👋 Hey Growth Enthusiasts!
February's here, and we're questioning the assumptions we didn't know we had.
This month, we're exploring the questions to ask before you take that job, why designing for deaf users means unlearning everything you assume, and how to plan projects without faking certainty you don't have.
Also on deck: social proof that builds trust without desperation, designing public services that actually serve the public, and the framing effect (because how you say it changes everything).
The best work starts with better questions.
🔥 Top News: What We’re Watching (and Side-Eyeing)
A rapid-fire digest of the stories catching our eye—plus our take on what they really mean for product, growth, and building things that actually work.
Will This Job Break You? (8 min read)
Our 🎬 - Seven questions to ask before accepting that offer. Questions like: will the world be better if they succeed? Whose money keeps them alive? What has to stay true for this to work? Perfect answers don't exist, but asking prevents soul-crushing mistakes.
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How to Design for Deaf People (9 min read)
Our 🎬 - Designing for deaf users means unlearning everything you assume. No, they can't all lip-read. No, sign language isn't universal. Yes, they need visual indicators for everything you communicate with sound. The assumptions you're making right now may be wrong, but there's a clear path to fix it.
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Stop Faking Certainty You Don't Have (10 min read)
Our 🎬 - Projects start with intent but not a lot of clarity. Progressive elaboration and rolling wave planning let you answer the "when will this be done?" question without lying. Plan short-term work in detail and keep long-term work high-level. Honesty beats fake precision.
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Stop Copying Other Product Managers' Learning Plans (6 min read)
Our 🎬 - Product management has infinite things to learn. Don't focus on what's trending. Dive into what matters for your industry and figure out your gaps. Fintech needs compliance knowledge. Growth needs funnel obsession. Be deliberate or stay reactive forever.
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🌱 What We’re Thinking About
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Is your social proof giving “pick me”?
Social proof still matters. But when it’s loud and over-the-top, it doesn’t read as confidence. It reads as desperation.
In our latest post, we unpack common missteps — and how to build trust in a way that feels natural, not forced.
Read the full story on Niftic.com →
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💻 Behind The Build
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How do you help an entire city communicate with clarity and trust?
Since 2018, we've partnered with Salt Lake City across seven departments—turning scattered PDFs into accessible platforms and fragmented communications into cohesive systems.
Explore how we've helped thousands of residents better understand and participate in their city.
Check out this case study on Niftic.com →
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🍿 Design Snack: It's All About How You Say It
Ever notice how "90% fat-free" sounds way better than "contains 10% fat"? Same facts, totally different feelings. That's framing: the way you present information shapes how people perceive value, risk, and opportunity.
💡 Quick Tip: Lead with benefits, not features. Frame choices in terms of what users gain rather than what they avoid. The same information packaged differently can turn hesitation into action.
🔍 Real-World Example: Same sign-up offer, completely different appeal.
The "Do" version frames around gains:
- "No fees. No Minimums. More money in your wallet." (what you keep)
- Social proof: "Users like you saved $$$" (concrete benefit)
- "Get access to:" (what you unlock)
- Every word emphasizes value gained
The "Don't" version is all logistics:
- Generic headline: "Sign up and save money"
- "Benefits include:" (dry, transactional language)
- Focuses on what the product does, not what you get
- Feels like a chore list, not an opportunity
One version makes you feel smart for joining. The other just lists reasons.
💭 Something to Think About: Are you framing your value proposition around what users gain—or just describing what your product does?
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Founding partner. Strategy + Design. Former pro skier.
David traded mountain runs for product growth strategies, but kept the same drive for tackling hard problems with precision. As a founding partner at Niftic, he builds story-driven brands and digital products for organizations fighting for causes that matter.
A Reforge-taught growth practitioner who actually reads Josef Müller-Brockmann for fun, David balances aggressive experimentation with ethical design because a better internet shouldn't mean a less inclusive one. When he's not writing about subtle marketing or product ethics, he's learning to paraglide or hunting down the best sourdough at Seylou Bakery.
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If it needs strategic clarity, he's on it. If it needs a sustainability lens, he's already applied it.
🎶 In the Stack: Oboe
Experimentation should be fast, flexible, and focused on real growth—not buried under red tape.
Enter Oboe stage right. It’s lightweight, powerful, and lets our team (and our clients) run clean experiments without slowing down.
