Carmen, or Carmy, walks into the chaos of a broken restaurant with a simple but powerful goal:

To change the culture.

But what inspires me most about his leadership isn’t the technique — or even his Michelin-starred past.

It’s the way he sees people.

👥 With his team:

He understands that everyone carries their own weight — pain, talent, limits. And so he builds a space of trust, safety, and challenge.

There are no ready-made formulas — just listening, care, and high standards in the right balance.

🍽️ With his customers:

Carmy doesn’t serve food. He creates meaningful, personal experiences.

A couple celebrating their anniversary? He adds love to the plating.

A birthday dinner? He treats it like it might be their last celebration together.

Every guest is met with sensitivity and intention — creating moments that stay long after the meal is over.

Now tell me… isn’t that exactly what we do in Product Design?

• Understanding the user’s context

• Translating emotions into experience

• Fine-tuning every interaction with craftsmanship

• Collaborating under pressure with diverse teams

• And in the end, creating something that not only works — but moves people.

Not every leader needs to be perfect.

But great leaders — in tech, design, or food — inspire by example, humanize the process, and understand that true excellence doesn’t exist without care.

Whether in Figma or in the kitchen — to lead is to serve.

Medium article