Whether it is building a new platform from scratch, launching a new feature, or troubleshooting issues, speed often wins out over sustainability for technology-aligned teams. We default to Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), creative workarounds, and quick fixes to meet deadlines. But what starts as a short-term solution can turn into long-term friction, technical debt, or systems that don't scale.
This session is grounded in real-world tech implementation, but this is accessible to anyone who has ever tried to build something sustainable under pressure. Whether you work in technology, community building, events management, or organizational change, you'll relate to the tension between "just ship it" and "make it last" as we visualize and reframe your approach to scaling what you build.
In this hands-on, cookie decorating lab, we will explore how to unlearn default design habits that favour speed at the cost of thoughtful implementation or true intention. You will decorate two cookies:
- One representing an MVP cookie, built quickly under constraints.
- One Scaled with Care cookie, designed with intention, inclusion, and long-term impact in mind.
Using cookies as metaphors, we will reimagine how teams build systems that rise with people and not just timelines.
By the end of the session, participants will:
- Reflect on trade-offs between speed and sustainability in their work
- Reframe MVPs as a first step, not a final solution
- Leave with a metaphorical (and edible!) "recipe" for scaling with care
No baking or tech experience required! Just curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to decorate your way to better design.
Let’s unlearn the habit of rushing to build, and instead, bake something that lasts.
Hi, I’m Ali! I’m a technology professional based in Edmonton, Canada, with over 15 years of experience helping mission-driven teams make the most of their systems, platforms, and processes. My work spans nonprofits, public service, and the private sector: always grounded in a desire to build tools that are sustainable, inclusive, and people-centred.
At Mozilla Foundation, I support internal teams as a Technology Success Manager, helping them navigate technology platforms while staying rooted in values of openness, care, and long-term impact. I care deeply about thoughtful design, clear communication, and making tech feel a little less overwhelming and a lot more human.
Outside of work, you’ll usually find me baking bread, getting crafty, collecting 'em all (Pokemon), or exploring new sights and cities.