Design Founder & Product Operator for Startups

I help early-stage teams move from zero to one — fast. From brand and UX to hiring and handoff, I plug in as your first design partner and help you build with clarity and momentum.

Why Me

I’m a Design Founder and Product Operator who partners with early-stage teams to design and ship fast.

→ Former Apple + SAP designer

→ 5× Accelerator alum

→ 2x venture-backed founder (Gattaka Inc.)

→ EIR at a VC — I speak Design founder and Product Operator

→ Helped dozens of teams go 0→1 with design

I’m not for everyone — I move fast, speak directly, and expect momentum.

Engagement

01 2-Week Sprint

$15K–$20K + optional equity Move fast and get results. Perfect for tightening up your UX, landing page, or pitch deck. → UX or conversion audit → Landing page or key flow design → Investor or demo deck polish

02 3- 6 Month Partnership

Plug me in as your first or erly stage designer — I’ll help shape the product, polish your brand, and help you hire the next one. → Brand, product, and GTM audit → UX flows, UI design, design system → Hiring brief + help finding your first designer → Final handoff + onboarding support

03 6mo Design Partner Lockedin

$125K–$175K + 2–3% equity For teams that need a founder-caliber design lead across MVP, launch, and growth. → Everything in the 3-month offer → Growth and retention UX → Investor collateral, experiments, onboarding → Weekly working sessions or async reviews

Clarity over consensus. Action over polish. Progress over perfection.

Testimonials

“Phil is one of those rare hybrid talents — a founder-minded designer who brings both strategy and taste to the table.”

William Ganser

CEO at Stack Influence

“We brought Phil in as a fractional Design partner and within weeks he transformed our landing page, clarified our UX, and helped us hire our first designer. A game changer.”

Brandon

Founder at Paragon

“Phil is an exceptional designer and entrepreneur. At Manhattan Venture Research, he consistently brought sharp UX thinking, strong collaboration, and clear communication. Any team would be lucky to have him.”

Santosh Rao

Head of Research at MVP.VC

“Phil is one of those rare hybrid talents — a founder-minded designer who brings both strategy and taste to the table.”

William Ganser

CEO at Stack Influence

“We brought Phil in as a fractional Design partner and within weeks he transformed our landing page, clarified our UX, and helped us hire our first designer. A game changer.”

Brandon

Founder at Paragon

Santosh Rao

Head of Research at MVP.VC

“Phil is one of those rare hybrid talents — a founder-minded designer who brings both strategy and taste to the table.”

William Ganser

CEO at Stack Influence

“Phil is one of those rare hybrid talents — a founder-minded designer who brings both strategy and taste to the table.”

William Ganser

CEO at Stack Influence

“We brought Phil in as a fractional Design partner and within weeks he transformed our landing page, clarified our UX, and helped us hire our first designer. A game changer.”

David Smith

UX Researcher at Theta

“We brought Phil in as a fractional Design partner and within weeks he transformed our landing page, clarified our UX, and helped us hire our first designer. A game changer.”