Author: Anna

Let’s talk money. It’s day 341 of me receiving unemployment benefits. In Germany, that’s 60% of your average previous salary – around €2,100 in my case. On top of that, since I took the leap, the state is paying me €300 extra, a subsidy that is supposedly helping me transition into full-time self-employment when revenue…

Let’s talk moneeey. I’ll tell you because I have tons of this insider information:  If you are signing a Mutual Termination Agreement, a good severance package starts with…  Faktor 1,5 and higher, As “signing bonus” 3+ months of extra pay, keeping your notice period.  You keep all the perks while still employed, plus some mental…

That’s the slippery slope into becoming resentful and adding zero value to the company. Your manager will know. Your teammates will know. And don’t get me started on all the ways you’re not moving forward because you’re making decisions out of fear. Situations like the one in this meme happen more often than you’d think.…

But how do I know who to talk to? What do I even say? The cringe of it all! As I freelance researcher  focused on enablement, I help teams actually talk to their users. This has never been more relevant. We’ve built tons of AI VC-backed products that no real user asked for or ended…

Because “trained on Shakespeare, gives you a motivational poster from a dentist’s waiting room” is a mystery to me

Claude: “Fable 5 is back. Here, have 4 days.”Four days later: “Actually, here’s another week.”A week later: “You can keep going. Just secure your free credits until 17th of September.”Take it away. Give it back. Add free credits.That’s some premium drug dealer marketing.

I planned everything, but when it actually happens, it hits you harder: the life you leave behind, and the biggest question: WHAT NOW?  How often do you get to speak about all the challenges around being laid off?  This was finally addressed. In the pouring rain, 11 people showed up to my first outdoor meetup…

So in my previous roles before I went full into doing my own thing, I’ve done UX Research and Research Operations, running trainings for non-researchers on how to run research.  All the teaching about “not being biased and actually listen to what people say and do” is already super hard when you are at your…

Except, here is the sad thing – companies would rather hire you while you are still employed than hire you after a layoff. That says something, doesn’t it? This is what makes post-layoff recovery so tricky. Though mass layoffs are not “performance related”, at least publicly, it was your role that was made obsolete –…

Number 1: When you are on a visa (e.g. Blue Card) or waiting for you permanent residency… it seems easier to move on.  Because you are here to work, not fight for your rights or receive unemployment benefits you’ve paid into. Shade aside – Legal action takes months, visa clocks run in weeks, so people…