As AI rapidly lowers the cost of building, there is a shift in focus from how to build to what's worth building and this is where designers have an opportunity to step up. The designers who thrive in this new landscape won't just be those with the strongest craft; they'll be the ones who can combine their deep understanding of user needs with sharp commercial thinking.

This talk explores how UX and Product Designers can develop the commercial acumen to connect their work to business outcomes, earn trust with leadership, and expand their influence from execution to strategy. When design and commercial thinking work together, the ability to identify the right problems to solve — grounded in both user insight and business reality — becomes a genuine advantage.

Anthony is the Chief of Staff for Product at Auror and has over 15 years of experience building and growing product and design practices across B2B and B2C tech organisations. A long-time champion of the New Zealand product community, he has organised the ProductTank Auckland meetup for over a decade and co-founded Product Aotearoa five years ago to connect and support product professionals across the country.

Due to security requirements, the event location will be revealed closer to the event.