TLDR Tech / Design
A side project is the fastest way to upskill in the age of AI
Building small side projects is one of the fastest ways for UX professionals to learn how AI is changing software development, with tools like Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor dramatically lowering the technical, time, and cost barriers to creating real products. Rather than relying on highly abstracted tools like Lovable, working closer to the actual development process—doing discovery and design, learning concepts such as version control, and asking AI to explain unfamiliar technology—builds much deeper practical knowledge. The key is to build with AI rather than have AI build everything for you, gaining technical fluency and end-to-end product-building skills through hands-on experience.
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