Why the World Needs More Design Founders (Especially If You’re Tired of Big Tech)

From a stuck designer to a tech founder. ai generated

Let me say something out loud that a lot of us feel but rarely admit:

Tech has a founder problem. Too many companies are built by engineers and MBAs who optimize for scale and monetization—before they even solve a meaningful human problem. As a design and tech leader who’s worked across startups and enterprise, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when design is treated like window dressing instead of a strategic superpower.

That’s why I believe: more designers need to be founders. And not just any founders—but ones who are bold enough to step out of broken corporate teams and actually build what the world needs next.

Designers Don’t Just Make Things Pretty—We Make Them Work for People

We’ve been trained to lead with empathy, simplify complexity, and connect the dots across systems, emotions, and experiences. That’s not fluff. That’s startup gold.

And we have proof:

• Airbnb was co-founded by two designers—Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia—who didn’t just create a travel platform; they reimagined how strangers could trust each other.

• Pinterest was shaped by Evan Sharp, a designer-turned-founder who created a visual search engine that tapped into people’s dreams and moods.

• Instagram’s intuitive flow came from Mike Krieger, who understood that delight and simplicity could scale faster than features.

• Behance, created by Scott Belsky, wasn’t just a tool—it became a movement that Adobe had to buy into.

• Canva, founded by Melanie Perkins, is one of the most inspiring examples of a designer turning a clear, user-focused vision into a global unicorn. Melanie took what started as a yearbook design tool and transformed it into a $40B+ design platform used by over 100 million people—by prioritizing ease, inclusivity, and visual simplicity.

These weren’t tech bros with pitch decks. They were designers with conviction, intuition, and taste.

Why I Believe Designers Make Better Founders

Speaking for myself—after years of leading product design across startups, agencies, and tech companies as well as building multiple startups and organizations myself—I’ve learned how to spot broken systems and rebuild them. I’ve worked on design systems, enterprise UX, machine learning interfaces, and zero-to-one SaaS products.

But more importantly, I’ve seen how often design gets sidelined at the exact moment when it’s needed most.

Designer obsessing over interactions. ai generate

Design professionals know how to:

• See the user when no one else does

• Prototype solutions while others debate slide decks

• Create clarity in the chaos of early-stage ambiguity

• Inspire teams through storytelling and product vision

Those are founder traits.

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So if you’ve spent your career obsessing over interactions, flows, or how to reduce cognitive load—you’re not “just a designer.” You’re a potential founder waiting to realize it.

Why Big Tech Design Feels Broken

Big tech cookie cutter designs vs human centered design. Abstract. ai generate

Let’s be honest: most in-house design teams at Big Tech companies are stuck in reactive cycles. We sit in endless meetings. We push pixels on features we don’t own. We optimize what’s already working… instead of imagining what’s possible.

Many senior design leaders are burnt out, some are incompetent, others are stuck advocating for basic design literacy inside organizations where strategy is still driven by metrics, not meaning. I’ve seen brilliant designers get sidelined because their ideas didn’t fit the roadmap. It’s no wonder many designers feel stagnant. We were trained to imagine better worlds—but too often, we’re trapped fixing broken processes inside someone else’s machine.

So here’s my challenge to all of us:

What if you stopped trying to fix broken orgs—and started building new ones?

What if your next design sprint wasn’t for a product team—but for your own company?

The Future Is Built by Designers Who Dare

Designers are not just collaborators—we are visionaries. We know how to sense patterns in chaos, zoom in on the details that matter, and build experiences that people actually love using.

The future belongs to founders who can merge human insight with technical possibility. If we want more meaningful products, more ethical AI, more thoughtful SaaS tools—we need founders who start with empathy.

That’s us.

So whether you’re a senior IC feeling stuck, a design lead craving more ownership, or just someone sketching product ideas on the side: this is your sign. You don’t need to ask permission. You just need to begin.

And if you're on that journey and looking for support—reach out to us at Indy Pixels Ventures.

At Indy Pixels, we’re building a vibrant community of design and tech founders. We partner with early teams to craft exceptional product experiences, help founders go from 0→1 with clarity and momentum, and invest in the ventures we deeply believe in.

Because the next generation of iconic tech companies won’t just be engineered or optimized—they’ll be designed.

Let’s build them—together.

—Abdalla Emam

Founder and GP @ Indy Pixels Ventures Product Leader | Startups Designer | Systems Thinker | Dreamer of Better Tools