UserExperience.org

Abhi, VP of Engineering at Bunker Hill Health, shares insights on building scalable, maintainable AI-driven healthcare solutions, the importance of human taste in software, and real-life impact stories from their work.

What if the stories you tell today could keep your voice alive for the people you love? Cristian, founder of Autograph.ai, joins Olivier to explore why some memories fade, how personal stories shape who we become, and what technology can help families preserve.

Growing up in Paraguay shaped Cristian's view of family and identity. He shares the path from those early experiences to building Autograph.ai, a private archive for voice-led memories from milestones, everyday life, and the people we want to remember.

In this episode:

■ The feeling behind a memory: Why remembering your first paycheck is different from remembering how it felt.

■ AI with empathy: How technology can invite people to tell their stories without making the technology the center of the experience.

■ Stories shape reality: Why the narratives we repeat about ourselves can influence what we believe is possible.

■ Every voice matters: Why people often undervalue their own life stories, and what families lose when those stories go unrecorded.

■ A legacy you can hear: How Autograph.ai helps people collect voice-led memories in a private archive they can revisit and export.

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction and podcast setup

(02:53) Cristian's childhood in Paraguay

(05:57) Cultural differences and moving to the U.S.

(09:10) Entrepreneurship and founding Autograph

(11:55) AI and the human experience

(15:04) Writing a book and shaping a personal narrative

(18:02) What Autograph is for

(21:01) Helping communities accept new technology

(23:57) Empathy in AI and user experience

(26:59) Storytelling in technology

(29:58) Memory and moments we cannot relive

(32:46) How Autograph is evolving

(38:20) Why storytelling matters

(41:22) Self-authorship and personal reflection

(45:00) Why every story has value

(52:41) Technology and preserving stories

(57:20) Imagining the future of our stories

Derek Crager, founder of practicalai.app and humanfirstai.net, shares his journey from industrial manufacturing to the tech world, emphasizing the transformative power of AI in society.

He’s an educator at heart. After building Amazon’s highest-rated employee training program, which earned a 92 NPS and a 4.92 out of 5, he realized the future of learning isn’t about more content. It’s about delivering the right knowledge, just in time.

Today, he’s on a mission to bring Human-First AI to the world, empowering companies and their employees with voice-based mentorship that trains, guides, and supports people in real time. He’s building tools like Pocket Mentor to make sure no one is ever stuck waiting for help again.

I spoke with Kimberly Gross, host of Masks Off: Inner Freedom for People-Pleasers and Perfectionists, about the protective patterns behind people pleasing and perfectionism. We explored her idea of the inner controller, how fear can shape identity and relationships, and whether AI can help people practice speaking up and recognize patterns without replacing human connection.

Keywords:

psychology, AI, personal growth, vulnerability, masks, mental health, technology, self-discovery, therapy, inner safety

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the conversation and guests

01:10 Kimberly Gross's mission to help people identify masks

02:08 Olivier's background in UX and interest in psychology

03:36 The origins of the podcast during COVID and personal growth

05:19 Core values of personal growth and connection

06:39 Technology as a facilitator of connection and vulnerability

08:08 Social media, vulnerability, and authentic connection

10:05 AI as a practice partner for speaking up and self-expression

12:24 Using AI for mental health support and therapy

17:30 Generational perspectives on mental health and AI

19:51 Framework for recognizing and transforming protective patterns

22:44 Inner controllers and the roots of masks

24:38 Reparenting and inner safety with AI tools

27:28 Addressing privacy concerns and responsible AI use

30:35 Using AI for reframing and perspective shifts

40:07 The inner process of pattern recognition and reprogramming

41:32 AI as a tool for recognizing and transforming patterns

42:46 Closing thoughts and organic conversation flow

Kenny Hoang (CEO of Emblem.cc) shares his journey from early entrepreneurship to founding Emblem, a growth marketing agency, and discusses the impact of AI on marketing, innovation, and society. This episode explores how unique products and strategies can create competitive edges in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Keywords:

growth marketing, AI, entrepreneurship, direct-to-consumer, innovation, marketing strategies, AI safety, business growth, branding, technology

Key Topics

• Kenny Hoang's entrepreneurial origin story
• The concept of 'one of none' in branding and products
• Impact of AI on marketing strategies and inequality
• The evolution of direct-to-consumer brands
• Strategies for maintaining a competitive edge in a saturated market
• The role of innovation and continuous improvement
• Ethics and safety concerns in AI development

• The future of AI and societal implications

I spoke with Kimberly Gross, host of Masks Off: Inner Freedom for People-Pleasers and Perfectionists, about the protective patterns behind people pleasing and perfectionism. We explored her idea of the inner controller, how fear can shape identity and relationships, and whether AI can help people practice speaking up and recognize patterns without replacing human connection.

Keywords:

psychology, AI, personal growth, vulnerability, masks, mental health, technology, self-discovery, therapy, inner safety

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the conversation and guests

01:10 Kimberly Gross's mission to help people identify masks

02:08 Olivier's background in UX and interest in psychology

03:36 The origins of the podcast during COVID and personal growth

05:19 Core values of personal growth and connection

06:39 Technology as a facilitator of connection and vulnerability

08:08 Social media, vulnerability, and authentic connection

10:05 AI as a practice partner for speaking up and self-expression

12:24 Using AI for mental health support and therapy

17:30 Generational perspectives on mental health and AI

19:51 Framework for recognizing and transforming protective patterns

22:44 Inner controllers and the roots of masks

24:38 Reparenting and inner safety with AI tools

27:28 Addressing privacy concerns and responsible AI use

30:35 Using AI for reframing and perspective shifts

40:07 The inner process of pattern recognition and reprogramming

41:32 AI as a tool for recognizing and transforming patterns

42:46 Closing thoughts and organic conversation flow

Elisa is the co-founder of Memoket.ai, building AI wearables to make it frictionless to capture important moments. I was joined by Ali, founding engineer at Focal.ai (AI for financial advisors), and it was fascinating to hear their different perspectives.

Chapters

00:00 The Journey of Founders in AI

00:52 Childhood Aspirations and Career Paths

04:13 The Role of AI in Daily Life

06:59 Building AI Products: Challenges and Insights

09:59 User Experience and Customization in AI Tools

13:07 Hypothesis-Driven Development in AI

15:53 Market Feedback and Product Iteration

19:07 Specialization vs. Generalization in AI Solutions

22:01 Balancing Customization and Simplicity

25:10 Future Directions and User Experience Challenges

35:45 Understanding User Needs and Problem Solving

38:52 Simplifying Features Through User Feedback

41:13 The Role of AI in Enhancing Human Connection

43:39 Product Development and User Experience

50:25 The Journey of Building a Hardware Product

I spoke with Greg about why so many AI projects fail and what good UX has to do with it. We talked about the real role of research, why empathy beats aesthetics, and how designers can work better with data scientists. Whether you’re building with AI or just trying to make sense of it, this one’s full of hard-earned wisdom.

Over the years, Greg Nudelman has contributed to the world through:

* 24 design patents
* 6 Featured Mobile apps
* 6 design books in 3 languages including UX for AI: A Framework for Designing AI-Driven Products (April 2025)
* Hundreds of millions in design ROI
Greg loves leading UX teams that create the "When can I buy this?" experience for their customers, then nurturing innovative AI/ML-based products to market through creative four-in-a-box collaboration between PM, Data Science, Dev, and UX. As an "Ombudsman of Innovation", Greg's work revolves around twin obsessions: UX for AI and Practical DesignOps to bring customer-empowering ideas to market. Greg is a thought leader on UX for AI, Lean Product Design, Rapid Prototyping, and fast shipping of industry-defining digital products that exceed business goals and blow away customer expectations. Sought-after executive-level keynote speaker, with 100+ keynotes and workshops in 18 countries. Greg's specialty is leading UX teams designing products for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, IoT, Analytics, Mobile, Biotech, Finance, and creating Design Systems for Enterprise Software.

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If you, or someone you know, would like to be a guest on the podcast send an email to [email protected].

Nick helps design teams stay ahead of the curve with their AI transformation. He has been curating self-assessments for UX & Design Teams at retrain.gauge.io, helping analyze industry trends and any barriers to adoption. Nick founded Gauge in 2001 in the San Francisco Bay Area to help organizations with evidence-based strategy and product decisions. Clients have grown to include Electronic Arts, Genentech, Airbnb, Adobe and many others. Nick is a professor in Data Literacy and Visualization in the Design Strategy MBA program at his alma mater, California College of the Arts.

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I sat down with Nick Cawthon and Casandra Cain to talk about how AI is reshaping UX design, and what that means for mentorship, emotional intelligence, and the future of our field. We explored trust, tooling, education, and why staying adaptable is more important than ever.

Parts

00:00 Introduction to UX and AI

07:32 The Evolution of User Experience

14:53 Trust in AI and User Experience

18:26 Projects and Practical Applications of UX

29:20 The Future of Design and Technology

30:15 AI and UX Patterns: Current Trends and Future Directions

35:47 Mentorship in the Age of AI: Guiding New Designers

41:18 Personal Philosophy: Balancing Anxiety and Optimism

45:34 The Importance of UX: Advocating for User-Centric Design

49:30 Gage.io: Services and Target Audience Insights

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If you, or someone you know, would like to be a guest on the podcast send an email to [email protected].

Dhyey Mavani is a Software Engineer at LinkedIn, where he works on inference optimization for generative AI models within the AI Platforms org. With a rare triple major in Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics from Amherst College, Dhyey graduated with two summa cum laude honors theses: one in Mathematics, where he formalized chip-firing games and the Graphical Riemann-Roch theorem using Lean4, and another in Statistics, where he developed a Python package for discrete copula modeling to analyze complex ordinal response data.

At LinkedIn, he built and productionized the company’s first PyTorch-Rust model serving engine, reducing GPU costs by ~$1M and powering key recommendation systems. His work stands at the intersection of applied computational mathematics, scalable infrastructure, and human-centered AI—balancing latency, reliability, and ethics.

Dhyey is also passionate about EdTech innovation, open-source collaboration, and building systems that are as interpretable as they are efficient—always guided by a belief that great user experiences start with rigorous design and deep empathy.

You can find more about Dhyey at linkedin.com/in/dhyey-mavani

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If you, or someone you know, would like to be a guest on the podcast send an email to [email protected].