I just finished Mistakes I Made at Work by Jessica Bacal, and instead of feeling exposed, I felt seen. I felt like sitting down with a circle of honest, brilliant women all saying: “You’re not the only one.”
“When you have a ‘growth mindset,’ you understand that mistakes and setbacks are an inevitable part of learning.” — Jessica Bacal
Looking back, the biggest shifts in my career didn’t come from the wins.
They came from the missed deadlines I promised too confidently, the weak insights I tried to squeeze from poorly scoped studies, and the times I didn’t ask for help, because I thought I had to figure it out on my own.
I’ve over-researched to compensate for unclear goals. I’ve made assumptions about timelines, data, and people. And I’ve learned the hard way that clarity, collaboration, and boundaries are more powerful than perfection.
What this book reminded me of is that mistakes aren’t career setbacks. They’re how we grow into the kind of people others can trust with the work that matters.
It’s something I’ve been thinking (and writing) about lately—how research isn’t always polished, how alignment matters more than perfection, and how impact often begins in the messy middle.
“People are comfortable with others who are open about their flaws, who don’t try to pretend to be more than they are. It’s easier to go through life being honest and owning up to your less-than qualities than faking it.” — Jessica Bacal
Articles like “The 3 Lies I Believed About UX Research“ and “Yes, I’m Still Doing Research—Even If You Don’t See It“ came directly from the moments where I got it wrong first.
Mistakes I Made at Work didn’t make me feel like I had to do better.
It reminded me that I already am—because I’m still learning, still showing up, and still choosing reflection over regret.
What are some books that you have read that reframed your thinking professionally?