What led you into design?
I started my career as a front-end engineer and kind of fell into design when I realized my interfaces were not very good. I wanted to build products that looked like best-in-class products, so I taught myself patterns, studied other well-designed products and slowly started improving. It was a process of trial and error—learning what worked, what didn’t, and really focusing on the user experience.
Over time, I began to appreciate how design could enhance not just the aesthetics but also the usability of products and the perceptions you can create in peoples minds. It wasn’t just about making things look good; it was about making them intuitive and causing a person to feel something when using my products, the same way I do when I use products I love. That perspective shifted the way I approached projects, and design became an integral part of how I thought about product development.
Nowadays, I tend to work at the intersection of frontend development and product design — what some companies are calling Design Engineering.
What does a typical day look like?
My role as a Chief Product Officer means I’m not as hands-on with design and code as I used to be (at least during work hours), but I’m still deeply involved in shaping the direction of our products. A typical day usually involves a mix of strategy, team collaboration and decision-making. I spend a lot of time working with cross-functional teams — whether it’s product, marketing, sales or engineering — helping align everyone on our goals and making sure we’re all heading in the right direction.
I’m often in meetings, either working with the leadership team or reviewing progress with different departments, but I try to keep time blocked off for thinking through bigger product initiatives or diving into feedback from users. On top of that, I work closely with our customers and stakeholders to gather insights, clarify our roadmap, and ensure we’re meeting their needs.
After hours, I work on side projects — typically products and open-source software — as a creative outlet and also a way to give back to the community. I’ve found that working on OSS in particular helps keeps me connected to the broader developer and design ecosystems.
What's your workstation setup?
Right now, my setup is pretty straightforward. I use a 14” 2021 MacBook Pro with the M1 chip, which handles everything I need from design work to development. I also have an iPhone 13 Pro, though it’s starting to show its age, so I’m looking to replace it soon.
Since I travel a fair amount, I try to keep things minimal and portable. I’m on the lookout for a good portable monitor to complement my laptop when I’m on the road. LMK if you have suggestions!
Where do you go to get inspired?
I get a lot of inspiration from places like Mobbin, Dribbble, Pinterest and other platforms that showcase creative ideas and design trends across a variety of industries. I also see a lot of great products on ProductHunt.
Beyond that, traveling is a big source of inspiration for me. Seeing different cultures, environments, and ways of living often gives me fresh perspectives that I can bring back into my work, whether it’s in design, problem-solving, or just thinking about products in a new way.
I recently bought a DJI Mavic 3 Pro so I've started making reels of every city I go to!
What product have you recently seen that made you think this is great design?
I'm a huge fan of Vercel and PlanetScale. Both of these products take something inherently complex — cloud infrastructure and databases — and make it incredibly simple and intuitive for users. Their design is clean and thoughtful, but more importantly, the user experience feels effortless, which is a testament to how well they’ve executed on design and product strategy.
Otherwise, from a purely brand / design perspective, I'm quite keen on Superpower lately. The way they’ve crafted their visual identity and brand presence is just striking — it’s cohesive, memorable, and stands out in a crowded space.
What pieces of work are you most proud of?
From a design perspective, I would say Corellium has been my best work so far. Its given me the broadest range of areas to explore across the longest period of time — branding, product design, marketing collateral, website design and more for the last few years.
In general though, the projects I'm most proud of are the ones that became valuable enough to continue without me (like via an acquisition). I previously ran an agency called Jellypepper where I worked with startups in self-driving cars, AI, biotech, crypto, drone delivery, cybersecurity and even outer space logistics. Jellypepper was acquired in 2023 by Raw Studio. I also founded Refraction, a suite of AI-based code improvement tools for developers, which was acquired in 2023 by Twistag.
What design challenges do you face at your company?
One of the main design challenges we face is that we’re operating in a fairly innovative market where there isn’t a lot of precedence for the kinds of products we’re building. It’s both a blessing and a curse—on one hand, we have the freedom to explore new ideas without being too constrained by existing patterns. On the other hand, it means we don’t always have clear examples to follow, which can make decision-making more complex. We often have to test and iterate more than usual to find the right solutions, and there’s a lot of responsibility in setting the bar for what good design looks like in this space.
Another challenge is capacity. We have a small design team, and with the number of initiatives we’re managing, it can be tough to keep up with the demand. We have to be very deliberate about prioritization and focus on high-impact projects. The team works hard to maintain a high standard, but it’s definitely a challenge to balance the volume of work with the level of quality we want to achieve. Collaboration across the product and engineering teams becomes even more critical in this environment to keep everything moving forward.
What music do you listen to while designing?
Any advice for ambitious designers?
As cliché as it sounds, stay curious and never stop learning. Design is one of those fields where things are constantly evolving — new tools, trends and challenges — so being open to growth and staying adaptable is key. Try not to get too comfortable with the way things are; always be willing to experiment, explore different approaches, and push yourself beyond what you’re used to.
Also, think about the on the impact of your work, not just the aesthetics. It’s easy to get caught up in making things look good, but the real value comes from designing products that solve problems and improve the lives of the people using them. Pay attention to user feedback, think critically about how your designs function in the real world, and always strive for that balance between beauty and usability.
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