How I Work: Hamish Smyth, Co-Founder, Standards
Hamish Smyth is building his third creative venture with Standards. Images: c/o Hamish Smyth Header image design by Barbara Cadorna.
As he builds his latest venture, Standards, designer and entrepreneur Hamish Smyth likes to split his working hours into thirds: talking to customers, marketing, and operations. Most of his time, though, is spent with users. And with 25,000 people in the beta phase for Standards, that means introducing thousands of people to the next-gen tool to design and publish brand guidelines.
This is Smyth’s third company — in addition to Order and Standards Manual — and like the others he is working with partners, the Seattle agency Shore. “With each venture it’s been pretty much the same thinking mixed with optimism. The thinking is ‘we could try and do that ourselves’. And the optimism is ‘and it will work,’” says Smyth. “The jury is always out on the latter, but if you're not optimistic, I wouldn’t recommend starting a business.”
On the way to the public launch of Standards, Smyth shared how he works. It includes a never-ending to-do list, scheduling days without any calls (if possible), an appreciation for Nescafé coffee, and making do with a child’s playpen in his Zoom background.
Scenes from Hamish Smyth’s dreamy workspace.
Rise and Shine
My partner (the amazing Alex Daly) and I have a one-year-old boy, Jules, so our mornings are now spent with him and whatever mood he happens to choose.
Even before having a kid, I was never able to nail down a proper morning routine. At some point before starting work I try to leave the house to get coffee. For years I’ve had a four-shot iced americano or latte. (In college I worked as a barista in Melbourne and got used to drinking a lot of strong coffee 😬.) Our go-to at the moment alternates between Prima and Lulu & Po in Clinton Hill. Or I make instant coffee at home with Nescafé Classico — a hugely underrated product in the U.S.
I love that feeling of sitting down at your desk ready to start the day. But generally I’m jealous of those people that can maintain a more structured morning!
Work Uniform
I don’t really have one, and Standards being remote means I can be pretty casual most days. For meetings I like to look more put together, even though there’s now a child's playpen in my Zoom background.
How I Structure My Day
One day at a time. I try and have two days a week with no calls, but that rarely works. I find long periods in the day without contact essential to digging into things and getting a lot done. At the moment while I’m doing a ton of calls with customers means I’m often working with their schedule, but I’ll do my best to group things when possible. Our whole team works from a shared task list, and I have my own separate ones for smaller tasks to keep me focused. List person for sure.
Playlist Favorites
I jump around a lot, and I find it hard to work with music. But I love music! ECM Essentials (recommended by Sean La'Brooy) has been on a lot recently.
Tools of the Trade
I jump around offices or locations a bit, but generally: pen and paper; fast Apple computer; large screen. I struggle to do “real work” (in my world: design-related stuff) on a laptop. But I do enjoy using my iPad with that keyboard they made with a little trackpad. But only for written stuff and rotting my brain with Twitter!
For my pen, I like the Pilot Precise V5 premium black rolling ball pens. That’s what was in the stationery closet when I worked at Pentagram, but they are also a great pen for both notes and graphic work.
Dream Studio
Haven’t found it. But I guess if we’re dreaming, it would be a place with ample space obviously, nice light, and lots and lots of dedicated workbenches for all the hobbies that come and go. For my workbench, I was lucky to curb-find a Svend Madsen danish wooden desk after I moved to New York. That’s my prized piece of furniture, but we also have a Floyd table that’s great for art, hobbies, etc. And some Poppin Series A desks which are solid and nicely sized. At Order, we have Knoll Antenna desks which are just perfect. And I’d like the place to be kind of technical and tidy, but not in a weird way. Perhaps most importantly, within a 10-minute walk from home. Or I won’t go.
One Unique Thing About My Work Process
This is a boring answer, but I don’t think anything is unique? We all use about the same tools and make different stuff. Ideas are the unique thing (AI enters the chat...), and executing on them. That last part is kind of the key part. You gotta do stuff, make stuff.
Mantra
I’ve never really thought about adopting a mantra!
My Bright Idea that Never Saw the Light of Day
Those are saved for future ventures! I’ve been lucky — and worked hard — to get my brightest ideas into the light of day. It would be kind to call them all “bright,” but getting stuff into the world is fun. I’d hate to die with a folder of bright ideas that never saw light.
To-Do List Item That Keeps Me Up At Night
The constant dread of having a list that grows on its own. You do one thing, and two more appear! But I’m optimistic I’ll finish it one day.
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