Where can startups find good designers?

Designers can be found on portfolio websites like Dribbble and Behance, professional networks like LinkedIn, and through organizations like AIGA. Also consider design schools and even reaching out directly to designers at companies with strong design aesthetics.

How can startups attract designers if they can't offer big company perks?

Startups can attract designers by being open about their vision and culture, understanding and speaking the designer's language, and offering more senior roles. Content marketing and social media can also help showcase the company's commitment to design.

What are the key qualities to look for when interviewing designers?

Look for strong communication skills, the ability to articulate hard decisions and trade-offs, empathy, and a user-centric approach. Designers should focus on understanding users and problems before jumping to solutions.

Why is an 'About Us' page important for a startup?

An 'About Us' page is crucial for founders to tell their story and connect with customers on a human level. It helps differentiate the startup from larger, more generic companies and builds trust and relationship with the audience.

How can startups effectively conduct user interviews?

Effective user interviews involve asking open-ended questions like 'Tell me about your day.' It's also vital to listen for emotional cues and 'hair on fire' problems, as these often represent the most significant issues a user faces.

Is controversy always bad for a startup?

Not necessarily. While generally advised against, strategic controversy, like the name 'Soylent', can generate significant free advertising and attract a specific audience. It depends heavily on the context and how it aligns with the brand's overall goals.

Key Moments

Design for Startups by Garry Tan (Part 2)

Y Combinator

Science & Technology6 min read20 min video

Sep 19, 2018|27,371 views|522|11

YC Y Combinator Startup School Garry Tan

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Startups can hire designers by using online platforms like Dribbble or Behance for consultants, and the timing of hiring depends on funding stages, with Series B being the ideal time to build a design team.

Key Insights

For pre-seed and seed stage startups, a co-founder likely needs to handle design, with consulting options available.

By Series A, startups, even those with technical products like developer APIs, should consider their first dedicated designer.

By Series B, startups with 10-15 engineers should aim to hire a design team rather than a single designer to avoid overwhelming the individual.

Platforms like 99designs and Fiverr can be used to find low-cost visual designers by hiring multiple jobs and personally befriending the best performers.

When interviewing designers, focus on communication skills and their ability to articulate difficult trade-offs and thought processes, not just portfolio aesthetics.

Controversy, like the naming of 'Soylent', can be a powerful tool for generating earned advertising and a strong business, though it carries significant risk.

When and how to hire designers based on funding stage

The timing for bringing design expertise into a startup evolves with funding. For pre-seed and seed-stage companies, design responsibilities often fall to a co-founder, supplemented by some consulting work. As companies approach Series A, it becomes crucial to hire a dedicated designer, even for products with a user-facing element like developer APIs, where good developer experience is paramount. By Series B, with larger engineering teams (10-15 engineers), the focus should shift from hiring a single designer to building a design team. Hiring a sole designer into a large engineering team can be daunting for the designer, who is accustomed to collaborative design environments found in larger tech companies or design firms.

Platforms and strategies for finding design talent

Several online platforms can be leveraged to find designers. Dribbble and Behance are excellent for exploring portfolios and identifying talent. LinkedIn can also be useful for finding designers who have worked with well-regarded design companies. For more budget-conscious needs like logo or basic visual design, platforms like 99designs and Fiverr can be effective. A clever strategy involves hiring multiple small jobs on these platforms to see a range of outputs, then personally connecting with the individuals who produce the best work. These platforms offer access to a global talent pool, including emerging designers in regions like the Philippines, Thailand, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, and even within the United States, who may be highly talented but new to the job market.

Recruiting individual consultants and design firms

Finding individual design consultants can be a smart way to test the waters and potentially recruit full-time hires. Many consultants enjoy working on diverse projects and can be discovered through outreach. If a good fit is found, hiring them as a temporary consultant can lead to a permanent role. Design firms can also be an option, but startups need to find firms willing to work with them, as many top firms primarily serve Fortune 500 companies with larger budgets. 'Get Labs' is mentioned as a useful firm, but referrals are often the best approach. A YC alumna company, 'Play-doh Design', is specifically recommended for its work with startups.

Attracting designers to startup culture

Attracting designers to a startup environment requires understanding their needs. At Series A, a consumer-focused company might need a design co-founder. Later, when engineering teams are larger, it's vital to build a diversified design team. Designers from larger tech companies or design firms are used to collaborating with peers who think about wireframes, users, and personas daily. A solo designer facing a large engineering team can feel isolated and overwhelmed. Therefore, creating a supportive and collaborative design culture is crucial. This involves clearly defining roles, such as product managers with design acumen, interaction designers focused on empathy and communication, or visual designers. Demonstrating an understanding of design principles through content marketing and social media, and speaking the language of design, signals a good cultural fit for potential hires.

Effective interview techniques for designers

Interviewing designers should focus on vital skills beyond just portfolio aesthetics. A quick phone screen is essential for assessing communication skills, as a designer's ability to articulate their vision is critical. During in-person interviews with the team, candidates should be asked to walk through difficult decisions and trade-offs they've made in their product design process. This includes discussing their approach to personas, prioritization, and understanding the inherent compromises in design. Founders who have already invested significant time in design problems are best positioned to conduct these interviews as they can critically evaluate a candidate's thought process against their own. Empathy and active listening are key traits, and designers who immediately jump to drawing without understanding the users or problem should be viewed with caution.

The role of 'About Us' pages and user interviews

While not strictly a design element, an 'About Us' page is considered very important for building customer relationships. It's an opportunity for founders to tell their story and humanize the company, a crucial differentiator in a landscape of imitative tech giants. Coinbase's success is partly attributed to Brian Armstrong's early transparency and willingness to put his name and details on the website. Regarding user interviews, the key is to be a good interviewer, employing open-ended questions like 'Tell me about your day' and seizing on emotional responses. Identifying 'hair on fire' problems, where users express significant frustration or anger, often reveals the most potent issues that design can then address.

Prototyping, problem-solving, and strategic secrecy

While prototyping is an incredibly valuable tool, some founders, like Garry Tan, admit to prioritizing rapid code development and shipping products quickly, even if it means skipping formal prototyping. He suggests that if designers are unsure about a solution, it might indicate a business or technology problem rather than a purely design one, as design cannot solve fundamental distribution or buildability issues. In situations of high competition or proprietary technology, strategic secrecy might be necessary. However, the standard YC advice is to compete against obscurity, not other companies, by being as open as possible and getting your product known. This human element and interplay with the audience are often more critical than maintaining strict secrecy.

Leveraging controversy and understanding its impact

Controversy can be a double-edged sword but also a powerful marketing tool. The example of 'Soylent' illustrates this; its name generated significant debate. While many reacted negatively, this controversy drove awareness and engagement, splitting the audience into those who were repelled and those who were immediately drawn to the product. This type of controversy can lead to substantial earned advertising. However, the decision to embrace controversy must be carefully considered based on the specific product and market. Most companies tend to be too secretive, missing opportunities for broader reach that open communication and, sometimes, calculated risk-taking can provide. Ultimately, startup success lies at the intersection of design, business, and technology.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Organizations

●People Referenced

Startup Design Hiring: Dos and Don'ts

Practical takeaways from this episode

Do This

Hire a designer by Series A, especially for user-facing elements or developer APIs.

By Series B, plan to hire a design team, not just a single designer.

Use platforms like Dribbble, LinkedIn, Behance, and AIGA to find designers.

Consider consulting with individual designers as a way to recruit them.

For low-cost logo/visual design, hire from platforms like 99designs or Fiverr and review multiple outputs.

Look for transferable skills in PMs, interaction designers, and visual designers.

Communicate your startup's culture and language to attract designers.

During interviews, prioritize communication skills and the ability to discuss trade-offs.

Ask candidates to walk through their thought process, considering users and problems.

Leverage founders who have spent time on design problems to interview candidates.

Seek designers who are empathetic and listen to user needs.

Use an 'About Us' page to tell your founder story and build customer relationships.

Ask open-ended questions in user interviews and look for emotional cues ('hair on fire' problems).

Consider controversy strategically if it aligns with your brand and target audience.

Be open and human to compete against obscurity and the 'back button'.

Avoid This

Wait until Series B or later to hire your first designer, especially if you have engineers.

Expect a designer to thrive as the sole design person among many engineers without a team structure.

Only rely on design school graduates; talented designers exist without formal degrees.

Assume all design firms are willing or equipped to work with startups; many focus on Fortune 500 clients.

Underestimate the fear a designer might feel joining a small team without established design processes.

Focus solely on portfolio beauty; communication and collaboration are crucial.

Interview designers who can't articulate their thought process or discuss trade-offs.

Hire designers who are complainers or talk excessively about themselves.

Hire designers who immediately start drawing without asking about users or the problem.

Jump straight to coding without prototyping if you're unsure about the solution.

Be overly secretive if your product isn't easily copied or enterprise-focused; openness is often better.

Avoid controversy entirely; it can be a powerful marketing tool if used strategically.

Try to imitate large companies like Microsoft or Google; embrace your unique founder story.

Common Questions

Generally, by Series A, a startup should consider hiring its first designer, especially if it has user-facing elements or developer APIs. Even highly technical products benefit from a designer focusing on developer experience. Waiting until Series B is often too late.

Topics

Technology & Innovation Business & Entrepreneurship Founder Story User Experience Product Design Startup Strategy Brand-building Startup Hiring Design Recruitment

Mentioned in this video

Companies

Coinbase

Highlighted as a successful company, partly due to founder Brian Armstrong's willingness to be public and real, contributing to customer relationships.

Y Combinator

Mentioned as a startup accelerator whose alumni and advice are referenced, including a standard ISM about competing against obscurity.

Fiverr

An online marketplace for freelance services, including design, mentioned as an option for affordable design work.

Microsoft

Used as an example of a company that startups might try to imitate, but founders should embrace their unique story.

Google

Cited as a company that startups might try to imitate, contrasting with the value of telling a unique founder story.

Play-Doh Design

A design company that recently graduated from Y Combinator, recommended for its services to startups.

A professional networking platform where one can look for companies with good design and reach out to their designers.

Facebook

Mentioned as a large tech company where designers are accustomed to working in large teams and with established processes.

Organizations

Stanford University

Mentioned as a source of talented designers, particularly relevant for tech-focused startups.

Parsons School of Design

A prominent design school mentioned as a place to find qualified designers for startups.

Carnegie Mellon University

Mentioned as one of the schools that has produced good designers, serving as inspiration for hiring.

AIGA

A professional organization for design that has a database of member designers available for hiring.

MIT

Mentioned as a school that has produced well-regarded designers, useful for startup hiring.

Software & Apps

Behance

A platform for designers to showcase creative work, mentioned as a place to find designers.

99designs

A platform for logo and visual design, useful for startups seeking low-cost design solutions.

Dribbble

A platform for designers to showcase their portfolios, recommended for finding designers.

People

Brian Armstrong

Founder of Coinbase, praised for being one of the few in the early Bitcoin world willing to put his name and identity out there, fostering real connections.

Products

Soylent

A company that strategically used controversy around its name (linked to the movie) to generate free advertising and build a powerful business.