Guest: Raphael Schaad, designer at Notion, founder of Kron, tool calendar acquired by Notion.
Key Insights
Designers’ focus on desirability makes them ideal candidates for founding startups.
Software and code have bridged the gap between design and production, empowering designers to build directly.
Coding skills are essential for designers working in software, enhancing their ability to prototype and create.
Exposure to well-designed objects and classic design texts sharpens design taste for both designers and founders.
Raphael Shaad’s process—sketching to high-fidelity prototypes—prioritizes feeling the design in its intended medium.
AI is redefining design, amplifying the need for designers to shape innovative, user-focused solutions.
1. From Designer to Founder: Raphael Shaad’s Path
Raphael Schaad stands out as a designer who became a successful founder, launching Kron—a next-gen calendar acquired by Notion, now used by millions as Notion Calendar.
His journey began with a technical background, including a computer science degree and graduate work at MIT Media Lab, where he built physical and digital creations.
Quote: “So one of the things that I care a lot about is encouraging more designers to become founders and encouraging more founders to care about design in the earliest days of starting their company.”
2. Design’s Power: Crafting Products People Crave
Raphael ties successful products to three pillars: desirability (design), feasibility (technology), and viability (business)—with design driving what users want.
He argues that designers’ knack for understanding user needs gives them an edge in creating compelling products.
Quote: “You need to have something that, you know, desirable that people want. You need it to be viable. So, kind of like you can build a business out of it and you need it to be feasible.”
“You need to have something that, you know, desirable that people want. You need it to be viable. So, kind of like you can build a business out of it and you need it to be feasible.”
3. Shattering the Mold: Why Designers Should Found Startups
Historically, designers were sidelined from production, seen more as artists than problem-solvers, a divide rooted in the industrial era.
Today, software and coding skills let designers control the creation process, making this a prime moment for them to launch companies.
Quote: “And so that is really changing now where designers can essentially through software, through code can actually be really close to building the object.”
“And so that is really changing now where designers can essentially through software, through code can actually be really close to building the object.”
4. Design Skills 101: Tips for Creators and Leaders
For designers eyeing entrepreneurship, Raphael urges learning to code to master software’s medium, plus immersing in well-designed environments and studying design classics like Grid Systems.
Founders lacking design chops should dive in hands-on, surround themselves with beauty, and read up—starting with books like The Design of Everyday Things.
Quote: “You should be comfortable in the medium that you’re building in. And if software is what you’re building, it’s made out of code.”
5. Raphael’s Playbook: From Sketch to Seamless Prototype
Raphael’s process kicks off with rapid paper sketches to capture ideas, valuing the medium’s freedom before constraints kick in.
He swiftly shifts to high-fidelity prototypes—often coding them himself—to test how the design feels, ensuring it aligns with user expectations while pushing boundaries.
Quote: “I still found it most efficiently to just quickly chop it down on a piece of paper.”
“I still found it most efficiently to just quickly chop it down on a piece of paper.”
6. AI’s Design Revolution: A Call to Action
AI is flipping the script on design, shifting focus from static elements to dynamic interactions, making designer involvement more critical than ever.
Raphael sees this as a golden opportunity for design-driven founders to reimagine products with a user-first mindset.
Quote: “It feels like with AI, basically everything is getting re-imagined, design first.”