As a part of TechCocktail's Startup Mixology Conference, JESS3's co-founder Leslie Bradshaw was asked to present on one of the many ingredients needed to make a startup successful: design. And even more so, how to successfully work with designers. Drawing from our team's passion for working together and building a culture of excellence and execution, JESS3 prepared four topline tips that included: 1. Make a designer your second hire, not your tenth. Give them a strategic seat at the table and leadership role in the company. It is that important. 2. Make your choice, make it right, listen, learn and defend. This includes: - Finding the right person and / or team. - Put your trust in them. Completely. - Learn how to speak their language. - Make them feel that they are supported. Let them see genuinely that you support them. - Understand their process and what motivates them. And why. - Defend their POV and timeline at all cost with investors, coworkers and clients. 3. Don't be bound by geography to hire designers. Look to virtual communities like Behance, Dribbble, Forrst and Visual.ly to connect with and recruit diverse talent. Look to physical events and workshops like UX Week, Offf and Anderson Ranch to make offline connections and deepen your own knowledge base. 4. Establish a culture of precision, excellence and execution. Think about the companies, cultures and outputs created by greats like: David Ogilvy, Walt Disney, Jack Welch, Steve Jobs, Anna Wintour and our own CEO and founder, Jesse Thomas. Don't compromise on excellence. Putting out amazing work / product is key to being known and noticed. Sustain it. Make it part of your DNA.
