Y Combinator Startup Podcast How To Design Products That Truly Stand Out
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Oct 13, 2025 
Karri Saarinen, co-founder and CEO of Linear and former designer at Coinbase and Airbnb, shares insights on creating standout products. He emphasizes the importance of quality design and craft from day one, drawing from his experience in high-growth companies. Karri discusses how design builds trust, the discipline of brand consistency, and the superpower of designer founders to visualize the entire product. He also explores how AI is transforming workflows and stresses the need for hiring talent that aligns with product vision.
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Design Choices That Built Trust
- At Coinbase I redesigned visuals to make the company feel trustworthy and less like a hack project.
- I changed logos, website visuals, and imagery to present Coinbase as a professional, mainstream company.
Brand Is The Sum Of Touchpoints
- Brand is every touch point and must reflect company values consistently across experiences.
- Quality signals and consistent behavior make your company predictable and build long-term trust.
Ship Fast, Then Polish Before Release
- Run small autonomous teams where designers and engineers drive projects together and own outcomes.
- Use feature flags and beta programs to iterate quickly but perform a final quality check before general release.