Video · 18 minutes

Design for Startups (Part 1)

Garry Tan · Y Combinator (YouTube) Free Beginner

Design for Startups (Part 1)

Garry Tan was a designer before he was an investor, and here he tells founders exactly how much design to care about and when. He argues clarity and usability matter far more than beauty at the early stage. It is the most direct answer to how much design you really need from someone who has funded hundreds of startups.

  • Usability beats visual polish when you have no users yet
  • Founders can and should do their own early design
  • Good design is mostly removing confusion, not adding style
Watch on YouTube ↗

It answers 3 questions

  1. Should I learn Figma, and how much design do I really need?
  2. Why does good design actually matter for an early-stage startup?
  3. As a solo technical founder, when is it worth hiring a designer versus using a template or design system?

Read with it

  1. Design tactics written specifically for developers and non-designers who need to ship good-looking UI without a design... refactoringui.com Book · ~250 pages Refactoring UI Adam Wathan & Steve Schoger
  2. The single best thing ever written on customer conversations. It teaches you to ask about the customer's life and past... momtestbook.com Book · ~130 pages The Mom Test Rob Fitzpatrick
  3. The most accessible, practical intro to usability ever written, you can read it in a weekend and immediately fix your product.... sensible.com Book · ~200 pages Don't Make Me Think, Revisited Steve Krug
  4. Facebook's first design VP explains what design actually is beneath the surface of pretty screens. She frames it as solving a... The Year of the Looking Glass Essay · 8 minute read Why Design Julie Zhuo
  5. This answers the flip side of the question, how much design to do yourself versus when to bring in a real designer. It lays out... First Round Review Article · 30 minute read The Ultimate Guide to the Founding Designer Role First Round Review
  6. This is the single best starting point if you think design just means making things look nice. Riley wrote it as an open letter... Wells Riley Essay · 15 min read Startups, This Is How Design Works Wells Riley
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