Rosenfeld Review Podcast

What do you do when a successful tech career leaves you feeling like an empty shell? For Francois Burra, the answer was to look inward and transform his life—and help transform an industry. Lou Rosenfeld talks with Francois, a UX designer turned digital decarbonization consultant, about how a personal crisis led him to channel his “infinite energy” into tackling the tech industry’s overlooked climate impact. Francois shares how he co-founded Climate Product Leaders and co-authored Sustainable by Design: A Playbook for Product Managers—a free, practical guide brimming with best practices and real-world case studies for weaving sustainability into everyday product and design work. They explore how sustainability intersects with design, product management, and hot topics like AI, highlighting how even small steps can create meaningful change. Francois also offers candid reflections on career pivots, mental health, and finding purpose-driven work that feeds both your soul and the planet.

In this engaging conversation, designer and technologist Matt Webb shares his unique insights on emerging technologies and their implications. He discusses how generative AI represents a leap into capabilities that feel ahead of their time. Matt explores 'weak signals' and how personal experiments can hint at larger trends. He also highlights the evolving relationship between humans and design—where dialogue with AI tools replaces traditional search. Expect fascinating ideas about adaptive design and the potential for anyone to become a creator.

Dr. Llewyn Paine, a cognitive psychologist and UX researcher with experience at Microsoft and Disney, dives into the critical relationship between AI and user experience. She shares insights on the skepticism surrounding emerging technologies and emphasizes the need for researchers to experiment with AI as if they were conducting scientific studies. Llewyn also discusses curating the Designing with AI 2025 conference, highlighting the blend of ethical considerations and creative possibilities. Plus, she stresses the importance of controlled experiments to navigate AI’s unpredictable nature.

Guest Joshua Graves, an author and artist known for his spooky aesthetic, shares insights from his book, 'We Need to Talk: A Survival Guide for Tough Conversations.' He explores how to navigate tough discussions with clear tools from neuroscience and psychology. Key topics include addressing workplace power dynamics and emotional triggers, emphasizing the power of slowing down and asking the right questions. Joshua encourages listeners to embrace self-awareness and authenticity, asserting that conflict can be managed with flexibility and personal agency.

Jake Burghardt, author of Stop Wasting Research and an advocate for effective use of customer insights, dives into how organizations often fail to leverage valuable research. He reveals that the solution isn't just building repositories but treating research as a renewable asset. The discussion covers the three main causes of research waste: poor preparation, lack of motivation, and weak decision-making integration. Burghardt also introduces innovative frameworks like the 'Insight Summary Hub' to enhance knowledge-sharing and drive impactful actions.

Harry Max, co-host of Traction Heroes, brings a practical leadership focus, while Jorge Arango offers a deep theoretical perspective as a Rosenfeld Media author. Together, they explore a unique podcast format that sparks impromptu conversations from insightful book passages. Their goal is to decode complex ideas into actionable advice for leaders. They discuss the importance of aligning design with business objectives and highlight personal growth through continuous learning, using gardening as a metaphor for change.

Robin Beers, an organizational psychologist and founder of Ubuntu Culture Company, delves into the pitfalls of organizational learning and knowledge curation. She emphasizes the need for businesses to shift from a transactional mindset to view knowledge as a dynamic social process. Discussing the importance of aligning with customer perspectives, she advocates for researchers to become knowledge curators. Robin also highlights the significance of sense-making and the evolving role of researchers in driving meaningful changes beyond just user experience.

What happens when an academic researcher trades a university lab for the fast-paced world of tech? Katie Hansen, Senior UX Research Manager at Thumbtack, shares her journey from studying unconscious bias at Princeton to leading research at companies like Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook. She breaks down the challenges of transitioning from academia—where studies take years—to industry, where research needs to drive business decisions quickly. Katie dives into the power of survey experiments, explaining how they can uncover deep psychological insights and help teams prioritize what to A/B test. She also discusses the value of meta-analysis and literature reviews, showing how researchers can tap into existing knowledge to save time and uncover patterns. With two talks lined up at Advancing Research 2025, Katie will explore experimental research techniques and the impact of meta-analysis in UX. She also shares her favorite research tools, the importance of repositories, and why Hidden Brain is a must-listen for anyone fascinated by human behavior. If you’re looking to level up your research game and future-proof your career, don’t miss this conversation!

Failure is often seen as something to avoid, but Dan Ward sees it as a gateway to innovation. Dan is a military technologist, author, USAF veteran, and innovation catalyst at MITRE Corporation, and he and Lou talk about the profound lessons failure can teach. Drawing from his book LIFT: Innovation Lessons From Flying Machines That ALMOST Worked and The People Who NEARLY Flew Them, Ward shares stories of pre-Wright brothers (more accurately pre-Wright siblings) aviation experiments that, despite ending in failure, laid the groundwork for modern flight. He explains how studying and learning from setbacks can drive innovation and problem-solving in any field. Dan shares his innovation team's unique approach to failure: celebrating it with “failure cake.” This ritual helps his team process setbacks, learn from them, and destigmatize failure in a supportive environment. He also emphasizes the importance of storytelling, arguing that even the best ideas are meaningless if they can’t be communicated clearly. The conversation highlights how embracing failure and sharing its lessons are essential for growth, whether in aviation, design, or technology. Mark your calendars! Lou announces that Dan will headline Rosenfeld Media’s first Failure Friday on February 7, 2025, where he’ll further discuss the failure cake practice.

What keeps you up at night? For Brandon Schauer, it was climate change. In a stroke of genius, the former CEO of Adaptive Path decided to look for a role that would help him address his concerns about our planet. He ultimately transitioned to his current role as Senior Vice President of Climate Culture at Rare. Brandon has a big heart, and it can be felt in his conversation with Lou. They discuss his education and career path, highlighting his leadership role at Adaptive Path where the agency thrived by sharing knowledge and empowering new talent. As CEO, Brandon navigated business challenges and focused on building lasting client relationships and expanding the agency's impact. This experience eventually led to Adaptive Path's acquisition by Capital One, which marked a significant turning point in Brandon's career. His transition to climate work was driven by a growing concern for the environment. After struggling to find a direct path connecting design and climate change, Brandon discovered a role at Rare, an organization focused on behavioral change to reduce U.S. carbon emissions. His team at Rare works to identify and promote lifestyle changes, such as how people eat, travel, and power their homes. Brandon also shares how his design background continues to influence his work at Rare, particularly in "behavior placement"—a method of subtly integrating eco-friendly choices into entertainment to normalize sustainable behaviors. He emphasizes the soft power designers hold, noting how they can integrate sustainability into their work, even if their roles aren’t explicitly focused on climate. By doing so, designers can influence corporate decisions and consumer behaviors, helping to create a shift toward more sustainable norms in everyday life.