The man behind Behance and Adobe Creative Cloud, Scott Belsky, is a celebrated figure in both the creative and tech communities. With such extensive experience, there’s a lot that design and product professionals can learn from Scott.
In this blog, we delve into his background, explore his notable books, and highlight his engaging newsletter and podcasts.
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Who is Scott Belsky?
Scott Belsky is an entrepreneur, author, and Chief Strategy Officer at Adobe. He founded Behance, a platform for creative professionals, which Adobe acquired. Scott is also a best-selling author who shares strategies for executing creative projects and navigating creative challenges.
Known for his insights on creativity and productivity, he is a respected figure in the creative and tech industries. Scott is also an active investor, backing successful startups like Pinterest and Uber.
How did Scott Belsky begin his career?
Scott Belsky began his career with a solid educational foundation, earning his undergraduate degree from Cornell University. He then went on to receive his MBA from Harvard Business School.
His professional journey started at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he contributed to the growth of the Pine Street Leadership Development Initiative. In 2006, Scott co-founded Behance, serving as CEO until its acquisition by Adobe in 2012.
Under his leadership, Behance grew to serve over 50 million users, becoming a central hub for creative portfolios and talent discovery. At Adobe, Scott was also instrumental in shaping the Creative Cloud’s services and mobile product strategy.
After his tenure at Adobe, Scott transitioned to the investment world, joining Benchmark as an investor and advising multiple startups. His investments spanned notable companies such as Pinterest, Uber, and Airtable, among others.
In 2018, Scott returned to Adobe, taking on the role of Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President of Design & Emerging Products. In this capacity, he continues to drive innovation and strategic initiatives within the company.
Scott also wrote two books in 2010 and 2018, which further shaped him as a prominent figure in the creative and tech industries.
Books written by Scott Belsky
Scott Belsky has authored two influential books that provide strategies for implementing creative projects and avoiding the pitfalls that may arise.
Making Ideas Happen
Rating: 4.4 / 5
Where to buy: Amazon
In this book, Scott argues that the ability to execute creative projects is not innate but a skill to be developed. Drawing from his experience as the founder and CEO of Behance, Scott shares principles and techniques used by highly productive individuals and teams.
He emphasizes building organizational habits and leveraging team support, presenting a systematic approach to creative productivity. Scott believes developing the capacity to execute ideas is more valuable than merely generating them.
The Messy Middle
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Where to buy: Amazon
In this book, Scott explains that true success for start-ups comes from handling the challenges that come after getting the initial funding. Instead of just focusing on exciting beginnings and endings, Scott believes that success depends on improving your team, refining your product, and growing as a leader.
Based on seven years of research with different companies, he shares important lessons on how to stay strong and succeed in the long run.
Top blog posts of Scott Belsky
Scott shares insights through his Medium profile. Although he’s not an active poster now, his previous blogs are still full of valuable information. Here are our top three recommendations:
- 10 forecasts for the near future of tech 🔮: This blog talks about how life and work might change in the next five years because of new technology and culture.
- Driving growth through change: 7 thoughts: This blog discusses how successful companies navigate change, adapt the right practices, and avoid pitfalls to sustain long-term success.
- The right customers at the right time: Scott explains how different stages of a business require different types of customers to ensure growth and success.
Top newsletters of Scott Belsky
Each month, Scott shares his newsletter (called Implications) with thousands of subscribers. Scott calls his newsletter a “monthly analysis” that looks at what people can expect from new technology, changes in culture, and improvements in how products are designed and teams are built.
Here are three newsletters we recommend you read:
- “Great features, not products,” leveraging found productivity, and the era where we can no longer believe our eyes: This newsletter looks at how new technology, cultural shifts, and changes in product design affect founders and investors.
- The new mechanics of brands, channel shifts, and unexpected digital opportunities: Scott analyzes how brands are evolving in the digital age, focusing on their creation, growth, and marketing strategies.
- Strange ways AI disrupts business models, what’s next for creativity & marketing, some provocative data: This newsletter shares AI’s impact on business models, creativity, and marketing – emphasizing innovation and responsible use.
Top podcasts of Scott Belsky
Scott doesn’t have a podcast of his own but has been featured in many over the years. The following in particular we recommend you should give a listen to:
- Lessons on product sense, AI, the first mile experience, and the messy middle: In Lenny’s podcast, Scott discusses product sense, prioritization, building consumer products, onboarding, AI, founder advice, and Adobe’s priorities.
- Scott Belsky – Making ideas happen: This podcast shares Scott Belsky’s tips for idea execution and Brian Mayfield’s insights on post-sales work.
- Scott Belsky – Focus on the first mile: This podcast discusses customer experience, user behavior, creativity tools, and future trends with Scott Belsky.
Conclusion
If you are a product or design professional, there is so much to learn from Scott Belsky. If you’re looking to execute his strategies with a trusty tool, give Userpilot a go. It offers engagement, feedback, and analytics features that help product teams succeed. Book a demo to learn more.
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