Kris Rasmussen began his career at Microsoft and spent many years at Asana and then Airbnb before joining Figma. His work ethic developed from attempting to handle work on his own to working with a team who are dedicated to their work. His keenness to work with tech-driven companies led him to join Figma in 2017 during the pre-product market fit stage. No one anticipated the level of success Figma would achieve. Through his initial journey in Figma, he learned a lot from Dustin and Justin, the new entrepreneurs. The spectacular work environment radiates in how he defines Figma as a company and a brand.
Here are some takeaways from our dinner conversation with Kris Rasmussen:
● Reputation is crucial to success, whether you’re a founder or an employee. Kris started as a founder, and after several attempts - even though his startup ideas didn’t succeed, he a) has built a reputation as a disciplined and creative engineer and b) rounded himself with people passionate about building something great. Doing your best might not lead to a big immediate outcome, but it will lead to a great outcome longer term - and in the case of Kris, this outcome was joining companies such as Asana, Airbnb, and Figma when they were starting;
● The work environment and employees' dedication played a vital role in Figma's development and uphill success. To fit in the innovative work environment of Figma, one must be enthusiastic about their work and always strive for something new. Initially, Figma found it tough to hire engineers that fit their requirements. Now, Figma's team includes creative and problem-solving experts who are concentrated on improving the platform for designers and those who participate in the co-creation process.
● Figma's growth was slower than they envisioned, but the competitors were also slow on the web, as getting API access for integrations with other software platforms is nearly impossible. Figma outshined the rest due to its features of catering to designers, especially developers.
● Customer experience and feedback is an essential aspect of Figma. Figma took customer satisfaction to the next level by focusing on intellectual curiosity, astuteness, and design strategy in user feedback. They focus on the user needs as well as those needs which are not yet recognized. The following questions are always something the company ponders, "What are the most often asked-for features? What can we infer from the process? How can the feature of design be shaped? What do people want? What do people need?" Their commitment to continually improve has won the hearts of many designers.
● The idea of generative AI is the next step to evaluate. One can evaluate the aspect of generative AI to focus on and figure out what models can be used in Figma's domain. Moreover, the laborious process of turning a design into code, guided by production, offers an opportunity. AI can help designers work more effectively and productively.
● Figma's growth is an excellent example of establishing and accomplishing its long and short-term vision. When balancing long-term and short-term vision, it is essential to have the knowledge and skills to cater to that specific vision. Furthermore, the question "Does it need to be super complex?" should always be at the back of the mind. Keeping an eye out for loose ends is crucial, and mixing intuition with client input is a skill to acquire. Additionally, each milestone needs to be transparent and open.
● A company is not built overnight. In 2017, Figma became the most competitive tool on the market, just a year after it was introduced. Although management was simple, communication and constant monitoring were key to growth. People often overlook how crucial it is for them to develop and know that you believe in them. It's crucial to be respectful yet straightforward. Leveraging power is essential since everyone has a different archetype and varied leverage points.
● Advice for people in their 20s is that assembling a strong team is challenging but crucial for any startup. Doing it better than anybody else involves various factors, including culture, teamwork, etc. A nice workspace is required even if it doesn't work out right away; the worth of dedication is immeasurable. You must commit. You cannot flip from one thing to another. It took 5 years for Figma to release the version to the public.
Organizer: Georgi Koreli
Host: Will Agramonte
Editor: Jacky Lin
Contributor: Anna Vladymyrska