QC#53: Ben Blumenrose, Co-Director & Managing Partner at Designer Fund
Dec 6, 2023
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Ben Blumenrose, Co-Director & Managing Partner at Designer Fund, shares his career journey joining Facebook early as a Design Lead, the importance of impact and functionality in design, and the unique support that Designer Fund provides to early-stage startups.
Design should prioritize impact over aesthetics or awards.
Designer Fund supports founders by providing design talent, mentorship, and fundraising assistance.
Deep dives
Importance of Impact in Design
The speaker emphasizes that the top priority in design is impact, rather than prioritizing aesthetics or awards. This perspective was shaped during their time at Facebook, where the focus was on creating products that work well and have a real impact on users.
Transition from Design to Venture Capital
After feeling a sense of complacency in their design role at Facebook and recognizing a lack of design focus in early stage startups, the speaker decided to transition into venture capital. They wanted to have a broader impact on the ecosystem by investing in companies and helping them prioritize and integrate design into their product development.
Support for Founders from Designer Fund
Designer Fund offers support to founders through various means. They assist in hiring exceptional design talent, provide guidance and mentorship to help companies develop their in-house design capabilities, and offer design advice and feedback on product milestones. They also connect founders with an exceptional design community and provide support in fundraising efforts.
Book Recommendation: Kisa by Kisa
The speaker recommends the book 'Kisa by Kisa' by Craig Mod, which offers a unique and immersive reading experience. Although it is framed as a search for the best pizza toast in Japan, the book delves into deeper themes of life, self-reflection, and human connection, providing a thought-provoking and beautiful read.
In this week’s Quick Coffee, we speak with Ben Blumenrose, the Co-Director & Managing Partner at Designer Fund. We start out with some storytime and learn about Ben’s career step joining Facebook early as a Design Lead. We speak about how this step shaped him as a designer, how he interprets impact and how he believes founders create a truly product and design driven culture. And we cover the foundation of Designer Fund, his motivation, vision and the way that Designer Fund supports its founders. A amazing conversation we cannot wait for you to listen to, grab a coffee and meet Ben!
Our episode overview
(00:00:00) Opening the episode and welcoming Ben
(00:01:08) Ben’s career game changer joining the early Facebook as a Design Lead
(00:07:00) Understanding “impact” as a designer
(00:12:50) The culture that founders create who are sweating the product details
(00:20:00) Ben’s transition and motivation for founding Designer Fund
(00:27:00) What is special about how Designer Fund works with founders