Shu Lai

Initiator
DISC Type : Di

Head of Design at Outschool

San Francisco Bay Area, United States

Overview

Shu Lai is the Head of Design at Outschool, specializing in design leadership, product strategy, and user experience. With a history of leading teams at Wonderschool, Coursera, and HOVER, he focuses on building strong teams to solve human-centric problems. Colleagues describe him as visionary, creative, insightful, and decisive.

Outside of his core roles, Shu is a startup advisor and a frequent public speaker on design topics. He is passionate about mentoring and advancing the practice of design leadership, dedicating time to fostering community and sharing knowledge. He holds a Bachelors degree from the California College of the Arts.

Shu is a member of the exclusive InVision Design Leadership Forum, a community for top global design leaders.

Personality Overview

Risk-Accepting

Conviction Driven

Friendly Challenger

They don’t mind taking a stand if they believe in something.  They respond well to objective pitches but also attach some value to relationships. They measure a product on its merit but can be influenced by strong testimonials.

Topics They Care About

Design Leadership
His career is defined by leading and growing design teams at companies like Outschool and Wonderschool, and he is a member of the Design Leadership Forum.
Scaling Design Teams
He has guided design functions through hyper-growth at multiple startups and speaks publicly about the challenges of scaling design operations and culture effectively.
Startup Advising
His professional headline explicitly lists 'Startup Advisor', indicating a passion for lending his design and strategy expertise to help early-stage companies succeed.

Media Appearances

Shu has no verified media appearances

Work History

3-2025
Head of Design at Outschool
5-2018
Member, Design Leadership Forum by InVision at Design Leadership Forum
9-2022 - 2-2025
VP of Design at Wonderschool
7-2020 - 9-2022
Head of Design at HOVER Inc.
2-2017 - 7-2020
Head of Product Design at Coursera

Education

2001 - 2003
Bachelor's degree from California College of the Arts

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 9 Location : San Francisco Bay Area, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Head of Design at Outschool
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Insights For Selling To Shu

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Focus on the big picture and the strategic value of your product
  • Acknowledge their status and position during the conversation
  • Refer to testimonials from well known people to highlight the value of your product

DONT's

  • Don't be unorganized, be prepared for the pitch
  • Don’t keep repeating the same information, it could make them impatient
  • Avoid focusing only on the product or its ROI, keep building trust subtly

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Shu is

  • Belief in the value of the product, relationship and a sense of accomplishment matter the most.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Shu

  • They are not shy of saying no if they do not develop trust in your product.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Shu move?

  • They can take fast decisions if they develop conviction in the product and find you trustworthy.
  • Can Shu take some risk or not?

  • They have the capability of taking risky decisions if necessary.

You And Shu

Personality Compatibility


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