hey everyone,
i’m excited to share the latest episode of our video podcast—a wide-ranging ama with charmie kapoor (associate director, design @razorpay, ex-harvard/microsoft/unacademy), recorded live with the design originals club community.
what we covered:
this session is packed with honest stories, practical advice, and real talk on what it means to build a design career in 2025. here’s a quick rundown of some of the topics we explored:
ai in design workflows:
how charmie’s team at razorpay experiments with ai, from gpt-powered illustrations and synthetic user research to open tool adoption across the company. we discussed what actually works, what’s hype, and how to use ai skillfully as a designer.portfolio & hiring advice:
what gets noticed by design leaders? charmie shared why interactive prototypes, clear problem statements, and even work-in-progress links stand out—while static pdfs and generic portfolios are a near-instant skip.career pivots & growth:
we talked about moving between big tech and startups, the value of core skills over deep domain expertise, and how to approach industry transitions (plus: is a master’s still worth it?).leadership & team culture:
lessons from scaling and managing design teams, adapting your style to what motivates each person, and building trust through strong relationships and leading by example.early career, mentorship, and agency:
for those starting out, charmie’s advice is to build high agency—reach out, try new tools, and don’t be shy about asking specific questions (she replies to thoughtful dms!).fun and personal moments:
sneaker recommendations, “art of looking slowly” at harvard, and stories from her own breaks and career pivots.
if you prefer youtube:
these sessions are all part of the ongoing design originals club - our community for product designers, by product designers. we host these live sessions so you can learn directly from the best (and ask your own questions in real time).
want to join us for future sessions? just reply to this email and i’ll send you the invite link and registration form.
as always, no paywalls, just high-signal, honest design conversations, free for the community.
feel free to share this with anyone who’d benefit, and let me know what resonated or what you want to see next!
cheers,
shivam
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