Five Questions with Product Leader Lauren Masterson
Meet featured speaker, product builder, and community member Lauren Masterson.
Hey all 👋,
We’re super excited to feature a 5 question interview with Lauren Masterson, the featured speaker at Jersey Shore Tech & Design’s October event Finding Focus: How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Important.
Lauren is the VP of Product at Opus1.io, the modern end-to-end Music and Performing Arts Management Platform for growing schools. A veteran of the Jersey Shore startup scene, Lauren has played a supporting role in two successful tech startup acquisitions (Yashi and Vydia).
When she’s not leading product development, she’s a passionate mentor helping the next generation of product leaders that shape the future of digital experiences.
Additionally, Lauren been recognized for her leadership and product impact, being named to NJBiz’s Top 50 Women in Business in NJ & NJBIZ Leader in Digital Technology. She’s also active member of our Jersey Shore Tech and Design community. We’re stoked to have the opportunity to ask Lauren a few questions. Enjoy!
🙏 Thank you Lauren for taking the time to answer our questions. As always, we snuck an extra question in because because five just wasn’t enough.
My biggest advice is to just start building… You’ll learn far more by doing than by reading or watching tutorials… You don’t need permission, or even a completely novel idea. Pick something, build it, and you’ll gain real skills and confidence along the way.
What excites you most about the current trends in tech/design, and how do you incorporate them into your work?
It feels like we’re at the tipping point where AI is moving from being a “tech thing” to being a daily tool for everyone. I love using it to automate the mundane parts of my work so I can focus on bigger, more creative thinking. For example, I’ll use Notebook LM to turn dense reading into podcasts I can listen to while walking my dog, or Perplexity and ChatGPT as thought partners that push me to think deeper. Even something as simple as drafting in Google Docs with voice-to-text and then having an LLM polish the grammar has saved me hours while still keeping me actively engaged in the ideas.
On the product side, AI tools like Google Stitch, Figma AI, and Uizard have been game-changers for rapid prototyping. They let me quickly spin up mockups, align teams around ideas, and get early feedback from clients without spending weeks polishing. It’s important to me that I’m still using my brain primarily and delegating the tools as execution assistants. The tools aren’t replacing the strategic work, but they’re definitely helping me get to the fun parts faster.
Can you share a project you’re particularly proud of and what made it a success?
I’m proud to have played a supporting role in two successful tech startup acquisitions, both based out of the Jersey Shore. I worked at ad tech company, Yashi, helping to build out the marketing department prior to our acquisition in 2015. Years later, I made a career pivot into product management and helped build several of the tentpole features that led to Vydia’s acquisition in 2022. In both cases it was amazing to see a group of underdogs grow something large enough to be recognized on a global scale, especially having been incubated here in New Jersey. I think that trademark Jersey grit, teamwork, and chips on our shoulders had something to do with it.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to aspiring designers/technologists in our local community?
My biggest advice is to just start building. With the tools available today, there’s nothing stopping you from creating a proof of concept or your own app. You’ll learn far more by doing than by reading or watching tutorials. The hardest part about breaking into the industry used to be the chicken or egg problem: No one will hire me if I don’t have experience, but how do I get experience if no one will hire me? That barrier doesn’t exist anymore. You don’t need permission, or even a completely novel idea. Pick something, build it, and you’ll gain real skills and confidence along the way.
How has being part of the local community influenced your work or perspective in tech/design?
We’re not in a major hub like New York or San Francisco, but the talent in New Jersey is incredible, and what really sets it apart is how genuinely supportive everyone is. There’s a spirit of wanting each other to succeed, and groups like Jersey Shore Women in Tech and Jersey Shore Tech & Design have been the perfect incubators for partnerships, idea-sharing, and growth. It makes the whole community stronger, faster.
As a hyper-local community event, we’re always interested in sharing and supporting local spots we should be visiting. What’s your favorite place to grab a coffee or a meal in the area, and why?
The Bayshore is an underrated area in Monmouth County. Lenora’s in Keyport is such a gem with such friendly people and amazing food. My husband and I love going there for breakfast. Also forever a Rook fan for coffee.
What is your ideal work setup? Can be the environment but also hardware and software.
I’m pretty bare bones and software agnostic. Just give me a Macbook and I’m good to go! I WFH so my ideal scenario is anywhere with my Golden Retriever puppy, Lucky, at my feet.
Thank you for reading. Reminder to join us on October 16th for Lauren’s featured presentation Finding Focus: How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Important event. Thanks again Lauren!
Jersey Shore Tech & Design events are hosted in collaboration with The Center for Entrepreneurship at Monmouth University. Founded in 2010, JST&D community events cover various innovative technology and design topics, engage local professionals and students, and help foster the creative energy and community in our own backyard. Let’s build together 🚀