Designer Fund

Today we’re excited to launch Liftoff out of stealth! For the past 5 years, the hiring ecosystem has been drowning in noise – mass applications, keyword matching, and algorithms that miss what actually matters. Today’s AI tools only made things worse – we’ve automated applications and outreach, and lost all human signal. With Liftoff, we’re replacing noise with trust. Liftoff is a hiring and networking platform that helps incredible people find each other, through people they trust. We’re using technology to amplify human insight – like the knowledge of what people are capable of and interested in next – and facilitate intelligent social connections, so great people find each other more easily. While in stealth, over 5,000 users have joined to connect people they know, and we’ve had the privilege of helping 100+ companies – from Ramp to Loom to celebrity co-founded startups – find exceptional talent from CEO successors to Heads of Marketing to Founding Designers. A big thank you to our community of leaders who have been co-building with us every step of the way. We live and breathe user feedback, which has been easy when your users are accomplished startup leaders. The savviness of the leaders who have surrounded and shaped our product, has elevated everything for us. To that end, we’d love to invite you – and all the incredible people you know – to sign up here and shape what we’re building and the future of how people connect: www.liftoff.xyz. We’re excited for you to use Liftoff to discover exceptional people you should be working with, without the noise. You can read our full story here: https://lnkd.in/eHsuhzYs

On October 23, we’re teaming up with Figma for a Designer/Builder Demo Night in San Francisco! Come see demos from Cecilia Uhr, Jonathan Arena, Cecilia Z., and the Figma Make team. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with the community of designers and founders building the next generation of products. We’ve got a few spots left - apply to attend: https://luma.com/5ifts8lm

I could not be more excited to announce the launch of Previvor Edge (www.previvoredge.com), a comprehensive clinical program for cancer prevention and early detection. We’re grateful to be backed by CoFound, Max Ventures, humbition, Red Swan Ventures, and Designer Fund. Our clinical advisors have provided invaluable expertise in shaping our clinical program. Thank you to: William Oh, MD, Ilana Yurkiewicz, MD, Allison Kurian, MD, MSc, Rebecca Kaltman, M.D., and Anil Rustgi, MD How to Jump Right In 👉 Learn more and join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/e25v2C9U 👉 Providers can refer patients here: https://lnkd.in/enMZViZh Why we Built Previvor Edge Cancer is prevalent in my family. I have seen first hand the power of early detection and the pain when cancer is caught late. I have also spent the better part of the last decade working in cancer, so I understand where patients fall through the cracks and where there is an opportunity to make a transformative impact. Cancer is one of the biggest health challenges we face. It is a leading cause of death, with 40% of Americans diagnosed in their lifetime. For many people routine screening, which catches only 14% of cancers, is not enough and proven prevention strategies are not implemented. - 35% of Americans have a family history of cancer suggestive of an elevated risk and the need for enhanced screening - 70% of Americans have at least one modifiable clinical or lifestyle risk factor - 90% of Americans only learn about their genetic risk for cancer after they have been diagnosed; this is way too late That’s why we built Previvor Edge: to help people understand their personal cancer risk and build a tailored plan that goes far beyond routine checkups so they can lower their risk of getting cancer and increase their chances of catching it early, when it's most treatable. And we do this through a clinical program, delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of physicians, nurse practitioners, and genetic counselors who take responsibility for care. And most importantly,  thank you to my partner on this journey Sven Karlsson , to Ray Bradley, Carrie Tilley, MS, ANP-BC, Benjamin Stein, Emily Hackel and Shilpa Chhadwa and to everyone who has supported us, you know who you are. This is the beginning of a movement: shifting cancer from something that happens to us, to something we can feel empowered to do something about. I can’t wait to hear what you think.

The best designer founders don't just do great design work. They make everyone around them better at design. "Design has a seat at the table now." says Jeff Anders, co-founder of Ambrook. "The challenge now is getting everyone else at the table to share a similar design sensibility." As a founder, your role expands far beyond what you're good at. You have to infuse that sensibility into every corner of the company, from recruiting and culture to sales and marketing. Our interview with Jeff explores what happens when design craft is embedded across an entire company, and why underserved industries can be some of the most meaningful places for designers to build.

“I need to go to bat even more for the most ambitious version of the design team and what we can mean to the company and to our customers.” Jeff Anders, co-founder and head of design at Ambrook, shows what happens when design is part of a company’s founding DNA. His team uses design to win trust, build credibility, and reimagine financial tools for family-run businesses. Ambrook is building the financial infrastructure for American industry, starting with agriculture and expanding into other resource-intensive sectors. More than 3,000 operations across all 50 states use its platform to manage accounting, banking, invoicing, and spending, replacing paperwork and legacy systems with modern tools. They recently raised a $26M Series A to build on this work. In our latest Designer Founders interview, Jeff talks about setting a high bar for product and brand from day one, being the loudest voice for design inside your company, and why that conviction especially matters when you're working in spaces that are slower to change. Highlights from the conversation: • Craft and brand can help startups build early credibility • As a designer founder, your role is design evangelist for the company • Look beyond “solve your own problems” to where design has outsized impact • Build trust with AI through transparency, even if it adds friction • Don’t pre-compromise your vision—start ambitious, then refine together • Culture is designed too: recruiting, storytelling, how you gather as a team Read + watch the full feature → https://lnkd.in/gR7TpU4v

One of designers' greatest superpowers: creating gravity. Evan Sharp, co-founder of Pinterest and now of West Co., believes that when designers work on something they love, it has a tendency to become magnetic. Instead of having to chase down co-founders, hires, or customers, the right people start showing up because they feel the pull of what you’ve made. In our latest Designer Founders interview, Evan reflects on why confidence matters more than experience as a first-time founder, what he’d do differently if he could re-run Pinterest’s early days, and how he’s now building a company centered on care and connection. 🌀 Read it here: https://lnkd.in/dr7Er_qi

“It's easier to raise a $5M seed round than hire a full time designer” “The race for design talent is on” “The market for startup designers has never been more competitive” These were some of the tweets we were seeing a month ago around how tough it was to hire great designers. Instead of adding fuel to the fire we did what we thought would be the most helpful: interviewed the people who do this best, packaged all the tips/tactics/examples, and then made it available in an easy-to-use resource to everyone. For free :) How the hell do I hire a designer right now? Here's how - https://lnkd.in/gAkCNjru p.s. this does NOT mean it will be easy. Hiring designers is an ass-in-seat, day after day type of work. BUT at least you now have the playbook to know you're going about it the right way. And if you still feel you want more help... DMs as always are open ;)

For founders, hiring a designer to join their team early on isn't easy. It's often time-consuming, competitive, and the best designers have plenty of options. Once you start the process, questions come up fast: What does a strong JD look like? How many interview steps should there be? How do I evaluate candidates fairly? Where do I find talented designers in the first place? Built from a decade of supporting startups through design hiring - plus advice from founders, recruiters, and founding designers who've seen the process from both sides - we've assembled a comprehensive resource library and 60-slide deck on the topic. It's packed with tactics, examples, frameworks, and the full recording from our recent session. 📝 Get it here: https://lnkd.in/g3NeeunN