We’re told that by the age of 30, we should have it all figured out. Clear goals, a solid direction, a five-year plan, maybe even a family or a startup. But the truth is (at least for me), doubts tend to come to those who ask the right questions.
This summer, I started asking myself a few. Not because of some identity crisis (no, it wasn’t my “30s meltdown”… I think/hope), but because I felt the need to pause and take stock.
I haven’t questioned my path. I wanted to work in startups, and I did. I wanted to work in innovation, and that’s what I do every day.
But at some point, it’s fair to stop and ask: Where am I really going next?
What led me here
Over the past few years, I’ve worked across innovation programs, startups, corporate pilots, global tech fairs, and digital transformation projects.
I’ve seen what it takes to build POCs, run open innovation, launch training programs, and bring structure to messy problems.
I’ve built decks, bots, spreadsheets, keynote sessions, frameworks, tool with no-code app and sometimes just made things work under pressure.
All of this helped me understand how I like to work and where I can bring value.
My luck
I’ve been lucky to surround myself with people who challenge my thinking: startup founders, brand executives, even VC partners. Each of them added a layer to the reflection.
Holy ChatGPT
This time I wanted to try something different.
IInstead of talking to people, I turned to ChatGPT and built a “Career Coach” to help me think things through (the real name, suggested by my mentor Enrico, is “Design for happiness”).
I used the meta prompt engineer he built on Chat (it’s funny but it really works in giving perfect promps), created a new project and I started feeding it questions, reflections, patterns.
With a meta-prompt assistant he had created, I set up a project and started feeding it notes, reflections, and recurring patterns.
Together (me and Chat this time), we mapped out:
- the tasks that give me energy, even outside of work (creative thinking, emotional intelligence, storytelling)
- the ones that drain me (reading scripts, pointless calls, repetitive work)
- the roles and projects that made me feel fulfilled and why
The goal wasn’t to get a definitive answer but to build a clearer mental map. Not of the job I want, but of the direction that feels mine.
The answer
The result wasn’t a revelation, of course, but a pattern started to emerge.
I’m drawn to roles where I can explore, connect dots, and translate complexity into something people can understand and act on.
Not necessarily the one with the loudest and cool title, but the one that gives me space to think, build, share.
And when I looked back at the projects that made me feel most alive, they all had one thing in common: there was uncertainty, there was ownership, and there was trust.
Maybe that’s the real north star.
What I learned from the process
As I worked with my coach, a few patterns surfaced quickly:
- I’m at my best in hybrid roles → the kind that sit at the intersection of tech and business, vision and execution.
- I get energy from building something from scratch. Once it shifts into maintenance mode, I check out.
- Repetition and bureaucracy wear me down (lol). I’m motivated when there’s a real challenge or when I can improve how things are done.
- I need a balance. Too much strategy and I get lost in theory. Too much execution and I lose sight of the bigger picture.
The roles
1. Creative Strategist (Innovation / Brand Experience)
A hybrid between creativity and strategy.
Works on concepts, formats, activations, storytelling, and new approaches to briefs.
Focus: turning challenges into original ideas.
2. Innovation Experience Manager
Mix of innovation, experience design, and technology scouting.
Designs workshops, in-store activations, tech-powered experiences, and collaborations with startups.
Focus: bringing new technologies into real, engaging experiences.
3. Creative Producer / Experiential Producer
Transforms ideas into real-world experiences: events, pop-ups, installations, workshops, activations.
Coordinates partners, manages execution, ensures the concept becomes tangible.
Focus: making things happen with energy and creative direction.
4. Creative Innovation Lead
Light leadership role within a small team or innovation lab.
Guides concepts, creative vision, tech applications, and special projects.
Focus: combining strategic thinking with creative direction to build new initiatives.
What is the point of all of this?
Sometimes, clarity doesn’t come from having more options but from asking better questions. And, right now, I don’t even i feel guilty of having this doubts
This game didn’t tell me what job to chase but it helped me get honest about what I actually want and what I don’t. That’s already a good starting point.
Let’s see where 2026 takes me.