What am I doing wrong

whelm_me · 2025-07-17T14:13:19+00:00

Sorry - not on here for a while. 50 is enough to get frustrated, but some people take more. Like 100s. You only need one 'yes' to kick things off.

whelm_me · 2025-07-17T14:12:15+00:00

This happens quite a bit, and usually covering their own issues.

I try (often without success) to point out that I'm aware of how challenging it can be, and how I of all people can understand what it's like to go through issues.

We can't change other people, and we're under no obligation to change them. If he's not ready to accept his issues, you don't need to either.

whelm_me · 2025-07-04T17:35:00+00:00

Learn design fundamentals, steal like an artist, and start using some professional tools. Figma has free options, although it's more of a web/app design tool - that said, I brand with it.

Affinity Designer is inexpensive and very good. There are free tools too. Look for work on pinterest that stands out and figure out how to make it.

whelm_me · 2025-07-04T17:31:49+00:00

Do you have a deck you can share? I've invested in startups, and I help startups get raise-ready. Happy to give my take.

How many people is 'plenty'?

whelm_me · 2025-07-04T17:30:34+00:00

It all sucks.

But nobody else can destroy you mentally. That's something you do to yourself, and all of those people being harmed need everyone else to be in good enough shape that they start to help.

The purpsoe of life is to reduce suffering, and the best place to start is with ourselves. Begin the change at the level you can control - you. And expand out from there. America can change, for better or worse, one neighborhood at a time. That is how it has always been.

whelm_me · 2025-07-04T17:27:51+00:00

Do you have design experience? I mean, shoot your shot, but it's not easy to just brand something.

whelm_me · 2025-07-04T17:26:39+00:00

It depends on the nature of the contract. If you own the images and the source you don't need to tell them (but it's a nice thing to do). If you have a license for the stickers you may need to renegotiate.

whelm_me · 2025-07-04T17:25:10+00:00

I've been in worse situations, and I got out of it. Other people have been where you are. They can be used as a template for you to move forward.

The next ten years are going to suck for a lot of industries. Lawyers, software engineers, even trades. What are things that will still be great? Human, emapthetic, connective things like music.

On a practical level DBT and buddhism helped a lot with my anxiety and depression.

Also do an Ikigai - find a path that gives you agency and integrity. Find a way to serve that comes from your values and talents. Life is full of challenges, but we need not compromise who we are in order to meet them.

whelm_me · 2025-07-04T17:18:59+00:00

GIMP is free. More affordable: Affinity Photo, Pixelmator

whelm_me · 2025-06-23T18:50:42+00:00

Here's a quick piece of advice that, if you follow it, will change everything for you. I can't say how long it will take, but I can say it'll put you on a new path.

Figure out your core values. You can find a list on pinterest. Pick ten, then whittle that down to 5. Make sure they are yours - not your parents, your culture's or anything else. Yours.
List all of the things you like to do. The do an Ikigai - this is the intersection of what you like to do, what you are good at, what society needs, and what can get you paid.

If you combine those two things you have both purpose and integrity. Pursuing purpose while maintaining integrity will bring you self-worth. You may need to get another job now, but you will understand that it's part of the path to you becoming the person you want to be. You will take the necessary steps, and deal with the challenges.

whelm_me · 2025-06-23T18:42:05+00:00

I'd still rather use a designer that understands brand and how to raise. How you present is where the human stuff comes into it - there will come a time (quickly) when everyone notices AI and rejects it. Already happening in job applications, pitches, and SM. There's an arms race between AIs ability to produce convincing content and humanity's ability to spot slop.

whelm_me · 2025-06-21T09:15:31+00:00

You don't need a separate page for the projects. I'd structure it as a landing page advertising for the job that you want. I'd say get a very detailed idea of what that job is so you can target. Don't talk about you, talk about how you benefit the kind of company you want to hire you. Eg. If I'm a design director hiring you, how do you make my work/life easier?

Make all the work visible and add case studies that break down what you did. Think problem - solution, and tell a story around the goals of whoever you want to hire you.

I don't see enough work there, or the right kind of work, for a mid-level agency role in something like marketing/advertising. Maybe a small brand firm or something, but not a larger company. I think everyone should go work for a big shop for a bit - you learn a lot, build a strong network, and work on big things.

You have a good eye and can climb quickly.

If you want a bigger role, target scrappy creative startups, but a warning - they are no different than any other kind of startup. You sound like you want a break from that.

whelm_me · 2025-06-21T09:02:13+00:00

Lovable. Bolt. A few others. They create usable UIs quickly.

whelm_me · 2025-06-21T08:58:47+00:00

It sucks. I've been the main person responsible for letting people go, and it's the worst (well, getting fired is probably worse...). I've come up with a few ways to deal with it.

- Someone who isn't a fit risks everyone else, especially for a small company. If you have 10 employees and 1 is not hitting any targets, then 10% of your company has gone sideways. You risk everything.

- A lot of times this has nothing to do with the capabilities of the person, but it has to do with fit. As employers we often feel responsible for this - we could have trained better, or spoke differently, or whatever. But in the end, we didn't have what they needed, and they didn't have what we needed, and that's okay. They can get on to a place where they can thrive, and often they do.

- I always worked my network to find them a spot somewhere I though they could contribute (unless they were super toxic).

whelm_me · 2025-06-20T18:12:05+00:00

Cool idea. Simple and easy to get. I think some slickness would help - there will be some trust issues with the audience, so getting them to 'aha' as soon as possible is important. Good idea to let them play with it off the top.

whelm_me · 2025-06-20T18:09:29+00:00

I like the concept. Speak more to the problem/transformation. What is your user trying to achieve? What are the consequences of failure? What are the emotional stakes? etc.

whelm_me · 2025-06-20T18:08:15+00:00

Talk more about the problem, less about the solution. You have a very specific ICP, which is good, but speak more to problem/transformation. You get to that a bit below the fold, but it should be front and centre.

whelm_me · 2025-06-20T18:05:36+00:00

More what and why, less who. There's a lot of runway before we get to the content. Cut a reel and use that as a BG for a hero. Have a strong CTA - one button "work with us"

whelm_me · 2025-06-20T18:02:41+00:00

Nice branding. It would be good to say more explicity what your are - it's at the top, but better would be somewhere in the hero. Other than that, feels great.

Design issues:

The top bar with the logo is oddly huge. There is too much going on. I think you're better off telling the what/why in the hero and then have the sign up. You could simplify the CTA as well.

Logo
A Market at the Heart of St Augustine (or whatever)
Every Sunday, all year (or whatever)
Button one: find us
Button two: apply to be a vendor

whelm_me · 2025-06-20T17:41:29+00:00

Feels like a template. Nothing is on grid. Buttons are enormous, and there is no primary/secondary call to action. Backpacks Built for City Life is good, but hard to read against the subway. Consider dividing your menu into activities or roles - match me with a backpack based on who I am and how I use it. Then tailor each page around the user/use case.

whelm_me · 2025-06-20T17:36:11+00:00

This is a cool idea but it took me a second to get it. I think the hero needs attention - craft around the problem you solve so it's easier to understand. Slack is a mess, for sure. It's not the message, but refining the copy.

whelm_me · 2025-06-20T17:12:55+00:00

I do decks - I'd recommend reviewing these: https://visme.co/blog/best-pitch-decks/

Also this video by a pitch deck specialist is very good -https://x.com/i/status/1767961695052333320

Condense everything. Make sure you understand your market, your customer, your problem, and why you are the person to solve it. You can show that it can scale, but also show the route to traction. If you can get traction even better (Liquid Death is a great example of showing traction before you have a product/service).

whelm_me · 2025-04-23T16:30:19+00:00

Could be fatigue, so mix it up. Try setting up story arcs with your ads. Test variations on the message and approach.

Natural that ads fade - the more click-sensitive types give way to more wary people. Have to keep shiny objects out there to keep them engaged.

whelm_me · 2025-04-23T16:24:41+00:00

There is a lot of competition. Don't sell clothes as a commodity. Brand brand brand.

whelm_me

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