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Femke and Charli outline their goals for 2026 and the strategies they plan to implement to achieve them. Femke shares an update about her upcoming baby and how she plans to balance it with her business, while Charli discusses her approach to the book writing process. Timestamps:  01:11 Episode introduction 01:59 Life updates 04:05 Goal setting for 2026: Does Femke set combined business and parenting goals? How does she plan to approach balancing them? 13:32 Femke and Charli’s plans for their business and projects this year 21:57 How can AI help manage your workload and make tasks more efficient and achievable? 23:23 Does Charli feel she has achieved work-life balance? 24:52 Working with a remote team: how do different time zones impact Charli? Managing slack updates and staying in the loop Links:  Femke's community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Femke and Charli discuss how to collaborate effectively with other design creators on side projects. Femke shares her experience working with five other designers on the Design Creator's Bundle, including how the collaboration went, how they divided the revenue, and how audience size influenced their choice of collaborators and how Claud helped shape the overall strategy of the product. Timestamps: 00:46 Episode start 01:50 Catch-up 06:33 Design Creator’s Bundle 08:41 Why did Femke decide to do it? 11:17 How does it feel to work on something like this with a group of people? 14:34 Charli shares a story about her experience being part of a bundle 15:50 How was the revenue split approached? 17:37 Did you know the people involved in the bundle beforehand? 20:01 How do you approach collaborations in terms of effort and contribution? 23:49 How did audience size factor into the collaboration? 28:11 Do you think you'll pursue more similar collaborations in the future? 29:22 What about collaborating with design creators in other ways, such as creating a product together?   Links:  Design Creator's Bundle Femke's community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Charli and Femke discuss the common challenges people face when pursuing promotions, share strategies to prepare for performance reviews, and explore options for those who perform well but are unable to get promoted. Timestamps: 0:57 Episode start 01:50 Catch up 07:25 What are the main challenged people that you mentored were having around promotions? 10:37 Thinking about promotions as a manager 16:01 Advice to people to whom it is not clear what needs to be done in order to get promoted 22:17 How to set yourself up for success l for the performance review time 28:32 What if you do a good job but you cannot get a promotion? Links: Femke's community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Charli and Femke discuss their evolving perspectives on side projects, preferred platforms and content formats, and how these have changed throughout their careers, while also sharing their current goals—Charli opening up about her book writing journey and Femke explaining how her approach to her course is continuously evolving. Timestamps:  01:26 - Episode start 03:11 - How are you currently thinking about side projects? How do you describe what you do on the side when meeting new people? 05:23 - Perspectives on different platforms and content formats 08:38 - Charli’s main side project at the moment: writing a book 09:42 - Updates on Charli’s YouTube channel 16:00 - How Charli incorporates Claude into her creative process 17:00 - Strategies behind choosing and developing content formats 25:25 - Femke shares her vision for her business   Links:  Femke's community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]  

Femke and Charli discuss how to foster a culture of knowledge sharing at a workplace. They explore how to structure language-sharing sessions, whether these should focus on work-related topics or personal expertise, how to encourage team members to participate, and what roles leaders and team members play in sharing knowledge. Timestamps: 01:25 Episode start 02:27 Catch up 06:52 How did educational 'Lunch and Learn' sessions come about at Femke’s work? 08:06 Are these sessions about work topics or personal expertise? 11:26 Does Kit have a format for ICs to sign up or volunteer to share with the team? How is knowledge sharing structured at Charli’s and Femke’s jobs? 21:03 Does sharing come from anyone on the team or mainly leaders? How much do leaders set an example, and how did you get that started? 21:47 How do you protect team members’ time and set expectations for knowledge sharing beyond their regular responsibilities? Do you expect everyone to share knowledge at a certain level, and how much of it is built into their responsibilities? 26:32 How often do you do knowledge sharing? 26:52 Do you encourage your team to consume any of your content? Links:  Femke's community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Femke and Charli discuss the challenges of staying up-to-date with AI tools, the importance of developing horizontal skills rather than just tool-specific knowledge, integrating AI into your workflow, the financial and environmental impacts of AI and strategies for keeping up with rapid advancements in the tech field. 01:11 Episode introduction 01:53 Catch-up 05:16 How the episode came about: Charli shares a story from her workplace about integrating AI into their processes 10:17 Challenges in staying up-to-date with AI and design tools 14:01 Is tool-specific knowledge important? The value of learning horizontal skills versus tool-specific skills 16:00 Building AI workflows and exploring what’s possible with AI 17:51 Financial costs of using AI 23:23 Environmental impact of AI 24:58 Goals for keeping up with the rapid pace of AI development Links:  Femke's community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Femke and Charli discuss how to balance product quality with commitments, deadlines, and the pressure to ship quickly. They explore the best approaches to building MVPs and new features, and consider whether AI is influencing the expected pace of work in design. Timestamps: 01:14 Episode start 02:25 Catch up 07:56 The background of the issue at Femke’s work 10:42 Did Charli experience anything similar? 12:56 Has the rebrand and the new systems in place helped your team unlock more velocity, allowing you to work more quickly? 17:19 What does your team think about MVP? 24:45 As a design manager, what’s your role in solving this? 26:07 Any ideas of solutions Femke can share? 32:15 Is AI influencing leadership’s push for speed? Do you think it’s making teams move faster? Links:  Femke's new community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Thank you to our sponsor, Framer. Ready to build a site that looks hand-coded—without hiring a developer? Start free today at framer.link/femke Charli and Femke talk about the challenges of discussing performance reviews and share the actual feedback they received. They discuss how performance reviews work at their companies, including how often they occur, the structure, and the tools used. They also share how AI tools are integrated into the process, explain how promotions are linked to reviews, and highlight key points to keep in mind for the next review cycle. Timestamps: 0:51 Episode start. 01:39 Framer sponsorship. 03:14 What is the structure of the performance review at Femke’s company? 06:39 What tools are used during the performance review? How are performance reviews conducted at Charli’s company? 09:25 How long is your review period? 11:56 How have you incorporated AI into the review process? 14:58 Charli and Femke share the feedback they received during their performance reviews. 18:20 Femke and Charli go into more detail about their feedback. 21:08 How detailed do you prefer your feedback to be? 25:29 Charli and Femke share the feedback they received as managers from direct reports. 29:28 How does your company handle promotions? Are performance reviews and promotions separate processes? 32:20 What key points are you keeping in mind for the next review cycle?? Links:  A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Framer. Make sure to check them out Femke's new community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Thank you to our sponsor, Framer. Ready to build a site that looks hand-coded—without hiring a developer? Start free today at framer.link/femke Femke and Charli discuss various aspects of hackathons, including team organization and timelines, the motivations behind creating dedicated create weeks, whether projects should go live afterward, the competitive dynamics of hackathons, and provide valuable advice for companies interested in hosting their own hackathons. Timestamps: 0:47 Episode start 01:27 Framer Sponsorship 02:43 Have you been part of hackathons before? 07:38 How can non-technical team members add value during a hackathon? 10:11 Are hackathons competitive? 11:10 Do hackathon projects typically go live? What are the next steps afterward? 12:03 Do teams intentionally save work for hackathons? Is it part of your roadmap process? 15:17 Have you seen projects die after a hackathon? 18:12 What motivated you to start these hackathons? 22:18 What advice would you give to those wanting to organise a hackathon at their company? Links:  A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Framer. Make sure to check them out Femke's new community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]  

Thank you to our sponsor, Framer. Ready to build a site that looks hand-coded—without hiring a developer? Start free today at framer.link/femke Femke and Charli discuss their perspectives on giving feedback, how their approaches have evolved, the importance of mindful communication, and strategies for providing effective and focused feedback. 01:05 Episode start 02:01 Framer Sponsorship 04:06 How do you feel about giving feedback? How has your approach evolved throughout your career? 11:24 How do you develop your ability to give effective feedback? Do you choose your words carefully when framing your feedback? 13:45 Femke and Charli’s approaches to giving feedback 18:50 Should you already know the correct approach and solution before providing feedback? 20:38 Methods and strategies for giving feedback 23:08 How do you decide what to focus on when giving feedback?Links:  A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Framer. Make sure to check them out Femke's new community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Thank you to our sponsor, Framer. Ready to build a site that looks hand-coded—without hiring a developer? Start free today at framer.link/femke Femke and Charli discuss Gusto's new Creative Director role, including why the company hired for it and what they’re looking for. They talk about whether agency or in-house experience is better, how candidates should prepare for interviews, and what makes a talented brand designer stand out. They also mention whether having a broad or focused portfolio is better, common red flags to watch out for, and offer tips for applying to the brand designer role. Episode timestamps: 01:02 Episode start 02:16 Framer sponsorship 03:45 How did the need for a Creative Director at Gusto come about, and what is the company looking for in this role? 08:24 When hiring for a brand role in a tech company, do candidates from agency backgrounds bring unique qualities? Or are in-house candidates generally stronger? 11:11 Do you influence the interview questions during the hiring process? 13:44 What type of presentation do you expect from candidates? 15:33 What distinguishes a truly skilled designer from someone with skill gaps? 19:00 How important is breadth of work for a brand designer compared to product design? Do you prefer candidates with diverse experience or specialized expertise? 23:25 What are common red flags to watch out for? 28:52 Any advice for candidates applying for the brand designer IC role? 30:46 Charli's Book Update   Links:  A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Framer. Make sure to check them out Femke's new community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Thank you to our sponsor, Framer. Ready to build a site that looks hand-coded—without hiring a developer? Start free today at framer.link/femke Femke and Charli explore their coaching experiences, the importance of active listening, and navigating coaching challenges from both coach and coachee perspectives. 0:47 Episode start 01:59 Framer sponsorship 03:06 What was your coaching workshop experience? 09:47 How often do you find yourself in a coaching mindset? 15:38 Have you ever used coaching questions to help someone find a solution, only to encounter disagreement or struggle, requiring you to be more directive? How did you handle it? 19:59 How do dynamics change with peers once you become a manager? 21:53 What is active listening, and why is it important? 25:10 What has been your experience as a coachee? Links:  A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Framer. Make sure to check them out Femke's new community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Thank you to our sponsor, Framer. Ready to build a site that looks hand-coded—without hiring a developer? Start free today at framer.link/femke Femke and Charli delve into the relationship between a designer and a product manager, exploring perspectives on role responsibilities, skill overlaps, relationship-building advice and distinctions between product marketing and brand design roles. Timestamps:  01:27 Episode starts 02:22 Framer sponsorship 04:00 Typical relationship between a designer and a PM — what it looks like from Fem’s perspective. 05:26 Is it the PM's responsibility to set the direction of the role, meaning: defining the problem to solve, outlining potential solutions? And then, is it the designer's role to present what they believe is the best solution? 06:55 Is it fair to say that there's a significant overlap in the skill sets of a product manager and a UX designer? 11:55 What advice would you give for building a strong relationship? How can designers foster a good partnership with PMs? 13:47 What are the key differences between a product marketing manager and a brand designer or marketing designer? Specifically, on the product design side. 17:57 Regarding briefs from product marketers — how solution-oriented are they? Are they more focused on campaign goals, or do they also include specific design solutions? 19:58 Since you work in a decentralized manner from the product or feature teams, do product marketers coordinate among themselves? What happens if two campaigns conflict or need to be run simultaneously? How does Charli handle such situations? 22:57 How do you collaborate with a product marketing manager as a UX designer?   Links:  A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Framer. Make sure to check them out Femke's new community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Thank you to our sponsor, Workflow. As a listener, you can experience the Workflow too with an exclusive 30-day trial (instead of the usual 14) — so you can see the magic for yourself. Head to workflow.design/designlife to start your extended trial today. Femke and Charli discuss the nature of vision work—whether it’s expected of designers, how their teams create space for it, their approach to the outcomes of pitches, and the criteria they use to prioritize ideas from vision presentations. Timestamps: 0:30 Episode start 01:23 Workflow sponsorship 02:47 Can you define what vision work is? 04:56 In your company, are you instructed to do vision work, or is it something product designers are expected to do at some point? Are you expected to present the vision? 10:37 Do you think it's important for designers to make time for this work, especially if they haven't been explicitly asked to do it? 12:47 How does Charli's team allocate time for strategic impact work, and what is their approach to it? 17:51 Have any outcomes from those pitches surprised you? For example, did you prioritize an idea that ended up being very successful? 21:53 If several design visions are presented twice a year, how do you decide when to deeply consider the ideas within those visions? 24:36 Did you go through any exercises like vision work prior to your brand redesign? Links: A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Workflow Make sure to check them out Femke's new community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]

Thank you to our sponsor, Workflow. As a listener, you can experience the Workflow too with an exclusive 30-day trial (instead of the usual 14) — so you can see the magic for yourself. Head to workflow.design/designlife to start your extended trial today.  Femke and Charli reflect on the Figma Config event, exploring exciting new features like Figma Make and Draw, and sharing their thoughts on potential future innovations such as AI-powered tools and conversational interfaces. Timestamps: 01:04 Episode intro 01:39 Workflow sponsorship 02:59 Figma Config event 2025 6:15 Design leaders were absent from the main stage of the conference. 08:39 Femke co-hosted an event at Figma Config 09:52 Figma’s new products and features: Grid, Figma Sites, Figma Make, Figma Buzz and Figma Draw 10:30 Which new feature excited Femke and Charli the most? 12:59 How do you think these updates will impact market designers' workflows? 19:38 What are your impressions of Figma Make? 23:43 Do you see yourself incorporating Figma Make into your workflow? 24:51 What about Draw? Do you think it will be useful for you? 30:48 Is Figma concerned about cannibalizing its community—balancing features versus plugins? For example, what used to be a plugin is now integrated directly into the tool. 32:55 Do you have any guesses about what might be announced in the future? What features would you like to see? What's currently missing for you? 33:50 Do you think Figma will ever develop a chatbox interface? 35:36 Finally, what do you think they might announce next year? Links:  A huge shoutout to our sponsor for this episode, Workflow Make sure to check them out Femke's new community Femke’s course “Product strategy for designers” Share your topic suggestions for the show with us at [email protected]