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In our conversation, we discuss:

* Why traditional org charts and career ladders are breaking down and what that means for researchers and designers.

* How AI and startup culture are reshaping roles, shrinking teams, and pushing senior-level decisions onto mid-level professionals.

* Why most people feel unprepared for their new responsibilities and how to close the gap without waiting for formal mentorship.

* How to build your own “board of directors” through small acts of generosity and curiosity.

Some takeaways:

* Org charts are collapsing and it’s changing everything. Many companies, especially in tech, are shrinking their teams while still aiming for scale. That means fewer senior leaders and more ICs making high-stakes decisions without traditional support. The result: mid-level professionals find themselves thrown into strategy roles they never trained for. This indicates a shift in how companies operate at their core.

* There’s no playbook for where we’re headed. You can’t Google your way out of the complexity of hybrid roles. When someone’s a lead on paper but making director-level calls with no mentorship, the usual advice doesn’t cut it. People need better access to real conversations and fast feedback loops. Mindaugas recommends building your own crew of people to talk things through, not just reading another Medium post.

* The people who navigate change best aren’t trying to be the smartest in the room. They’re collecting diverse perspectives, asking for honest takes, and updating their opinions as they learn. In a noisy world of LinkedIn hot takes, this kind of thoughtful input often comes from quiet backchannels. Building those backchannels takes intention, not perfection.

* Don’t start with the ask. Start with curiosity. One of the best ways to build strong professional relationships is to reach out with zero agenda. A quick note saying “I appreciated your talk/post/article” stands out precisely because nobody does it anymore. When you do that over time, you create a trail of goodwill so when the time comes for an ask, you’re not a stranger. Mindaugas shares how this approach helped him build a global network from scratch.

* Mid-level is now the pressure point of modern orgs. Senior ICs are being handed business-critical decisions without context, coaching, or peers to learn from. Community matters as a practical scaffolding for decision-making and finding those people is the key to helping you get to your next level, and push through that mid-level ceiling

Where to find Mindaugas:

* LinkedIn

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The New Reality of UX Careers | Mindaugas Petrutis (Lovable)

The User Research Strategist: UXR | Impact | Career