EPISODE · Jun 20, 2025 · 1H 14M
#2: Jonty Sharples on Majority World Mega Cities, Building Teams, and Working From a Wooden Box
from UX Fika Podcast · host Anna Dahlström
In this episode of the UX Fika podcast, I catch up with Jonty Sharples – product, design, and business leader, and – at the time of our 2021 conversation – CXO at Where Is My Transport. These days, Jonty’s a consulting CPO working from a wooden cube at the bottom of his garden. But back then, he was fresh off several years of travel to emerging megacities, trying to design better services for people earning under $20 a day.We talk about his journey from Albion to founding the purpose-led design studio Hactar, and how building products for social good—and wrestling with the realities of pro bono work shaped the kind of problems he wants to solve today.Jonty shares what it was like shifting from in-person ethnographic research to remote workshops spanning four time zones, how informal transport works in cities like Mexico City and Dar es Salaam, and why field work reveals the kind of insights no spreadsheet ever can.It’s also a conversation about building the kind of career—and team—you actually want, knowing when to leave, and creating space (literal and emotional) to figure out what’s next.Plus:☕️ Why a scone, a cup of tea, and a bit of quiet might just be the perfect fika.🌟 Why you should always hire people smarter than yourself. What we cover: 00:00 Journey to Hacktar and Social Change00:33 Social Media and Digital Presence01:41 Introduction and How We Met05:41 On Running Away From Public Speaking And Social Media11:52 Change Of Plans14:07 Looking Back At The Start Of The Pandemic17:15 Cancelled Travel And Working From A Wooden Cube18:57 Ethnographic Research in Majority World Mega Cities25:57 Informal Transport28:43 The Evolution of Remote Work32:04 Downside Of Remote Work35:23 Navigating Social Interactions Post-Pandemic38:42 Adapting to New Learning Environments39:28 Kids using Teams41:35 Reflections on Career Transitions And Starting Hactar49:00 The Impact of Purpose-Driven Work51:36 Pro Bono Work Sucks And Everyone Is To Blame56:42 Leaving Hactar01:00:23 Embracing New Challenges in Leadership01:04:12 Home Away From Home01:08:50 Life Lessons and Future Aspirations01:14:11 New ChapterWhere you’ll find Jonty:LinkedInWhere you’ll find Anna & UX Fika:LinkedInWebsiteInstagramIf you liked this episode, help us reach more people by following, leaving a rating and a review.~#innovation, #business, #technology, #Hactar, #socialchange, #informaltransport #innovation #productdesign #uxfika #uxfikapodcast #jontysharples
What this episode covers
In this episode of the UX Fika podcast, I catch up with Jonty Sharples – product, design, and business leader, and – at the time of our 2021 conversation – CXO at Where Is My Transport. These days, Jonty’s a consulting CPO working from a wooden cube at the bottom of his garden. But back then, he was fresh off several years of travel to emerging megacities, trying to design better services for people earning under $20 a day.We talk about his journey from Albion to founding the purpose-led design studio Hactar, and how building products for social good—and wrestling with the realities of pro bono work shaped the kind of problems he wants to solve today.Jonty shares what it was like shifting from in-person ethnographic research to remote workshops spanning four time zones, how informal transport works in cities like Mexico City and Dar es Salaam, and why field work reveals the kind of insights no spreadsheet ever can.It’s also a conversation about building the kind of career—and team—you actually want, knowing when to leave, and creating space (literal and emotional) to figure out what’s next.Plus:☕️ Why a scone, a cup of tea, and a bit of quiet might just be the perfect fika.🌟 Why you should always hire people smarter than yourself. What we cover: 00:00 Journey to Hacktar and Social Change00:33 Social Media and Digital Presence01:41 Introduction and How We Met05:41 On Running Away From Public Speaking And Social Media11:52 Change Of Plans14:07 Looking Back At The Start Of The Pandemic17:15 Cancelled Travel And Working From A Wooden Cube18:57 Ethnographic Research in Majority World Mega Cities25:57 Informal Transport28:43 The Evolution of Remote Work32:04 Downside Of Remote Work35:23 Navigating Social Interactions Post-Pandemic38:42 Adapting to New Learning Environments39:28 Kids using Teams41:35 Reflections on Career Transitions And Starting Hactar49:00 The Impact of Purpose-Driven Work51:36 Pro Bono Work Sucks And Everyone Is To Blame56:42 Leaving Hactar01:00:23 Embracing New Challenges in Leadership01:04:12 Home Away From Home01:08:50 Life Lessons and Future Aspirations01:14:11 New ChapterWhere you’ll find Jonty:LinkedInWhere you’ll find Anna & UX Fika:LinkedInWebsiteInstagramIf you liked this episode, help us reach more people by following, leaving a rating and a review.~#innovation, #business, #technology, #Hactar, #socialchange, #informaltransport #innovation #productdesign #uxfika #uxfikapodcast #jontysharples
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#2: Jonty Sharples on Majority World Mega Cities, Building Teams, and Working From a Wooden Box
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