I help founders and product teams find the version of the work that's worth committing to. Most teams ship the safe version of what they're building because it's easier to defend. The harder version, the one that actually stands out, needs someone in the room to make it inevitable. That's what I do.
Essays on creative direction, product, making, and why most things you use end up forgettable and how to do it differently.
I'm Fred. I'm a designer and maker. Trained in fine arts, I founded my first startup in 2012 and have been designing products ever since.
Most recently I co-founded Kaizen, a marathon training app, leading the design from 0-1. Before that I led product design at Gastfreund in Berlin, where we built a "Slack for hotels" from scratch. I've worked across consumer and B2B, with two-person teams and forty-person ones.
Outside the product work, I paint, make artworks and prints, and try out new media. It's the same activity in a different medium. Both are about finding the version of the thing that's worth making.
I live in Berlin with my wife and our two small kids. I read a lot. And run when I can.
Most engagements begin with a short email about something specific you're working on. There are three rough shapes the work can take, depending on what you need.
Two to six weeks reviewing what you've built and shipping concrete improvements faster than an agency would. You get three or more specific recommendations, how to measure them, and the bet that has the most upside. If helpful, I can also design and ship the interventions.
You have a specific product or surface you want to improve, with a metric or outcome in mind.
Three to four weeks going deeper than a sprint allows for. We look at what your product is really trying to do, where the gaps are between intention and execution, and what direction has the strongest claim. The output is a written articulation with sketches and references.
You sense your product could be more than it currently is but the answer isn't obvious yet.
Six to eight weeks finding a direction that changes the rules of the space your product is in, not just what's made inside it. Builds on the work above. The output is a developed creative direction, ready for your team to build against.
The obvious moves have been considered and none of them feel right.
A monthly arrangement after one of the engagements above, where I stay attached to your team to make sure the direction we found gets built without losing its substance.
Usually two days a month split between reviews of work in progress, a monthly call, and being available for the harder questions as they come up. I work this way with a small number of teams at a time so the attention is real.
You've commissioned an Exploratory or Step change engagement and want to keep me involved as you build, or you want senior creative judgment available without the cost of a full-time hire.
If you're not sure which fits, or if you want to talk something through before any commitment, I offer a free 30-minute call. Just email and we'll set it up.
What if I don't know what shape of engagement I want?
Common, and fine. The first call is partly to figure that out. I'll tell you honestly which format fits, or if none of them do.
How do you handle confidentiality?
NDA on request, signed before specifics. I don't write about client work without explicit permission.
Do you take equity instead of fees?
Mostly no. Cash keeps the relationship clean. Open to partial equity alongside reduced cash for early-stage work that's genuinely meaningful, not as default.
What if it isn't a good fit?
We don't proceed. Better to decline at scoping than underdeliver. If something feels wrong mid-engagement, we talk and either adjust or close out cleanly.
Open to founders and product teams who want help finding the version of the work that's worth committing to.
