The Best Advice I Can Give An Ambitious Web Designer
Here’s my advice in a single sentence: Be the designer who remakes Mark Suster’s blog.
I don’t have any authority to suggest that you do it. I don’t even know if he thinks his site needs a makeover. But I don’t care. There’s an opportunity here.
Mark Suster is one of the most admired people in the startup world. Even though his blog is read by the top VC’s and most promising startups, he’s using a basic WordPress template.
If you’re the guy/gal who remakes his site, you’ll get your work in front of all those founders and investors who read his blog and trust his ideas. And when one of the companies he backs or advises looks for a new designer, who do you think will come to his mind first.
Do it for free if have to.
I know, as a designer people always hit you up for free work. I don’t think it’s right either — except in cases like this.
Years ago, when TechCrunch was much smaller than it is now, Neil Patel did free SEO for the site. Do you know how much credibility it gave him? Whenever I introduce him to someone by email and mention that one fact, he gets an instant response. Beyond credibility, he told me that work lead to customers and sales.
Do it.
Do it now.