Back to the LeaderboardThe Design Leadership Index

Julie Zhuo

Co-founder & CEO of Sundial; former VP of Product Design at Facebook

ExecutiveLeads from the middleHybrid schoolProductAIOrgEducation
She is hands-on building an AI-native company while publicly reframing leadership for the AI era as elevating everyone into managers and builders — clarity and people-protection embodied.

Signature win. Scaled Facebook's product design org and craft as the company grew from 10 million to over 2 billion users, then wrote the field-defining management book for designers.

The case

editorial · CCBEI · with sources
CraftScaled Facebook design from 10M to 2B+ users as VP Product Design; The Making of a Manager codified judgment-over-pixels craft for a generation of design leaders.9
CommunicationThe Looking Glass blog, a WSJ-bestselling book, and constant talks make her one of the most legible voices in design leadership; 'diagnose with data, treat with design' is a crisp thesis.10
BusinessCo-founded and leads Sundial (raised $23M, 2025) as an AI-era analytics company; her whole frame ties design to measurable decisions and durable orgs.9
EducationThe Making of a Manager and her writing are foundational reskilling material; explicitly frames the AI era as 'everyone becomes a manager,' protecting and elevating people through the transition.10
InnovationBuilding an AI-native analytics product and reframing management for AI agents — adoption framed as lifting people into builders/managers, not shedding them (ELEVATE).8

Endorsed by peers

illustrative · opens with verified accounts
OverallI'd work for them133
CraftRaised my craft bar129
CommunicationMade the case for design143
BusinessMade design matter to the business129
EducationTaught me something I still use143
InnovationShowed me a new way to work114

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

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