Joel Gill Podcast.
Joel Gill Podcast.
DHABA
DHABA
DHABA
Stories that matter
Hardy Sidhu shares how heritage threads through everything. Oneness isn’t a poster—it’s how work and life meet. We get honest about South Asian visibility in tech and design, what the Black creative community models so well, and why organisation matters as much as talent.
Stories that matter
Hardy Sidhu shares how heritage threads through everything. Oneness isn’t a poster—it’s how work and life meet. We get honest about South Asian visibility in tech and design, what the Black creative community models so well, and why organisation matters as much as talent.
Nov 13th, 2025
Nov 13th, 2025
Nov 13th, 2025
Season 2 Episode 1 - Hardy Sidhu
Season 2 Episode 1 - Hardy Sidhu
Season 2 Episode 1 - Hardy Sidhu
Dhaba's first episode of Season 2 welcomes one of the leading lights of young Design Leadership. Hardy Sidhu chats with Joel Gill FRSA, creator of Dhaba
Summary
Hardy's journey defies the tidy stereotypes of CVs, promotions, and portfolios. From a young offenders’ institution with no GCSEs, he carved a path through late-night self-teaching, messy first sites, a bold leap into UX, and leadership roles that reframed “product” from deliverables to lasting partnerships. What appears as luck is actually iteration—learning fast, moving on, and maintaining high energy.
Titles and pay in the US eventually felt hollow; that emptiness became a compass. Hardy founded Format 3 on a simple promise: great people, great work, great time. The result is not a slogan, but a culture praised by clients for its energy and humanity, coupled with national recognition. More importantly, impact endures through in-house incubators, support for visionary ideas, and plans for a design school in Punjab.
Heritage and community thread through everything. Visibility is accountability: Hardy draws lessons from South Asian representation in tech, the Black creative community, and the balance of organisation and talent. Off the mic, he mentors, practices seva, and nurtures family—teaching Punjabi to his child and unlearning gaps left by formal schooling.
On AI, he cuts through the hype: tools amplify, but teams that blend empathy, strategy, and craft endure. Design remains the differentiator, even as technology becomes ubiquitous.
Purpose arises from the work, the people beside you, and the culture you choose. Stop sprinting toward arbitrary finish lines—be fully yourself.
Takeaways
Overcame early life challenges, including time in Young Offenders and limited formal education, to build a career in design.
His career progression was unconventional, moving from coding and web development to digital and UX design through self-learning and mentorship.
Success came from iterative experimentation, embracing discomfort, and constantly learning from diverse roles and industries.
People-first philosophy drives his work: prioritising community, collaboration, and human connection over outputs alone.
Cultural identity and heritage are central; Hardy advocates visibility and representation for South Asian and Punjabi creatives.
Giving back and mentoring are core to his approach, creating opportunities for others in creative and tech spaces.
Recognition and awards are secondary; he focuses on building strong teams and meaningful, high-impact work.
AI and emerging technologies are tools to amplify design, not replace human creativity and user-centred experience.
Collaboration across generations is crucial, as experience and gravitas complement youthful energy and innovation.
Future initiatives include incubators, a design school in Punjab, and projects aimed at lasting cultural and community impact.
Chapters
0:00 Welcome And Hardy’s Unconventional Start
2:25 From Young Offender To First Web Gigs
6:20 Discovering Design And Early Mentor
06:32 Adversity and Career Evolution
10:20 UX Leap, Contracting, And Rapid Learning
15:30 Building Product At AKQA And Leading Teams
20:00 Chasing Money In The US And Realising It’s Not Purpose
24:10 Founding Format 3 And People-First Culture
28:00 Heritage, Oneness, And Community Visibility
33:00 Why We Struggle To Slow Down And Look Inward
37:20 South Asian Representation And Organising Power
43:00 Life Beyond Work, Family, And Seva
48:00 Recognition, Awards, And Sharing The Stage
52:00 AI Hype, Design’s Role, And The Bubble
Keywords
Resilience, unconventional career, self-learning, mentorship, iterative growth, people-first, community, collaboration, cultural identity, Punjabi heritage, South Asian representation, giving back, mentoring, team building, impact, recognition, awards, AI, emerging technology, human-centred design, intergenerational collaboration, innovation, incubators, design school, legacy, creative leadership, problem-solving, perseverance, visibility, authenticity, purpose, high-impact work
Dhaba's first episode of Season 2 welcomes one of the leading lights of young Design Leadership. Hardy Sidhu chats with Joel Gill FRSA, creator of Dhaba
Summary
Hardy's journey defies the tidy stereotypes of CVs, promotions, and portfolios. From a young offenders’ institution with no GCSEs, he carved a path through late-night self-teaching, messy first sites, a bold leap into UX, and leadership roles that reframed “product” from deliverables to lasting partnerships. What appears as luck is actually iteration—learning fast, moving on, and maintaining high energy.
Titles and pay in the US eventually felt hollow; that emptiness became a compass. Hardy founded Format 3 on a simple promise: great people, great work, great time. The result is not a slogan, but a culture praised by clients for its energy and humanity, coupled with national recognition. More importantly, impact endures through in-house incubators, support for visionary ideas, and plans for a design school in Punjab.
Heritage and community thread through everything. Visibility is accountability: Hardy draws lessons from South Asian representation in tech, the Black creative community, and the balance of organisation and talent. Off the mic, he mentors, practices seva, and nurtures family—teaching Punjabi to his child and unlearning gaps left by formal schooling.
On AI, he cuts through the hype: tools amplify, but teams that blend empathy, strategy, and craft endure. Design remains the differentiator, even as technology becomes ubiquitous.
Purpose arises from the work, the people beside you, and the culture you choose. Stop sprinting toward arbitrary finish lines—be fully yourself.
Takeaways
Overcame early life challenges, including time in Young Offenders and limited formal education, to build a career in design.
His career progression was unconventional, moving from coding and web development to digital and UX design through self-learning and mentorship.
Success came from iterative experimentation, embracing discomfort, and constantly learning from diverse roles and industries.
People-first philosophy drives his work: prioritising community, collaboration, and human connection over outputs alone.
Cultural identity and heritage are central; Hardy advocates visibility and representation for South Asian and Punjabi creatives.
Giving back and mentoring are core to his approach, creating opportunities for others in creative and tech spaces.
Recognition and awards are secondary; he focuses on building strong teams and meaningful, high-impact work.
AI and emerging technologies are tools to amplify design, not replace human creativity and user-centred experience.
Collaboration across generations is crucial, as experience and gravitas complement youthful energy and innovation.
Future initiatives include incubators, a design school in Punjab, and projects aimed at lasting cultural and community impact.
Chapters
0:00 Welcome And Hardy’s Unconventional Start
2:25 From Young Offender To First Web Gigs
6:20 Discovering Design And Early Mentor
06:32 Adversity and Career Evolution
10:20 UX Leap, Contracting, And Rapid Learning
15:30 Building Product At AKQA And Leading Teams
20:00 Chasing Money In The US And Realising It’s Not Purpose
24:10 Founding Format 3 And People-First Culture
28:00 Heritage, Oneness, And Community Visibility
33:00 Why We Struggle To Slow Down And Look Inward
37:20 South Asian Representation And Organising Power
43:00 Life Beyond Work, Family, And Seva
48:00 Recognition, Awards, And Sharing The Stage
52:00 AI Hype, Design’s Role, And The Bubble
Keywords
Resilience, unconventional career, self-learning, mentorship, iterative growth, people-first, community, collaboration, cultural identity, Punjabi heritage, South Asian representation, giving back, mentoring, team building, impact, recognition, awards, AI, emerging technology, human-centred design, intergenerational collaboration, innovation, incubators, design school, legacy, creative leadership, problem-solving, perseverance, visibility, authenticity, purpose, high-impact work
Dhaba's first episode of Season 2 welcomes one of the leading lights of young Design Leadership. Hardy Sidhu chats with Joel Gill FRSA, creator of Dhaba
Summary
Hardy's journey defies the tidy stereotypes of CVs, promotions, and portfolios. From a young offenders’ institution with no GCSEs, he carved a path through late-night self-teaching, messy first sites, a bold leap into UX, and leadership roles that reframed “product” from deliverables to lasting partnerships. What appears as luck is actually iteration—learning fast, moving on, and maintaining high energy.
Titles and pay in the US eventually felt hollow; that emptiness became a compass. Hardy founded Format 3 on a simple promise: great people, great work, great time. The result is not a slogan, but a culture praised by clients for its energy and humanity, coupled with national recognition. More importantly, impact endures through in-house incubators, support for visionary ideas, and plans for a design school in Punjab.
Heritage and community thread through everything. Visibility is accountability: Hardy draws lessons from South Asian representation in tech, the Black creative community, and the balance of organisation and talent. Off the mic, he mentors, practices seva, and nurtures family—teaching Punjabi to his child and unlearning gaps left by formal schooling.
On AI, he cuts through the hype: tools amplify, but teams that blend empathy, strategy, and craft endure. Design remains the differentiator, even as technology becomes ubiquitous.
Purpose arises from the work, the people beside you, and the culture you choose. Stop sprinting toward arbitrary finish lines—be fully yourself.
Takeaways
Overcame early life challenges, including time in Young Offenders and limited formal education, to build a career in design.
His career progression was unconventional, moving from coding and web development to digital and UX design through self-learning and mentorship.
Success came from iterative experimentation, embracing discomfort, and constantly learning from diverse roles and industries.
People-first philosophy drives his work: prioritising community, collaboration, and human connection over outputs alone.
Cultural identity and heritage are central; Hardy advocates visibility and representation for South Asian and Punjabi creatives.
Giving back and mentoring are core to his approach, creating opportunities for others in creative and tech spaces.
Recognition and awards are secondary; he focuses on building strong teams and meaningful, high-impact work.
AI and emerging technologies are tools to amplify design, not replace human creativity and user-centred experience.
Collaboration across generations is crucial, as experience and gravitas complement youthful energy and innovation.
Future initiatives include incubators, a design school in Punjab, and projects aimed at lasting cultural and community impact.
Chapters
0:00 Welcome And Hardy’s Unconventional Start
2:25 From Young Offender To First Web Gigs
6:20 Discovering Design And Early Mentor
06:32 Adversity and Career Evolution
10:20 UX Leap, Contracting, And Rapid Learning
15:30 Building Product At AKQA And Leading Teams
20:00 Chasing Money In The US And Realising It’s Not Purpose
24:10 Founding Format 3 And People-First Culture
28:00 Heritage, Oneness, And Community Visibility
33:00 Why We Struggle To Slow Down And Look Inward
37:20 South Asian Representation And Organising Power
43:00 Life Beyond Work, Family, And Seva
48:00 Recognition, Awards, And Sharing The Stage
52:00 AI Hype, Design’s Role, And The Bubble
Keywords
Resilience, unconventional career, self-learning, mentorship, iterative growth, people-first, community, collaboration, cultural identity, Punjabi heritage, South Asian representation, giving back, mentoring, team building, impact, recognition, awards, AI, emerging technology, human-centred design, intergenerational collaboration, innovation, incubators, design school, legacy, creative leadership, problem-solving, perseverance, visibility, authenticity, purpose, high-impact work