The journey of building a startup is an intricate dance between vision and execution. For founders, one of the most critical early decisions is how to approach UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) design. From onboarding early adopters to gaining traction in competitive markets, design can make or break your product. Drawing on insights from Jamie Gray’s experience with WeWrite, here’s a breakdown of what startups need to prioritize in UX/UI before diving into full-scale product development.
UX First: Solving the Right Problems
A startup’s success isn’t determined by how polished the product looks, but by whether it solves a real, psychological itch for its users. Good UX is foundational—it’s about creating pathways for users to achieve their goals seamlessly, intuitively, and with minimal friction. Think of it like designing a house: if the floorplan is flawed, no amount of beautiful decor can fix it.
- User-Centric Pathways: Ensure every step aligns with what the user needs and expects. If your users feel lost, no amount of visual polish will save them.
- True Believer Validation: At the early stage, you don’t need mass-market appeal. Instead, focus on onboarding “true believers”—users who understand the value of your product and are willing to stick with it as you refine and iterate.
- Iterative Testing: Prototypes and wireframes are your best tools. Test relentlessly to find what clicks for your early adopters.
UI Comes Second: Beauty Enhances Functionality
While UX is about function, UI is about form. A well-crafted UI can elevate a product, but it’s not what drives early success. In Jamie’s words, “Good UI is just making the thing pretty.” Startups should prioritize getting the functionality right before spending resources on aesthetic polish.
- Start Simple: Use pre-built, battle-tested design systems like Radix UI to accelerate development. Building custom components is rarely necessary at this stage.
- Polish Incrementally: As your product gains traction and you expand beyond “true believers,” start investing in a polished visual identity that aligns with your brand.
- Focus on Accessibility: Ensure your UI choices don’t alienate potential users. Clean, simple, and accessible designs can go a long way in making your product “normie-ready.”
Lessons Learned: Key Takeaways for Founders
Reflecting on Jamie’s experience, here are practical takeaways for startup founders navigating UX/UI design:
- Solve Problems First: Don’t get distracted by how the product looks until you’re sure it works. UX is about fulfilling user needs, not just meeting visual trends.
- Find True Believers: Early adopters are your most valuable testers. Build for them, listen to their feedback, and let their needs shape your product.
- Iterate Before You Scale: Design is not a one-and-done process. Use wireframes, prototypes, and user testing to refine the experience before scaling your efforts.
- Don’t Reinvent the Wheel: Leverage modern design systems to save time and focus your energy on solving meaningful problems.
- UI Can Wait: Once you’ve nailed UX and have a product that users love, you can polish the UI to make it visually compelling.
Closing Thoughts: From Vision to Execution
For startups, the journey to a polished product is not a race but a series of thoughtful iterations. Nailing UX early on builds the foundation for lasting success, while UI polish can come later as a tool to amplify what already works. As Jamie Gray highlights, startups don’t need to be perfect from day one—they need to be functional, meaningful, and ready to engage those first critical users.
Your product doesn’t need to appeal to everyone right away. Start by solving the right problems for the right people, and everything else will fall into place.