The Design VC

The Design VC is a podcast about the intersection of creativity and capital — and how design can help early-stage startups turn vision into traction. Each week, I talk with founders, investors, and founding designers about the decisions that shape the hunt for product–market fit: when to bring design in, what to look for in a great founding designer, and how design helps you earn traction (not just attention) by getting what you’re building into the hands of customers faster. We get practical about the questions founders actually have. When should I hire a designer? What value can design bring before you’ve nailed the product? How do you use design to sharpen positioning, improve onboarding, and increase activation — not just make things look nicer? Along the way, you’ll hear how investors think about design as a signal and a competitive edge, and how the best teams navigate the trade-offs — speed versus craft, instinct versus evidence, product versus story. Hosted by Andy Budd, designer-turned-VC and author of The Growth Equation. If you’re building an early-stage startup and trying to find product–market fit, this podcast will help you make smarter calls earlier.