Episode web page: https://bit.ly/4kYTrdD

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In this episode, we sit down with UX veteran and startup advisor Oksana Kovalchuk to explore the common pitfalls early-stage founders make when building digital products and how to avoid them. Drawing on two decades of design, development, and mentoring experience, Oksana shares why user experience must be prioritized from day one, and how building a product for your users, not yourself, is the key to startup survival.

What you’ll learn:

Why "you are not your user" is still the Golden Rule. Founders often build products based on their own logic and preferences. Oksana explains why that leads to UX failure, especially when designing for different demographics.

The “more ideas than money” principle. Discover how Oksana helps startup teams focus their limited budgets on what matters most: getting the MVP right and learning from real users quickly.

Fail fast, learn fast. Learn how iteration, feedback loops, and competitor reviews play a central role in UX design at the startup level.

When UX is ignored, disaster follows. Hear a jaw-dropping real-world example of a fintech app with a 98% onboarding drop-off; all caused by a single UX decision.

Measuring UX success. Explore metrics like time-to-value, drop-off rates, and support ticket trends that reveal how your product is really performing.

Resources & Links:

Oksana Kovalchuk on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oksanakovalchuk/

ANODA https://www.anoda.mobi/

Mike McDowell on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmcdowell1/

Mike’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@mikedropvideos

Nathan Isaacs on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanisaacs/)

Learn more about Insights Unlocked: https://www.usertesting.com/podcast