Episode 11: Cut to the Chase

“Let me ask you this,” she says, pausing the presentation. “How many of us in this room right now know what we’re having for dinner tonight?” Tactics: Data Detectives, Cut to the Chase.

Episode 10: “What’s wrong with a bit of Trolley Judging?”

Rachel is in the zone. Deep in databases and reports, click through rates and eyeball tracking, consumer trends and competitor analysis. She looks up from her laptop, it’s 3.40pm. Where has Sunday gone? Tactics: Shock of the Old, Universal Stories.

Episode 9: "Do we know that?..."

If Rachel had a catchphrase, it would be “Do we know that?” Followed by a pause, into which she mentally inserts “Or are you just making a massive assumption?” Colleagues joke it’ll be carved on her tombstone: “Here lies Rachel Downes…...

Episode 8: Once upon a time in Manchester (Part 2)

He's checking his phone. He’s actually checking his phone! While I’m presenting. Shit, shit, shit. Tactics: Rolls Royce Moment, That's Funny.

Episode 7: The Sage

This has all worked out well, very well. Ravi didn’t actually tell Emma she’s acting like his rebellious little sister, within the “family” of the company. But that was the story in his head. Rebellion is inevitable, he told her....

Episode 6: There's Treasure in The Dark

The row with Finance has escalated. More people CC’d in, more chaotic cat-herding for Ravi to manage. Tactics: Man in a Hole, Circle of Life.

Episode 5: Herding cats, in the fog, on a deadline.

“What did you CC them into that for?” Emma’s voice is rising. Ravi has messed up. “I thought they all knew,” Ravi says. Tactics: Three Whos, Three Great Conflicts.

Episode 4: Landscape Gardener vs Cowboy Builder

Design is like gardening. There aren’t any quick fixes. You can’t just throw seeds on the soil, walk away and expect a beautiful garden to emerge overnight. Tactics: Metaphor Engine, Thoughtful Mistakes.

Episode 3: The Frowning User

Twenty minutes into the second remote test. Ellie is guiding Aziz, a regular investor, through a beta chatbot. Cassie is watching, scribbling notes. Tactics: Abstraction, Stupid Questions.

Episode 2: Just make it look nice!

Cassie logs off the Zoom call, shaking her head in disbelief. Seriously? “Just make it look nice”? Tactics: Emotional Dashboard, Trust Me I'm an Expert.

Episode 1: Once upon a time in Manchester

My mouth went dry. My clever networking ploy was turning to dust. I kept the conversation going, made pleasant noises, but my heart was sinking. What a disaster. Tactics: Downfall, Three Ts.