Design Leadership Insights is a podcast where Paul, The UX Architect, shares real stories, strategies, and lessons learned from building and leading design teams. With over 15 years of experience navigating the complex world of design leadership, Paul offers practical frameworks and actionable advice for design leaders at all stages of their journey. Voice production enhanced with AI-assisted technology for consistent audio quality.
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The Nielsen Norman Group (NNg) UX Podcast is a podcast on user experience research, design, strategy, and professions, hosted by Senior User Experience Specialist Therese Fessenden. Join us every month as she interviews industry experts, covering common questions, hot takes on pressing UX topics, and tips for building truly great user experiences. For free UX resources, references, and information on UX Certification opportunities, go to: www.nngroup.com
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It takes more than great code to be a great engineer. Soft Skills Engineering is a weekly advice podcast for software developers about the non-technical stuff that goes into being a great software developer.
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Disruption Talks. Get insights on digital acceleration, winning strategies, innovation and scaling products. Every week we discuss the hottest challenges in tech with top experts from world-class companies like Chanel, Bolt, Farfetch, Wise and many many more. Hosted by Netguru's experts from the industry - be it Fintech, Retail, UX, Product/Project Management and others. Head to https://netguru.com/disruption/talks for more info about the show.
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Smooth Scaling: System Design for High Traffic focuses on all things scalability, reliability, and performance. Tune in for expert advice on how to scale systems, control costs, boost availability, optimize performance, and get the most out of your tech stack. Host Jose Quaresma is the VP of Technical Engagement at Queue-it, working on the frontlines with some of the world’s biggest businesses on their busiest days, from Ticketmaster to Zalando to Home Office U.K. He’ll be joined by experts ...
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Welcome to Tangents by Out of Architecture, hosted by Silvia Lee. We’re highlighting some of our favorite stories from the amazing people we’ve met along our journey. We will hear how they created a unique career path for themselves from the variety of skills and talents they developed in and out of architecture. Out of Architecture is a career consulting firm started by two Harvard-educated professionals interested in exploring the value of their skills both in and out of the architectural ...
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50. Responsible AI Use for Research Analysis (feat. Alexander Knoll, Co-Founder of Condens.io)
41:15
41:15
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41:15AI can do more than it’s ever done… but there’s a lot of unfounded hype, especially when it comes to user research. When should you delegate tasks to AI? And when should you insist on keeping the human in the loop? In this episode, Therese Fessenden sits down with Alexander Knoll, co-founder of Condens, to discuss the strengths and limitations of A…
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Ep. 179. 99% Is Not Enough for Autonomous Driving – with Stellantis
33:04
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33:0499% Is Not Enough for Autonomous Driving? 🚘 It sounds impressive — but in the world of autonomous vehicles, 99% accuracy might still be dangerously insufficient. As cars take over more responsibility on the road, even the smallest margin of error can have massive consequences. So what does it really take to close that final gap, and what challenges…
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Designing Features For Scale with Head of Product & UX Karen Risvig
34:30
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34:30What does it take to build product features that hold up under massive traffic while still delivering a great user experience? Karen Risvig, Head of Product & UX at Queue-it, joins Smooth Scaling to share how her team designs for scalability, resilience, and security from day one. From invite-only waiting rooms to real-time visitor analytics, Karen…
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Episode 461: How to do side projects with a family and demanding job and my company promised me a raise, but didn't give it
32:40
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32:40In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: Hey, long-time listener, listened to almost all episodes now and have been loving it since day 1!! I am a senior engineer at FAANG and work 45-50 hours a week and have a lot of cross-org responsibilities. I am lucky to have a beautiful wife and two wonderful young children. I guess, you can …
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Episode 460: Losing autonomy and I got skipped for a promotion even though I'm awesome
33:07
33:07
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33:07In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: I have managed a product for some months now. My previous manager split their team in to mini-teams of 2-3 people. They gave me a small team and plenty of autonomy to own the product and go crazy on it. I had the time of my life as the team lead. I learned a ton and was really developing man…
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Load Testing for Peak Traffic with Radview's Yam Shal-Bar
36:20
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36:20In this episode, Yam Shal-Bar, CTO at Radview, discusses the the evolving world of load testing and how it's used to prepare for peak traffic. He covers the most common system bottlenecks, the importance of iterative testing, and strategies for accurately simulating user journeys. Yam shares insights into common misconceptions around testing, best …
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Episode 459: Am I cutting edge and how to compliment someone who went from super jerk to super nice
22:44
22:44
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22:44In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: I work for a B2C fintech startup as a senior engineer. Our onboarding funnel has a lot of moving parts due to regulatory compliance and a litany of requirements from various parts of the business. As a startup, we also live and die by optimizing for and demonstrating growth, so we need to ga…
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Episode 458: Infinite tech debt hack and figuring out what is going on
34:00
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34:00In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: Nearly every time certain developers on the team want to address technical debt, they end up just adding more technical debt. Of course, after one round of addressing technical debt, the developers in question believe that yet another round of redesigning and refactoring is in order. This st…
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The First 90 Days - A Design Leader's Guide to New Role Impact
13:26
13:26
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13:26This end-of-season episode demonstrates how effective design leaders navigate their first 90 days in a new role by prioritizing deep understanding and strategic relationship-building before implementing changes, creating a foundation for lasting organizational transformation. Paul reveals a three-phase framework—Listening, Vision Crafting, and Stra…
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Simple is Scalable with Product Architect Mojtaba Saroonghi
24:29
24:29
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24:29What makes a system scalable? In this episode, Mojtaba Saroonghi explains why simplicity is the secret to scalability. Saroonghi explains why avoiding complexity helps minimize the risk of failure while improving troubleshooting, deployment, and the overall scalability of a system. He walks though how Queue-it has maintained simplicity as it has gr…
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Design for Failure with Product Architect Martin Larsen
27:35
27:35
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27:35No system has 100% reliability. Failures and faults are inevitable. At scale, everything breaks. In this episode, Martin Larsen explains the design for failure approach behind Queue-it’s architecture and how it increases the platform’s availability and resilience. Larsen explores the principles behind designing for failure, the tradeoffs involved, …
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Episode 457: How do I get off the on-call rotation and "big tech" == "big leagues"?
27:25
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27:25In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: I am a senior software engineer in a big tech/faang company and this week is my first ever on call rotation. My team is doing a lot of CI work, monitoring pipelines and support queues during on call. It is probably not as much of a hassle as on call for product teams, but for me personally o…
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49. Design Leadership & Org Design (feat. Peter Merholz, co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs)
43:19
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43:19In this episode, Peter Merholz—co-founder of Adaptive Path and co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs—joins us to talk about what it really takes to build and scale effective design teams. We explore the systems, structures, and leadership mindsets that shape successful organizations, the relationships between product and design teams, and how des…
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From Metrics to Meaning: Transforming Customer Satisfaction Data into Design Decisions
12:54
12:54
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12:54Design leader Paul reveals how to transform raw customer satisfaction metrics into meaningful design decisions. Drawing from his experience at Expedia and a global logistics company, he shares a proven three-tiered approach to understanding what lies beneath the numbers. Paul demonstrates how leadership that focuses on uncovering human stories behi…
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Episode 456: Will I look bad on the job market if I'm a crypto developer and struggling to go from management back to dev work
31:39
31:39
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31:39In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: Hey, I am a web developer getting bored of the regular development work. I am interested in finance and the monetary system and due to the overlap of finance and engineering I feel down the Bitcoin rabbit hole and even spiked interest in crypto like Solana and Sui. I am pretty sure most of c…
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Ep. 178. Netguru Memory, How We Built Our Own AI Knowledge Agent
18:00
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18:00Ever wondered how to turn company knowledge into a smart, searchable AI tool? Get the behind-the-scenes story of building Netguru Memory—our internal AI-powered knowledge agent. Speaker: Pavel Averin, Operations Director at Netguru Host: Maria Achinger, Content Team Lead at NetguruBy Netguru
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Ep. 177. Implementing AI Agents,Getting Started and Tackling Key Challenges – with Microsoft, Wise and Center for AI and Digital Policy
32:17
32:17
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32:17From planning to pitfalls—how do you actually get started with AI agents? Listen to for a real-world take on adoption, risks, and navigating early implementation challenges. Speakers: Marc Teipel, Azure App Innovation & AI Specialist – Enterprise at Microsoft Pat Szubryt, AI Policy Lead at Center for AI and Digital Policy Egor Kraev, Former Head of…
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Ep. 176. Rethinking Communication, Ultra-Realistic AI Agents – with ElevenLabs
19:52
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19:52What happens when AI starts sounding more human than ever? Listen to explore how ultra-realistic voice agents are changing the game in communication, content, and customer experience. Speaker: Jędrek Śmigielski, GTM at ElevenLabs Host: Maria Achinger, Content Team Lead at NetguruBy Netguru
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Ep.175. Next Wave of AI, Introspection, Reasoning & High-Stakes Decision-Making – with Umnai
19:36
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19:36AI is evolving fast—from task automation to reasoning, reflection, and making decisions that matter. Listen to explore what’s next and what it means for your business. Speaker: Angelo Dalli, Chief Scientist at Umnai Host: Pavel Averin, Operations Director at NetguruBy Netguru
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Ep. 174. Who Is the New, AI-Powered Professional – with Shopfully, Verdane and World Health Organization
32:56
32:56
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32:56What does it mean to be a professional in the age of AI? We’re diving into shifting roles, smart tools, and how to lead AI-assisted teams with real impact. Speakers: Jakub Bares, Generative AI Strategist at World Health Organization Caroline Ohlsson, Data & AI Director at Verdane Marco Brambilla, CTO at Shopfully Host: Łukasz Pietrucha, Interim Eng…
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Ep. 173. AI Agents & Efficiency, Automating Workflows, Boosting Productivity – with ReBloom
20:30
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20:30How can AI agents help us work smarter, not harder? Let’s explore how teams can automate tasks, boost productivity, and scale operations with AI-powered workflows. Speaker: Daniel Abdulla Bobruk, Founder & CTO at ReBloom Host: Mateusz Czajka, Chief Delivery Officer at NetguruBy Netguru
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The Creative Leader's Paradox: How Side Projects Make Better Design Managers
13:03
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13:03Design leader Paul explores how seemingly unrelated creative pursuits enhance leadership capabilities. Drawing from his experience with music production, filmmaking, and podcasting, he reveals how these diverse creative domains provide unique perspectives on team dynamics, communication, and problem-solving. Discover the Creative Leader's Paradox a…
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Episode 455: UX designer without a mentor and I get bored too easily and stressed too easily
33:00
33:00
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33:00In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: A listener named Dakota asks, I’m a UX designer, and I’m constantly looking for growth opportunities. I’m having trouble finding mentors to help challenge me, as every time my boss/senior designer leaves the company, I assume their work and we don’t backfill their spot or my old position. Th…
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From Code to Canvas - Why Technical Backgrounds Create Stronger Design Leaders
10:37
10:37
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10:37Discover how technical backgrounds create stronger design leaders through systems thinking, embracing constraints, and iteration. Former developer turned UX leader Paul shares practical insights on bridging technical and creative domains to build better products and more effective design teams. Learn actionable strategies for leveraging technical k…
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Episode 454: Tracking productivity? and my CTO is ChatGPT
28:11
28:11
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28:11In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: I’m a manager on a Product team. I’ve been asked by upper management to measure “story points completed per developer per sprint” and display the results publicly each sprint to motivate lower-performing employees. I explained why, according to Scrum, I don’t think this is a good idea. But I…
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Design Leadership as a Bridge - Uniting User Needs with Business Objectives
12:06
12:06
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12:06This episode reveals how effective design leadership bridges the false dichotomy between user needs and business objectives, with real-world examples of uniting these seemingly competing priorities. Through practical strategies like translation tools and cross-functional collaboration, design leaders can transform organizational tensions into oppor…
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Episode 453: Why did my company build an internal LinkedIn and how do I not get stagnant in my skills?
31:34
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31:34In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: Greetings! I work at a research company with ~500 engineers and scientists. My company started promoting this new portal they setup that is like a private linkedin. You can fill up the profile they setup for you and apply for positions within the company. Why is my company doing this? They e…
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48. What is Object-Oriented UX (feat. Sophia Prater, Rewired UX)
41:31
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41:31UX practitioners often struggle with shifting requirements and increasing product complexity, making it difficult to design intuitive experiences. Object-Oriented UX (OOUX) offers a structured approach to simplify digital products by focusing on core objects rather than pages or screens. Sophia Prater explains how this method improves usability, re…
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Progressive Disclosure in Enterprise Design: Less Is More, Until It Isn't
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13:09Paul shares leadership strategies for implementing progressive disclosure in enterprise UX design, navigating competing stakeholder priorities, guiding cross-functional teams, and transforming complex interfaces into intuitive experiences that satisfy both business requirements and user needs. Learn how effective design leaders balance complexity a…
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Ep. 172. Enterprise Design: Lessons from the Silent Architect of How We Work – with Miro
31:07
31:07
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31:07In enterprise design innovation doesn't take front stage. It often happens behind the scenes—shaping the tools, workflows, and experiences that define how we work. But who are the architects behind these systems, and what lessons can we learn from them? We found out from Daria Tarawneh, whose career spans McKinsey, AWS, and Head of Enterprise Desig…
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Episode 452: Consulting refactor and extra work, extra scrutiny
25:12
25:12
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25:12In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: I’ve been a developer for about 1.5 years. I work for a large consultancy. we provide services to big clients. I’m working on a front-end codebase that has been through three consulting companies already. Tired of just moving tickets and fixing bugs, I decided to refactor the front end of th…
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Ep. 171. AI-Assisted Engineers: On Dynamically Changing Roles
21:31
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21:31– How are expectations for engineers changing in the AI era Who is the new AI-assisted engineer – How to ensure efficiency, plan headcount, and reimagine leadership – Future proofing engineering careers Speaker: Alex Maruseac, Vice President, Software Development at NewGlobe Host: Luke Pietrucha, Interim Engineering Director at Netguru…
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Ep. 170. AI Applied: Rapid Implementation Examples
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17:06
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17:06Three different use cases of AI implementation projects done for Netguru clients Speaker: Krystian Bergmann, AI Consulting Lead at Netguru Host: Maria Achinger, Content Lead at NetguruBy Netguru
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Ep. 169. AI-Assisted Development: Lessons & The Future
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30:00– What are the first lessons from leveraging AI tools – What are the advantages, risks, and trade-offs of adopting AI in development – AI in everyday work: experimentation, prototyping, testing, and getting to know the user Speakers: – Rishita Kalyani, Engineering Manager at Miro – Simana Paul, Global VP Engineering at SumUp – Sebastian Schnelle, H…
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Ep. 168. Zoom In on Compliance: How to Keep Up With Regulations
19:29
19:29
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19:29– How can teams and organizations align with evolving regulations such as DORA and others – How can industries adapt to stringent regulatory demands more effectively – Managing development costs with compliance in mind Speakers: Satyajit Ranjeev, Interim CTO at Solaris Host: Pavel Averin, Operations Director at Netguru…
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Ep. 167. Let Your Tech Team Boost Internal Efficiency
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31:04How can tech teams drive internal automation and optimization New solutions implementation: AI agents, AI assistants, etc. Building companies in the AI-everything era Speakers: Barbara Sobkowiak, Head of Advanced Analytics at Rossmann Karol Blaszczyk, Director of Engineering at Builder.ai Josh Moller, Former Head of Engineering ViralHog LLC Host: K…
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Beyond Basic vs. Premium - Reimagining the Flight Booking Experience
18:56
18:56
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18:56In this episode, I share how my team transformed confusing airline fare options into an intuitive booking experience. Rather than trying to explain complex fare differences, we created a customized approach where travelers select desired features first. By implementing progressive disclosure techniques and focusing on user decision-making patterns,…
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Episode 451: Un-collaborative architect and who is my boss?
32:47
32:47
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32:47In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: A listener named Scot asks, A new architect was hired at my company 6 months ago. I’m an engineer one rung lower on the hierarchy and have been here for 3.5 years. He hasn’t done much to learn about any of us who have been here for a while, so he is constantly undermining my skills and sugge…
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In this episode, I reveal how to transform design critiques from anxiety-inducing sessions into catalysts for innovation through a four-part framework: 24-Hour Context Share, 15-Minute Solution Story, Structured Feedback Rounds, and Documented Action Items. Learn to frame feedback as questions and create psychological safety for all team members. K…
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Episode 450: I'm terrible at behavioral interviews and time zonessssssss
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34:04In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: I struggle with behavioral interviews. I’ve gotten a little bit better as I’ve done more interviews, but it’s still a major pain point for me. I have some common behavioral question answers written out in a spreadsheet in SAR format, but I feel that not all of them are good examples for a mi…
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Ep. 166. Shipping the Future With Vinted Go: Design & Circular Economy
23:55
23:55
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23:55Vinted Go scaled from 2 lockers to 6,000 in just 2 years—here’s how design made it possible. In this episode of Disruption Talks, we sat down with Fatma Köstekli, Director of Product Design at Vinted Go, to explore: – Scaling smart – From 2 lockers to 6,000 locations in record time – Balancing affordability & sustainability in shipping solutions – …
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In this episode, Paul explores how psychological safety transforms design teams into innovation powerhouses. Learn how a junior designer's breakthrough idea led to a 42% increase in user onboarding completion rates, and discover practical frameworks for creating an environment where team members feel empowered to take creative risks and challenge e…
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Episode 449: My tech lead ignored my warnings and I don't know what my leadership style is
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29:54In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: Hello, long time listener first time question asker. I work for a medium sized tech company and I recently moved teams. Right now my old team is attempting to refactor a bunch of code I wrote to use a library that’ll make life easier. I don’t blame them, I tried to do the same thing. It does…
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47. Designing AI Experiences: What to Consider (feat. Caleb Sponheim PhD, NN/g)
39:39
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39:39As AI continues to evolve, designers are increasingly finding themselves tasked with creating AI-powered experiences—often without prior experience in the space. In this episode, NN/g UX Specialist Caleb Sponheim discusses the current state of AI tools, what’s working (and what’s not), and how designers can position themselves to navigate this shif…
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The 89% Solution: How to Build and Retain a High-Performing Design Team
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9:59In this episode, Paul reveals the strategies behind achieving an impressive 89% retention rate across a global team of 16 designers. Learn about the PETaLS framework for meaningful one-on-ones, creating personalized growth paths, building psychological safety through structured critique, and empowering designers by involving them in the business co…
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Episode 448: Title over salary and from figure skater to software developer
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28:01In this episode, Dave and Jamison answer these questions: A listener named Steven says, Long-time listener of the podcast here—it always brings me so much joy! Should I prioritize title over salary? I’m currently based in Europe, working as a Senior Engineer at a big company that pays really well. The problem is, there’s almost no chance for promot…
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Ep. 165. Design Leaders, Upskill! On Developing Design Leadership – with Vinted, Moss and BNP Paribas
29:37
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29:37– What upskilling opportunities are critical for personal and business growth in 2025 and beyond? – How can designers prepare for long-term career success in a rapidly evolving field? – Strategies for developing a robust personal and professional career growth plan. Speakers: – Jan Wardecki, Service Design & Innovation Manager at BNP Paribas – Mori…
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Ep. 164. The Future of Design Systems Brands Across Cultures and Products – with Lokalise
21:28
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21:28Speakers: – Julia Picker-Huchzermeyer, Senior Product Designer at Lokalise – Anatoly Vjalihs, Senior Lead of Brand Design at Lokalise Host: Tomasz Grynkiewicz, Head of Growth at Netguru This session was a part of Disruption Forum Design Horizons.By Netguru
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Ep. 163. How Visa Leverages Behavioural Science for Positive Change
19:42
19:42
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19:42Speakers: – Yazminca Woodward, Global Design Strategy Director at Visa – Andreas Roos, Head of Design Strategy at Visa Host: Radek Zaleski, Senior Partner at Netguru This session was a part of Disruption Forum Design Horizons.By Netguru
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Ep. 162. Where’s UX Heading? On Shifting Roles & AI-Powered Capabilities – with Zalando and Delivery Hero
31:49
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31:49– How will AI influence the evolution of roles such as Product Owner, Product Designer, and Design Manager? – Can we think of a future where developers aren’t required to have deep coding expertise? What would that mean for the industry? – The convergence of soft and hard skills for UX professionals in the age of AI and the future of the profession…
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