofOxford @Harvard

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