YC
What Founders Can Do To Improve Their Design Game
@ Y Combinator
03/28/25
Takeaways
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
I care a lot about encouraging more designers to become founders and more founders to care about design in the early days of starting their company.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Designers have something really valuable to bring to the table when starting companies, as they can build products that people truly want.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
To build a successful product, you need desirability, viability, and feasibility, which can be mapped to design, business, and technology.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Design is about making something people want, which aligns with the YC ethos.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Historically, design was closer to an artistic pursuit, but now it's more about problem-solving and answering questions with solutions.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Designers today can control the means of production through software and code, making it an interesting time for them to build companies and products.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Learning by doing is essential; producing designs, even bad ones, helps you understand what works and what doesn't.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Surround yourself with beauty and well-designed objects to develop your taste in design.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Reading design books can provide deep knowledge; classics like 'Grid Systems' and 'The Elements of Typographic Style' are highly recommended.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Taste can be acquired by separating well-designed from poorly designed objects and thinking critically about every interaction you have.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
A design that gets better with age, both physically and in software, is a sign of good design. Surround yourself with high-quality objects that last, rather than accumulating many low-quality items.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Everything around us is designed, whether intentionally or accidentally, and we can consciously improve it.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Good design is a lost art in early-stage startups, and now is the moment for design to have a significant impact as everything is being reimagined with AI.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Companies that recognize the value of design, especially during times of change, gain a competitive edge.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Design is not just about aesthetics; it encompasses how a product works and how it is built, affecting the overall user experience.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Founders should prioritize hiring talented designers early on to enhance their company's design capabilities.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
My design process begins with sketching ideas on paper, which allows for quick visualization and capturing of insights.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Users are the ultimate judges of whether a design works, and their feedback is crucial in the design process.
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Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Sketching on paper is powerful because it is unconstrained, allowing for free expression of ideas before moving to digital tools.
RS
Raphael Schaad
03/28/25
@ Y Combinator
Encouraging more designers to become founders is essential, as developing a design mindset will be crucial for building the next generation of companies.