Y Combinator Startup Podcast What Founders Can Do To Improve Their Design Game
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Mar 28, 2025 
Raphael Schaad, Head of Calendar at Notion and founder of the innovative calendar app Kron, shares his unique perspective on design and entrepreneurship. He discusses the shift from design as mere art to a vital problem-solving tool. Raphael emphasizes why founders should integrate design early in product development and how coding skills enhance creativity. He also highlights the value of sketching as a fundamental practice for all designers and the delicate balance between innovation and user expectations in craft.
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Three Pillars of Product Success
- Building a successful product requires desirability, viability, and feasibility.
- These map to design, business, and technology, respectively, with design focusing on desirability.
Design's Evolution
- Design has shifted from an artistic pursuit to problem-solving, driven by industrialization.
- Modern software allows designers to control the means of production, unlike in the past.
Learn the Medium
- Designers should be comfortable with the medium they work in, including code for software.
- Understanding the building blocks gives designers a significant advantage, especially with AI.
