In this episode, Kyle sits down with two UX industry veterans who are trying something new: Steve Portigal and Justin Dauer have announced a unique collaboration that allows them to work together while maintaining their independent practices.

Steve Portigal has been running Portigal Consulting for over two decades, is the author of "Interviewing Users" and "Doorbells, Danger and Dead Batteries," and is a familiar face at conferences worldwide. Justin Dauer is the founder of Anomali by Design, author of "Creative Culture" and "In Fulfillment," and focuses on design leadership and building healthy creative environments.

We explore what their "chocolate and peanut butter" collaboration actually looks like, why they chose collaboration over partnership, and how they're combining Steve's research expertise with Justin's design leadership experience.

Steve opens up about social comparison being the hardest part of consulting for him, while Justin shares insights about the importance of controlling your own destiny as a consultant.

Other topics discussed:

• The evolution of their collaboration and their ideal joint projects
• The current consulting slowdown
• Business development strategies: How to be found by clients vs. finding them
• The reality of being "too well-known": When fame can actually hurt your hirability
• Book publishing experiences: Traditional vs. self-publishing and how writing supports consulting work

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface | Linkedin
• Guest: Steve Portigal | Portigal Consulting | Linkedin
• Guest: Justin Dauer | Anomali By Design | Linkedin
• Their Collaboration: https://anomalibydesign.com/steve+justin/

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Interviewing Users: How to Uncover Compelling Insights (2nd edition) by Steve Portigal
• Doorbells, Danger, and Dead Batteries: User Research War Stories by Steve Portigal
• In Fulfillment: The Designer's Journey by Justin Dauer
• Creative Culture: Human-Centered Interaction, Design, & Inspiration by Justin Dauer
• Dollars to Donuts - Steve’s podcast where he talks with the people who lead user research in their organizations: https://portigal.com/podcast/
• Practical Design Leadership - Justin’s podcast with Jaan Orvet: https://designleadership.transistor.fm/

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

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I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!