E3: A True Story of UX Democratization Gone Wrong (and a Solution!)

In this episode of Corporate Underpants, host Tamara Adlin delves into the complex relationship between politics and product success with guest Jillian Hudson, a seasoned UX researcher and strategist. Through Jillian’s story, we learn about the unexpected challenges she faced when hired for a role that didn't match the initial promise, working under a manager who was often absent and dealing with a company in chaos prioritizing stock prices over UX maturity. Jillian shares how she built strong internal relationships by understanding the true needs of her stakeholders, organizing educational sessions, and advocating UX despite internal resistance and misalignment. Her narrative offers valuable insights for UX professionals on how to navigate organizational politics to achieve product success. 00:00 Corporate Underpants Live_ Episode 3_ A True Story of UX Democratization Go 03:40 Introducing Jillian! 05:44 What is UX Strategy? 06:16 Pisces Vesica 07:16 Diving int the story: Jillian got the job 09:02 No France for you! 11:24 And then they laid off most of the team. 12:30 Turns out, it was all about the stock price. 14:49 Jillian invited everyone to see her work - and found a fan! 18:05 How to build a UX Champion: "How can I help you?" 19:25 Discovering a whole team of "Systems Coaches" built to satisfy research cravings 21:28 "UX Democratization" in the wild 23:16 They were powerful, but they weren't trained. 26:07 If you can't beat 'em, train 'em: launching "UX Snacks" internally 28:12 Seeing results: building bridges with the system coaches 30:42 New thoughts on "UX Maturity" 33:50 Turning the UX lens on your own teams and company 36:32 Building more champions 38:43 Attract UX Champions with research bait 39:17 Networking skills are key 44:40 Lessons were learned.