Product design leader with 18 years experience leading hundreds of digital products and innovation programmes.
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🏗️ Ditch managing, get building
Published 9 days ago • 2 min read
Hey subscriber,
Last Friday, I attended the AI x Design Summit without any expectations—just a curious mindset and a bit of a break from my recent focus on business growth. Over the past couple of years, I’ve prioritised business growth over stepping back to reconnect with the wider design and tech community. I used to ask, “Will this help grow the business?” and if the answer was “no,” I’d skip it. Now, as I look toward new horizons, getting back into the community feels like a good way to stay connected to where things are headed.
And wow, what a moment to dive back in! Technology is rapidly levelling the playing field, and it’s sparking some pretty big questions: Do you need to become a data scientist to create an AI app? Likely not. Do you need a full team to develop a prototype and pitch for investment? Increasingly, the answer is no. Could you rethink your entire business with the new tech wave, cut through layers of management, and empower your team to build better? Absolutely.
I foresee smaller, agile teams leading the way forward. With development copilots and a few engineering leads, some businesses might not need lengthy product processes. Instead, we’ll have AI to do the heavy lifting, with a couple of designers adding the essential human touch and refinement. The shift I see isn’t just about managing less; it’s about leading with purpose. Recently, I’ve seen that an empowered team often doesn’t need a traditional project manager or a hierarchy that slows decisions. It’s time for the builders—whether in marketing, sales, UX, or product—to work closer with the c-suite and develop their businesses further.
It’s an exciting time to be shaping the future of business.
Thanks for being here!
AI x Design Summit
Cien Solon, co-founder LaunchLemonade
Had an inspiring time at the AI x Design Summit, where the worlds of AI and design came together to spark some groundbreaking ideas.
My main highlight was Cien Solon’s workshop on creating AI agents. This session resonated with me because it showed how AI can elevate creativity by handling the repetitive, freeing us up to innovate in ways we hadn’t imagined.
From exploring AI in mental health with Dr Anushka Patchava to diving into content automation with Polly Barnfield, OBE, each talk brought fresh perspectives on how AI can reshape our industries.
The event was a powerful reminder of AI’s potential to not only streamline our work, but to open new doors in creativity and impact.
Excited to bring these insights back to my work and push the boundaries of what we can achieve with AI!
Product Unleashed, 21st November, London, UK
Product Unleashed
Done, done and on to the next one. I'll be attending Product Unleashed next week, gaining insights from two outstanding design leaders: Andy Budd—Design Leader, Speaker, Advisor, Coach, and Venture Partner at Seedcamp—and Caio Orio, Design Lead at Wise.
Andy will share common pitfalls that early-stage founders, product managers, and designers face when launching new projects—and how to sidestep them. He’ll also reveal the 7 essential factors from his “growth equation” that guide startup success (the book I've been reading recently).
Caio will dive into the challenge of standing out in a highly commoditised landscape, discussing how brands can avoid blending into a sea of sameness by building meaningful emotional connections with their customers. Ties in to my intro quite well doesn't it?!
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