Why thinking like a designer is key to solving founder challenges

In this episode Phill talks to Finn, the founder of Both &, and discusses the journey of creating a fashion brand specifically designed for trans and non-binary individuals. The discussion covers various themes including the importance of community engagement, the challenges of designing an entirely new approach to clothing ecommerce, becoming a figurehead in the community, and the future of the brand. Finn shares insights on navigating visibility in the fashion industry, the iterative design process, and the importance of building a diverse network. The conversation concludes with his personal reflections for aspiring founders.TakeawaysHow Finn approached redesigning some of the most common design patterns in clothing ecommerce.Design Sprints and extensive design research informed several unique features required to make the web UX work.Community engagement has been crucial in shaping the brand's direction and offerings.Finn founded Both And to address a personal need for better fitting clothing, which helped him keep going throught the tough times.Open-sourcing the brand's tech packs to encourage industry collaboration should make the research project have even more impact beyond Both And.It's not always easy to put yourself out there as a community figurehead but it may be the right thing for your brand.