UX Fika Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered

#29: Luciano Lykkebo on Building Conferences, Sleepless Nights, And Linguistics

In this episode of the UX Fika podcast, I sit down with Luciano Lykkebo, entrepreneur and event creator behind Future Product Days and a growing number of conferences across Europe.We talk about Luciano’s journey from studying linguistics and starting a translation company in his early twenties to, 18 years later, asking himself what he would build if he had to start all over again. The answer was conferences, despite never having organised one before.Luciano shares what he’s learnt about creating events people actually want to attend, why he starts with how he wants people to feel when they leave and works backwards from there, and why conferences are less about learning and more about inspiration, new perspectives, and bringing people together.We also dive into AI, MCPs, and how the roles of designers and developers are moving closer together. Luciano shares why he believes we’ll increasingly build products for agents as well as people, why the future is in your data, and how he uses AI not just to generate things, but to uncover patterns and help him make better decisions.Along the way we talk about the reality of building businesses, sleepless nights, relying on his wife financially in the early days, and why founders need to expect setbacks and learn to worry less. Plus why Luciano now spends a surprising amount of his working day simply thinking, and why doing something you genuinely love can be one of your biggest competitive advantages.It’s a conversation about building, taking risks, thinking ahead, and creating the things you wish existed.Plus:☕️ Why an espresso is his go to fika, because he wants the essence and he wants it fast⭐ Why you should expect the setbacks and remember to enjoy life along the wayWhat we cover:00:00 Introduction and Background02:49 Transition to Event Organizing05:38 Learning from Mistakes in Conference Planning08:36 The Impact of AI on Conferences11:42 The Future of In-Person Events14:46 Collaboration Across Disciplines17:26 The Shift Towards Intelligent Agents20:27 The Evolution of Content Creation23:29 Personal Journey and Business Growth26:39 The Value of Investing in Talent27:45 Overcoming Doubts in Entrepreneurship30:09 Learning to Worry Less32:09 The Sacrifices of Startup Life33:54 Seeking Investment and Support36:01 The Role of AI in Business39:17 Leveraging AI for Decision Making42:13 Data-Driven Insights and AI45:00 The Intersection of Linguistics and AI49:43 Balancing Work and Life52:55 Life in Denmark: A Journey of Adaptation56:27 The Feeling of Home: Navigating Multiple Cultures57:41 The Future of Europe: Unity and Digital Independence01:00:32 Fostering Startups: The Path to European Innovation01:03:55 Lessons from Entrepreneurship: Embracing Setbacks01:06:22 Passion and Success: The Key Ingredients01:09:46 The Role of AI in Entrepreneurship01:10:50 Favorite Cafes: A Personal TouchWhere to find Luciano:LinkedInFuture Product DaysWhere you’ll find Anna & UX Fika:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anna on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The UX Fika Digest newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#28: Indi Young on Mental Model Skylines, Thinking Styles, And Deep Listening

In this episode of the UX Fika podcast, I sit down with Indi Young, solution strategist, author, teacher, and creator of a method that lets teams clarify, measure, and grow their solutions and audience based on thinking styles.Indi has spent decades helping teams move beyond behaviours, opinions, demographics, and assumptions to better understand what is actually going through people's minds. In our conversation, she shares why listening remains one of the most important skills we have, and why understanding people's intentions, emotional reactions, and decision-making can reveal opportunities that organisations often leave on the table.We talk about her journey from software engineer and co-founder of Adaptive Path to developing approaches that help teams understand how people think, rather than simply what they do. Indi explains why designing for an "average user" has always been limiting, why personas often miss what matters most, and how thinking styles can help us better support different approaches, needs, and goals.We also dive into AI and what it means for discovery work. While many organisations are focused on speed and efficiency, Indi argues that the real opportunity is to use the time AI creates to better understand people, uncover overlooked relationships, and build things that genuinely matter. We explore why listening still matters, why strategy cannot simply be outsourced to AI, and why the organisations that thrive may be the ones that stop chasing competitors and start forging their own path.Along the way we talk about Adaptive Path, self-publishing books, building communities, and why so many of the most interesting ideas emerge from small groups of people working together. It's a conversation about listening, cognition, relationships, and the importance of understanding before deciding what to build.Plus:☕️ Why spending time with her cat is her favourite fika⭐ Why you should always travel with chocolate and almondsWhat we cover:02:15 Introduction and Background05:19 Understanding Different Perspectives in Design08:09 The Evolution of Indi's Work and Methodology11:17 The Importance of Purpose and Intention14:03 Designing for Diverse Thinking Styles17:04 The Role of AI in Modern Design19:56 Building Relationships Through Design23:03 The Need for Slowing Down in Design25:42 Leveraging Existing Data for Better Insights28:44 Future Directions in Design and Research35:46 Understanding Decision-Making Layers40:00 The Importance of Listening52:08 Building Relationships in Organizations55:48 The Birth of Adaptive Path01:02:51 Navigating the Future of Research01:05:57 Creativity and Connectivity in Storytelling01:10:50 The Future of Work and Self-Publishing01:15:40 Collaboration and Community Building01:20:43 Understanding Thinking Styles and Decision Making01:24:30 Optimism and Grounding Work for a Better FutureWhere you'll find Indi:LinkedInThe all-new Thinking Styles course with a Practice Group starting in AugustThe prerequisite Listening Deeply course or book Time to ListenThe Practice Groups that I host a few times a yearPrivate Practice Groups that I do for teamsFun tidbits:The I SPY illustration, and Method explanationsOutcomes, with case studies and videos beneath each subsectionThe Dog mental model SkylineWhere you’ll find Anna & UX Fika:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anna on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The UX Fika Digest newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here's a taster of what UX Fika offer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://learn.uxfika.co/products/cours

#27: Joe Macleod on Designing Endings, Sustainable Consumption, And the EuroStack

In this episode of the UX Fika podcast, I sit down with Joe Macleod, founder of andEnd and pioneer of Endineering — a practice focused on designing how products, services, and relationships end.Joe has spent more than three decades working across digital, physical, and service design, including leading design at ustwo. Today, his work centres on something most organisations tend to avoid: what happens at the end. When a customer leaves. When a product is no longer used. Or when a service is no longer needed.We talk about why endings are often overlooked in design, and what it means when businesses focus almost entirely on acquisition, engagement, and retention, but not on letting go. Joe shares how poorly designed endings can create frustration, waste, and broken relationships, and why more thoughtful off-boarding can actually build trust, loyalty, and long-term value.We also dive into sustainability, consumption, and responsibility, and how designing better endings is not just a user experience challenge, but a business and societal one. Joe explains how Endineering helps organisations think beyond the moment of use, and consider the full lifecycle of what they create.Along the way we talk about behaviour, habits, and why people often hold on to things longer than they should. We also touch on Joe’s journey from leading large design teams to focusing on a niche that didn’t exist before, and what it takes to build a new category around something most people haven’t yet named.I absolutely loved this conversations and it’s intersection with storytelling, and why how things end matters just as much as how they begin.Plus:☕️ Why coffee and a chocolate ball is his go to fika⭐ Why get out of your head and that everything ends is worth rememberingWhat we cover:02:22 The Importance of Endings08:26 Exploring Consumer Experiences and Off-Boarding15:12 The EuroStack16:57 The Role of Death in Design and Society20:01 Justice and Measurement in Consumer Impact25:56 Innovations in Endings and Off-Boarding Experiences31:55 The Emotional Weight of Endings35:25 The Importance of Endings in Storytelling38:09 Consumer Lifecycle and Brand Experience41:18 Historical Perspectives on Consumption44:32 The Shift Towards Sustainable Consumption47:34 The Role of AI in Modern Relationships52:55 The Significance of Complete Stories57:01 The Future of AI and Its Implications01:05:02 The Role of AI in Human Connection01:06:35 Living in Sweden: A Personal Journey01:08:02 Digital Identity and Its Importance01:09:26 Self-Publishing: The Author's Journey01:13:22 Navigating Social Media and Marketing Challenges01:18:25 Future Perspectives: Hope and Concerns01:22:10 Life Lessons and Personal Reflections01:24:00 Building a Business: Skills and NetworkingWhere to find Joe & his work:Joe on LinkedInandEnd on LinkedInandEnd's websiteThe Endineering bookEnds bookEnds ebook - 25% off discount code: NCKEVEndineering ebook - 25% off discount code: NCKEVWhere you’ll find Anna & UX Fika:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anna on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The UX Fika Digest newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here's a taster of what UX Fika offer:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Storyboarding Presentations & Deliverables course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://learn.uxfika.co/products/courses/storytelling-for-effective-meetings-and-presentati

#26: Vitaly Friedman on Smashing Magazine, Complexity, And Being A Fixer

#25: Björn Jeffery on Toca Boca, Casino Capitalism, And Changing Perspectives

Trailer Season 4: The Founders

Bonus: What's To Come, Thank You, And A Lifetime Gift

#24: Kate Tarling on Service Organisations, Navigating Complex Realities, And Moving To What Matters