UX Weekly: AI panic, "person-market fit", and let's not insult craftsmanship
News around UX and more, recommended books
Bringing you the latest and greatest in UX industry related to wellbeing, mental health and psychological safety — this week plus my lens about them.
Claude watermarks its AI-generated writing
Anthropic made decision to watermark Claude-generated writing, they claimed it as “inserting invisible code” to the text. It can’t be seen on the naked human eyes, and even the text does not say anything about it.
They do it to fulfil the requirement of EU AI Act’s Transparency Code. This code is EU-led and it requires AI and tech companies to label content that has been AI-generated.
My take: Of course Europe will do it first. They have notorious reputation to regulate everything. I am happy about it though. I think I am a European in my past life. Regulate, regulate, regulate. And I think I am quite happy to see the panic here and there, meaning these people never used their brains to begin with. Sure, they have found a way that they claim will remove this. Just Google it.
When there is product market fit, there is also person market fit
Finding your person market fit
I found an interesting Substack and Linkedin page that comes from Hung Yi Toh, an ex-BCG career coach that runs her first product called “Person Market Fit”.
Basically the gist is that if there is a product market fit, where a product has its own market and that sometimes it defies logic because it can depend on momentum, culture, identity, economy and every single factor out there, there is also a person market fit, where a person’s employability or career-fit is not a one-size-fits-all, and it’s not a formula either. Basically if you’re struggling to find a job fit, it might be broader and more complex than what you have on paper. Experiences, expertise matter less than a cultural fit, and even the exact skill that is required by the employer. Then, you have to take into account the team and manager you work with, the type of company, industry and every single defining factor.
My take: This is an interesting take because I thought when I had x, y, z qualifications and experiences, I would automatically be relevant to the next employer that needs them, or in the same industry. And even so, it goes both ways. You should also assess if you want to work with the manager, the team and the scale or culture you are coming into. Worth diving into. Hung Yi frames it as “finding your fit” in the AI world, but I think it’s broader than that.
“Code was never the hard part” is an insult to engineers
We know this statement like religion now.
“Skill X is never the hard part”, or “Doing X is never the hard part” — and while some might be true, I want to err on the cautious side before insulting anyone. Definitely, craft and skills take time and never easy. Even if AI can replace coding, learning to code takes time and it is utterly complex. We should appreciate people, human beings, who dedicate their lives learning the ropes.
My take: Even if AI can automate some parts of coding, they were also being fed by treasure troves of skills and context built by real human beings. Even after using AI, engineers still need to review them and good engineers know how to audit. I think most “AI bros” are quick to say that human intellect and undertaking are the dismissable part of the equation. Wrong.
Recommended books
Here are two excellent books that tackle mental health, stress, and self-care through a lens that resonates well with the analytical, high-pressure environments designers and tech workers face:
Resilient Management by Lara Hogan
While the title says “Management,” this book is widely recommended across the tech industry for individual contributors, designers, and engineers alike. Lara Hogan, a former engineering director at Kickstarter and Etsy, deeply understands the unique stressors of the tech world.
Why it’s great for tech workers:
Focuses on environment: It addresses how to navigate rapid context-switching, endless Slack pings, and the emotional toll of high-stakes product launches.
Actionable frameworks: Tech workers usually appreciate systems. Hogan provides concrete tools for understanding your own stress responses (like the “BICEPS” core needs model) and building practical support networks.
Navigating change: It specifically targets the anxiety that comes with reorganizations, shifting product roadmaps, and changing team dynamics—all staples of the tech industry.
10% Happier by Dan Harris
Subtitled “How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works—A True Story,” this book is frequently recommended in developer and designer communities as the ultimate mental health book for skeptics.
Why it’s great for tech workers:
Zero fluff: Designers and developers often reject traditional “woo-woo” self-help. Harris approaches mindfulness and meditation from a highly critical, science-backed perspective.
Tackles the “always-on” brain: If your brain is constantly running background processes (whether that’s debugging code or agonizing over pixel-perfect layouts), this book offers a literal technique to quiet the noise and detach your self-worth from your daily output.
Focuses on sustainable performance: It directly addresses the fear many tech workers have: If I stop being stressed and anxious, will I lose my competitive edge and stop doing good work? (Spoiler: No.)
Alrighty, see you next week!
Like this?
Consider subscribing, you will get at least a weekly update on things related to alternative views on UX. This blog is an attempt of me to refute, challenge or refresh what I’ve learned and observed about UX design as a career and industry, throughout my 15+ years career as a product designer. Read more about me, or visit my UX portfolio site.