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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.

· Learn why most startups have to "rebuild" after launch — and how better UX thinking upfront can save years of technical debt and budget waste.
 · Understand the real role of UX in venture capital — and how Mark uses his product lens to evaluate whether a startup has what it takes.
 · Discover why the future of design isn’t in pixels — it’s in prompts, strategy, and systems. Mark shares how AI is shifting the designer’s job from flow builder to strategic director.
 · Hear what founders get wrong about AI — especially the common trap of confusing automation for true generative value.
 · Get practical advice on building smarter roadmaps, aligning teams, and avoiding the trap of enterprise sales cycles that strangle growth.
 · Explore what Ireland’s startup ecosystem needs next — and the urgent opportunities we’re missing to stay globally competitive.

Whether you’re a UX leader, founder, or future product director, this episode will change how you think about the road from design to delivery — and the mindset needed to lead through uncertainty.

Connect with Mark Swaine:
 UX Institute: https://uxinstitute.com/
Mark on Twitter: https://twitter.com/UX_UI_Guy

This episode was originally recorded on the Better Tech Leadership podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/0M4r4dUW4tzN8L9FjNgvrK

 The UX Institute Podcast is produced in partnership with Podlad.com

UXI (UX Institute) Original Podcast 2024.
www.uxinstitute.com