Founding Designer

Founding / Lead Product Designer – San Francisco ($175K–$250K)

Multiple Open Roles Across Dynamism VC Portfolio

About the Opportunity(s)

Dynamism VC partners with exceptional early-stage founders backed by Y Combinator, a16z, Sequoia, Bessemer. We're hiring multiple Founding or Lead Product Designers for our San Francisco–based portfolio companies. We've placed candidates from our networks in companies including:

• Vapi AI (backed by AI Grant, Bessemer)
• Replit (backed by a16z, Coatue)
• Meanwhile (backed by Sam Altman, GV)
• Wordware (backed by YC, Felicis)
• Tavus AI (backed by Sequoia, Scale AI)
• …and many more building across AI, productivity, and developer tooling.

You'll join as a founding design leader, defining the product experience and design culture from day one — working directly with world-class technical founders solving frontier problems.

Why These Roles Matter

Design defines how users connect with a product — emotionally, functionally, and experientially.

At this stage, your work will shape not just interfaces but the company's identity, storytelling, and long-term product DNA.

We're looking for founder-minded designers who move fast, think deeply, and bring taste, clarity, and conviction to everything they create.

What You'll Do

• Own the full design lifecycle — from concepting and research to high-fidelity UI and production.
• Create and scale design systems and visual identities that unify product and brand.
• Partner directly with founders, PMs, and engineers to define product strategy and direction.
• Prototype and iterate quickly, balancing speed with design excellence.
• Recruit and mentor early design hires and shape company-wide design culture.

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of product design experience with a strong, end-to-end portfolio.
• Prior experience as a founding or early designer at a high-growth or VC-backed startup.
• Ability to simplify complex workflows into intuitive, elegant user experiences.
• Expert command of Figma and modern prototyping tools (Framer, Principle, After Effects).
• First-principles thinker with a bias for clarity, creativity, and action.
• Bonus: motion design, brand identity, or marketing design experience.

Why You Might Be a Fit

• You've thrived in high-ownership, fast-moving environments.
• You care about craft, brand, and product coherence.
• You want to build iconic products in San Francisco alongside exceptional founders.
• You bring taste, urgency, and founder energy to your work.

Compensation

• $175K – $200K base + meaningful early equity
• Based in San Francisco (hybrid/onsite preferred)
• Multiple openings across Dynamism VC's portfolio