Partnering with Designers in the Freelancing World
Unlocking synergy between Founders and Designers
Early-stage startups face a dilemma. Visionary Founders seek in-house Designers. Designers crave freedom and flexibility. Traditional hiring strategies are outdated. Founders need to understand the new playbook of a rare species: Senior Product Designers.
The Founder’s Challenge
Entrepreneurs often envision a unique culture for their startups, a vision they hope to share in-house.
Many new Founders fear the unknowns of remote management, worrying about losing oversight and struggling to maintain a strong company culture. First-time leaders doubt their skills in handling remote teams. “Finding Product Market Fit is already very hard. Why should we add more constraints?”
Most startups now choose the hybrid setup, trying to mix remote flexibility with onsite simplicity. This is viable until Founders decreases their recruiting criteria. You should reconsider if you’re living in an area that isn’t attractive enough for top-tier Designers. Hiring in a compromised solution never ends up in good results.
By not going remote-first, startups limit their reach to a wider pool of skilled Designers, impacting their product's chances of success.
The Founder’s Solution
Hiring design studios
Hiring a design studio is instrumental in the early stages of a startup. They are good for initial project kick-off, brainstorming, product vision drafting, prototype building, and money raising.
On the other hand, design studios lack the long-term commitment needed for your product to evolve, mature, and find its true Product Market Fit.
Parallel to working with studios, startups should seek top-tier Designers who align with their vision, setting the stage for a deeper, more sustainable collaboration.
Going with a design studio will buy you time to do proper hiring.
Hiring freelance Designers
A remote-friendly culture attracts top Designers. Founders know that. But even some young Founders still don’t apply it. Physical presence is less important than skill in today's digital world. Even physical brainstorming sessions happen in Figjam to save time.
Founders should shift focus from in-house to the right talent, regardless of location.
Engaging with freelancers offers a unique opportunity to test the mutual fit and collaboration dynamics. Experienced freelance Designers will bring Founders a surprising commitment and excellence to any project.
What Founders should do is start with low-commitment freelance partnerships. Allowing for a 'dating period' to assess mutual fit and collaboration dynamics. My experience with wave.ai perfectly illustrates this: what began as a freelance engagement evolved into a deeper commitment due to aligned visions and shared passion.
Starting with a Freelance never secures you a full-time position later on. Starting with a Freelance secures you a quality product and foundations from day one.
A great argument for hooking me from freelance to part-time was to retro-vest my shares since the beginning of the collaboration.
Make sure you hire a freelancer who is truly passionate about your projects. Don’t hesitate to test different collaborations. Embrace this ‘dating period’.
Designer’s Challenge: Flexibility vs. Ambition
Many designers who value the freedom and flexibility of remote work often find themselves accepting less ambitious projects that offer a fully remote setup. While aligning with their lifestyle choices, this preference can inadvertently limit their exposure to high-impact, challenging projects that could significantly enhance their industry competencies and career trajectory.
Prioritizing remote work can lead to missing out on challenging projects, hindering professional development.
The Designer’s Solution
The solution is not to accept hybrid or onsite missions. Designers underestimate their ability to convince hesitant Founders. Every Founder who raised money discussed going full remote or hybrid with their co-founders. Most of the time, the startup's early days were fully remote. They know its benefits and value. Even if they tell you they now have shiny offices.
By articulating their ambition, trustworthiness, and collaboration skills, Designers can effectively reassure hesitant Founders.
What Designers should do is accept occasional in-person meetings and offsite. Those are key to relationships and will further strengthen those partnerships. Providing the best blend of remote flexibility and personal interaction.
Rethinking Strategies for Collaborative Success
In conclusion, to forge successful partnerships in the freelancing world, both Founders and Designers need to adopt tangible strategies:
For Founders:
Embrace Remote Collaboration with Designers and Design Studio: Actively seek and engage with remote partners. Never compromise on recruiting criteria. This will expand your talent pool and bring diverse perspectives to your projects.
Start with Low-Commitment Engagements: Begin with short-term freelance contracts to assess fit and collaboration dynamics. Embrace the ‘dating period’. This approach reduces risk and allows for mutual fit.
Communicate and Align Vision: Ensure that your startup's vision and goals are a real fit with all your collaborations. This alignment is key to attracting the right Designers who are passionate about your project and can contribute meaningfully.
Leveraging those strategies will increase your velocity, efforts, and product quality. You may also convert the right Designer in the end.
If you're a Founder seeking innovative design solutions and open to embracing the flexibility of freelance talent, I invite you to connect with me. Access a curated pool of skilled freelance Product Designers ready to bring your vision to life.
For Designers:
Prepare your Remote Pitch: Make sure your remote pitch is fully backed with all the counter-arguments. Demonstrate how you can deliver high-quality work, irrespective of location. Communicate your working style, availability, and expectations.
Showcase Flexibility and Ambition: Balance the desire for remote work with a commitment to building physical relationships occasionally.
Seek Startups with Matching Visions: Actively seek out startups whose visions align with your skills and interests.
Leveraging those strategies will increase your chances of landing an impactful remote work mission. Taking on more challenging and impactful projects fosters the path to a successful career.
If you are a talented freelance Product Designer (+5y experience) looking to collaborate on exciting projects, feel free to contact me. I’m consolidating a pool of talents.
This part of the newsletter is a place for you to access
the most valuable links I’ve found this month.
Article of the month
This article discusses the potential of AI-first products and how they can revolutionize various industries. The author identifies three significant opportunities for Founders to build AI-first companies:
AI-first networks and marketplaces: AI can create new types of networks and marketplaces that connect people and businesses innovatively.
Redefining enterprise software categories: AI can reimagine existing software categories and create new products that offer unique value propositions.
Co-pilot for services: AI can serve as a "co-pilot" for professionals in various service industries, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness. The author encourages Founders to embrace AI as a driving force behind product development and go after large market opportunities.
An insightful and evergreen article created with powerful visuals.
Nice to see you here
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Enjoy the holiday season.
Micka 🤙