Value Alignment When Creating

As I am currently learning in Human-Centered Product Management, it is extremely important to be designing products at a company that aligns with your personal values. I think there is the obvious moral high ground that is easy to talk about, but much harder to actually implement, especially when it makes a significant difference regarding the amount of money you end up making. For example, vaping devices were initially created to help people quit smoking. While this seems like a very positive value-based mission, the founders succumbed to investment money and emphasized growing revenue, making the vaping devices addictive themselves. It is extremely important to avoid this mistake, because in my opinion, something worse than being unsatisfied with the amount of money you make is being unsatisfied with the kind of person you are. One thing that I think is not talked about enough, however, is the importance of also aligning your values when trying to find the right job.

Value Alignment In The Workplace

While it can be difficult to make a lot of money in fields that do not prioritize integrity over profit, there are many ways to remain true to yourself. Not to say that it is easy in any manner, but there are several ways to navigate a toxic workplace. The most obvious way to avoid this situation is to do adequate research about the company. But what about the cases in which the way you are treated, or the company operates, comes as a complete surprise? Instead of standing by and contributing to the success of a negative operation, or quitting the job, you can try to inspire and bring about change from within. This requires a significant amount of creativity and self-reflection that can be difficult.