Founding Designer

In this role, you will

• Design & Execution — Own the end-to-end design process, from wireframes and prototypes to polished UI/UX, collaborating closely with engineers for fast iteration.

• Design Systems — Establish and maintain the first design system and style guidelines to ensure consistency as the product evolves.

• User Research — Conduct interviews, usability testing, and synthesize feedback into actionable product improvements.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration — Work hand-in-hand with founders, engineers, and PMs, communicating design decisions clearly across the team.

• Brand & Identity — Shape the visual identity and apply it across product, marketing, landing pages, and early brand collateral.

• Rapid Iteration — Design MVPs, test hypotheses, and adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment.

• Design Culture — Set the standard for design quality, define best practices, and build scalable workflows.

• Creative Generalist — Contribute beyond product design, including marketing visuals, motion, or copy as needed.

• Strategic Input — Bring a design perspective to roadmap discussions and overall company strategy.

• Team Building — Help define future design roles and lay the foundation for a growing design team.

You may be a good fit if you

• Have 5+ years of professional design experience with a strong track record of shipping high-quality products.

• Thrive in collaboration and enjoy working closely with founders, engineers, and PMs to shape product direction.

• Set the tone for design culture by raising the quality bar, establishing best practices, and influencing how design grows within the company.

• Have strong visual taste and product intuition, with the ability to make thoughtful design decisions that balance user needs, product goals, and brand identity.

• Are comfortable building from 0 → 1, creating design systems, components, and workflows from scratch.

• Enjoy wearing multiple hats, from product design to brand, marketing, or creative work when needed.

• Communicate clearly and empathetically, making design accessible to both technical and non-technical teammates.

• Adapt quickly in a fast-moving environment, iterating rapidly and learning from feedback.

• Care deeply about users, grounding your work in research, feedback, and empathy.

About ProductNow

We are building the operating system for AI-native teams, where humans and agents align, build, and ship together. Our mission is to solve the hardest problem in execution: alignment. Today’s fragmented tools and endless meetings slow teams down. We believe there’s a better way.

With ProductNow’s AI-native execution OS, virtual teammates (PN agents) handle repetitive tasks, capture context, and accelerate execution, freeing people to focus on creativity, judgment, and collaboration.

We’re starting where much of work already happens: documents. By reimagining them with LLMs at the core, we’re creating a unified, AI-native writing platform. Paired with PN agents, it blends human creativity with intelligent teammates that generate content, capture knowledge, and eliminate busywork, making alignment faster and work more joyful.

Logistics

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Location: Hybrid — we’re in the office in Palo Alto, CA near the Caltrain station from Tuesday to Thursday, with Mondays and Fridays remote.

• Visa: At this time, we are unable to sponsor new visas, but we encourage you to check back soon, as this may change.

• Inclusivity: We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every single qualification. We prioritize strong working relationships, mentorship, and giving people opportunities to grow, especially with today’s rapidly evolving AI tools. Diversity is at the heart of our engineering team, and we know you’ll feel that when you meet us.

How we’re different

• Experienced leadership: Our leaders and advisors have lived this problem for over 20 years inside some of the world’s largest institutions. They bring both maturity and a proven understanding of how to create and maintain an efficient, professional work environment.

• Cutting-edge engineering: Our team pairs deep, modern AI expertise with imaginative thinking to design alignment-focused systems that feel fresh and forward-looking.

• Strong distribution: We have access to diverse channels that allow us to reach the right customers quickly and effectively.

• Defensible strategy: Our execution strategy is solid and validated, built to withstand competition from big labs, big tech, and other startups. With unique insights into how the underlying technology works, and how to seamlessly integrate it with existing software, we’re positioned to create experiences that are not just functional, but truly delightful.

Join the journey!

At ProductNow, we’re building more than just an execution OS; we’re building a team that thrives on alignment, collaboration, and shared purpose. Our engineering culture is rooted in living our values: ensuring everyone is aligned on the direction of the product and that every voice is heard.

We offer competitive compensation, meaningful ownership, and the chance to play a pivotal role on our rocketship. Along the way, you’ll find a supportive team, deep opportunities for growth, and plenty of moments for connection and bonding.