From a childhood fascination with basketball sneakers and the power of brands to designing digital products, mentoring others and embracing the discipline of endurance sports, this conversation explores how curiosity, humility and the courage to question assumptions have shaped Mateusz's approach to work and life.

Q: What first drew you to product design, and where did that fascination begin?

A: I grew up in the 1990s, surrounded by colourful magazines like Bravo and Bravo Sport. Basketball was a huge part of my world, and Michael Jordan's Nike sneakers fascinated me.

It wasn't simply about wanting something we couldn't afford. I was intrigued by how a pair of shoes could become a cultural symbol and evoke such strong emotions among my friends. At the time, I didn't know what pop culture was, but I could see the influence a brand could have.

That fascination led me to study brand communication. I wanted to understand how products, whether sneakers, clothing or even everyday objects, could create an emotional connection with people.

As I learned more about building brands, I became increasingly interested in creating the products themselves. Moving into product design was a natural progression, eventually leading me to take responsibility for projects from concept to delivery.

Q: How has your approach to design changed as you've gained experience?

A: There's a phrase from a song by the Polish hip-hop duo Łona and Webber that has stayed with me: "Miej wątpliwość" - roughly translated as "Have your doubts."

Early in my career, I approached design with a great deal of optimism. I would gather requirements, start designing and assume the final product should look exactly as I had envisioned it.

Experience taught me otherwise. Technical limitations, budgets and timelines are all part of bringing a product to life. I became more pragmatic, but I also learned that being realistic shouldn't mean compromising ambition too early.

Today, I believe in setting the bar high from the beginning. Design something you would genuinely want to use, then work through the constraints and make thoughtful compromises.

For me, the challenge is finding the balance between an ambitious vision and a product that can actually be delivered. If you start by limiting your ideas, you may never discover what the product could become.

Q: What have you learned about collaboration from working with developers, QA teams and other specialists?

A: One of the most important lessons is that good design doesn't happen in isolation.

Every comment from a developer, every observation from QA and every piece of feedback throughout development can improve the final product. But that only works when people communicate openly, listen to one another and feel comfortable challenging ideas.

As a designer, you also need to learn not to become too attached to your own work. A design will be questioned, and that's part of the process. The goal isn't to defend every decision you've made, but to create the best possible product together.

For me, effective collaboration comes down to transparency, constructive feedback and a shared sense of responsibility for what we're building.

Q: You've mentioned spending years looking for a mentor yourself. How did that experience influence your decision to mentor others?

A: I've always enjoyed reading books and autobiographies, and I noticed that many people I admired had someone who guided them at an important stage of their lives.

I spent years looking for that kind of mentor myself, but never really found one. My own career path wasn't always straightforward, and I had to figure out quite a few things along the way.

Eventually, I realized that those experiences could be valuable to someone else.

That's what encouraged me to join Opera's mentoring programme. I wanted to help someone with potential navigate the early stages of their career with a little more confidence.

For me, mentoring isn't simply about transferring knowledge. It's about sharing experience, including the mistakes, challenges and lessons that don't necessarily appear in a textbook.

Q: What keeps you curious after so many years in design, and how do you decide which ideas are worth exploring?

A: I've always had a strong desire to understand how things work, how they're made and whether they could be improved.

Today, inspiration is everywhere. We have access to more information and ideas than ever before, but that also means learning to filter out the noise and recognize what's genuinely valuable.

What interests me most is understanding whether something serves a meaningful purpose. Could it work better? Could it make someone's life easier? Is there a different way to approach the problem?

I don't think curiosity is something you can afford to lose, particularly in design. The moment you stop asking questions, you stop discovering new possibilities.

Q: Fatherhood and endurance sports are both important parts of your life. What have these experiences taught you that you didn't expect?

A: That life is hard!

Fatherhood has taught me what it means to take responsibility for someone else. You realize that your actions matter far more than your words because you're setting an example for someone who looks up to you.

And of course, you can't get everything right all the time. There are difficult days, mistakes and moments when you realize how much you still have to learn. I still joke that I'm almost ready for fatherhood!

Endurance sports have taught me a different kind of humility. Progress requires consistency, patience and a willingness to repeat the same routines, sometimes for hours, without seeing immediate results.

You can't expect meaningful progress in a month. Some goals take years of preparation, and you have to keep going even when motivation isn't there.

There's also an interesting contrast in how I recharge. In sport, I enjoy spending hours training alone, preferably without anyone around. At work, it's the opposite. I need interaction, collaboration and the energy that comes from working with other people.

Both have become important parts of finding my balance.

Q: Looking back on your experiences in design, mentoring, sport and fatherhood, what principles do you want to carry forward?

A: Three things stand out to me: curiosity, humility and the willingness to question things.

Curiosity keeps you learning and looking for new possibilities. Questioning assumptions helps you challenge your own thinking rather than accepting the first answer. And humility reminds you that there's always something to learn from other people.

Those principles have become important to me, both professionally and personally.

I don't believe you need to have all the answers. What matters is remaining open to different perspectives, being willing to reconsider your approach and continuing to learn along the way.