Often, there aren’t new questions being asked; just new people are asking the questions.

Questions that get asked again and again in the startup world. They’re not just tactical. They reveal something deeper. They’re questions about how we build, how we connect, and what it means to make something real.

These are the ones that stick with me.

How do we make our brand stand out

A brand isn’t just colors, fonts, and logos. It’s a culture and story. 

A thread running through your company, tying everything together. If it isn’t anchored in something real, it often falls apart. It could be your origin, your customer, or your version of the future. Simple stories are the ones that resonate. They settle into people’s minds and stay there, quietly working away.

Packlane’s founder needed short-run packaging as a designer. It didn’t exist—so she made it. That’s the story. No fluff. No excess. Just truth. Brilliant brands need brilliant boxes—packaging for anyone.

What should we prioritize when designing a product

Design isn’t about more. It’s about less. Less circumstantial clutter, fewer assumptions, more clarity.

You start with empathy. Strip everything away and walk in the user’s shoes. Find what they need, not what you think they should want. Forget MVP. Aim for the Minimal Lovable Product—the kind of product that makes people feel something. That’s where success begins. 

Not in perfection, but in love.

How do we future-proof our product

Products are seeds. They grow in ways we don’t always expect. Our job is to nurture them. The path won’t be linear. Technology shifts. Markets twist and turn. But if you know who your customer is and why you do what you do, the how will follow. When things get murky, always ask return to your why and who and adjust the how?

It’s the only way to keep moving forward.

How do we make innovation less risky

Failure doesn’t follow your schedule. It shows up unannounced, when you’re least prepared. But when it arrives, it brings gifts. We once designed a product that seemed airtight—until it hit the real world. Air conditioning revealed a fatal flaw

That flaw forced us to redesign the entire process, which led to a breakthrough. A new material. A patent. A win.

The trick isn’t failing fast—it’s learning quickly and deeply.

What’s the role of design in product success

Design is everywhere, everything we create is designed. It’s just whether it is good, bad or somewhere inbetween.

It’s in even in nature, from the way the leaves curl in autumn, in the way ants build their mounds.

Design touches everything, but in tech it’s often treated like an accessory. That’s why so many interfaces feel the same. Companies that put design at the center—Apple, Nike, the ones we admire—they don’t just build products. They create experiences. Design is the difference between something people use and something people love.

These questions aren’t just about products or processes. They’re about making things that matter.

They remind us to stay curious, stay thoughtful, and always leave room for something unexpected. That’s why we have fun things like unboxing videos.

If these are the kinds of questions you’re wrestling with, we’d love to talk.

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