Most Startups Don't Need a Full-Time Designer

Most early-stage startups don't need a full-time designer — they need a fractional partner who moves fast, designs things that work, and acts like an owner. Full-time hiring means paying six figures for work that arrives in seasons, not steadily. What founders actually need is senior judgment on a tight async rhythm, quick UX wins, and systems the team can run with — plus help hiring full-time later, when it's genuinely time.

June 26, 2025 · Gev Marotz · 1 min read

Most startups don't need a full-time designer. They need this instead.

The problem I keep seeing at startups:

Obvious UX wins just sitting there
Engineers making design calls solo
PMs writing specs in a vacuum
Nothing shipping
And a quiet "We need a full-time designer… I think?"

But hiring full-time isn't always the answer. The work comes in seasons, not a steady forty hours a week — so you end up paying six figures for the gaps. (I broke down the full cost math in fractional head of design vs. a full-time hire.)

What you actually need is someone who:

Moves fast
Designs things that work
Acts like an owner
Helps your team level up

That's what fractional design should be. Not freelance. Not consulting.

A partner who:

Nails quick wins
Brings strategy and execution
Keeps a tight rhythm (Slack, Loom, async check-ins)
Builds systems your team can run with

I treat your product like it's mine. And if you still want to hire full-time later? I help you do it.

Not full-time. But fully in.

3 months or 18, my goal stays the same: leave it better than I found it.

Gev Marotz is a fractional design and product partner based in Toronto. He works with a small number of seed-stage startups each year on product design, brand, and positioning. gev.design