There is a better and cheaper way to find a product designer for your startup
Founders usually think they only have three choices when deciding on their first design hires:
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Pay a fortune for a “brand name” designer. They might have FAANG experience, but they’re slow, they complain about a lack of systems and design process, and are resistant to change.
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You can hire a slick design agency. They promise “embedded” teams, but in reality, they work like mercenaries and are out the door when things get tough or messy.
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Or you can gamble on freelancers. Cheap and fast - but they don’t know how to work with product and engineering teams, they are a headache to source and manage and you outgrow them fast.
I believe there is a better way
Hi. I’m Josh. I’ve built product and design teams at Google, Yelp, and most recently Breadfast, a MENA based YC-backed startup.
Don’t get me wrong - seasoned ex-FAANG designers can be great. They have learnt their craft from the best. But they can be slow, often come with egos, and have set ways of working - not to mention large price tags.
Self-taught designers in emerging regions often have the exact set of skills you are looking for at your growing startup:
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They are fast, creative hustlers.
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They often have hybrid design & engineering skillsets.
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They are AI first and use the latest tools
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And… they are affordable.
The problem (and you will know this if you have tried to hire internationally) - these potential superstars come with gaps:
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The often haven't worked in modern product environments.
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The won't know as much about growth & experimentation.
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They have less experience with UX research and validation.
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They may struggle to communicate their work and need more guidance
This is where I come in
You don't have the experience, time or interest in finding, retaining, coaching & enabling these types of people. But I do.
I know how to build in-house design teams using worldwide talent because I've done it several times, and I’ve gotten quite good at it. I have been a PM at top tech companies, I know your world and can translate your business and product goals into exactly what a designer needs to create solutions that drive growth, keeps you moving fast - while keeping them motivated and happy.
Usually you would have to wait until series C to hire a designer leader like myself. Which is unfortunate, because myself and a couple of these "uncut gems" create a killer combo of fast, creative, product-minded "missionaries" that are exactly what your emerging startup needs to accelerate your success.
How it would work
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You get 1 - 3 of my pre-vetted designers and me for 70% of what it would cost you to hire an equivalent US based design team.
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I become your fractional head of design, and the designers become a part of your team. I scale my time based on the number of designers you hire.
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As head of design, my job is to understand your goals, keep engineering unblocked and ensure the designers perform at the top of their game.
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You get to forget about design management and focus on scaling your business.
Interested?
I started Missioneer because I don’t want to spend the next decade in a FAANG senior director role, dying of boredom while I “rest and vest”. I’d rather be in the trenches with ambitious founders, helping them build lean, fast, AI-first product teams that change the world.
If that sounds like you - let’s talk.
Josh Mahoney
josh@missioneer.design
