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5 years ago today, I started working at @figmadesign.
At the time, the company was tiny. I had no idea how wonderful the product, company and community would become!
Deciding to work here was one of the best career decisions I’ve made, but it wasn’t an easy choice.
1/n
At the time, the company was tiny. I had no idea how wonderful the product, company and community would become!
Deciding to work here was one of the best career decisions I’ve made, but it wasn’t an easy choice.
1/n
Why was it hard?
I was somewhat worried about getting typecast as someone who can only work on creative tools.
I’d spent ten years at Macromedia / Adobe, and I was eager to break into new areas.
2/n
I was somewhat worried about getting typecast as someone who can only work on creative tools.
I’d spent ten years at Macromedia / Adobe, and I was eager to break into new areas.
2/n
I was also offered bigger titles at companies that were actual unicorns, at least on paper.
My ego told me I should take the bigger title.
And my brain told me I should take the safe job at a unicorn instead of the risky job at a stealth mode company.
3/n
My ego told me I should take the bigger title.
And my brain told me I should take the safe job at a unicorn instead of the risky job at a stealth mode company.
3/n
But my heart said to go with Figma. There were three things that sold me:
4/n
4/n
The first is that I saw a real opportunity for a WebGL/WebAssembly based design tool to completely change the dynamics of a design tools industry.
5/n
5/n
The second is @zoink, who kept bugging me.
He invited me to have brunch one day and as I was explaining why I couldn't decide, he said, “I just really want to work with you.”
I felt he really saw me as a person, and that he would listen to me.
He did, and he does.
6/n
He invited me to have brunch one day and as I was explaining why I couldn't decide, he said, “I just really want to work with you.”
I felt he really saw me as a person, and that he would listen to me.
He did, and he does.
6/n
The third is that it just seemed like a lot of fun to work on this problem.
And ultimately, that's how I end up picking all my jobs. I agonize for a few weeks, and then I pick the one that seems most fun.
7/n
And ultimately, that's how I end up picking all my jobs. I agonize for a few weeks, and then I pick the one that seems most fun.
7/n
(ed note: I realize not everyone is in a position where they get to choose jobs for "fun". I am extremely privileged to be in that position)
So I joined Figma.
It hasn’t always been easy.
Everyone who joins an early stage company knows that the early days are hard, the later days are hard, and the in-between is also hard.
8/n
It hasn’t always been easy.
Everyone who joins an early stage company knows that the early days are hard, the later days are hard, and the in-between is also hard.
8/n
But every step has been rewarding.
The way I think about my role is that regardless of my title or role or whatever, my job is to do whatever makes sense at a given moment to help steer us to building the kind of product and the kind of company we can all be proud of.
9/n
The way I think about my role is that regardless of my title or role or whatever, my job is to do whatever makes sense at a given moment to help steer us to building the kind of product and the kind of company we can all be proud of.
9/n
Is Figma perfect? Of course not!
There are thousands of things I would change about Figma the product, and there are thousands of things I wish we could tweak about Figma the company.
But all in all, I feel so, so privileged.
10/n
There are thousands of things I would change about Figma the product, and there are thousands of things I wish we could tweak about Figma the company.
But all in all, I feel so, so privileged.
10/n
Figma is the most rewarding product I've ever had the chance to work on, and the people at Figma are the most kind and talented group of people I've ever been a part of.
(no offense to previous coworkers haha)
11/n
(no offense to previous coworkers haha)
11/n
I feel especially fortunate to be in this circumstance given the state of the world. There is a lot of suffering in the world today, some of which is systemic, and some of which is unique to 2020.
I consider myself very lucky.
12/12
I consider myself very lucky.
12/12
