🤫 The Silent Career Killer #22
The stakeholder blindspot | Unmasking 50 hidden threats to your UX career | part 22 of 50
My dear UX friends, have you ever had that sinking feeling when you're about to launch a feature and suddenly Legal says, "Wait, we can't do that"?
Or, that moment when, say, Customer Support reviews your nearly-finished design and points out 5 critical scenarios you never considered?
This particular “career limiter” even has a name: the stakeholder blindspot.
There's something seductive about diving into the familiar design process with just your immediate team.
You've done your research, you understand the user needs, and you're crafting an elegant solution that feels just right.
It's comfortable in that design bubble.
The feedback is constructive, the iterations feel productive, and there's a beautiful momentum that builds.
But here's the unfortunate truth I've learned after years of watching talented UXers hit the same wall:
That momentum is an ILLUSION if you haven't brought all the right stakeholders into the room early.
The Real Price of LATE Stakeholder Engagement
When we postpone bringing in stakeholders from legal, compliance, customer support, sales, or operations, we're not just risking minor tweaks—we're gambling with our credibility and impact.
Here's what may actually happen ↴
❌ The "Almost Done" Myth:
You think you're 90% complete, but after stakeholder feedback, you realize you're only 60% there. So that timeline you promised has just evaporated…
❌ The Credibility Tax:
Every time you have to go back and make significant changes because of factors you "should have considered," you chip away at your strategic reputation.
❌ The Diminishing Solution:
Each late-stage compromise forced by stakeholder constraints waters down your original vision, often resulting in a fragmented experience that serves no one particularly well.
❌ The Lost Trust:
Most painfully, the users who engage with that compromised solution don't know about your constraints - they just experience a product that doesn't fully meet their needs.
Beyond the Process Checklist
So this ISN’T about adding more meetings to your calendar or creating another step in your process checklist.
It's about fundamentally shifting how you view your role.
The most influential UXers I know don't see themselves as designers who occasionally talk to stakeholders.
They see themselves as organizational connectors who use design to bring diverse perspectives together.
🔑 The Stakeholder Buy-In Blueprint
Here's how to make this shift in your own work: