Burn the old playbook*
Burn the old playbook*
Burn the old playbook*
What we build shapes how we live.
So let’s stop building bullshit.
What we build shapes how we live. So let’s stop building bullshit.
Rebels
Rituals
Rebels
Rituals
Rewriting
the future.
Rewriting
the future.
Rewriting
the future.
Advisory & Talks
for Brave Builders
Advisory & Talks
for Brave Builders
Melinda
Jacobs
Melinda
Jacobs
— Rewriting the Rules
— Rewriting the Rules
Every product we release teaches someone how to live. That’s not just design — it’s power, and we need to treat it like it is. If we’re shaping how people live, we better have the courage to build something better. Ethical, human-/planet-centered design can scale and matter. The extractive, power-hoarding version of tech has failed us — I’m here to help tear it down, so we can rebuild something worth believing in. Designing for attention was the mistake. Meaning is the fix.
Every product we release teaches someone how to live. That’s not just design — it’s power, and we need to treat it like it is. If we’re shaping how people live, we better have the courage to build something better. Ethical, human-/planet-centered design can scale and matter. The extractive, power-hoarding version of tech has failed us — I’m here to help tear it down, so we can rebuild something worth believing in. Designing for attention was the mistake. Meaning is the fix.
— On Stage
Disrupt the Old & Imagine What's Next.
Looking for talks that
challenge the room — and move it forward?
Feeling stuck, unfulfilled,
or unsure where to turn?
Feeling stuck, unfulfilled,
or unsure where to turn?
I speak to people building what’s next — founders, execs, creatives, and teams shaping the future.
I challenge the systems we’re told we can’t change, that shape how we live — the ones we’ve absorbed without even noticing. I talk about how we can design them with more care and guts. About what our future can be and what it means to make tech work for humans and the planet. And take a look at the cultures behind the products to show ethical, human-centered design can scale and matter.
I want to share my vision for how we can achieve a better future with purpose, integrity, and a sense of wonder and play. I’m not just here to ask the hard questions — I want to offer real alternatives.
I speak to people building what’s next — founders, execs, creatives, and teams shaping the future.
I challenge the systems we’re told we can’t change, that shape how we live — the ones we’ve absorbed without even noticing. I talk about how we can design them with more care and guts. About what our future can be and what it means to make tech work for humans and the planet. And take a look at the cultures behind the products to show ethical, human-centered design can scale and matter.
I want to share my vision for how we can achieve a better future with purpose, integrity, and a sense of wonder and play. I’m not just here to ask the hard questions — I want to offer real alternatives.
— Sample Talks —
— Sample Talks —
— Sample Talks —
Two featured talks to give you an idea.
Melinda has spoken at events around the world including …
Not all talks are publically available, reach out for more information.
rebuild what tired defaults can’t.
is a continuous journey,
not a destination
Curious
L
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d
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s
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Curious
L
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s
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— In the Room
Strategic Guidance for the Brave, Not the Complacent
Tired of surface-level advice? Let’s get into the real stuff.
I advise founders, execs, and teams building what’s next — helping them shape strategy, product, and culture in ways that actually hold up. I help teams see what they’ve stopped noticing — how their ways of working, scaling, or decision-making might be reinforcing exactly what they’re trying to change. I bring clarity to messy systems. I guide companies to make decisions that serve humans and the planet — not just growth metrics. And I help build cultures where bold ideas can survive without burning people out. This isn’t surface-level support. It’s deep partnership rooted in purpose, integrity, and sharp thinking. I won’t just tell you what’s broken — I’ll help you build what’s better.
— True Stories —
— True Stories —
— True Stories —
Sharp Takes & New Ideas
Rethinking Tech
Article
Burn the Playbook. Build With Integrity. Rewrite the rules.
By Melinda Jacobs
Get to know me in this piece that is a call to rethink what we’ve accepted as normal. It’s about burning the defaults, building with integrity, and asking harder questions about the systems we shape — and how they shape us.
• How to spot the silent defaults and call out the norms you’ve absorbed without questioning.
• How to design something better — and how we design shapes our human futures.
• How ethical, human- and planet-centered design can scale and why it does matter. Integrity must be a feature — not an afterthought.
• And why we must lead with guts and build teams that face the hard questions — and stay in the room for the answers.
Stop following broken blueprints.
Subscribe for honest insights on tech, systems, AI, and the human side of building —
the kind of work that actually changes things.
Sharp Takes & New Ideas
Rethinking Tech
Article
Burn the Playbook. Build With Integrity. Rewrite the rules.
By Melinda Jacobs
Get to know me in this piece that is a call to rethink what we’ve accepted as normal. It’s about burning the defaults, building with integrity, and asking harder questions about the systems we shape — and how they shape us.
• How to spot the silent defaults and call out the norms you’ve absorbed without questioning.
• How to design something better — and how we design shapes our human futures.
• How ethical, human- and planet-centered design can scale and why it does matter. Integrity must be a feature — not an afterthought.
• And why we must lead with guts and build teams that face the hard questions — and stay in the room for the answers.
Stop following broken blueprints.
Subscribe for honest insights on tech, systems, AI, and the human side of building —
the kind of work that actually changes things.
Sharp Takes & New Ideas
Rethinking Tech
Article
Burn the Playbook. Build With Integrity. Rewrite the rules.
By Melinda Jacobs
Get to know me in this piece that is a call to rethink what we’ve accepted as normal. It’s about burning the defaults, building with integrity, and asking harder questions about the systems we shape — and how they shape us.
• How to spot the silent defaults and call out the norms you’ve absorbed without questioning.
• How to design something better — and how we design shapes our human futures.
• How ethical, human- and planet-centered design can scale and why it does matter. Integrity must be a feature — not an afterthought.
• And why we must lead with guts and build teams that face the hard questions — and stay in the room for the answers.