Join Mollie and Claire in their discussion with Christopher Nguyen, the founder of UX Playbook. From a computer science dropout to a business graduate, turned self-taught designer, and now a content creator. This episode covers Chris's career journey, including his experiences in toxic work environments, his decision to quit his job during the pandemic, the process of starting and growing UX Playbook, his approach to writing and content creation, and his future plans to evolve his business into coaching designers to build their own businesses. Key discussion points include recognizing signs of an unhealthy work culture, taking ownership of one's career path, the importance of self-reflection, the role of writing and content marketing, and Chris's vision for helping designers become entrepreneurs.

(1:11) - Guest Introduction

The hosts introduce their guest Chris, a product designer, founder of UX Playbook, and former head of design who has worked with companies like Google, Nike, and Coca-Cola. They discuss Chris's background and career journey.

(3:01) - Toxic Work Environments

Chris shares his experience of joining a company that turned out to be toxic, despite being warned beforehand. He describes the red flags, lack of innovation, and the 'good enough' culture that eventually led him to quit.

(12:31) - Taking a Break and Starting UX Playbook

After quitting his toxic job, Chris took some time off to experiment with different projects before accidentally stumbling upon the success of UX Playbook through writing online content.

(19:21) - Knowing When to Leave a Job

The discussion shifts to recognizing signs that it's time to leave a job, such as physical aversion to going to the office, draining interactions, and lack of excitement about the work.

(23:41) - Layoffs and Career Transitions

Chris offers advice for those feeling stuck in their current roles due to the fear of layoffs, emphasizing taking small steps towards exploring new opportunities.

(28:21) - Chris' new venture - The Job Sprint Program

Chris talks about his new program 'The Job Sprint', created to help people land their dream jobs through a tailored approach and active learning activities.

(33:11) - Future Business Evolution

Chris shares his vision for evolving his business beyond just serving designers, potentially helping them build their own businesses and potentially owning a stake in their ventures.

Be sure to check out Chris' latest venture - https://backlog.design/?ref=bounce