Finetuning a Career: Product Leadership in AI

Product (including spatial), Content and Service: let's explore these three different but connected design domains that coexist in the creative space of big companies. We will cover: - What makes them unique? How do they interact with each other? - Which skills fits most for these tracks VS other supporting roles (UXR, PM, Engineer)? - What soft skills you should also have or improve to make yourself a good candidate?

I often use a metaphor about designers being chefs in growth and guidance across my career. I use this metaphor to help people think differently about how they enter the industry, what the value of passion is and how to identify and present their strengths in a more confident way. This is a framework of thinking for new or experienced designers to think differently about career progression.

Many designers aspire to be strong generalists or full-stack designers. They may have this goal because they enjoy all aspects of the design process, they believe it will increase their chance of landing a job, or because they come from an engineering background and want to retain coding skills. All of these are solid reasons. However, some of our closest cross-functional partners are encroaching into the design lane via AI capabilities and collaborative design tools. And who can blame them? But, are you doing all you can to stay relevant, compete, and expand your capabilities for the rapidly evolving landscape? Some of the recommendations here are not new, but worthy of revisiting with a fresh lens.

Most data products are consumed passively—they neither drive joy nor action. Over time, this can lead to user disengagement and churn. So, how do you go from building and selling just another data product to creating one that truly sticks? In this session, we will dive deep into understanding the core motivations, pains, and gains of your users and customers. We’ll explore how to effectively engage, retain, and upsell to them by delivering not only what they want but also what they truly need. The discussion will focus on creating sustainable and profitable strategies that drive significant business value and ROI. Through real-world examples, we’ll uncover best practices for building analytics products that resonate with users while delivering long-term growth and success.