WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.799 Thank you so much for making your time 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:07.439 to be here. It was really beautiful day 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:09.519 out here. I landed in New York on 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:10.960 Monday. It's been so cold since then and 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:13.599 this was the most beautiful day I've 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:16.240 seen since I got here. So, I'm really 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:18.000 glad that all of you decide to be here. 00:00:16.239 --> 00:00:21.439 Hope you can make a meaningful time 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:23.839 together. As Brian just uh gave a very 00:00:21.439 --> 00:00:26.719 warm introduction, I'm Hi. I'll be the 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:28.559 first presenter of the event today. And 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:31.919 uh what I'm going to talk about is the 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:34.320 timely skills product designers need now 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:37.600 in 2026. 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:39.520 So on that note um before I jump into 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:41.359 topic I wanted to talk a little bit 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:44.559 about myself or quite a bit about 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:46.878 myself. Um I am currently a senior 00:00:44.558 --> 00:00:48.959 product designer at Lyft. That photo on 00:00:46.878 --> 00:00:50.320 the left was taken at the New York 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:53.039 office a couple of days ago when I was 00:00:50.320 --> 00:00:54.799 visiting. And uh before Lyft I was at 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:57.359 Capital One. That's the photo on the 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:59.679 right. When I was at Capital One office 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:01.679 and before these two companies, I was at 00:00:59.679 --> 00:01:04.400 different fintech startups, sometimes 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:07.438 B2B companies or sometimes 10% startups, 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:09.439 too. And fun fact, these photos are two 00:01:07.438 --> 00:01:11.679 years apart, but I was wearing the exact 00:01:09.438 --> 00:01:13.599 same vest. So, I guess I really like 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:15.118 wearing it when I go to the office. A 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:16.640 little more formal than what I normally 00:01:15.118 --> 00:01:19.359 wear. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:22.960 And uh outside of my nineto-five job, I 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:26.719 am a content creator uh influencer. Um 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:28.798 so I started this a year ago. Um I got 00:01:26.719 --> 00:01:31.039 blessed by algorithm. So I'm glad the 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:33.040 account grew very fast and it's been a 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:35.200 really interesting um challenging 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:36.799 journey. I found it really difficult to 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:38.880 understand like what people want to see 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:40.560 from me but at the same time I really 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:42.879 like the feeling of connecting with 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:45.040 people. Yes, internet has its own harms 00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:46.959 but at the same time um when I feel 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:50.479 connected with people I just see the 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:52.239 more brighter side of it. And a little 00:01:50.478 --> 00:01:54.159 more about my background. I am 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:56.399 originally from Korea. The photo on the 00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:58.960 left is when I graduated from my 00:01:56.399 --> 00:02:01.280 undergrad in Korea. And the photo on the 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:02.478 right, I'm based in Toronto, Canada, but 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:06.320 the photo is actually in the New York 00:02:02.478 --> 00:02:08.959 City that I took last year. So, um I I'm 00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:10.799 based in Toronto in Canada. Uh I have 00:02:08.959 --> 00:02:14.239 been moving around a lot in Canada, but 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:16.959 that's where I am now. So, on that note, 00:02:14.239 --> 00:02:19.840 let's get into the topic. I wanted to 00:02:16.959 --> 00:02:22.400 start with this question. What do you 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:24.479 think is on every product designer's 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:26.239 mind these days? Like literally every 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:30.959 day all of the product designers think 00:02:26.239 --> 00:02:35.200 about Yes, you're right. AI. Um, but not 00:02:30.959 --> 00:02:36.959 just AI, AI dot dot dot crying face. 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:38.719 That's how I feel about it and that's 00:02:36.959 --> 00:02:40.959 how I found most of the product 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:42.479 designers feel about it or honestly most 00:02:40.959 --> 00:02:44.719 of people feel about these days no 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:47.679 matter they are in the tech industry or 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:50.080 in in different industries. And um when 00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:52.959 I think about AI, these are the memes I 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:55.280 found resonating. Claude just dropped 00:02:52.959 --> 00:02:57.519 another update and I start tearing up 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:59.280 and they literally drop updates like 00:02:57.519 --> 00:03:01.439 every day if it's not every the other 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:02.959 day and I was learning and I'm like I 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:04.560 was just catching up on and you just 00:03:02.959 --> 00:03:06.479 dropped new one. I have to learn it 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:09.280 tonight otherwise I'm going to be behind 00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:12.399 on it. And the next meme I found is me 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:15.039 trying to keep up with the 100 new AI 00:03:12.400 --> 00:03:17.760 design tools launched every day. So me 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:19.840 focusing on one new AI tool while there 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:21.439 are a ton of AI other tools like 00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:23.360 drowning and I'm like oh my gosh they're 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:26.959 all dying I don't have time for all of 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:29.040 them. So that's how I genuinely feel and 00:03:26.959 --> 00:03:32.799 uh I found a lot of designers in these 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:35.598 industries uh feel that way. So going 00:03:32.799 --> 00:03:38.400 back to this AI dot dot dot I don't 00:03:35.598 --> 00:03:40.639 think it's just this fancy tools that we 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:42.319 pay a lot of attention to. um they're 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:44.559 all really great tools have been 00:03:42.318 --> 00:03:47.439 democratizing a lot of skills that was 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:49.840 limited to um specific experts but at 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:53.280 the same time I think on the other side 00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:55.759 of this bright side is something deeper 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:58.239 and something more emotional and these 00:03:55.759 --> 00:04:01.120 are all the honest thoughts that I found 00:03:58.239 --> 00:04:03.680 we share which is like when is my job 00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:05.920 getting replaced is product design going 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:08.959 to be a thing like in five years like 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:11.919 dang I know nothing about AI and seems 00:04:08.959 --> 00:04:13.598 like I'm behind of everyone and like 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.759 what the heck another update like I 00:04:13.598 --> 00:04:17.759 should learn about it or everything I 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:19.439 learned last month is too old now. Let's 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:21.359 say last month maybe I could tell my 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:22.959 corkers like this is a new AI tool I 00:04:21.358 --> 00:04:25.519 learned you all got to do it but now 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:28.239 it's old now. um and I don't know how to 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:30.478 keep up with it and again the thought 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:32.639 around like aren't we all just getting 00:04:30.478 --> 00:04:35.519 unemployed soon like when is it 00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:38.560 happening and some exhaustion coming 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:40.719 from it and uh I want to say the reality 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:42.240 is this is not just our anxiety this is 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:44.800 not just our anxious thought or 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:47.040 delusional thought this is the reality 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:48.879 these are some of the articles I found 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:52.800 released from like a couple of months 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:56.159 ago or this month um layoff in tech 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:59.120 always always has been a thing but now 00:04:56.160 --> 00:05:01.520 AI is accelerating it even more. It's 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:04.160 driving it even further. I have a lot of 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:06.319 friends who got uh laid off like this 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:08.240 year and honestly I wake up thinking 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:10.800 like maybe it's going to be next like 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:12.720 the reality is there. So for that 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:14.879 reason, we spend a lot of time like 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:16.639 learning new AI tools like out of FOMO 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:19.680 like I don't want to get laid off laid 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:21.519 off like maybe if I learn AI tools more 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:23.759 maybe I'm going to get laid off later 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:25.839 than most of people in the industry. So 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:28.879 we spent a lot of time learning it which 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:31.198 is great um catching up with what's 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:35.519 happening in the industry but at the 00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:37.919 same time I want us to like pause here 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:41.198 for a couple of minutes and actually 00:05:37.918 --> 00:05:43.839 take a step back um beyond just learning 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:46.080 new AI tools because 00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:49.359 getting better at AI tools and picking 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:51.279 up more AI knowledge itself doesn't 00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:53.680 solve all the problems. Yes, it's there. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:57.918 we got to learn it. But that's not the 00:05:53.680 --> 00:06:00.240 only thing we need to do now. 00:05:57.918 --> 00:06:02.560 So on that note, as we take a step back, 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:05.439 I want us to think about what AI is 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:08.319 actually good at versus what AI is bad 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:10.319 at. They're not perfect at everything. 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:12.560 So what AI is good at, they're good at 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:14.240 analyzing data data or recognizing 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:16.560 pattern as we all know. They're really 00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:18.478 good at skimming through like really 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:20.639 massive data sets and finding the 00:06:18.478 --> 00:06:23.279 patterns and similarities and anomalies 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:25.680 and telling us the analysis result much 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:27.119 faster than the human. And second thing 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:29.759 um they're really good at automating 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:31.840 repet repetitive tests such as naming 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:35.120 all the Figma layers. It used to be 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:37.279 frame one 05 but then now they named 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:39.360 into like something more useful or 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:41.359 writing the code or building a prototype 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:42.800 based on the existing UX patterns. 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:44.560 They're really good at it. They're also 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:47.199 really good at re combining existing 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:49.038 ideas, pulling in um everything they 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:51.439 have seen the world and turning into 00:06:49.038 --> 00:06:54.079 what I was looking for. But at the same 00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:56.639 time, AI is bad at those three things. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:59.758 Understanding nuance. AI is really bad 00:06:56.639 --> 00:07:01.360 at understanding like sarcasm or passive 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:02.479 aggressiveness. If it's aggressive, 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:04.879 they're going to pick it up because it's 00:07:02.478 --> 00:07:07.199 very direct. But passive aggressiveness 00:07:04.879 --> 00:07:09.038 that's so subtle, they're also bad at 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:11.120 picking up the humor. like something 00:07:09.038 --> 00:07:13.038 that humans can read the room and 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:15.199 understand from something very subtle. 00:07:13.038 --> 00:07:17.279 AI is not really good at that. And 00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:19.280 second thing is AI is bad at having a 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:22.159 common sense. I believe all of us 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:23.839 experience like using chat and you tell 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:25.520 it to do something but it's just not 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:28.000 following the common sense and now you 00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:30.560 have to verbalize everything that you 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:32.720 thought is very common and normal and AI 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:35.360 does not understand it. And third thing 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:38.080 AI is bad at is handling unfamiliar 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:40.000 scenarios. So how AI functions is again 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:42.879 pulling in what they have seen out there 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:44.959 and then respond to what they see here. 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:47.120 But if it's a very new situation they 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:49.439 didn't get any input on they are going 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:52.720 to be very bad at responding to it. But 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:55.519 beyond what AI is bad at I want us to 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:58.560 think about what AI cannot do. So this 00:07:55.519 --> 00:08:01.918 is beyond what they're bad at. First is 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:03.918 creating original ideas. AI will never 00:08:01.918 --> 00:08:06.079 give you something that has not existed 00:08:03.918 --> 00:08:08.799 in the world. That's just how AI is 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:11.198 built. So it will it probably can draw 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:13.360 your portrait in the style of Picasso or 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:15.598 Van Go in a very similar way similar 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:17.759 way. But then it will never draw your 00:08:15.598 --> 00:08:20.319 portrait in the art style that has never 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:22.960 existed in this world because AI is not 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:25.840 going to create it. And second thing AI 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:27.758 cannot do is building trust or 00:08:25.839 --> 00:08:29.359 relationship. So think about like who 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:31.439 you trust or have good relationship 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:33.599 with. It comes from the risk and 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:35.519 vulnerability you have with that people. 00:08:33.599 --> 00:08:37.599 you know that oh this person acts like 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:39.440 that when they have a bad day and they 00:08:37.599 --> 00:08:41.759 make a mistake and they this is how they 00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:44.800 apologize this is how you make it up to 00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:46.799 so trust trust and relationship is 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:48.719 coming from the vulnerability and AI has 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:50.799 does not have that that's why AI is not 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:54.160 going to be responsible or accountable 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:56.240 accountable for any tasks you do at work 00:08:54.159 --> 00:09:00.159 and last thing AI cannot do is 00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:02.720 empathizing or motivating so the empathy 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:04.639 that AI shows is based on what they 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:06.720 learn They simulate the emotional 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:09.120 reaction, but it's not that they're 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:11.759 going to feel the feeling you share with 00:09:09.120 --> 00:09:13.839 AI. Um, and also it's not going to 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:15.519 motivate you. Think about how many times 00:09:13.839 --> 00:09:17.279 Chachi Pitty told you this is an 00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:19.120 excellent question and you didn't feel 00:09:17.278 --> 00:09:20.559 flattered, right? It tells you like this 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:21.919 is such a great idea and you're like, 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:24.000 yeah, of course you tell me all the 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:26.479 time. You don't feel it compared to if a 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:28.159 human tells you, hey, that was a really 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:31.200 great question. You're like, oh, maybe I 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:33.120 ask a great great question. Right? So 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:36.240 empathizing and motivate AI is not going 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:38.560 to do it. And uh what the reason I have 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:42.240 been talking about this is there's three 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:44.399 things AI cannot do. It goes into one 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:46.560 skill which is storytelling. And that's 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:49.039 the number one skill I would want us to 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:51.838 focus on. 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:54.639 In terms of storytelling, this is the 00:09:51.839 --> 00:09:57.680 quote I really like. It's very cliche. 00:09:54.639 --> 00:10:00.480 It's probably overly used um quote in 00:09:57.679 --> 00:10:03.439 marketing world. So it says facts tell 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:06.080 but stories sell. I found this quote 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:08.560 really applicable to any industry that 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:10.560 we can think of. So facts the screens we 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:12.559 design, the codes we write, um the 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:14.159 prototype we built, it's going to tell 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:17.439 the number. Yes, it's going to tell 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:19.838 something the fact, but what helps you 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:23.600 sell it is the story. So story really 00:10:19.839 --> 00:10:25.760 goes a long way. And on that note, um, 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:28.639 going back to this AI tools that we 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:31.120 looked into earlier as these tools and 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:33.439 many many other tools are available, 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:35.519 anyone can build anything. I'm a 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:38.000 designer now. I can launch an app 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:40.000 without talking to an engineer. And an 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:42.559 engineer can design something without 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:46.320 talking to me at all. So, anyone can 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:48.239 build everything. Cool. And uh in this 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:50.800 age 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:52.560 because everyone can build everything. 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:54.879 It's not about building fast or many 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:56.479 anymore. Everyone can do it like um any 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:59.120 time like overnight while you're 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:00.959 sleeping. So it being fast or being many 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:04.959 what you built it's not going to be a 00:11:00.958 --> 00:11:07.119 gamecher. But what matters now is how 00:11:04.958 --> 00:11:08.559 you're going to sell it. It's about how 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:10.399 you're going to sell it through your 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:13.119 stories. And storytelling is the best 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:15.759 way to sell something. 00:11:13.120 --> 00:11:18.000 And on that note, what do you think is a 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:19.679 really good story? Like what's the story 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.639 that you're like, "Ah, that story was 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:25.199 really, really good." And uh to be more 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:27.600 specific, how can we make a good story 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:30.079 for our audience? Something that will 00:11:27.600 --> 00:11:33.120 help our audience to remember it and 00:11:30.078 --> 00:11:36.879 feel something out of it. And I would 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:38.639 say the clearest sign of a good story is 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:40.320 when the audience roots for the 00:11:38.639 --> 00:11:41.600 protagonist success. you see the 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:43.120 protagonist is struggling and then 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:44.959 you're like, "Oh, I feel for them. I 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:47.120 want them to be successful. I want them 00:11:44.958 --> 00:11:49.679 to succeed." So, that's a clear sign 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:51.679 when um the presenter delivered a really 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:54.399 good story. 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:56.639 And I found superhero story is a really 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:58.879 great example for that. Um I got the 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:00.720 photos of the Marvel. Um I grew up in 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:02.559 Korea. I didn't much I didn't watch uh 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:05.200 much of Marvel stories, but whichever 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:08.479 background you have, every culture has 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:12.959 their own superhero story. So what does 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:15.360 this um superhero story does is they 00:12:12.958 --> 00:12:17.439 follow the hero's journey. You think 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:20.079 about every superhero that you can think 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:22.160 of and then they start with some kind of 00:12:20.078 --> 00:12:24.078 conflict. Maybe they got abandoned by 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:26.319 the parents or the world is falling 00:12:24.078 --> 00:12:29.039 apart or now they got kicked out of the 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:31.519 village they grew up in. Um so that 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:33.519 first part is the conflict and now they 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:35.120 have the failed attempts. They try to do 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:36.879 something like oh let me save the world. 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:39.679 Let me be a nice person. let me help 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:43.120 other people and uh a lot of those 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:44.719 attempts go into failure and then last 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:46.959 step is the breakthrough. They make 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:49.440 their final action and finally works and 00:12:46.958 --> 00:12:52.078 that's how we enter the phase of like 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:53.920 everyone happily lived ever after. So 00:12:52.078 --> 00:12:58.000 the hero's journey consists of this 00:12:53.919 --> 00:13:00.799 three factors and uh I now want to talk 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:02.559 about how can we actually replicate this 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:04.240 at work. Okay, the hero's journey is 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:07.439 really good, but how can we position 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:09.440 ourselves like that at work? 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:11.360 So this is the structure I just showed 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:14.480 you. So the hero's journey consists of 00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:16.879 first conflict and if second step is 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:18.480 failed attempts. Not all the things have 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:21.120 failed attempts and in that case we got 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:23.600 to talk about the cost of conflict and 00:13:21.120 --> 00:13:27.360 then last step is breakthroughs and 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:29.759 applying this to work. Conflict means 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:32.000 the business or user problem or the 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:34.159 problem that your team has experienced. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:36.159 And failed attempts means past 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:39.679 initiatives that your team or other 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:41.838 teams worked on and did not pan out. Or 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:43.838 if you don't have failed attempts, you 00:13:41.839 --> 00:13:45.839 it's your time to talk about the cost of 00:13:43.839 --> 00:13:47.839 conflict, which is the negative impact 00:13:45.839 --> 00:13:50.800 of the problem. And you can really 00:13:47.839 --> 00:13:53.040 expand on how bad the problem was, like 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:55.439 how severely it was affecting the team 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:57.838 and the business. And last step, it's 00:13:55.440 --> 00:14:00.000 time for you to position you, your team, 00:13:57.839 --> 00:14:02.000 and your project as the breakthrough. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:04.000 See, I'm positioning this amazing 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:05.440 project as the final solution that's 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:07.278 solving all the problems that other 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:09.680 teams could not solve. So, that's the 00:14:07.278 --> 00:14:11.519 step you're going to go through and I 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:13.439 want to drop a very specific example so 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:15.360 you can apply it to your working 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:18.480 situation. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:21.919 So let's say we're presenting a project 00:14:18.480 --> 00:14:24.320 at work and uh we can introduce it as 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:27.198 this project is to reduce the churn 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:29.199 rate. It's fine. Yeah, it's it's okay. 00:14:27.198 --> 00:14:30.799 Yeah, it's just the work statement 00:14:29.198 --> 00:14:32.479 you're going to going to hear from any 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:34.319 work. It's fine. It does the job. But 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:36.000 the audience is not going to really 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:37.920 engage with their story. Behind your 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:39.919 Zoom call, they have some kids crying 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:42.000 next to them or they have some coffee 00:14:39.919 --> 00:14:43.439 machine like just breaking down or maybe 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:44.480 the car on the street is really loud. 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:46.720 They're going to listen to you, but 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:48.800 they're not going to really focus on you 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:50.800 or like engage with the project that 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:54.000 you're going to share. So, what you can 00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:56.799 do is following this the hero's journey 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:58.799 um framework. So, first is conflict. 00:14:56.799 --> 00:15:00.879 We're going to talk about in this 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:02.240 meeting we're going to talk about the 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:04.559 problem the business has been 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:06.879 experiencing in the past three quarters. 00:15:04.559 --> 00:15:09.838 We have been seeing consistent drop off 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:11.838 of users 15% 00:15:09.839 --> 00:15:14.320 every month after three months of 00:15:11.839 --> 00:15:17.120 signing up to our product. This has been 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:20.079 costing to our business a lot. To be 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:23.120 more specific, it created a loss of this 00:15:20.078 --> 00:15:26.239 many dollars of marketing every month. 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:28.000 So this marketing budget gets wasted 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:30.959 because marketing team spends a lot of 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:33.440 money on acquiring new users and uh 00:15:30.958 --> 00:15:35.278 improving the brand awareness. So people 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:37.040 have better awareness of the brand and 00:15:35.278 --> 00:15:39.198 then more people get interested in 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:42.319 joining our product. Well, that money 00:15:39.198 --> 00:15:44.879 got wasted and past projects like this 00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:47.760 project or that project did not 00:15:44.879 --> 00:15:50.159 meaningfully improve the churn rate and 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:52.958 from those failed uh attempts we learned 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:55.360 that what actually mattered is this xyz 00:15:52.958 --> 00:15:58.239 meaningful insight 00:15:55.360 --> 00:16:00.240 and leveraging this important lesson and 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:02.320 we're going to the breakthrough part. We 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:04.560 discovered that users who turned 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:07.278 consistently did this very unique 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:10.638 behavior especially after two weeks of 00:16:07.278 --> 00:16:13.679 acquisition. So our learning is that oh 00:16:10.639 --> 00:16:16.399 this two weeks of acquisition after that 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:19.838 um that's the best time for us to tackle 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:22.320 this user churn problem. So for that 00:16:19.839 --> 00:16:25.440 reason our project targeted that unique 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:27.600 behavior we found from users and res 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:30.560 resulted in reducing the churn rate by 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:31.839 8%. And from now on I'm going to walk 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:33.919 you through the design solution we 00:16:31.839 --> 00:16:36.000 built. And from there your audience will 00:16:33.919 --> 00:16:38.078 be like oh oh your team tried something 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:39.759 and you failed and like oh this is the 00:16:38.078 --> 00:16:41.519 best solution you found. They already 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:43.278 gone through the here's journey very 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:45.039 quickly in a way that they will get more 00:16:43.278 --> 00:16:46.480 interested in the story you were talking 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:48.799 about. 00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:51.600 So going back to this slide I said 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:54.078 earlier um when the audience roots for 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:56.879 the protagonist success you have to 00:16:54.078 --> 00:16:59.519 think of it as when you apply to work 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:02.958 the audience is your stakeholder your 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:05.439 manager or product manager engineers or 00:17:02.958 --> 00:17:07.678 CTO CEO everyone you have to get the buy 00:17:05.439 --> 00:17:10.720 in from um for your project to be 00:17:07.679 --> 00:17:14.079 successful and the protagonist here is 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:15.679 you or your project or your team in a 00:17:14.078 --> 00:17:17.599 way that your stakeholder will be like, 00:17:15.679 --> 00:17:19.600 "Oh, I want this team's project to be 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:23.279 successful. I want their stuff to go 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:27.519 well." So, that's how you can apply um 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:30.160 the trait of a good story um into the 00:17:27.519 --> 00:17:32.879 project that you're working on. 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:35.038 So, going back to the structure, 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:37.200 I want to say the most important part is 00:17:35.038 --> 00:17:39.440 the second one. failed attempts, cost of 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:41.360 conflict, like all the ugly side that 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:43.038 you normally don't want to talk about, 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:45.359 especially at work because it doesn't 00:17:43.038 --> 00:17:46.798 sound great, but that's what makes a 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:49.519 story really, really, really 00:17:46.798 --> 00:17:51.759 interesting. Imagine there's just a flat 00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:53.599 perfect story like, oh, there was a 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:55.599 problem and I solved it immediately and 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:57.839 you're like, yeah, okay, good for you. 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:59.359 But if you saw someone or the team 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:01.199 struggling through something, then 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:03.519 that's how the audience starts rooting 00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:06.319 for you. And I want to tell you that 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:08.480 this is the part AI cannot generate. You 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:10.720 have all these ugly sides because you 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:13.200 are the living human living in this 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:15.839 world and making the mistakes out of it. 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:17.519 And AI is not going to create that for 00:18:15.839 --> 00:18:19.439 you because AI is not just walking 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:21.279 around running into all the people with 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:24.400 different personalities and like unique 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:26.798 problems of the team. And at this point 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:28.960 you may think like but AI can write me a 00:18:26.798 --> 00:18:30.720 story. I asked Claude yesterday night 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:32.960 and wrote me a pretty good story. like 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:34.720 what about that? And I want to tell you, 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:37.759 yes, it will write you a story, but 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:41.200 that's something nonoral that's copy and 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:43.359 pasted and perfectly polished. And think 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:45.600 about a very perfectly polished story. 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:47.918 You're not going to engage with it. It's 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:50.240 very flat. And since it's copy and 00:18:47.919 --> 00:18:51.919 pasted, maybe it will pull in some 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:53.679 articles that someone wrote about the 00:18:51.919 --> 00:18:56.080 work conflict they wrote about. they'll 00:18:53.679 --> 00:18:58.320 maybe uh recombine that into the story 00:18:56.079 --> 00:19:00.240 that you can copy, but it's not going to 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:03.038 give you an original story because AI 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:04.558 was not at your work talking to your 00:19:03.038 --> 00:19:06.879 co-workers and your managers. They're 00:19:04.558 --> 00:19:09.678 not doing it for you. So, I want to tell 00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:13.120 you the most interesting part of your 00:19:09.679 --> 00:19:15.840 story comes from the your originality. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:17.918 And out of your originality, what people 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:19.918 find most interesting are usually not 00:19:17.919 --> 00:19:22.559 the beautiful sides like, oh, I got 00:19:19.919 --> 00:19:25.520 promoted to this role. I moved to this 00:19:22.558 --> 00:19:27.440 company, I got a raise by this much. All 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:29.440 the beautiful sides is like, yeah, okay, 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:32.320 great. But like they don't have strong 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:34.720 emotional engagement to it. What people 00:19:32.319 --> 00:19:37.119 had the strongest interest in is the 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:39.279 ugly sides. Such as what you and your 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:42.079 team were struggling with and how did it 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:43.918 affected the team in a negative way. um 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:46.159 what you or the team like 00:19:43.919 --> 00:19:48.320 misinterpreted, what was an oversight, 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:50.400 what was the mistake you you made and 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:53.038 why was there a conflict and how did you 00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:55.519 convince the team and what were all the 00:19:53.038 --> 00:19:58.798 push backs and frictions you experienced 00:19:55.519 --> 00:20:00.879 along the way? So as you share this, 00:19:58.798 --> 00:20:04.879 this is what makes your story much more 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:07.120 engaging, unique and compelling. 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:09.679 So now I got this blank slide. I was 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:12.000 thinking a lot about how I could wrap up 00:20:09.679 --> 00:20:14.400 what I have prepared for you and give 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:17.279 you one takeaway to step away with when 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:19.280 you leave this room later and uh I 00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:22.079 decided to go back to my originality 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:24.079 which is my background in Korean. And 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:27.759 this is the expression I really like in 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:30.558 Korean. I'll read it as 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:32.558 and that means if I translate it word by 00:20:30.558 --> 00:20:35.359 word it means to move move people's 00:20:32.558 --> 00:20:38.240 hurts and to be more contextual. means 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:42.000 to resonate with somebody. You touch 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:43.919 them emotionally or you inspire them or 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:47.200 you sometimes steer something in the 00:20:43.919 --> 00:20:49.600 people. So that's the expression that I 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:52.000 really like and I wanted to tell you a 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:54.558 good story is the one that moves 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:57.839 people's hurt. Story is a really great 00:20:54.558 --> 00:21:01.519 tool to engage someone emotionally which 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:04.158 AI a lot of times lack at. So this is a 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:06.879 one quote I hope you can remember as the 00:21:04.159 --> 00:21:09.600 only takeaway out of my talk is the 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:12.480 stories that move people's hurts um come 00:21:09.599 --> 00:21:15.279 from your lived experience and your 00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:17.519 originality story again is a really 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:20.240 great tool. So how I hope you can 00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:22.879 leverage it as something that really 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:26.798 unique to you that you cannot replicate 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:28.480 or ask AI to generate even tonight um 00:21:26.798 --> 00:21:30.558 when you go back home brush your teeth 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:31.759 and lie down on your bed you probably 00:21:30.558 --> 00:21:34.879 will forget about most of the things I 00:21:31.759 --> 00:21:36.640 talked about and in a few weeks or a few 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:39.039 months you probably would have forgotten 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:43.360 about me or how I looked where this was 00:21:39.038 --> 00:21:45.759 exactly but if my story moved your heart 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:48.479 you will remember the feeling and story 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:51.519 is a really strong way to give you 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:53.200 certain feeling and that's how you build 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:55.038 something that's going to get remembered 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:58.038 by people. Thank you so much for 00:21:55.038 --> 00:21:58.038 listening.