Eli Rousso
New York City

Over 20 years of design and code. I’ve founded companies, raised capital, and shipped world-class products used by millions. Now I work with founders who value taste and speed.

Writing
MarkdownUI · 9m

Interfaces are about to become readable and streamable.

Advice to Designer Founders · Soon

The craft is the easy part. It’s everything else that no one prepares you for.

Agency and Time Dilation · Soon

Time gets more difficult, richer, and longer when you own your decisions.

Whatnot
Shopify
Faire
Cash App
Square
Squarespace
Mirror
Expa
Oscar
Outdoor Voices
Justworks
Compass
How it works

We start with a short call. If we’re a fit, you’ll have a proposal within 48 hours and a kickoff the following Monday.

Sprint
Two Weeks
$48k

Ideas are fragile things. I make them durable through prototypes. Two weeks of design as code: a name, a brand, a working prototype. Demos on Fridays.

Book a sprint
Zero to One
6–12 Weeks
From $144k

For serious ideas ready for deployment. I design the product, prototype it in code, and work with your engineers to build and iterate into production.

Start a project
Advisory
One Session a Month
$16k per Month + Equity

A monthly working session on highest priority items from product, brand, fundraising, to hiring. Async and ad hoc as needed.

Request a slot
FAQ
How much does a design sprint cost?

A Sprint is $48k, fixed, for two weeks: a name, a brand, and a working prototype. Demos on Fridays, and everything is yours at the end.

Why one person instead of a design agency?

An agency gives you a team, a process, and handoffs. I give you experience across design, product, and engineering, faster than an agency at world-class quality, delivered in code for your engineering team.

Do you deliver production code?

Yes. Sprints deliver working prototypes in code, and Zero to One engagements ship production code alongside your engineers.

Who do you work with?

Founders, mostly pre-seed through Series B. Also later-stage startups, venture funds, and public companies that need an outside perspective or want to move even faster.

How fast can we start?

An intro call, a proposal within 48 hours, and a kickoff the following Monday.

What happens on the intro call?

Twenty minutes on your idea: where it is, what it needs, and whether I’m the right person for it. No deck, no discovery questionnaire. You leave knowing what I’d do first.

Do you take equity?

Advisory includes equity on top of cash. Sprints and builds are cash engagements.

Mac or PC?

Always Mac. I’ve only used Apple computers my entire life.

What do you listen to while you work?

Mostly the same few songs I’m feeling that month. Usually Aphex Twin’s Xtal on repeat.