Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Exit Interview #8: Facing a blank slate in retirement when constraints are all you’ve ever known
This video is featured in the Exit Interviews playlist.
Summary
After three decades, Rachel retired in 2023, craving more freedom and control. But once she had it in spades, she didn’t know what she wanted to do with it.
She's still figuring it out, but three years in, she’s found new friends outside of tech, is more physically active than ever before, volunteers in her community, travels several times a year, and has completed a few big projects including publishing her first book.
Tune in for a conversation about Rachel’s transition into retirement, including how she knew it was time, strategies that helped her move beyond the blank slate, and what she wished she’d known beforehand.
Key Insights
-
•
A career in UX at big tech involves enduring constant constraints, slow progress, and multiple stakeholders, requiring the acceptance of limited autonomy to impact millions.
-
•
Fluid intelligence peaks in midlife and then declines, prompting a shift towards leveraging crystallized intelligence in career pivots.
-
•
Rachel transitioned from hands-on design to organizational leadership roles, emphasizing synthesis, advising, and relationship-building over pure creative output.
-
•
Repeated reorganizations within large companies greatly impact employee energy, motivation, and career decisions.
-
•
A financial advisor can fundamentally change one's perspective on retirement feasibility and timing.
-
•
UX skills are transferable and valuable outside traditional tech roles, serving as problem-solving superpowers in other industries.
-
•
Managing personal constraints and being intentional with time and energy are crucial after leaving structured work environments.
-
•
Writing a small, focused book can serve as a manageable and rewarding 'side project' post-career rather than embarking on large commitments.
-
•
AI, while a disruptive force, was not a direct motivator for Rachel’s exit but has become an important tool she uses in creative and practical ways.
-
•
Workplace AI adoption often suffers from leadership pressure without clear guidance, causing employee struggle with unclear mandates.
Notable Quotes
"I always said I'm not good with blank slates. I had to develop my own constraints after leaving structured work."
"The hardest part was losing my identity of being someone who works in tech after so many years."
"When constraints are all you’ve ever known, moving fast and breaking things just isn't possible."
"Fluid intelligence peaks and then declines; that's when we should lean into crystallized intelligence—organizing, synthesizing, sharing."
"I wasn’t drawn to product work anymore because the fluid intelligence needed to navigate it felt out of reach."
"UX skills are like secret superpowers you bring to any job, even if it’s a small company or non-tech field."
"I made a snap decision that I needed a break and to leave because the constant reorganizations were exhausting."
"I didn't want to work full-time again right away, so I wrote a short book to experiment with what was next."
"AI helps me bounce ideas and do practical things, but it doesn't do the writing or the creative work for me."
"Leadership often pressures teams to integrate AI without explaining why or how, which leads to confusion and frustration."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"An elite athlete doesn’t turn up at the Olympics and do their thing without coaches, physios, nutritionists."
Dr. Karl JeffriesThe Science of Creativity for DesignOps
January 8, 2024
"Find your senior executive ally who understands design and go talk to them first — it works."
Amy MarquezINVEST: Discussion
June 15, 2018
"Both tribes really believe in doing awesome for customers, that’s our common ground."
Steve Portigal Chris Chapo Kelly Goto Christian RohrerDiscussion
May 13, 2015
"Involving designers early in the process is crucial to avoid the 'fast-food' model where they feel like order takers."
Alicia MootyDesign Staffing Models
September 30, 2021
"I believe there's really no such thing as a boring place at the state of mind."
Ana Maria Montero Barrantes Aditi Dhar Michelle Kaplan Nate Osborne Matt LaurenceThe Authentic UX Talent Show
January 8, 2024
"The ultimate measure is bringing value so people invite you back to work with them again and again."
Lada Gorlenko Sharbani Dhar Sébastien Malo Rob Mitzel Ivana Ng Michal Anne RogondinoTheme 1: Discussion
January 8, 2024
"It’s very difficult to align researcher goals with business growth, but that’s exactly what we try to do."
Sofia QuinteroThe Product Philosophy Behind EnjoyHQ
March 10, 2021
"Please don’t chop off that engine until the new one is built because you are not the only one on this plane."
Laura KleinUnique challenges of innovation in enterprises
April 23, 2020
"Existing research repositories die at the bottom of slide decks; that’s why I started Everywhere to rethink how we manage insights."
Andrew MichaelBuilding a Product Insights Team
March 10, 2022
