korrents

← People and their mental models

Ian Silber's mental models

3 claims Ian Silber made fit 3 mental models. Most often: Make it real, Say no by default, Second-order thinking. Everything they said here.

Models they name

Their own words name the idea.

Make it real

Build a prototype; it settles arguments a description cannot.

Others who think with this model

Dylan FieldBoris ChernyDavid Heinemeier HanssonFlora GuoJosh PuckettJulie Zhuoand 3 more

Open the model page

Sometimes a whiteboard, a paper sketch, a wireframe, Figma or a live prototype is the right tool, and the best designers will intuit which to go to.

  1. Ian Silber Designer who led product design at OpenAI sometimes you want a whiteboard, sometimes you want a a paper sketch, sometimes you want a wireframe, sometimes you want Figma, and sometimes you want these live prototypes. And I think that the best designers I think will understand and intuit when to go to to which one Ian Silber - What it's like designing at OpenAIyoutube.com · 8 Apr 2026 · 21:45 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordssometimes you want a whiteboard, sometimes you want a a paper sketch, sometimes you want a wireframe, sometimes you want Figma, and sometimes you want these live prototypes. And I think that the best designers I think will understand and intuit when to go to to which one

    Where this was said

    Watch from 21:45 plays here

    ↗Ian Silber - What it's like designing at OpenAIyoutube.com

    8 Apr 2026 · video · 45m · spoken · machine transcript

Models we see in what they say

Our reading: their claim applies the idea without naming it. The claim is theirs; filing it here is ours.

Say no by default

Most good options have to be turned down, so make no the default and keep yes for what matters.

Others who think with this model

Derek SiversAdam GrantDes TraynorMike KriegerPeter SellisPieter Levelsand 1 more

Open the model page

With products moving fast, designers should do less: not design something if they do not have to.

  1. Ian Silber Designer who led product design at OpenAI like my encouragement has been do less there like don't design it if you don't have to. Chatbots are not the final interface: OpenAI’s Head of Design on what’s next | Ian Silberyoutube.com · 16 Aug 2026 · 0:32:19 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordslike my encouragement has been do less there like don't design it if you don't have to.

    Where this was said

    Watch from 0:32:19 plays here

    ↗Chatbots are not the final interface: OpenAI’s Head of Design on what’s next | Ian Silberyoutube.com

    16 Aug 2026 · video · 1h 12m · spoken · machine transcript

Second-order thinking

Ask "and then what?": follow a decision past its first effect to the ones that come after.

Others who think with this model

Shane ParrishBill GurleyCharlie MungerJustin JacksonSteve CoastZvi Mowshowitz

Open the model page

Poor systems thinking is being too blinders-on about getting one thing out as quickly as possible, without understanding that other, similar things are going on.

  1. Ian Silber Designer who led product design at OpenAI if you're a little bit too blinders on and just trying to say well how do we get this thing out as quickly as possible and not totally understanding that we have a bunch of other things going on that are actually pretty similar Ian Silber - What it's like designing at OpenAIyoutube.com · 8 Apr 2026 · 32:13 into the videoAll korrents from this video
    Their wordsif you're a little bit too blinders on and just trying to say well how do we get this thing out as quickly as possible and not totally understanding that we have a bunch of other things going on that are actually pretty similar

    Where this was said

    Watch from 32:13 plays here

    ↗Ian Silber - What it's like designing at OpenAIyoutube.com

    8 Apr 2026 · video · 45m · spoken · machine transcript