Scaling DevTools Steve Ruiz, founder of tldraw - taste, creativity and obsession
Jun 7, 2025
Steve Ruiz, the founder of tldraw, brings a unique perspective to the discussion with his fine arts background. He dives into the evolution of his creative projects, sharing insights on the organic development from state charts to tldraw. Ruiz highlights the balance of design and development in crafting effective developer tools, emphasizing the importance of engaging content and user experience. He also addresses technical challenges in design software, showcasing innovative solutions for collaborative environments.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Artist's Evolution Shapes Software
- Steve Ruiz's background in fine arts deeply influences his creative process and software work.
- He views artistic creation as an evolutionary process of iterating on previous work within personal constraints.
Rabbit Holes Spark Innovation
- Steve Ruiz explored digital ink drawing, leading to Perfect Freehand and ultimately TealDraw.
- His curiosity with arrow drawing and bezier curves led to building a versatile canvas editor.
Share Work and Bugs Publicly
- Make your creative work discoverable by sharing progress publicly and inviting others in.
- Sharing bugs and edge cases can create engaging developer content that draws an audience.