The “Anti-Hustle High Achiever” Mindset | Product Design Manager @Discord, Tobi Bisiriyu

My old Discord work bestie just got promoted twice in one year and I needed to know how he did it without losing himself in the process. Tobi Bisiriyu is a Product Design Manager at Discord and he's one of those rare people who is genuinely great at his job, actually likes it, and still makes work the least interesting thing about him. He cosplays, he goes to anime conventions, he walks one hour every day without exception, and he has a philosophy about life that I think more people in tech need to hear. In this ep, we talk about: → Why looking competent is actually what's holding junior designers back → the "contract you write for yourself" and how to know if you're breaching it → why middle management is actually a "death" trap → say yes to the scary thing...before you talk yourself out of it. → being greedy "with integrity" and why it's good to want it all → and why getting a four in life matters more than getting one at work This episode is for anyone who is good at their job but wonders if there's a version of success that doesn't require you to give everything else up. Tobi is one of the most intentional people I've ever worked with and somehow he got even more thoughtful since we last worked together. → Find Tobi on LinkedIn:   / tobibisiriyu   Submit your Coworker Confessions 👇 https://bit.ly/coworker-confessions If you like what you hear please follow, rate 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts ⭐️ and leave a comment! 🫶 It's free~ 𝙎𝙊𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇𝙎 🌸 instagram →   / chloe.shih   OD instagram →   / officedrama.pod   tiktok →   / chloeshih   threads → https://www.threads.net/@chloe.shih linkedin →   / chloe-shih   patreon → https://patreon.com/OfficeDrama?utm_m... ✹ business inquiries: [email protected] CHAPTERS 00:00:00 - intro 00:01:07 - meet Tobi Bisiriyu 00:01:56 - work besties at Discord 00:04:07 - who bullies you more: PMs or engineers? 00:05:38 - the "b" word 00:08:06 - the handheld mic era 00:10:47 - feeling invisible in rooms 00:12:15 - pop mart slave & anime expo budget 00:13:28 - do you narc on a moonlighter? 00:14:42 - would you let a PM design with AI? 00:16:25 - the broccoli call 00:18:04 - when did you know your career path? 00:21:40 - lawyer → pharmacist → fake Snapchat portfolio in 30 days 00:22:24 - personal shield 🛡️ 00:22:48 - turning point: anime unlocked something 00:26:46 - you can grieve, but you have to go locked in 00:28:04 - role models 00:31:39 - grit is the word of the day 00:32:35 - the contract you write for yourself 00:34:24 - be greedy with integrity 00:36:05 - say yes before you talk yourself out of it 00:37:16 - finding clarity in the smoke 00:38:30 - what does five years look like? 00:39:59 - getting promoted twice 00:41:10 - middle management is a death trap 00:42:53 - the spiderweb of designer traits 00:45:51 - the three things that actually get you promoted 00:46:36 - what junior designers get wrong 00:48:20 - Ouran High School Host Club & knowing your self-worth 00:50:47 - video games can make you a better designer 00:53:11 - can taste be taught? 00:54:16 - get a four in life, not just at work 00:55:44 - performance review ⭐️ 00:57:44 - where to find Tobi 00:58:44 - outro #officedramapodcast #businesspodcast #careerguidance