Writing
Design Practice

What Design Teams Can Learn from Air Traffic Control

When pilots call up air traffic control (ATC), they don’t just announce their presence—they request a specific level of service based on their needs. For small aircraft, this often starts with a basic service, where controllers keep track of the flight and notify emergency services if something goes wrong. If pilots need more, they can ask for a traffic service, where ATC provides warnings about nearby aircraft. For even greater support, there’s a deconfliction service, where controllers actively give instructions to help pilots avoid collisions.

This structured approach got me thinking: Should design teams operate in a similar way?
Startups and Investing

Why VCs Say No: The Real Reasons Behind the Rejections

When a VC passes on your startup, it often feels personal. But in reality, most rejections come down to patterns they’ve seen before. Sure, some decisions hinge on chemistry or a gut feel, but most are rooted in a rational (if sometimes unspoken) assessment of risk and return.

That said, storytelling still matters—a lot. Founders often fail to tell the right story. You need to make your vision clear and believable, your momentum feel part of a deliberate and executable plan, and your success feel inevitable. VCs see dozens of decks a month, many tackling similar problems. Your job is to make yours stand out.

Here are the most common reasons why investors pass, grouped into themes they’re evaluating in every pitch.
Startup Growth

Why Hiring Ex-FAANG Employees Might Be a Mistake for Early-Stage Startups

For many early-stage founders, hiring team members from FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) companies feels like a shortcut to success. "These folks excelled at Google! Surely they'll turn my fledgling startup into the next unicorn!"

But reality often has other plans. Here’s why hiring FAANG alumni might not be your startup’s golden ticket:
Design Practice

The Battle Between Shipping and Perfection: A Designer’s Dilemma

Designers, let’s talk about an uncomfortable truth. For many of us, the joy of our craft lies in creating work that is not just functional but exceptional. We love unearthing hidden user insights through research, challenging assumptions, and asking the kinds of questions that lead to elegant, transformative solutions. To us, this feels like the very essence of design: solving the problem in the best way possible. But here’s the rub...