Dive Club Episode Summary: Amar Reshi - Tackling Complex Design Challenges at Palantir

Host: Ridd
Guest: Amar Reshi, Head of Design at Palantir
Release Date: March 1, 2025
Podcast: Dive Club 🤿
Episode Title: Amar Reshi - Tackling Complex Design Challenges at Palantir

Introduction to Palantir and Amar Reshi

In this insightful episode of Dive Club, host Ridd engages in a deep conversation with Amar Reshi, the Head of Design at Palantir. The discussion delves into the intricate world of designing enterprise-level software, particularly focusing on Palantir's flagship platforms—Gotham and Foundry—and the challenges and methodologies involved in creating flexible, data-driven applications.

Notable Quote:

"If your thing doesn't work as a sentence with like a subject, verb, and object, something's wrong with your mental model."
— Amar Reshi [00:00]

Early Days at Palantir: Embedding with Customers

Amar recounts his initial months at Palantir, where he was part of the BD Design team. This role involved working directly with customers to understand and design bespoke solutions tailored to their specific needs. This hands-on approach allowed Amar to develop a deep understanding of various industries, particularly healthcare, and the complexities of integrating disparate data sources into a cohesive system.

Key Points:

• BD Design Team: Designers work directly with customers to create tailored solutions.
• Hands-On Experience: Building bespoke applications before generalizing them for the core platform.
• Skill Development: Emphasis on problem decomposition, systems thinking, and adaptability.

Notable Quote:

"You're not solving a problem for a thousand different types of users in one go. You're really just like building this highly bespoke perfect thing."
— Amar Reshi [05:49]

Transition to Foundry: Building a Data Operating System

Around 2014-2015, Palantir began developing Foundry, a versatile backend engine designed for data integration and analytics. Amar describes Foundry as a "multipurpose data integration through analytics platform" akin to a data operating system. Unlike Gotham, which was initially focused on government use cases, Foundry aimed to serve a broader range of industries by allowing users to clean, transform, and derive insights from diverse data sources.

Key Points:

• Foundry's Evolution: From a backend engine to a comprehensive data operating system.
• Operational Focus: Enables not just analytics but also operational actions based on data insights.
• Flexibility: Application-agnostic, supporting various data-driven workflows.

Notable Quote:

"Foundry is the thing that allows you to spawn new units of software."
— Amar Reshi [03:40]

Designing for Scale and Flexibility

Amar discusses the unique challenges of designing for a platform like Foundry, where the software must accommodate an unprecedented number of use cases with minimal custom software development. He emphasizes the importance of creating a robust data model that can handle complex relationships and workflows, enabling designers to build interfaces that are both powerful and user-friendly.

Key Points:

• Scalability: Designing interfaces that can handle diverse and complex data sets.
• Data Model Importance: Articulating the nouns (primitives) and verbs (actions) of the business.
• Progressive Disclosure: Introducing complexity gradually to balance simplicity and power.

Notable Quote:

"If you can articulate what the nouns or the primitives of your business are, and the actions you can take on them in a holistic way, you're already halfway there."
— Amar Reshi [00:00]

Problem Decomposition and Systems Thinking

A significant portion of the conversation centers on Amar's approach to problem decomposition. He explains how breaking down complex problems into manageable components is crucial for designing effective solutions. This involves understanding the user journey, the system's data model, and the specific domain in which the software operates.

Key Points:

• Decomposition (Decomp): Breaking down problems into nouns, verbs, and their relationships.
• Collaborative Whiteboarding: Using visual tools to align understanding among cross-functional teams.
• Triangulation: Balancing insights from backend developers, customers, and stakeholders.

Notable Quote:

"If you can start to articulate all of these as actions on objects and the ramifications of each of those actions, you suddenly get like an end-to-end user story or computer story."
— Amar Reshi [40:47]

Balancing User Experience and Technical Complexity

Amar highlights the delicate balance between maintaining a simple user experience and preserving the underlying technical complexity. Techniques like progressive disclosure and providing multiple entry points for users with varying expertise levels help achieve this balance. Additionally, understanding the domain-specific needs ensures that the designs are both intuitive and powerful.

Key Points:

• Progressive Disclosure: Gradually revealing advanced features to prevent overwhelming users.
• Redundancy in Workflows: Offering multiple ways to achieve the same goal caters to different user preferences.
• Domain-Specific Design: Tailoring interfaces to the unique needs of each industry.

Notable Quote:

"There's a way to serve both user types gracefully."
— Amar Reshi [18:52]

Onboarding and User Education

Designing for complex platforms like Foundry requires thoughtful onboarding processes that accommodate users willing to invest time in learning the system. Amar shares insights into creating onboarding experiences that facilitate deep engagement without sacrificing usability.

Key Points:

• Economies of Scale: Encouraging users to invest time upfront for greater long-term benefits.
• Onboarding Optimization: Streamlining the initial experience to minimize perceived complexity.
• User Empowerment: Enabling users to configure and utilize the platform independently.

Notable Quote:

"You're not going to use it to drive to the coffee shop. You're going to be taking laps of a racetrack."
— Amar Reshi [16:37]

Mentorship and Team Growth

Amar discusses his role in mentoring junior designers at Palantir, emphasizing the importance of fostering a culture of curiosity and continuous learning. He advocates for asking questions, embracing ambiguity, and developing a deep understanding of both the technical and user-centric aspects of design.

Key Points:

• Empowering Designers: Encouraging autonomy while providing support and guidance.
• Continuous Learning: Promoting a mindset of growth and adaptability.
• Design Generalists: Valuing versatile designers who can tackle diverse challenges.

Notable Quote:

"It's completely fine to just emit tons of boxes and not be sure about what goes where and why. That's the generative phase."
— Amar Reshi [46:51]

Closing Thoughts and Advice for Aspiring Designers

In the final segments, Amar offers valuable advice for designers aspiring to join Palantir or work on complex enterprise platforms. He emphasizes the importance of understanding data models, empathizing with users, and demonstrating the ability to think systemically. Amar also encourages designers to showcase their problem-solving skills and the depth of their design process in their portfolios.

Key Points:

• Portfolio Focus: Highlighting depth and specificity in projects rather than just aesthetic appeal.
• Systems Thinking: Demonstrating an ability to deconstruct and understand complex systems.
• User Empathy: Showing a deep understanding of user needs and workflows.

Notable Quote:

"If your thing doesn't work as a sentence with like a subject, verb and object, something's wrong with your mental model."
— Amar Reshi [00:00]

Conclusion

This episode of Dive Club offers a comprehensive look into the intricacies of designing for complex, data-driven platforms like Palantir's Foundry. Amar Reshi's insights into problem decomposition, systems thinking, and balancing user experience with technical requirements provide invaluable lessons for designers aiming to excel in enterprise environments. Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting, this conversation equips you with the knowledge and inspiration to tackle complex design challenges effectively.

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