Update + People and Product Recs
Hey, everyone!
I’m simplifying this email. I have been sharing individual recommendations to incredible specialists (which I’ll still do!) but now I’m going to curate products and other experiences as well.
I’ve already shared about…
A startup deck designer who’s helped 80+ startups
A recruiter who’s worked with 100 thieves
The book editor who helped write Sahil Lavigna and Ash Ambridge with their books
My goal is simply to help you discover the person, resource, or product that will help transform and support your journey as a founder.
If even one of you hires someone from this letter or buys a product that improves their life I’ll be happy!
Making things simple
I’ve been thinking a lot about how we make things so complex for ourselves.
So often we make things harder than they need to be. Of course, we don’t always know that’s what we’re doing. It’s habitual.
We all have “invisible hangups” – things we don’t recognize hold us back because any time we get close to a certain underlying feeling we run from it and then do
Ok, on to the new version of THE ELEVATOR.
xx David
For Hire:
Consumer Startup Founding Designer
For hire in the month of September:
View Kevin’s Website • Kevin’s Twitter
Kevin focuses on supporting consumer startups in a fractional "Founding Designer" role — helping them start from scratch, and serving all the design needs they may have in the first year or so of life, including 0 → 1 product design, brand/identity, and everything else that comes our way.
Friend of the letter Jack Cohen said: “Today, great design is non-negotiable for startups in consumer and enterprise worlds, alike. Any early-stage founding team would be lucky to work with Kevin and can rest assured the outcome will be world-class.”
What people say:
“Kevin is an exceptional designer and one of my favorite people I have ever worked with. He has not only led all product and brand design efforts for MIRROR across our complex product, but he has also been integral in the development of overall product strategy and direction. I have never received any work from Kevin that is not on-time, thoughtfully constructed and beautiful.”
-Brynn Putnam | Ceo, MIRROR
“Kevin was the perfect fit for our needs and team- beyond his impressive track record and visual brilliance, he’s collaborative, communicative, nimble, ready to challenge the norm, think outside the box and crunch every timeline, moving strategy and design forward. Taking this next step in driving our digital presence would have been impossible without him.”
— Christina Tosi | Founder & CEO, Milk Bar
Continued Learning:
Breakthrough Facilitation Course
Live starting September 19th:
Breakthrough Facilitation Course • Gwyn’s Twitter
Ever lead a workshop or facilitated a group discussion on Zoom and then heard crickets? Gwyn is a facilitator, trainer, and learning experience designer. This course provides a comprehensive framework that breaks down the 4 successful components of exceptional facilitation.
What people say:
“This course exceeded my expectations”
– Head of Community at Circle
“The Breakthrough Facilitation method gave us a framework for creating successful online experiences.”
– Billy Broas, Keystone Accelerator Course Creator
For the Office:
Electronic Materials
Coming soon: Join the Waitlist
Altar I is currently in private, invite-only beta. It’s an ultra-low profile, wireless mechanical keyboard forged in premium, sustainable materials.
What I say:
Custom/chunky keyboards are all the rage right now. I think the interface to our computers could use a slight update, and this keyboard has both style and sleekness while also providing something that just looks good on your desk!
Higher states:
Sand Incense Bowl
Version #2 of the classic incense bowl. Inspired by burning Shoyeido incense from Japan. The fragile nature of the ash on burning incense combined with the weight, density, and industrial feel of milled aluminum. Sand for both the function of holding the incense while burning and a place for the ash to land.
About Benjamin Edgar
Benjamin Edgar Gott is a Chicago-based designer – though his extensive body of work spans beyond any one-word label, with projects rooted in:
Welcome to The Elevator, a newsletter for entrepreneurs to discover highly-recommended talent, products, and experiences. It’s written by me, David Sherry.