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From Junior to Senior: The Tears That Built Me

Maria Goudet
Bootcamp
Published in
3 min readNov 18, 2024

A true story of rejections and tears that turned me into a pro.

When I first walked into… let’s call it: Triumph’s sleek office, I thought I’d made it. My first big UX role. A mobile project that had potential. A team of developers ready to bring my ideas to life.

I was so wrong.

Within weeks, I was drowning. Not because of the workload, but because I felt like I’d hit a wall made of tradition, resistance, and "we've always done it this way" attitudes.

The team wasn’t stubborn—they just didn’t understand UX. And, frankly, I didn’t know how to make them understand.

The Rejections Were Relentless

Every idea I pitched was met with skepticism.

“Why do we need wireframes?”
“Users don’t care about this.”
“Just tell us where to put the button.”

I’d sit in meetings trying to explain how user-first design could save money and improve customer satisfaction, but their faces remained blank. My confidence took hit after hit.

I went home crying more nights than I’d like to admit.

My notebook was filled with crossed-out ideas and frustrated doodles. I started doubting myself—maybe I wasn’t cut out for this.

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Bootcamp
Bootcamp

Published in Bootcamp

From idea to product, one lesson at a time. Bootcamp is a collection of resources and opinion pieces about UX, UI, and Product. To submit your story: https://tinyurl.com/bootspub1

Maria Goudet
Maria Goudet

Written by Maria Goudet

With 7+ years in UX design, I create solutions that make life easier. From optimizing systems to crafting user-friendly designs, I focus on making a real impact

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