Leverage fractional talent to get the most design impact without locking yourself into long-term commitments.
Design is no longer a "nice-to-have" in the modern tech landscape—it's critical to product success. But hiring a full-time Product Designer can be a costly endeavor, especially for startups in the early funding stages. A fractional Product Designer offers the best of both worlds: high-level design expertise without full-time financial commitment.
"Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works." - Steve Jobs
As Marc Andreessen has noted, "The only thing that matters is getting to product-market fit," and design plays a massive role in achieving that goal.
"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." - Steve Jobs
For founders and CTOs, leveraging a fractional Product Designer means being strategic about when and how to involve them. Use these experts during key product development phases—such as prototyping, user testing, or feature redesigns. Assign them short-term projects with clear objectives, like optimizing user flows or designing specific interfaces. This ensures you get the most design impact without locking yourself into long-term commitments.
By bringing in outside perspectives and allowing for flexible engagement, they ensure that design remains a core strength of the product development process without the commitment of a full-time role.