232 - Mark Phillips

Mark Phillips is a Product Strategy Adviser. He has spent 30 years working in Information Technology. During that time he has held many roles including network engineer, a systems engineer, a consultant, a business development director, a product manager, a product marketing manager and an adviser.

Twitter → twitter.com/thismarkp

Hardware:

• MacBook Pro 14" M1 Max
• Dell 27" 4K Monitor
• Keychron K3 Keyboard
• Logitech MX Master 3 mouse
• Elgato Streamdeck
• ATEM Mini Pro
• Fuji X-E3 as a webcam
• Lilliput A11 Field Monitor + Teleprompter (I run all Zoom meetings on this. It really helps with video meeting fatigue, as it feels more natural to look at the screen and at folks' faces)
• Røde Procaster Mic + CloudLifter + Scarlett 2i2
• B&W MM-1 speakers with custom designed/3D printed (by me) stands
• Elgato Key Light
• iPad Pro + Apple Pencil
• Vitra .04 chair
• Vitsoe 620 chair + footstool
• Desk and shelving also by Vitsoe
• Sound treatment by GIK Acoustics

Software:

Besides all the 'usual suspects' (Slack, GSuite, Notion):

• Bear for general type notes, snipping web pages
• GoodNotes for general doodling on the iPad
• Things for todos
• Hey for email
• Pixelmator Pro
• Final Cut Pro
• Shapr3D
• Everything by RogueAmoeba (Audio Hijack is so useful!)

What is your favorite item in your workspace?

As much as I love the new MacBook (I sold an M1 MacBook and an iMac to swap them both for the M1 Max MacBook Pro — it's superb) I'd say it's the Vitra .04 chair! It looks like it wouldn't be comfortable, but having sat on many Aerons in offices over the years, the .04 is actually comfier for me.

How do you spark creativity?

Creativity is such a fleeting friend. I'll often sit in the 620 chair reading, or get on a bicycle and go for a ride. I used to do a lot of public speaking a few years back, and being on the bike was the best time for rehearsing talks in my head.

How do you manage work-life balance?

I'm lucky enough to be at a point in my career where I get to chose how and when I work. So I try to tip the balance more in favour of "life". Of course it varies; if a project is particularly interesting I can find myself 'going down rabbit holes'. This is one of the great things about the technology industry — the never ending supply of interesting topics to indulge curious minds.