The Leadership, Growth, & Product Podcast.

In this episode, we sit down with Mendigas from the Lovable product team — a non-traditional designer, community builder, and AI super-user who went from recruiting in Dublin to quietly influencing how thousands of creators build products today.

In this episode, we sit down with Mendigas from the Lovable product team — a non-traditional designer, community builder, and AI super-user who went from recruiting in Dublin to quietly influencing how thousands of creators build products today. We unpack what the next 3–5 years will actually feel like for designers, UX researchers, PMs, and product builders in an AI-native world. From the death of traditional workflows, to why “playing daily” with AI tools is the best investment in your career, to how companies are rethinking hiring, prototyping, validation, and creativity, this conversation goes well beyond surface-level commentary.

On this special episode, your usual host Mark Swaine, sits down as a guest on the Better Tech Leadership podcast to unpack some of the biggest shifts happening at the intersection of UX, product, and AI. "Building software today isn’t hard — what’s hard is building the right thing, in the right way, at the right time." – Mark Swaine Drawing from his years leading UX and product across SaaS, VC, and fintech, Mark offers a front-row view into the critical patterns he sees in early-stage startups — and how many of them are sleepwalking into avoidable mistakes. This is a candid, insight-packed conversation for anyone working in product, UX, or early-stage tech.

Unlock the secrets of transforming user research into powerful customer insights with Serena Chan from Dovetail. "There's no better feeling than after you've shared out a research report and then, months later, a stakeholder comes back and references it and says, 'Oh, remember that cool research you did? Wow, this is really relevant now." – Serena Chan The San Francisco-based research advocate has witnessed and shaped the evolution of Dovetail from its early days as a diary studies tool to an AI-enhanced hub for understanding and actioning customer experiences. Serena shares her passion for synthesizing scattered data and involving key decision-makers to catalyze impactful organizational change.

Have you ever wondered how artificial intelligence is transforming the world of user experience and product design? This episode engages in an insightful discourse with our distinguished guest, Gavin Lew, co-author of AI and UX: Why Artificial Intelligence Needs User Experience. We navigate the world of AI, debunking its intimidation and revealing how it can be harnessed to enhance workflows and drive remarkable user experiences. We underscore the importance of UX researchers embracing the world of AI for improved products and services.

In this special episode, the tables are turned, and your host becomes the guest. Mark was recently featured on Dublin Tech Talks with Gavin Fox. Mark takes us on a thrilling journey from his early days in web design to consulting on interactive experiences for some of the biggest brands in the world. You'll be privy to an insider look at the shift from native apps to SaaS products and why being customer-obsessed is so crucial. Mark’s international experiences and his work with startups on their SaaS platforms reveal the profound impact of UX and design on successful experiences and scalability.