At Kind Heart, we’ve collaborated directly with founders from companies at various stages of maturity—from those who have only raised a small friends and family (F&F) round to Series A companies. Through these discussions, we’ve identified the three most common mistakes founders make when seeking designers.

Mistake #1: Going too cheap

We’ve all heard the horror stories of hiring an offshore designer from Fiverr or similar marketplaces, where the low price seems too good to be true—and it often is. Founders end up spending weeks hand-holding the designer through the product development process, working across different time zones, only to receive a subpar product. Yet, due to time and budget constraints, they proceed with the flawed design, leading to product debt. By the time they decide to stop working with the designer, they are left with a product they’re not proud of.

At Kind Heart, we’ve encountered many founders who have had this experience. They seek someone reliable, someone they can trust to make things right. By starting with designers who care deeply about their reputation and quality, you can avoid the headaches that often accompany cheap, offshore designers.

Mistake #2: Hiring a founding designer too early

After raising a fresh round of pre-seed or seed funding, many founders decide it’s time to hire a founding designer. While this may seem like a logical step, hiring a founding designer too early can be risky. The founding designer role is one of the most challenging positions to fill due to the immense responsibility it entails. Their role goes beyond pushing pixels; it involves constantly switching between discovery, execution, planning, QA, and more. Finding the right person often requires a lengthy interview process to ensure their design ethos aligns with the company’s vision.

To mitigate this risk, we generally recommend working with a reliable freelancer or boutique agency. This approach helps you establish a strong product and brand foundation without the risk of committing to a full-time hire. Additionally, you’ll attract better design talent in the long term if they know they’re joining a company that has already invested in its design operations.

Mistake #3: Hiring a bigger agency

We’ve spoken with founders who have hired large agencies that charge three to five times what we charge, making founders wait weeks for results, and forcing feedback through project managers who lack design experience. As a startup founder, speed and agility are crucial for survival, and large agencies with layers of bureaucracy can impede this. The inefficiencies introduced by these large agencies can slow down your iteration process, negatively impacting your startup’s progress.

Conclusion

Avoiding these common mistakes can significantly improve your chances of finding the right design talent for your startup. By steering clear of overly cheap offshore designers, delaying the hiring of a founding designer until the time is right, and opting for nimble, experienced boutique agencies over cumbersome large ones, you can build a strong foundation for your product and brand. At Kind Heart Design, we are committed to helping you navigate these challenges and achieve your vision with expert design solutions tailored to your needs. Remember, investing in the right design talent early on can set the stage for long-term success and innovation.