Growing a Bootstrapped Design Business - Ran Segall (CEO @ Flux Academy)

Designing for AI: ? WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN THIS INTERVIEW? 1. Challenges of designing for AI 2. How to get a job as an AI Designer ? WHY IS HENRY MODISETT A ROCKSTAR? Henry Modisett is the Head of Design at Perplexity AI. Previously he worked as a designer at Quora and Google. ? CONNECT WITH HENRY MODISETT Twitter -https://twitter.com/henrymodis LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrymodisett/?originalSubdomain=ca ? CONNECT WITH JAYNEIL DALAL LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayneil Twitter - https://twitter.com/jayneildalal ? INTERVIEW VIDEO: https://youtu.be/4BH454Kw-90 by Design MBA

39 min listen

Designing the Facebook Like Button: ? WHAT WILL YOU LEARN IN THIS INTERVIEW? 1. How the iconic Facebook like button was designed? 2. How a designer invested early in startups like Figma, Framer and Diagram? ? WHY IS SOLEIO CUERVO A ROCKSTAR? Soleio Cuervo is a software designer turned investor. He led early design efforts at Facebook, Messenger, then Dropbox. Now he invests in extraordinary software startups and helps them win through great design. He is a proud backer of Figma, Framer, Vercel, Vanta, Perplexity, Synthesia, Read.cv, Pulley, Replit, Universe, Liveblocks, tldraw, Plain, and dozens more startups worldwide! ? CONNECT WITH SOLEIO CUERVO Twitter - https://twitter.com/soleio Website - https://read.cv/soleio ? CONNECT WITH JAYNEIL DALAL LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayneil Twitter - https://twitter.com/jayneildalal ? INTERVIEW VIDEO:https://youtu.be/hZ3Z2frAWvM by Design MBA

53 min listen

Transitioning from Design Manager to IC Designer: My guest today is Maheen Sohail who recently switched from Design Manager to Senior Designer role at Meta. In this episode, we discuss the following: - Interview trailer - Who is Maheen Sohail (Senior Designer at Meta)? - How to deal with layoffs as a designer? - What does a Design Manager do when her entire team gets shut down? - How does a Design Manager say goodbye to their team when it's time to leave the company? - 8:17 How does a Design Manager not lose touch with their craft? - How to manage senior designers as a first time Design Manager? - Why should a designer consider becoming a Design Manager? - How does becoming a Design Manager make you more empathetic? - How does a Design Manager resolve conflict between designer and engineer? - Why is becoming a Design Manager so hard? - Should a Design Manager share frequent updates about their work with the team? - Is switching from Design Manager to IC seamless? - Switching frequent by Design MBA

38 min listen

Spatial Design is the Future: My guest today is Julian Park who is the CEO at Bezel, a collaborative spatial design tool. In this episode, we discuss the following: 00:34 Why I'm interviewing Julian Park (CEO at Bezel) 1:41 Why Spatial Design is the future of the UX Design industry? 4:13 Why Apple priced the Vision Pro headset so high? 5:15 Why designers should become early adopters of spatial design? 8:34 Learnings from working at Facebook Oculus as an engineer 9:25 Why join the Meta Oculus team over WhatsApp or Instagram? 11:00 Why quit Meta to start a 3D design tool company Bezel? 14:15 Finding startup ideas while working at FAANG/MAMA 15:03 Why you shouldn't pitch your startup idea as an employee to Meta leadership? 15:56 How to build trust with your startup cofounders? 17:36 How to divide responsibilities among startup cofounders? 18:48 Learnings from Figma's startup journey 22:33 How many hours does a startup CEO work? 24:47 How to avoid burnout as startup CEO? 26:15 How to leve by Design MBA

32 min listen

The ultimate guide for Investing in Startups as a Designer: My guest today is DANIEL SCRIVNER who is the General Partner at Ligature VC In this episode, we discuss the following: - Why I'm interviewing @daniel-scrivner (General Partner at Ligature VC)? How to run a VC fund alongside your day job? How to hyper-focus at work? Why invest in Venture Capital as an asset class? Why do Venture Capitalists need to differentiate themselves? Why start a VC fund instead of passive investing in top-tier VC firms? Why raise a VC fund instead of angel investing? What should be the expected returns for a VC fund? How to get access to a great deal flow as a VC? Investing at the seed round in Notion What are the benefits of having operator LPs in a VC fund? Is the Design VC space getting crowded? How to invest in startups if you have no clout or access? Interview Video: https://youtu.be/8q4PEh8uSK8 For show notes, guest bio, and more, please visit: www.designmba.show by Design MBA

43 min listen

Why Designers Need to Learn About Business: My guests today is Om Suthar who is the Director of Product Design at DISQO. In this episode, we discuss the following: - Why I'm interviewing Om Suthar (Director of Product Design at DISQO) - Why is it important to control your burn rate as a startup founder? - What is Founder Market fit? - Startup Founder shares lessons learned from failing to raise funding from venture capitalists - Should you tell your employer about the startup you are doing on the side? - How to manage your startup and day job simultaneously? - How to Build Your Second Brain? - Startup horror stories from a first time founder - How to trust people and manage expectations? - How to evaluate different career opportunities? - Why do companies want to hire design entrepreneurs? - How does being an entrepreneur help a designer collaborate better with product partners? - Why should designers learn about how a business operates? - How can designers/researchers effectively pre by Design MBA

36 min listen

Mistakes First Time Design Managers Make - Kyle Turman (Director of Product Design @ Retool): My guests today is Kyle Turman who is the the Director of Product Design at Retool and previously led design teams at Slack, Dropbox, and Etsy. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/CPnSHrk9e6U In this episode, we discuss the following: - Why I'm interviewing Kyle Turman - Why is it hard for IC designers to switch into a design manager role? - What changes when you become a design manager from an IC designer? - Imposter Syndrome being a first time Design Manager - How do you measure output as a design manager? - How does a Design Manager track their progress? - Importance of focusing on business impact as a Design Manager - Why should a Design Manager pay attention to the existing company culture? - Why you should not micro manage your direct reports as a Design Manager? - Should you give feedback to your Design Manager if they are micromanaging you? - What are the long term impacts of not dele by Design MBA

53 min listen

Taking a Sabbatical - Ben Huggins (Design @ Retool): My guests today is Ben Huggins who is a Product Designer at Retool. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/grUjIw-DyMw In this episode, we discuss the following: - Why I am interviewing Ben Higgins? - Why take a career break as a designer? - Biggest fear when it comes to taking a career break - What do you need structure during a career break? - What to do during your time off? - What Jayneil Dalal learned from taking a sabbatical? - How to figure out what you want in your next design job? - Why you should not be a design manager? - Lessons learned from searching for a new design job - How to apply the concept of prototyping in your life? - Why you should have a full time job if you want to pursue side projects? - Advise for designers who are thinking about taking a sabbatical - How to explain a career break on your resume to a recruiter? For show notes, guest bio, and more, please visit: www.designmba.show by Design MBA

36 min listen

Transition from Graphic Design to UX - Colton Schweitzer, Ludovic Delmas (Cofounders at Kickass UX): My guests today areColton Schweitzer and Ludovic Delmas are the cofounders of Kickass UX which helps creatives build a kickass UX skillset and supercharge their careers. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/KI8kcRcqAu8 In this episode, we discuss the following: - Why I am interviewing the Kickass UX founders? - Does UX design pay more than graphic design? - Are there more UX design jobs than graphic design jobs? - What are the challenges faced by graphic designers when entering the UX field? - How is the graphic design process different from the UX process? - Do UX Designers have to worry about the UI when working at a company? - Why graphic designers struggle with communicating functionality? - Biggest issue with design portfolios from novice designers - What is the biggest problem with UX bootcamps? - How can design students make their design portfolios stand out? - How is working in by Design MBA

47 min listen

Design Exec Role Sneak Peek - Gordon Ching (Founder @ Design Executive Council): My guest today is Gordon Ching who is the founder of Design Executive Council (DEC) building the network dedicated to advancing the design executive profession in Silicon Valley and beyond. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/Hm10bL4VTTk In this episode, we discuss the following: - Why I'm interviewing Gordon Ching - Why start Design Executive Council? - Why is being a design executive not a glamarous gig? - Why can't a design executive focus on design all day? - Why does a design executive need to develop their judgement? - Why does being a design executive feel lonely? - Who are the current members of the Design Executive Council? - Advantages of IRL meetings over Slack - What are some of the tough decisions a design exec has to make? - Real life example of a design exec demonstrating high Emotional Intelligence (feat Andy Vitale) - Why traditional design career ladder doesn't apply for design executive by Design MBA

40 min listen

Leveling Up as a Founding Designer - Jared Erondu (VP of Design at Lattice): My guest today is Jared Erondu is a design & product leader, investor, and advisor. He's currently the GM of Performance and VP of Design at Lattice. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/MfrwNIJ19-I In this episode, we discuss the following: - Why I'm interviewing Jared Erondu - How has interviewing design leaders helped Jared in his design career? - How to keep in touch with people you meet throughout your career? - Why Jared Erondu joined Lattice? - How to evaluate different career opportunities? - Why people matter the most when dealing with early stage companies? - What if you get a career decision wrong as a designer? - Scaling the design team at Lattice - What is the design culture like at Lattice? - Does a founding designer have to become a design leader? - How to hire designers who are more senior and experienced than you? - How to mentor direct reports more senior than you? - How does Jared level up a by Design MBA

53 min listen

Becoming T-shaped Designer - Joshua Philippe (Head of Design @ Strike): My guest today is Joshua Philippe is the Head of Design at Strike a service that leverages Bitcoin’s open payment network to offer users the first global peer-to-peer payments app and a novel bitcoin-native neobanking experience. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/Xxd5NJ37-Lk In this episode, we discuss the following: - Joshua Philippe Bio - How childhood affects your listening skills? - Should designers coming out of school join FAANG or a design agency? - Should you join a late stage company or early stage startup as a designer? - What is a T-shaped designer? - Why designers need to have a mission statement? - Favorite comics, collecting baseball and Yu Gi Oh cards - Benefits of working as a designer at a branding agency - When & Why should a designer consider leaving the agency world? - Doing freelance gigs on top of 9-5 job - Should designers choose equity or money when consulting with startups? - Joining Str by Design MBA

37 min listen

Designing Authentic Relationships - Mindaugas Petrutis (CEO @ Coho): My guest today is Mindaugas Petrutis who is the CEO at Coho which is The Direct To Experience ™️ Learning Network for professional growth. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/wgIaGMa-Dw8 In this episode, we discuss the following: - Mindaugas bio - How does it feel to launch a company out of stealth? - Importance of building authentic relationships - Should you have an agenda when building a relationship? - Why you should not focus on titles when building relationships? - Why you should provide context when doing outreach? - How to build a genuine relationship with a venture capitalist? - Why is it important to wait for the right time to ask for favors? - What not to do when you get intros? - Horror story about not following up - How to recover from a mistake when building relationships? - How to stand out as a design recruiter? For show notes, guest bio, and more, please visit: www.designmba.show by Design MBA

39 min listen

Becoming Design Partner at VC Firm - Jeff Veen (Design Partner @ True Ventures): My guest today is Jeff Veen who is a deisgn partner and head of platform at True Ventures. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/CeRkpEOrhWU In this episode, we discuss the following: - 00:00 Jeff Veen Bio - 02:19 How to deal with career burnouts? - 06:09 Why startup founders must learn to delegate - 09:29 Why join True Ventures as a Design Partner - 14:34 Taking a job opportunity on your terms - 19:44 Should you make friends at work? - 22:10 Having difficult conversations with cofounders early on - 26:47 A Day in the Life of a Design Partner at True Ventures - 33:58 Introverts vs Extroverts - 35:53 Challenge of keeping in touch with people - 40:15 How to Become a Design Partner at a VC firm? - 45:25 Importance of Trust Between Cofounders, Investors - 50:45 Does a Design Partner at VC firm need to be a Figma expert? - 54:30 Use Cases for AI Design Tools - 58:06 Power of Assuming Positive Intent For show no by Design MBA

62 min listen

How to Get Promoted as Designer - Lily Konings (Product Design Manager @ Instagram): My guest today is Lily Konings who is a Product Design Manager at Instagram with previous roles at Messenger, AngelList, and IBM Watson. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/6TYK2Qk6sqw In this episode, we discuss the following: - Lily Konings Bio - How does a designer get promoted? - Introvert designer's guide to building personal brand - How to connect with folks outside your team as designer? - How often should you update your design mentor? - Why you should ask for a design promotion? - Why your environment affects your promotion chances? - Biggest misconception designers have about getting promoted - How to figure out the right environment for promotion? - Questions every designer should ask a hiring manager - As a designer should you prioritize product or people during job search? - Creating a 'How to Work With Me' Guide - How to deal with imposter syndrome after getting promoted? - How can a Des by Design MBA

54 min listen

Breaking Into Design Ops - Adam Fry Pierce (Chief of Staff @ Google): My guest today is Adam Fry Pierce who is the Chief of Staff at Google where he manages strategic programs for Google's UX leadership. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/Gj7zbrM0NFE In this episode, we discuss the following: - Adam Fry Pierce bio - Career transition from event management to Design Ops - Downside of being a gifted people reader - Horror story - not being able to read people/situations - What is Design Operations (Design Ops)? - What does a Design Ops professional do? - More job opportunities in practice operations vs people operations - Is design experience required to break into Design Ops? - Top 3 skills to be a successful design ops professional - Career progression in Design Ops - Salary/compensation on Design Ops - Job security in Design Ops - How to break into Design Ops - Questions to ask during Design Ops job interviews - Future proofing yourself as a designer - End state for Design Ops leade by Design MBA

58 min listen

Designer's Path to Becoming CEO - Murat Mutlu (CEO @Marvel): My guest today is Murat Mutlu who is the cofounder & CEO of the design platform Marvel and research platform Ballpark. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/iXv4tqlL6vc In this episode, we discuss the following: - Murat Mutlu bio - How working at a design agency makes you better at sales - Why work on side projects as a designer - How to build trust with your cofounders - Do you have to be best friends with your cofounders - What to look for in a cofounder for your first project/startup - Is it necessary to have same interests, hobbies as your cofounders - Red flags to look out for in a potential cofounder - Biggest regret before starting a company - Building a strong network before starting a new venture - Transitioning from designer to a CEO - Focusing less on design after becoming a CEO - What if you can't level up in your role as CEO to meet the company needs - It's all about sales - Why keep the company located in London by Design MBA

63 min listen

Designing Company Culture - Pieter Omvlee & Emanuel Sa (Cofounders @ Sketch): My guests today are Pieter Omvlee & Emanuel Sa who are the cofounders of Sketch. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/7SFix4Sakt8 In this episode, we discuss the following: - Pieter Omvlee and Emanuel Sá bio - What was it like in the early days of Sketch - Why Sketch decided to raise venture capital money from Benchmark - What is the Sketch company culture - Why Sketch's hiring process prioritizes communication skills - How to create a company culture where it's about the work and minimize politics - How to deal with a wrong hire - How to not get bored as a founder when working on same problem for 10 years - A day in the life of Pieter Omvlee and Emanuel Sa - Why Sketch did not move to silicon valley and open an office - How to view competition - Making difficult choices - Creating a transparent team culture at Sketch - How to prevent silos from forming at the company - Advice from Pieter and Emanuel for fol by Design MBA

53 min listen

When to Quit - Tanner Christensen (Founder @ Shape): My guest today is Tanner Christensen who is the founder at Shape.co. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/1HPwcA0O4IY In this episode, we discuss the following: - Tanner Christensen bio - Learnings from starting a design podcast - How to blog consistently for 10 years - Why you should not quit your day job to focus completely on your side projects - Benefits of doing side projects - Why quit a side project - Leaving millions of dollars to quit Facebook as a designer - Quitting full time job to focus completely on startup idea - How to figure out what you are not good at - Dealing with public failure - Career paths are not linear - Dealing with financial insecurity when going all in on side projects - Optimizing for interests over compensation in your career - Creating a platform for designers to improve their interviewing skills - Advice for designers who are thinking of quitting - How to get in touch with Tanner Christensen For sh by Design MBA

55 min listen

Diversifying Your Income Sources - Femke (Senior Product Designer @ Wealthsimple): My guest today is Femke who is a senior product designer at Wealthsimple and a design YouTuber. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/XQ8HTc9ggTI In this episode, we discuss the following: - Femke Van Schoonhoven bio - Why should creatives start side projects - How to deal with pressure, responsibility of having a large social media following - Why should influencers have authenticity and integrity - Should you work only on side projects that can be monetized - How does Femke make money via side projects - How does Femke promote her job board - How much revenue does Femke generate via her side projects - Why diversify your sources of income - Choosing not to be a full time content creator - How to manage a full time job and side hustles - Going all in on your day job vs doing side hustles - Power of thinking you are already at the next level - What to do when you feel like quitting your side projects - W by Design MBA

47 min listen

Collaborating With Other Creatives - Ben Issen (Founder @ Supercreative): My guest today is Ben Issen who is the founder of Supercreative. Interview Video: https://youtu.be/by36qEPoJ1w In this episode, we discuss the following: - Ben Issen Bio - How traveling helps you grow as a person - Why you should collaborate with other creatives on projects - What if a collaboration with a creative doesn't work out - Lesson learned from a failed collaboration - Collaborating with Ran Segall - Having difficult conversations upfront before starting a collaboration - How to use no violent communication during a collaboration - ABC feedback framework - How to collaborate with creatives who are harsh while giving feedback - Getting to know someone from their YouTube videos - How to talk about money when collaborating with other creatives - Making friends through collaborations - How to get a collaboration with your dream creative - How to get in touch with Ben Issen - Jayneil talks about his purpos by Design MBA

51 min listen

Starting a Venture Capital Firm - John Zeratsky (General Partner @ Character): My guest today is John Zeratsky who is a co-founder and general partner at the VC firm Character. In this episode, we discuss the following: - John Zeratsky Bio - Why start a venture capital firm as a designer - Why start your own venture capital firm compared to joining an existing one - How does Character decide which companies to invest in - How to avoid FOMO when working in venture capital - Unplugging from work - How to deal with missing out on investing in a unicorn startup - Risk associated with investing in early stage venture - Dealing with pressure of managing other people's money as a venture capitalist - You don't have to go to Harvard Business School to learn about business - Limited Partner composition for Character - Hardest thing about startup investing - Leaving San Francisco and rise of remote work - How to get in touch with John Zeratsky For show notes, guest bio, and more, please visi by Design MBA

44 min listen

Choosing Impact Over Scale - Dan Mall (Founder @ SuperFriendly): My guest today is Dan Mall who is the founder of SuperFriendly In this episode, we discuss the following: - Dan Mall Bio - Why do freelance design compared to work in house as a designer at FAANG? - Dealing with red tape, politics while working as a designer - Starting the design agency SuperFriendly - Turning SuperFriendly into a design collective - How to run a network based business - Who's a good fit for running a network based business - Raise venture capital or not - Benefits of trying different things - Winding down the SuperFriendly Collective despite generating millions of dollars in revenue - Choosing to focus on impact over scale - Coaching design teams on design systems - Feeling fulfilled with creative work - Do you have to sacrifice money when choosing impact over scale - Advice for designers who are worried about choosing between scale and impact with side projects - How to contact Dan Mall For show note by Design MBA

44 min listen

Becoming a Designer in Web3 - Yitong Zhang (Cofounder @ Vector DAO): My guest today is Yitong Zhang who is the cofounder of Vector DAO. In this episode, we discuss the following: - Yitong Zhang Bio - Transitioning from being founder to doing a job - Discovering and learning about crypto - Why join Coinbase as a designer - How to get started as a designer in crypto - What if you want a job in crypto but don't have crypto related design work - Difficulty of staying up to date with crypto if you don't really like it - What is Vector DAO - Time commitments if you want to join Vector DAO - Crazy compensations in crypto and risks - Losing $30,000 in crypto due to a hack - How Vector DAO does background check on clients to avoid exit scams - Downside of proving people wrong - Leaving full time job at Coinbase and starting Vector DAO - Knowing what game you are playing - Power of asking dumb questions - Advice for designers who want to break into web3 - How to contact Yitong Zhang For show by Design MBA

42 min listen

Making of a Design Founder - Jessica Ko (Founder @ Playbook): My guest today is Jessica Ko who is the founder/CEO at Playbook In this episode, we discuss the following: - Jessica Ko Bio - Doing things that make you high - Being a founder/entrepreneur is not for everyone - How to know if you are ready to become a design founder - Why you shouldn't rush to become a design leader - Benefits of starting something when you are older - Pros/Cons of becoming a design founder - Insecurities of being an inexperienced young founder - Why it's easy for a design founder to hire designers - How does a design founder balance spending time between design and other areas - How to level up in areas other than design as a design founder - Managing work/life balance as a design founder - Advice for designers who want to become founders someday For show notes, guest bio, and more, please visit: www.designmba.show by Design MBA

59 min listen

Making of a Design Manager - Connie Yang (Head of Payments Design @ Stripe): My guest today is Connie Yang who is the Head of Payments Design at Stripe. In this episode, we discuss the following: - Connie Yang Bio - Compensation for Design manager vs individual contributor designer - How to know if you are ready for design leadership - Improving your design craft before becoming a design manager - Demonstrating leadership before becoming a design manager - Focusing less on design work as a design manager - Why hiring only senior designers is a bad idea - Fear of getting a design hire wrong - Having performance related conversations with direct reports - Adapting your leadership style for different people - Unplugging and taking time off as a design manager - What if you realize design leadership is not for you - Managing your side hustles if you become a design leader - What do design managers get asked in an interview - How to contact Connie Yang For show notes, guest bio, and more by Design MBA

59 min listen

Designing a 6 Figure Figma Course - Michael Riddering (Founder @ Figma Academy): My guest today is Michael Riddering aka Ridd who is the founder of Figma Academy, an advanced level course on Figma. In this episode, we discuss the following: - Michael Riddering Bio - Feeling of launching a new product - What is Figma Academy - Why create a course on Figma - How long does it take to create a course on Figma - Pivoting from finance, venture capital field to design - Collaborating with MDS - Twists and turns along the Figma Academy journey - Waiting for ideas to marinate before implementing - Landing the founding designer gig at Maven - Finding synergies between day job and side hustle - Figma Academy has generated $250,000 in revenue in 5 months - Focusing on building an audience first before monetizing - Dealing with competitors and clones - Advice for designers who are trying to monetize their side projects - How to contact Michael Riddering ("Ridd") For show notes, guest bio, and by Design MBA

53 min listen

Becoming a Designer in Crypto - Graeme Blackwood (Head of Design @ Argent) by Design MBA

56 min listen

Life of an Entrepreneur - Aashish Dalal (Founder @ Sunya One): My guest today is Aashish Dalal who is the founder and partner at Sunya One. In this episode, we discuss the following: - Aashish Dalal Bio - Defining success in career and life - 15 years of ParkWhiz journey from a startup idea to an exit - Preparing your spouse/partner for a startup - Tuning out the naysayers, noise - Benefits of joining a support group for entrepreneurship - Importance of being authentic as a leader - Dealing with pressures of entrepreneurship - Focusing on the journey over goals - Comparing yourself to others - Focusing on Why over What - How to contact Aashish Dalal For show notes, guest bio, and more, please visit: www.designmba.show by Design MBA

54 min listen

Marketing 101 for Creatives - Billy Broas (Marketing Coach): My guest today is Billy Broas who has been the marketing brains behind some of the top online entrepreneurs and course creators. In this episode, we discuss the following: - Billy Broas Bio - Desire to do your own thing - Starting an online course on beer brewing - How to know if there is a demand for your course - Importance of persuasive copy writing - Leveraging the power of marketing - Focus on your messaging first over distribution - Why having competitors is a good thing - What marketing advice Billy gives to his clients - Billy's marketing framework - Figure out your goals before building an audience - How to contact Billy Broas For show notes, guest bio, and more, please visit: www.designmba.show by Design MBA

49 min listen

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Growing a Bootstrapped Design Business - Ran Segall (CEO @ Flux Academy)

Growing a Bootstrapped Design Business - Ran Segall (CEO @ Flux Academy)

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