Overcoming Setbacks in Your UX Job Search

As AI reshapes the tech landscape, product designers face new challenges and opportunities. This session explores how AI is transforming key design processes and the future of our profession. Learn how to leverage AI technologies to create innovative, user-centric designs while adapting to the evolving nature of product design. Join us to discover strategies for thriving in the AI era, turning potential disruptions into opportunities for growth and creativity.

When was the last time you did something that scared you? When was the last time you felt uncomfortable? I have a 'how hard could it be?' outlook to all of life. I truly believe that you can achieve anything you want, you just have to decide you want it. Then put in the work, and get it. Even when you’ve never done it before. I realized that everything I ever dreamed possible for my life, my lifelong dreams, I had already achieved - all by 30. The degree, the house, the relationship, the multiple-six-figure salary, the travel where I wanted, when I wanted… all of it! And then I walked away. You can do hard things. You can achieve anything you want, change anything you want. What's possible for me is possible for anybody - you have to simply have the mindset, determination, and discipline to make it happen. When your life around you no longer aligns with what you want to do, you need the strength and confidence to light your own fuse, blow it up, and get out of comfortable - complacent - normal... and go write that next chapter. You've done hard things before. Hard could the next one be?

Holistic product management emphasises a trust-driven, supportive team environment. Prioritising kindness and respect, managers empower teams to thrive by valuing input and offering schedule flexibility. This positive atmosphere boosts creativity, productivity, and job satisfaction, driving product success. Focusing on human connections and well-being ensures motivation and dedication, leading to better outcomes and sustained growth.

In this interactive session, we'll dive into the core principles of Product-Led Growth (PLG) and explore how successful products leverage network effects and key product loops to drive exponential user growth and retention. We'll discuss how PLG shifts the traditional marketing-driven growth strategies to a product-first approach, where the product itself is the main driver of acquisition, expansion, and retention. By the end of this session, participants will have a solid understanding of how to apply PLG strategies in their own products, harnessing network effects and designing effective product loops to drive sustainable growth.