Figure out your swim lane.
Your swim lane isn’t always something someone else assigns to you.
Sometimes, it's something you see clearly on your own.
Something you instinctively recognize, take hold of, and run with without waiting for anyone else's approval or direction.
That's personal agency: the ability to see what needs to be done and the willingness to take responsibility immediately.
Personal agency in startups isn't just valued, it's fundamental... Especially at Origami.
When I first joined Origami, my role was supposed to be clear.
I moved across the country from NYC to San Francisco to help with GTM strategy, specifically focused on developing our outbound strategy, content growth strategy, and improving Origami's internal sales efficiency.
However, while on a work trial... it quickly became clear that our website and user interface needed more than a few improvements.
Instead of waiting around for someone else to raise the issue or ask permission, I decided to take it upon myself.
I stepped into a lane that wasn't officially mine yet but felt undeniably right. I had previously been a founder myself, so designing UI and UX wasn't entirely new territory but being a "formal" design engineer?
That was completely foreign.
Thanks to tools like cursor and other AI-powered IDEs, my lack of a formal technical background didn't matter as much.
Today, my original role feels distant.
I'm now Origami's sole design engineer, driving our product’s UI/UX vision forward, ensuring that our customers' experience matches the quality of the product we're building.
The key takeaway? Don't wait around to be given permission or direction.
Identify the needs in your organization, trust your instincts, and step into the role you see clearly...
Even if it means moving outside your original job description. Find your swim lane and start swimming.
