Jordan Koschei | ConnectHV
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Jordan Koschei | ConnectHV
@connecthv.com
Principal product designer + software engineer. Currently building ConnectHV, the creative community for the Hudson Valley.
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I'm a software designer & engineer with 15+ years of experience at big companies, startups, and more.

I post about design strategy, design engineering, and how software interacts with place ("digital terroir").

I also build ConnectHV, the creative community for the Hudson Valley.

Follow along!
I had to install Adobe Illustrator to export something for work. Haven't used a Creative Cloud app on purpose in 10 years.

This is the industry standard? Are we sure?
April 14, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Refining some macrodata (collecting paperwork for taxes)
March 17, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Getting organized can be a form of procrastination.
March 17, 2025 at 1:36 PM
I consume so much more coffee on days that are gloomy.
March 17, 2025 at 1:27 PM
My task for the week is to get my *systems* in order.

Note-taking, task management, file management... anything that I've been neglecting that I can make run on autopilot.
March 17, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Last week of funemployment begins today!
March 17, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Jordan Koschei | ConnectHV
Another great 'AI In Practice' series last night in the Hudson Valley. Discussions on building a chatbot, hosting your own local models, vectors, ethics and the future. Thanks to Mike Thicke for organizing, @barnfox.bsky.social for the space, and @connecthv.com for bringing us all together.
March 14, 2025 at 6:17 PM
I could only hear the bassline of the music playing in this coffee shop and I was pretty sure it was Biggie Smalls.

But now I'm listening and I think it's a techno remix of Neil Young?
March 13, 2025 at 3:43 PM
I like Feedbin as my RSS reader, for a few reasons:

🔠 Good typography
🎨 Good design in general
🎚️ Has filters, so I can knock out stuff I'm not interested in seeing
▶️ Supports YouTube & Reddit feeds too
☁️ Connects with Raindrop, my preferred bookmarking service
March 12, 2025 at 8:49 PM
I cleared out my RSS reader and am trying a new approach...

👇
March 12, 2025 at 3:45 PM
It doesn't hurt to just ask for what you want.

Be direct. Directness is underrated.
March 12, 2025 at 12:46 PM
I've been thinking a lot about how to stop letting algorithms (and, by extension, corporations and other "non-me" entities) dictating what I spend time thinking about.
March 11, 2025 at 8:48 PM
I want to get better at rigorous note-taking, for a few reasons:

👇
March 11, 2025 at 3:44 PM
One underrated part of funemployment is that I can do everything on one computer, using the tools I prefer.

No more using Jira for work tasks and Linear for ConnectHV, or Google Docs for work notes and Obsidian for personal.
March 3, 2025 at 1:48 PM
There's a real lack of quality writing aimed at staff/principal/lead-level design ICs and "player-coach" design leaders.

So here we go — a newsletter aimed at mature product designers who don't need more Figma tutorials. Check it out and subscribe for free!

digitalterroir.org
Digital Terroir
Reflections on high-impact product design, decision-making, and the intersection of software and society.
digitalterroir.org
March 3, 2025 at 4:43 AM
I propose renaming “elevator pitch” to “waiting for the last person to arrive in a Zoom meeting pitch”
February 19, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Some decisions are easily reversible. Others? They're one-way doors. 🚪🔒

I prefer reversible ones. There’s comfort in knowing you can pivot if things don’t go as planned. But sometimes, one-way doors are necessary. No risk, no reward!

So when is a decision a one-way door?

👇
February 19, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Reposted by Jordan Koschei | ConnectHV
Fantastic meetup last night in Kingston for tech and other creatives in the Hudson Valley. So many great conversations including climate tech, AI, family estate planning, science fiction, and urban planning. Thanks to Jordan Koschei @connecthv.com for bringing us all together.
February 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
The blank screen is intimidating. Without the constraints of the physical world, we’re limited only by what the browser or OS can render.

This is exhilarating—but also overwhelming. With infinite possible solutions to any problem, how do we choose the right one?

👇
February 18, 2025 at 9:45 PM
There’s too much work to do, and too little time. Too few designers. Too little energy.

You can’t singlehandedly design every interface, landing page, icon, and social post. No matter how large your team, some things will always take priority over others.

👇
February 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
The bigger the company, the harder it is to change.

So, is a design system really worth it for large enterprises with legacy products and deeply ingrained processes?

Absolutely. Here’s why:

👇
February 18, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Design systems are ultimately a political challenge, not a design/engineering challenge.

Building the system isn't the hard part; it's persuading teams to adopt it. It's about the people, not the artifact.
February 17, 2025 at 9:45 PM
The best Product Designers have some Product Manager DNA.
February 17, 2025 at 4:45 PM
A design system should empower, not constrain, a team.
February 17, 2025 at 1:45 PM
I'm a software designer & engineer with 15+ years of experience at big companies, startups, and more.

I post about design strategy, design engineering, and how software interacts with place ("digital terroir").

I also build ConnectHV, the creative community for the Hudson Valley.

Follow along!
February 16, 2025 at 10:15 PM