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Hey and welcome back to another week! 👋 

In this issue:

• Are Startups For You?: Find out as I share my experience spanning 6+ years at this point.

• The Best Deal on Uxcel: Uxcel is one of the best ways to learn and develop UX, PM and AI skills. Get ready for a once in a lifetime deal - literally!

• Anurag’s Portfolio: A portfolio that does visual storytelling and positioning just right

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Everything I Learned From Designing in Startups — The Hard Way 🫨

I’ve spent my entire design career in startups — from pre-seed ideas held together by sheer optimism to lean Series B companies scaling at speed.

And honestly, I don’t see myself changing that anytime soon.

It’s not for everyone. But if you thrive in ambiguity, crave ownership, and want to accelerate your learning curve, there’s nothing quite like it.

When I talk to early-career designers, many are drawn to startups — attracted by the promise of flexibility, fun, and speed. And yes, those things exist. But so do chaos, risk, and long stretches where no one tells you what to do.

Let’s get real about what startup life actually feels like — the good, the bad, and the parts you’ll only learn by living through it.

The Equity Trap (and Why “Exposure” Won’t Pay Your Rent)

I’ve seen — and been pitched — my share of “opportunities” that sound great until you do the math.

A founder with a half-baked idea, no funding, and a promise of future equity if you “just help get this off the ground.”

Sounds exciting, right? Until you realize most of these ideas never become products, and the few that do often leave early contributors with nothing.

Here’s my rule now: if there’s no salary and no clear funding, it’s not a job — it’s a gamble.

Take those only if either:

• You already know and trust the founder.

• You have a strong gut feeling and can afford the risk.

• You see it as a side gig you don’t have to rely on.

Otherwise, it’s likely just going to distract you from better opportunities. Experience matters, but bad experience costs you time, energy, and confidence.

No One Will Tell You What to Do

When I joined my first startup full-time, I assumed someone would hand me a backlog and a roadmap.

Instead, I got a laptop, a vague problem statement, and a “go figure it out.”

The company was barely funded, and everyone was too busy to onboard anyone. After a few days of waiting, I took initiative — I researched a feature we’d discussed, mocked up a concept, and sent it to the founders.

They liked it, gave me a couple of engineers, and told me to run with it.

That’s how most things begin in startups: no instructions, no safety net, and no one checking your work daily.

You learn by doing — and by making fast mistakes in public.

If that sounds thrilling, startups might be for you.

If it sounds terrifying, that’s okay too — but then you’re probably better off in a Series B+ or corporate environment where structure and guidance exist.

You Will Wear Multiple Hats (and Sometimes the Wrong One)

A few months into that same job, the company still had no marketing designer.

So I became the marketing designer — and the product designer, and occasionally the illustrator.

Later, after layoffs, I was the only designer left, working across product, brand, and growth.

It was intense. But I learned things I never would’ve learned otherwise — typography under pressure, motion design on a deadline, and how to brief freelancers like an art director.

If that kind of variety sounds exciting, you’ll thrive.

If your reaction is “that’s not my job,” you’ll struggle.

In early startups, there are no clean handovers. You just pick things up because someone has to.

It’s messy — but it builds range, resilience, and speed like nothing else.

You’ll Learn Five Years’ Worth of Skills in One

One thing I’m convinced of: working in startups compresses time.

In a single year, you’ll likely touch areas of design, strategy, and communication that would take five in a corporate setting.

You’ll make more decisions, ship more experiments, and talk to more stakeholders.

You’ll also get feedback from founders, engineers, and customers directly — often unfiltered.

It’s stressful at times, but it fast-tracks your judgment.

You start to see trade-offs more clearly, talk business fluently, and design with purpose rather than decoration.

That’s why many startup designers level up faster — not because they’re smarter, but because they’re exposed to more surface area of the work.

Stakeholder Management Starts on Day One

One thing most designers don’t expect: founders have opinions.

Strong ones.

At corporates, you might have a PM or design lead shielding you. In startups, it’s just you and the people whose money is on the line.

You’ll have to explain your decisions early and defend them well. You’ll have to compromise without losing your voice.

And sometimes, you’ll ship something you don’t fully agree with — because that’s what the business needs right now.

I’ve seen designers reach their fifth or sixth year in large organizations without ever having to navigate this. In startups, you face it in month one.

It’s uncomfortable — but it’s the best way to build confidence and clarity in your communication.

Uncertainty Is the Only Constant

Startups change fast — sometimes in inspiring ways, sometimes brutally.

I’ve seen products pivot overnight, teams reshuffled, and budgets cut in half within a week.

And that’s part of the deal.

If you join a startup, you have to accept that stability isn’t guaranteed.

The flip side? You’ll also experience moments of growth and momentum that are unmatched anywhere else.

You’ll see the impact of your work immediately — in metrics, feedback, and team energy.

It’s not safe. But it’s alive.

What You’ll Find (and What You Won’t)

You won’t find:

• Clear and unchanging directions

• A large support system or design org

• Polished processes or fixed structures

• Someone telling you what to do

You will find:

• Fast-changing priorities and a fast pace

• Ownership far beyond your title

• Opportunities to influence product decisions

• A steep but rewarding learning curve

The Double-Edged Sword of Speed

There’s one more thing to be aware of: speed comes at a price.

High autonomy can slide into overwork fast — especially in early-stage environments where everyone’s “all in.”

I’ve personally never worked 12-hour days as a rule, but I’ve definitely felt weeks filled with 12-hour days.

You’ll go home mentally drained after solving five different problems across three domains.

And yet — for me — it’s still better than the slow grind of corporate politics.

Ask about this in interviews. Ask what a normal and a stressful week looks like, and how the team handles it.

Startups can absolutely burn you out — but the good ones build guardrails, and they’ll respect your boundaries if you enforce them.

Final Thoughts

Startups are not a career cheat code. They’re a crash course.

They’ll stretch you, frustrate you, and teach you faster than anything else.

You’ll grow through exposure — not to “cool features,” but to the entire reality of building a business from zero: funding, focus, failure, and all.

If you can stomach the chaos, you’ll come out sharper, tougher, and more self-reliant than most peers at your level.

If you can’t — that’s fine. But be honest about it.

The startup world rewards the ones who run toward the unknown, not away from it.

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👀 Portfolio Showcase

Today: Anurag Bhavsar

Anurag Bhavsar’s portfolio is a confident, polished, and highly intentional piece of work — the kind of portfolio that immediately communicates experience, presence, and care. 

At first glance it is strikingly simple: no theatrics, no special effects, no motion-heavy hero. But the simplicity is deceiving. Underneath it sits a thoughtful, strategically built narrative that makes you pay attention.

Anurag, an award-winning product designer with four years of experience across India and the U.S., comes with an unusually compelling mix of capabilities. His background spans complex problem-solving environments, real industry collaborations (including CNN), and a strong visual sensibility that he uses deliberately rather than decoratively. His hero section tells you all of this in a single sentence — and the rest of his portfolio consistently proves it.

What makes Anurag stand out is the way he presents his work: he merges highly visual, infographic-driven storytelling with the structural clarity of a well-built website. This hybrid approach is notoriously difficult to execute, yet he pulls it off in a way that feels engaging, scannable, and almost editorial in tone. You feel guided, not overwhelmed.

Let’s unpack what makes this portfolio so effective — and where a few targeted refinements could make it even more memorable.

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That’s it for this week—thanks so much for the support! ♥️

Do you want your own portfolio reviewed in-depth with a 30-minute advice-packed video review? Or do you require mentoring to figure out a proper strategy for your job search?

I got you!

• Book an in-depth portfolio or resume review with me

• Book a mentoring session with me

• Book a quick 15 min chat to ask a question and see if we vibe

Keep kicking doors open and see you next week!
- Florian