Joel Brody

Ethical Recruitment Leader | Mid to executive-level placement | Helping Qualified Candidates Grow Their Careers by Matching Them with Thriving Companies

Six months. That’s how long a construction firm searched for their next Director of Operations.

Hundreds of resumes. Dozens of interviews. Zero results.

When the CEO finally called me, he was exhausted. The business was growing, but without the right leader in place, he was stuck in the weeds, running operations himself instead of focusing on scaling the company.

Here’s what happened next: I clarified the role, tapped into my hidden network, and within six weeks placed the leader they’d been chasing for half a year. That hire streamlined operations, stabilized the team, and gave the CEO his time back.

This is what I do.
I help mid-market and growth-stage businesses—in construction, real estate, healthcare, and e-commerce—find the executives and senior managers who can turn chaos into clarity and growth into something sustainable.

Not by flooding inboxes with résumés.
Not by recycling candidates who happen to be “looking.”
But through our Right-Fit Recruiting Method™️: deep discovery, targeted headhunting, and cultural alignment that ensures leaders don’t just stick, they scale with you.

Here’s why clients come back:

8 years recruiting across industries that don’t tolerate mistakes

92% retention rate at the 12-month mark for senior hires

A reputation as a trusted advisor to CEOs and founders who are serious about growth

One client put it best:
“Joel didn’t just send resumes, he delivered the leader we’d been searching for. His process saved us months of wasted time and gave us the confidence to scale.”

At the end of the day, I’m not just a recruiter. I’m a headhunter.
I don’t stop until the right leader is in the seat.
I don’t just fill roles, I help companies build futures.

Outside of work, you’ll find me with my family and involved in my community. That same people-first mindset drives everything I do: relationships first, results always.

Looking to make your next senior hire the right one? Let’s talk about how we can find your perfect fit.

Executive Level Recruiter

Sometimes the candidate who feels like the perfect “cultural fit”…
is the one who ends up causing the most damage.

Here’s the story.

A company once interviewed a candidate — let’s call her Esther.
Charming.
Warm.
Polished.
Instant connection with the team.

After the interview, every manager said the same thing:
“She’s exactly like us. She’ll fit right in.”

And that was the problem.

She fit too well.
Same communication style.
Same conflict avoidance.
Same habit of staying “busy” instead of prioritizing impact.

But because she made everyone comfortable, nobody questioned it.
They hired her in a heartbeat.

Meanwhile, the other candidate — Moshe — challenged their assumptions, showed gaps in their workflow, and asked uncomfortable questions.
They rejected him for being “not a fit.”

Fast-forward six months.

The team was stuck in the same cycles.
Deadlines slipping.
Accountability unclear.
No one pushing the pace or raising the bar.

And here’s the twist:
Esther hadn’t done anything wrong.
She simply reinforced what was already broken.

Because “fit” doesn’t fix culture.
It repeats culture.

When the company called me back, they said something I’ll never forget:
“We hired the person who felt easy… not the person who would have made us better.”

That’s when it landed for them —
Cultural fit isn’t about comfort.
It’s about evolution.

And at Mai Placement, this is why we don’t chase “fit.”
We chase alignment with the future state of the business —
not the familiar patterns that keep companies stuck.

The hire who feels comfortable today
might be the one who caps your growth tomorrow.

The hire who stretches you
is usually the one who takes you where you’re trying to go.

—

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭?
If you want to see more
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 🔔 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞!
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

By the time you fire someone “for performance,”
the damage is usually already done.

I’ve seen this play out too many times at Mai Placement to ignore it.

Leaders hide behind labels like performance, culture, or office politics
when the real issue was never addressed early, clearly, or with respect.

So instead of honest conversations,
pressure builds.
Tension rises.
The environment turns toxic.

And eventually, the employee is pushed out —
not coached,
not supported,
not given clarity.

Here’s the part most leaders underestimate:
That person will move on.

In a few months, they’ll land somewhere healthier.
They’ll rebuild confidence.
They’ll do good work again.

But they will never forget how they were treated.

They’ll remember the raised voices.
The public embarrassment.
The silence when they asked for guidance.
The moments where ego replaced empathy.

A toxic environment doesn’t just hurt feelings.
It kills trust.
It drains productivity.
It turns capable people into survivors who are just trying to get through the day.

And even if they never say a word about it publicly,
they carry it with them.

Leadership power doesn’t come with a license to strip someone of dignity.
And performance management without humanity isn’t leadership —
it’s avoidance with authority.

At Mai Placement, we believe how you exit people
says just as much about your culture
as how you hire them.

Because reputations aren’t built in the wins.
They’re built in the hard moments leaders would rather rush through.

—

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭?
If you want to see more
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 🔔 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞!
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

It always makes me smile when someone messages me saying,
“I know that post was about me… just wanted to explain.”

Here’s the reality:
If I ever reference a situation, it’s almost never recent.
Details are changed, timelines are blurred, and identities are unrecognizable.

Because the point isn’t the person.
It’s the pattern.

After years inside hiring rooms, leadership meetings, and candidate conversations at Mai Placement, one thing has become obvious:

The same behaviors repeat everywhere.
The same blind spots.
The same leadership mistakes.
The same hiring lessons.

Different people.
Different companies.
Same themes.

So if a post hits close to home, it’s not because I wrote about you.
It’s because the experience is universal.

Business has patterns.
Leadership has patterns.
Human behavior has patterns.

And my goal isn’t to call anyone out —
it’s to reflect the real, messy, predictable dynamics we all navigate.

Because when something feels “too accurate”…
that’s not exposure.
That’s recognition.
That’s truth doing what truth always does:
It shows you a mirror.

—

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭?
If you want to see more
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 🔔 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞!
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

Sometimes the interview doesn’t expose the candidate.
It exposes the company.

Here’s the story.

A client brought us a strong candidate — we’ll call him Moshe — for a leadership role.
Experienced.
Grounded.
Clear communicator.
Exactly the kind of operator who moves organizations forward.

He walks into the interview… and within 30 minutes, the truth shows up.

Not about him.
About them.

Three leaders in the room.
All talking over each other.
Contradicting priorities.
No unified vision.
No clear answer to his simplest question:
“What does success look like in this role?”

And when Moshe politely pushed for clarity, one of the leaders snapped:
“We need someone who just gets it without asking so many questions.”

There it was.
The mask dropped.

This wasn’t a talent issue.
This was a culture issue.

A culture that avoided clarity.
A culture that punished accountability.
A culture where asking for direction was seen as confrontation.

After the interview, the company said:
“We’re not sure he’s a cultural fit.”

But the truth was the opposite.
He didn’t match their dysfunction —
and that’s exactly why they needed someone like him.

At Mai Placement, we’ve seen this again and again:
The interview isn’t just an evaluation of the candidate.
It’s a mirror for leadership.

And when a culture is shaky, unclear, or divided —
a great candidate will feel it instantly.

The question isn’t
“Is the candidate right for us?”
It’s also
“Are we a place where great talent can actually succeed?”

Because the strongest candidates aren’t scared of big roles.
They’re scared of environments where success is impossible.

If your culture can’t pass the interview…
your hiring problem isn’t the pipeline —
it’s the reflection.

—

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭?
If you want to see more
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 🔔 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞!
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

Sometimes the biggest red flag in a hiring process…
isn’t the candidate.
It’s the leadership team they interview with.

Here’s the story.

A company brought us a candidate for a senior role — we’ll call her Esther.
Impressive background.
Measured communicator.
Calm under pressure.
The kind of leader who doesn’t flinch when things get messy.

She walks into the final-round panel…
and asks the simplest question a leader can ask:

“What decisions will I have authority over in this role?”

You would think that’s straightforward.
It wasn’t.

One executive said,
“You’ll have full ownership.”

Another executive cut him off with,
“Well… you’ll run things by us first.”

A third added,
“It really depends on the week.”

Esther didn’t say a word.
She didn’t need to.

The leadership gap had already exposed itself.

No alignment.
No clarity.
No trust.
No unified direction.

After the interview, the CEO said:
“She seemed hesitant.
I’m not sure she’s strong enough for the role.”

But that wasn’t the truth.
Her hesitation wasn’t weakness.
It was awareness.

She realized she was interviewing for a title —
not actual authority.

At Mai Placement, we see this all the time:
Companies want strong leaders…
but their structure only supports followers.

If your executives can’t agree on who owns what,
you don’t have a talent problem —
you have a leadership architecture problem.

Great candidates don’t fear responsibility.
They fear stepping into roles where accountability exists without authority.

Esther declined the offer.
Not because she wasn’t capable —
but because she was smart.

And that’s the lesson:
Before you ask whether the candidate is right for the role,
ask whether the role is actually ready for a real leader.

Because top talent won’t walk into confusion.
And they definitely won’t stay in it.

—

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭?
If you want to see more
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 🔔 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞!
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

The Lie About “Cultural Fit”

Most companies say they’re hiring for “cultural fit.”
But what they really mean is:
“hire someone who won’t disrupt the status quo.”

That’s not culture.
That’s comfort.

At Mai Placement, we see the impact every day:
Companies hire for sameness → performance dips.
They hire for alignment → performance explodes.

Because cultural fit isn’t about personality.
It’s about behavior, values, and how someone makes decisions under pressure.

If your culture rewards accountability, honesty, and speed…
and you hire a brilliant operator who avoids conflict and needs layers of approval —
that’s not a fit.

Cultural fit isn’t soft.
It’s strategy.
And it’s one of the strongest predictors of long-term success.

—

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭?
If you want to see more
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 🔔 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞!
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

The Candidate Who Saved the Company From Itself

Every once in a while, a candidate shows up not to fit the culture…
but to expose what the culture could become.

This is that story.

A high-growth company came to us overwhelmed — scaling fast, burning out leaders, losing top performers.
They thought they needed “another operator.”

What they actually needed was a reset.

Enter Moshe — a candidate unlike anyone on their team.
Direct.
Thoughtful.
Deeply aligned with outcomes, not politics.
A calm operator with a systems mind.

In the interview, he didn’t try to impress them.
He asked the questions no one else thought to ask:

“What’s breaking your team today?”
“What accountability structure protects your priorities?”
“What decisions are slowing down execution?”
“How do you handle misalignment at the leadership level?”

By the time he finished, the executives weren’t evaluating him anymore.
They were evaluating themselves.

And here’s the twist:
Before Moshe even got the offer, the CEO pulled me aside and said,
“We learned more about our leadership gaps in one hour with him than in the last year.”

That’s the moment I knew —
this wasn’t a candidate who fit their culture.
This was a candidate who REVEALED their culture.
And, more importantly,
who could elevate it.

They hired him.

Six months later:
• turnover down
• clarity up
• execution faster
• leadership healthier
• the entire team communicating with purpose, not panic

He didn’t save the company.
He saved the culture from repeating its own patterns.

And that’s why at Mai Placement, we don’t just look for hires.
We look for inflection points —
leaders who shift the trajectory of a business,
not just fill a seat.

Because the right hire doesn’t join your culture.
They transform it.

—

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭?
If you want to see more
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 🔔 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞!
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

If you cannot explain your value, your number is meaningless

One of the most common questions candidates struggle with is
Why do you believe you are worth this salary?

Silence usually follows.
Or vague answers about experience, loyalty, or effort.

That is not value.
That is history.

At Mai Placement, strong candidates do not talk about time spent.
They talk about impact delivered.

They explain
what they owned
what they fixed
what they built
what changed because they were there.

Weak candidates hide behind titles.
Strong candidates explain outcomes.

If you cannot clearly articulate your value
the market will not guess for you.

Compensation follows clarity.
Not confidence.
Not hope.

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭?
If you want to see more
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 🔔 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞!
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

Most companies don’t have a hiring problem.
They have a culture problem they keep trying to hire their way out of.

And after years inside boardrooms, leadership searches, and executive interviews at Mai Placement, here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud:

“Cultural fit” is the laziest concept in hiring.
It’s vague.
It’s misused.
And half the time, it’s an excuse for avoiding hard conversations about leadership, alignment, and accountability.

I’ve seen it all:

• Companies rejecting powerhouse candidates because they asked real questions.
• Teams hiring “nice” instead of hiring effective.
• Leaders confusing comfort with capability.
• Panels mistaking dysfunction for “not a fit.”
• Cultures so unclear that a candidate exposes the cracks in 20 minutes.

And the punchline?
The best hires often look NOTHING like “cultural fit.”
They’re the ones who challenge you.
Who force clarity.
Who raise standards.
Who reveal the structure you think you have versus the structure you actually run on.

Meanwhile, the so-called “perfect fit” is often the one who blends in…
right into the very patterns that are holding the company back.

Cultural fit doesn’t scale.
Cultural clarity does.

And when companies finally understand this difference, everything changes:

• retention stabilizes
• execution speeds up
• accountability strengthens
• leaders actually lead
• the culture becomes intentional instead of accidental

This is why at Mai Placement, we don’t hire for fit.
We hire for alignment with the culture you’re trying to build — not the one you’re stuck in.

The candidate who tells you the truth in the interview?
Hire them.

The one who exposes the gaps you’ve been ignoring?
Hire them.

The one who forces leadership to get aligned before they walk in the door?
Hire them.

Because the right hire doesn’t mirror your culture.
They elevate it.
And the wrong hire doesn’t disrupt your culture.
They reinforce it.

Most leaders don’t have a talent shortage.
They have a truth shortage.

And great talent will always feel that first.

—

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭?
If you want to see more
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 🔔 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞!
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

Experience is not the same as impact

Ten years in a role does not automatically equal seniority.
It means you were present.

What matters is progression.
Scope.
Decision making.
Ownership.

I see candidates with long resumes who never owned outcomes.
And others with fewer years who carried real responsibility.

The market knows the difference.
That is why some people plateau
while others accelerate.

At Mai Placement, we do not count years.
We evaluate impact.

Because experience without results is comfort.
And comfort does not command premium pay.

𝐃𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭?
If you want to see more
𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 🔔 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞!
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭

Pavle Lucic

Senior UI/UX Designer @ Toptal | Prototyping, Branding, UI Development

I am a Senior UI/UX Designer at Toptal, a network of the world's top 3% of software engineering, design, and finance talent. With over 10 years of experience in the design industry, I have a proven track record of creating visually engaging and user-friendly interfaces for in-car navigation systems, SaaS apps, and marketing websites.

My background in business and economics gives me a unique perspective on how to design UX and UI that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also functional, efficient, and user-friendly. I am passionate about solving complex problems, collaborating with diverse teams, and learning new skills. I am also Adwords Search Certified, which demonstrates my ability to optimize the online presence and performance of my clients. My goal is to help tech companies increase their revenue by improving the user experience of their products.

Senior UI/UX Desiger

This is how I work now:

1. Think
2. Write
3. Plan
4. Ask
5. Wait
6. Then design

It’s slower. But it works.

Because UX isn’t just what you make.
It’s what you understand first.

(Repost ♻️)

P.S. What is your process?

Senior UI/UX Product Designer | UX Strategy | Figma

No alternative text description for this image

This might be a controversial post but it's true.

I don't have a formal design degree.

I'm pretty sure a lot of self-taught designers experience this too.

Examples:

Every time I share my work online, someone asks "where did you study?"
I can feel the judgment coming.

Every time I'm in a room with "formally trained" designers.
I hear the whispers: "They probably just watch YouTube tutorials."

Every portfolio review, every job interview, someone implies "you're not a real designer without the credentials."

But then...They see just ONE of my projects and:

That skepticism closes immediately
I get genuine compliments in my DMs
I get referrals + new client inquiries

So...

Why do we judge credentials before we judge the work?
Especially with creative fields? 😊

Fear that talent and hustle might matter more than a piece of paper. 
Which, honestly, they often do.

To my fellow self-taught designers who've "made it work" I love you. 

Keep building. Keep proving that skills speak louder than diplomas.

Keep letting your work change people's minds. It's worth it.

Pavle ❤️

Most designers aren't designers.

(they're technicians who happen to use design tools)

Yesterday I lost 2 hours on a shelf.

Just me obsessing over form and function.
And here's the thing...

That "is" design.

Not the logo you send on Friday.
Not the mockup in your portfolio.
Not the deliverable in your inbox.

Design is how you "think."

- How you can't ignore a bad detail.
- How you see a room and want to fix it.
- How you solve problems no one asked you to solve.

Just think about this:

1. The Bauhaus school understood this.
↳ They didn't teach "tools." They taught living.

2. Japanese carpenters understood this.
↳ No nails. No shortcuts. Every cut is intentional.

Design is form.
Design is function.
Design is creation.

It doesn't "clock in and out."

If you only design when you open your laptop...
And stop when you close it...

You're not a designer.
You're a technician who uses design tools.

Nothing wrong with that.

Just don't confuse the two.

P.S. Agree or disagree? 👇

Loading states matter.

Blank screen = user thinks it's broken.

Progress bar = user knows how long.
Spinner = user knows something's happening.
Skeleton screen = user sees structure forming.
Instant feedback = user doesn't notice the wait.
Steps = user knows where they are ("Step 2 of 4").
Active waiting = user is entertained while waiting (tips, facts).

Never leave users guessing.

Show them the system is working.
Even if it takes time, show progress.

(Repost further ♻️)

17 genuine tips for using illustrations to improve UX

(I wish someone told me number 8 sooner)

1. Empty states feel less scary
2. Error messages feel friendlier
3. Users remember visuals 6x better
4. Onboarding completes 40% more
5. They reduce mental effort instantly
6. They help users know where they are
7. You will add illustrations way too soon
8. They reduce support tickets by 30-40%
9. Permission requests make more sense
10. Complex steps feel simpler with visuals
11. They answer questions before users ask
12. Visual metaphors beat long explanations
13. Users understand faster than reading text
14. They build trust during frustrating moments
15. Empty spaces feel intentional instead of broken
16. They guide without overwhelming with instructions
17. Strategic placement turns confusion into confidence

Repost this free value for others ♻️ Thank you!

P.S. Hey, which one (1-17) do you like most?

If there's one thing I'd eliminate in UX design...

It's birthday pickers like this. You know the ones:

1. Scroll wheels flicking through 40+ years to find 1986
2. Calendar grids tapping "previous month" 480 times
3. Three separate dropdowns, praying the order is right

There's a much better way.

It's called "TIF = Text Input First". 
Rooted in real behavior.
Backed by research. 

TIF is simple:

1. Let users type their birthday
2. Auto-format date as they go
3. Offer a picker as backup only

Why it works:

People know their birthday by heart.
Typing takes 2 seconds.

Scrolling through a picker takes 15+ seconds of frustration.

Hope this helps! (Repost if so ♻️)

P.S. Anything worse than a scroll-wheel date picker?

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I was in a meeting last week.

One designer talked for 60 of them.

References to everything. 
"What if we..." on repeat.

Opinions on everything.

Loud. 
Confident. 
Influential.

Everyone nodded along.

Then someone asked:
"So who's going to build this?"

Silence.

The loud one? 
"I'm more of a strategy person."

The quiet one in the corner?

She opened Figma.
Had 3 options ready.
Built while they debated.

That's when I realized:

The best designer in the room?
Often the one who says the least.

Repost this ♻️ if you've seen this happen too.

Good UX is boring.

Users complete tasks without thinking.

They don't notice the design. They just finish.

Bad UX is memorable.
Users remember frustration. Confusion. Friction.

Stop trying to impress users.

The best interfaces are simple.

P.S. When was the last time you noticed good UX?

A client came to me with a "broken" product. 

Here's what happened:

They spent 8 months building an app.

It worked perfectly. But nobody used it.

Refund requests? Daily. 
App store reviews? 2.1 stars.
Support tickets? 200+ per week. 

They thought the product was broken.

It wasn't.
The design was.

I changed 5 things:

1. Moved the main CTA
2. Simplified the onboarding
3. Fixed the mobile navigation
4. Added visual feedback on buttons
5. Reduced the menu from 15 items to 4

4 weeks later?

Retention doubled.
Reviews jumped to 4.4 stars. 
Support tickets dropped 73%. 

Same code. Same product. Same features. 

I didn't "make it pretty."
I made it usable.

That's what designers actually do.

Repost ♻️ if this changed how you see design.

P.S. Have you ever blamed your product when design was the problem? 😊

My first client ever:

"Make the logo bigger."

Quoted Steve Jobs.
I argued for 20 minutes. 
Sent 5 articles about white space. 

They made it bigger themselves in PowerPoint.

My latest client:
"Make the logo bigger."

I said: "Let's test it. I'll send you 2 versions. You pick."
They picked the smaller one.

What changed?

I stopped convincing. 
I started collaborating.

People don't resist ideas. They resist being told what to do.

Give them ownership. 
Watch them choose wisely.

♻️ Repost if you wish you knew this earlier.

Entry-level means no experience.

It's for juniors to begin their careers, learn, and grow.

Yet job posts say:

"Entry-level position"
"Requirements: 3-5 years experience"

That's not entry-level. That's mid-level.

Stop lying in job descriptions.
You're not finding candidates because you're asking for the impossible.

Entry-level = zero experience required.

If you need experience, it's not entry-level.

(Repost for job seekers ♻️)

P.S. Have you seen this contradiction in job posts?

Mini-masterclass on receiving design feedback:

(save this for your next critique)

Well-delivered feedback = great insight
Well-received feedback = great growth

That being said... Let's dive into 5 levels of receiving feedback:

Level 1: Defensive 
↳ "But here's why I did it this way..." 
↳ You're protecting ego, not improving work

Level 2: Silent 
↳ You nod. You take notes. You change nothing. 
↳ Feedback theater. Everyone sees through it.

Level 3: Selective 
↳ You only hear what confirms your choices 
↳ Cherry-picking isn't growth

Level 4: Receptive 
↳ You listen. You ask questions. You implement. 
↳ This is where most good designers live.

Level 5: Hungry 
↳ You seek feedback before anyone offers it 
↳ "What's not working? Where did you struggle?" 
↳ This is where great designers live.

Getting feedback is a skill. Just like giving it.

And most of us never practiced receiving.
We just practiced defending.

Time to switch.

Repost this ♻️ for your design team.

P.S. What level are you at right now (1-5)? No judgment 👇

Old design workflow:

1. Sketch idea
2. Open Figma
3. Design for hours
4. Export and code
5. Test and iterate

New workflow with Claude:

1. Describe idea to Claude
2. Claude codes it fast
3. See design instantly
4. Iterate with prompts
5. Ship faster

I made glass icon effects this way.

No design tools. 
Just conversation.

The bottleneck shifted from execution to clarity of thought.

Can you describe what you want clearly?

That's the new design skill.

(Repost this shift ♻️)

P.S. How has your workflow changed with AI?

I just found out the best color generator for designers.

uicolors. app/generate

Save it for later or repost ♻️

Three reasons Inter dominates:

It's variable

One font file. 
It's optimized.
Multiple widths. 
Multiple weights. 
Smaller load times.

Letter spacing, x-height, character distinction all tuned for screens.

It's free
No legal.
No licensing. 
No procurement. 
Just download and use.

Hard to compete with that combination.

P.S. What font makes your product memorable?

Feedback feels personal.

It's not.

They're critiquing your design. Not you.

Hard to separate:

"This button is unclear" = design feedback
"You made this unclear" = feels like attack
Same words. Different interpretation.

Train yourself to hear:

"The layout is confusing" not "You're confused"
"This needs work" not "You're not good enough"
"Try another approach" not "You failed"

Your design is separate from your worth.

(Repost if this resonates ♻️)

P.S. Does feedback feel personal to you?

Here's the biggest lesson my son taught me:

Yesterday, I cut my finger.

He saw blood. He didn't freeze. He didn't cry.

He ran to get a napkin. 
Wrapped it around my finger. 
Taped it with whatever he found.

Then he grabbed a pen.

And drew a little stick figure on the bandage.
A tiny man.

"That's you, daddy. So you're not alone."

I looked at this ridiculous napkin-bandage. 
Tape peeling off. 
Little man with "hair".

This is what support actually looks like.

Show up. With what you have. 
And make sure they know they're not alone.

That little stick figure?

Best medicine I ever got.

Repost this ♻️ to spread a good message today.

"Wait, you actually use AI for prototyping?"

I get this reaction a lot from other designers.

Yes, I use AI tools daily. 

When did it become normal for designers to hide that they use AI? 
Like it's some dirty secret that makes your work "less valid"?

And...

↳ I prototype 10x faster than I did 2 years ago. 
Yes, full flows in minutes. 
Yes, clients can't tell the difference. 

↳ I refine everything myself. 
I bring the soul. 
AI gives me the skeleton. 
Never shipping raw AI output. 

So to answer this once and for all:

"Is it cheating?"
"Is AI doing your job for you?"
"Is your work even original anymore?"

No. It's leverage.

Try it. 
You'll see.

It's not that scary. 

(Repost if it hits home ♻️)

P.S. What's YOUR resistance to AI prototyping?

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The Battle

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