6 levels to building a sustainable design business: (the roadmap I wish I had)

Designers do great work. But great work doesn’t pay the bills. Customers, clients, projects do.

How to find the right clients: (for freelancers + UX designers)

So you want to be a freelancer? Here's the fine print ↓

Most senior designers hit a wall. They're great at their craft. They're solid mentors. But they're craving for more impact. And they wonder if the only move is management. It’s not.

A simple Design Thinking trick I use all the time: Replace the noun with a verb. The formula: “I need + noun” → “I need TO + verb”

Freelance designer expectations vs. reality

I burned out, A LOT, as a UX manager. The emotional tax (that no one tells you):

UX Portfolio Do’s & Don’ts

A few semi-controversial things I believe ↓

I don’t need $100M exit I just need $10K/m I’ve survived on far less. Anything above is a bonus. Here's how I figured that out: ↓

We don’t always need to start. Sometimes we should never start.

Meow. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 🌕🌕🌕🌒🌕🌖🌒🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 🌕🌕🌖🌑🌓🌑🌑🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑🌑🌔🌕🌕🌕🌕 🌕🌕🌘🌙🌑🌙🌑🌔🌖🌑🌕🌕 🌕🌕🌖🌑🌑🌑🌑🌕🌕🌑🌔🌕 🌕🌕🌕🌖🌑🌑🌔🌕🌕🌑🌔🌕 🌕🌕🌕🌘🌑🌑🌒🌕🌕🌑🌔🌕 🌕🌕🌕🌘🌑🌑🌑🌔🌖🌑🌕🌕 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑🌑🌒🌑🌒🌕🌕 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑🌑🌑🌒🌕🌕🌕

10 things I’m saying NO to in 2026: (that most founders should too)

Most designers dream about starting something. Very few actually do it. And the ones who try? They run into: → No salary, no safety net, no runway → Underestimating how lonely it gets → Not knowing where to even start → Giving up right before it clicks

I’ve promoted dozens of designers. Based on 7 things they did (or didn't do):

Figma is alive. Sketch is alive. Penpot is alive. Framer is alive. Webflow is alive. Photoshop is alive. Canva is alive. HTML is alive. CSS is alive.

UX Designers, if you don't know these products You’re missing out:

I fell into managing a team of designers. 5 habits I had to kill fast (and you will too):

𝗨𝗫 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 | /ˌjuːˈeks dɪˈzaɪnər/ (noun) ◦ A professional "make it pop" translator ◦ An expert at smiling through 81 revisions ◦ Someone who argues about 2px for a living ◦ The scapegoat when business metrics tank ◦ A therapist for "just one tiny change" clients

A designer DM'd me last week: "I got promoted to Senior, why do I feel like I'm failing?” He’s 5 months into the promotion. Crushing UI design Doing solid research work Collaborating well with the PM But his design lead says, "we need more impact from you"

Anthropic vs OpenAI The fight for one guy who liked lobsters The most chaotic AI feud involved: 1. A solo developer 2. 2 largest AI companies 3. Crypto scammers And it somehow ended with a job at OpenAI. Here’s the speedrun ↓

Is your design career a lottery ticket? Apply → Wait → Hope → Repeat That's not a strategy. That's a prayer.

How to be a UX manager (part 4) How to raise standards without killing morale:

Finding my “purpose” was a trap (and why everyone falls for it)

“I deserved my boss's job” Me: Don’t get mad, but… [my reaction ↓]

Most designers think AI is coming for their job. Actually, AI is coming for the execution part of their job. Which means your value shifts to: → Your judgment → Your frameworks → Your way of thinking The problem? It's all stuck in their head.

How to be a UX manager (part 3) The Stop-Doing-Their-Work Framework:

UX career used to looked like this: 5+ years → Senior 7+ years → Lead / Manager 10+ years → Head of Design

Some books stay with you. In 2026, I’m carrying these…

2 people can look at the same facts and disagree. Not because one is stupid… But because they're interpreting reality differently.

In 2026, the job market has shifted. But UX designers are stuck playing the volume game: → Spray and pray applications → Generic positioning that says nothing → Waiting for any job board to save them → Wondering why they're invisible to recruiters

How to be a UX manager (part 2) How to fire someone without being a villain:

Figma just released this report. This might surprise you…

With 1,000,000 designers worldwide… question is, "how do you stand out?"

How to be a UX manager (part 1) The 100-day guide I wished I had.

What happens when Jony Ive designs a Ferrari? This.

pov: you’re a new UX manager and not knowing when to step back or lean in. This caused me lots of problems…

NN/g just dropped their State of UX 2026 report Here’s the good + bad news:

60% of agencies don’t run on systems. They run on vibes.

Your UX portfolio isn't losing you the job. Your story is. Don’t treat your portfolio like a project dump with: → No narrative thread → No clear direction → No positioning Kinda obvious why recruiters ghost you after 30 seconds. I’ve been there too.

My parents escaped Vietnam on a wooden boat Dad: 21 years old, alone Mom: 18 years old, alone

How to lose respect in 10 days (as a designer)

Design leaders who don't design are dying out. That's actually good news...

How I built org influence & increased UX maturity: (as a solo designer)

New UX managers, let me save you some pain: You can’t be everyone’s friend.

UX Designers, if you don't know these sites You’re missing out:

Japan is a UX designer's paradox. Here’s why:

My first UX job took 50+ rejections. Best thing that ever happened to me. Here's why...

I audited my year, turns out… I'm the problem.