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Bob Baxley

SVP of Design & Experience at ThoughtSpot; design leader formerly at Apple, Pinterest, and Yahoo

ExecutiveLeads from the backHybrid schoolProductOrgAI
A craft-and-judgment elder who frames AI as a taste-filtered idea engine and the designer as its coach, consistently elevating teams rather than replacing them.

Signature win. Led design for Apple's online store and App Store under Steve Jobs, shaping commerce experiences used by hundreds of millions.

The case

editorial · CCBEI · with sources
CraftLed design at Apple (online + App Store under Jobs), Pinterest, ThoughtSpot; frames software as an emotional medium and treats taste/judgment as the non-negotiable bar.9
CommunicationProlific writer/speaker (Lenny's, Front, Leading Design, Design Better); 'Design is clear thinking made visible' is his operating thesis and he makes design legible to execs.9
BusinessArgues design as 'phase zero' of engineering and ties UX to outcomes; SVP-level operator across multiple scaled products, though most impact is craft/org rather than P&L ownership.8
EducationCareer-long talent advocate: 'Beatles principle' small teams, candidate-experience design, mentoring next gen, building design intuition by watching users; the people-protection axis is central to him.9
InnovationCasts AI as idea-generator filtered by human taste, designer-as-coach/AI-as-player; elevates people rather than shedding them, but is more steward of timeless craft than paradigm-pusher.7

Endorsed by peers

illustrative · opens with verified accounts
OverallI'd work for them112
CraftRaised my craft bar119
CommunicationMade the case for design119
BusinessMade design matter to the business106
EducationTaught me something I still use119
InnovationShowed me a new way to work92

Verified peers only — one tap with LinkedIn. Names stay private; we show role and industry. Bars are illustrative until the participation backend is live.

Stories

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