Key insights

• ⚙️ Different stages of company growth require different approaches to hiring designers
• 👩‍💻 Considering user-facing elements and developer experience is crucial even at early stages
• 🖼️ Websites such as Dribbble, LinkedIn, Behance, and AIGA can be used to find designers
• 🎓 Schools like CMU, NYU, MIT, RISD, Parsons, and Stanford are sources of potential hires
• 💼 Attract designers to startups by offering consumer-focused roles and senior positions at Series A stage
• 🌟 Hiring a diversified design team is important for startups
• 🗣️ Communication skills are essential for interviewing designers
• 🤝 Embracing authenticity in business by being a real human being and putting your name on the website

Q&A

• What should be addressed in business and technology?

  In business and technology, it's important to address distribution, capability, and openness. Maintaining secrecy can be advantageous in highly competitive or enterprise-focused scenarios, and well-handled controversy can be powerful for business growth.

• How can authenticity be embraced in business?

  Embracing authenticity in business involves being a real human being, putting your name on the website, understanding the importance of the relationship with customers and human-centered design, asking open-ended questions to understand user stories and emotions, and valuing the role of prototyping in product development to find solutions.

• What are some essential considerations for hiring a good design leader?

  Hiring a good design leader is crucial, and empathy is essential in candidates. It's important to ask design questions that consider users and problems, recommend books and resources for design, and understand the intersection of design, product, and engineering for startup success.

• Why is hiring a diversified design team important for startups?

  Hiring a diversified design team is crucial for startups, as it involves understanding roles like interaction designers, visual designers, and PMs. Content marketing and social media can be effective for hiring design teams, and communication skills are essential for interviewing designers.

• How can startups attract designers?

  Startups can attract designers by offering consumer-focused roles with the potential for a more senior position at the Series A stage. They can also consider temporary consulting, online job boards like 99designs and Fiverr, or referrals to find talent.

• Where can I find designers for my startup?

  You can find designers by considering user-facing elements and developer experience, utilizing websites such as Dribbble, LinkedIn, Behance, and AIGA, and exploring potential hires from schools like CMU, NYU, MIT, RISD, Parsons, and Stanford. Recruiting individual consultants is also an option.

• What are the different stages of company growth when it comes to finding and choosing designers?

  The stages of company growth include considering user-facing elements, hiring a team by Series B, and utilizing websites and schools for recruitment. Leveraging individual consultants is also an option.

• 00:00 Finding and choosing designers involves different stages of company growth, including considering user-facing elements, hiring a team by Series B, and utilizing websites and schools for recruitment. Leveraging individual consultants is also an option.
• 03:03 Hiring designers for startups can be challenging, but you can use temporary consulting, online job boards like 99designs and Fiverr, or referrals to find talent. Startups often need to attract designers by offering a consumer-focused role, with the potential for a more senior position at Series A stage.
• 05:57 Hiring a diversified design team is important for startups, and understanding roles like interaction designers, visual designers, and PMs is crucial. Content marketing and social media can be effective for hiring design teams. Communication skills are essential for interviewing designers, and evaluating their problem-solving skills is key.
• 08:46 Hiring a good design leader is crucial for interviews, empathy is essential in candidates, ask design questions that consider users and problems, recommended books and resources for design, intersection of design, product, and engineering is critical for startup success. About Us page is important for founders to connect with their audience.
• 11:52 Embrace authenticity in business, ask open-ended questions to understand users, and consider the value of prototyping in product development.
• 15:47 In business and technology, it's important to address distribution, capability, and openness. Maintaining secrecy can be advantageous in highly competitive or enterprise-focused scenarios. Controversy, if well-handled, can be powerful for business growth.