In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Skyler, founder of Finite Supply, a Bitcoin design agency. Skyler shares his journey from graphic design student to optimization specialist at companies like Walmart Labs, Kraken, and Fedi, before launching his own agency. They discuss the importance of research-driven design, the art of branding, and Skyler's philosophy of "Socratic design."
🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:
Skyler's journey from graphic design school to Bitcoin design agency founder
How early exposure to A/B testing shaped his scientific approach to design
The philosophy of "Socratic design" and seeking truth in product development
Why research and user observation matter more than designer opinions
The process of creating foundational brand identities for Bitcoin companies
How to develop taste and craftsmanship as a designer
Building scalable brand systems for early-stage companies
The future of human-computer interaction and AI delegation
🔗 Subscribe for more content on Bitcoin and product design from the Studio Twentyone Show!
Connect with Skyler:
Twitter: https://x.com/skyler_fs?lang=en
Website: https://finitesupply.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skylerwestby
Connect with Me:
Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0
Nostr: sahil@primal.net/sahil
Web: https://sahilc.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show
01:20 Skyler's early design journey and education
02:36 Learning HTML and web development in design school
03:24 The important internship requirement project
04:12 Discovery of A/B testing and quantifiable design
05:16 The philosophy of "Socratic design"
06:22 Research vs opinion in Bitcoin design decisions
07:30 Walking through Vegas and design conversations
09:01 The mortuary rebranding project from college
09:28 Transition from optimization to product design
10:02 Working at Aspiration and discovering Bitcoin
11:22 The fulfillment of measurable design impact
12:23 Newsletter break
12:34 Applying optimization thinking to Bitcoin companies
14:20 The easy sell of value-based design improvements
15:17 What Skyler loves about running Finite Supply
16:22 No boss, fewer meetings, and creative freedom
17:07 22+ clients and foundational brand work
17:32 Dealing with quality concerns and imposter syndrome
19:25 Product work and cleaning up "vibe coded" UIs
21:04 Managing growth and saying yes to too much
22:12 The Bitcoin network effect for designers
23:15 Brand project process and client discovery
24:47 Using AI for word definition exploration
25:09 The Bitcoin Bond Company branding story
27:03 How clients become friends through collaboration
28:08 Making brands scalable for non-designers
30:23 Living out brand principles beyond visuals
31:16 Whether taste can be learned or is innate
33:05 Developing taste through physical craftsmanship
34:09 The command-Z impulse in leather work
35:09 Newsletter break
35:27 How Skyler discovers design inspiration
37:38 Limiting Twitter consumption with ARC browser
38:16 Sahil's disciplined social media workflow
39:48 Looking ahead: building for American workers
41:21 Solutions in search of problems vs real pain points
43:15 The vision for reducing human-computer interaction
44:30 Delegating robot tasks to actual robots
45:00 Closing thoughts and future conversations
Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/
In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Courtny Cotten, a design leader who has worked at major tech companies including Microsoft and Stack Overflow. With a strong background in visual design and leadership, Courtny shares insights from his career journey, discusses the evolution of design tools, and explores how AI is transforming the design industry.🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:- Courtny's journey from art student to design leader at major tech companies- How gaming inspired his passion for digital experience design- The evolution from traditional graphic design to modern UX/UI practices- How AI tools are transforming the design industry and empowering designers- Practical tips for becoming a more effective design leader- The convergence of product design and front-end engineering roles- How to use AI as a designer's superpower rather than a threat🔗 Subscribe for more content on Bitcoin and product design from the Studio Twentyone Show!
Resources & Tools Mentioned in the Episode:- Figma (including Figma Beta AI features): https://www.figma.com/- Adobe Illustrator: https://www.adobe.com/in/products/illustrator.html- v0 (by Vercel): https://v0.dev/- ChatGPT: https://openai.com/- Grok: https://grok.com/- Cursor: https://www.cursor.com/- Blue Cyclops Design Agency: https://bluecyclops.com/- Design Break Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-design-break/id1451267703Connect with Courtny:- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtnycotten/- Twitter: https://x.com/courtnycotten
Connect with Me:- Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0- Nostr: sahil@primal.net/sahil- Web: https://sahilc.com
Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show01:09 Courtny's career journey and background02:17 Early apprenticeship in graphic design05:19 Transition from print to digital and mobile design07:05 Experience at Stack Overflow and developer tooling09:08 AI design tools discussion begins10:24 Sahil's recent AI workflow transformation13:26 AI for divergent thinking in design15:54 The convergence of product design and engineering roles20:15 Ethical questions about AI copying creative styles24:04 New Figma Beta AI features28:13 Using AI for better employee feedback and reviews30:17 Effective leadership principles33:35 Excitement about AI comparable to discovering Bitcoin36:39 "Reflexive AI use" concept38:40 Closing and request for feedbackBackground image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/
In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with John Magill, founder and CEO of Zaprite, to explore his journey from traditional graphic design to building a Bitcoin payment platform. John shares insights from his background in art, his transition to digital design, and how he built Zaprite from the ground up.
🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:
John's path from art school to Bitcoin entrepreneurship
How freelance design led to creating a Bitcoin payment solution
Building an MVP as a non-developer and raising funding
Balancing the roles of CEO and designer at a growing startup
Managing feature requests while maintaining product vision
🔗 Subscribe for more content on Bitcoin and product design from the Studio Twentyone Show!
Connect with John:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/john_zaprite
Website: https://zaprite.com/
Connect with Me:
Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0
Nostr: sahil@primal.net/sahil
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show
00:34 Meeting John Magill from Zaprite
01:03 Bitcoin Community in Austin
01:36 John's Approach to Digital Privacy
02:11 The Economics of Social Media
03:36 Early Freelance Design Career
04:47 Artistic Background and Education
09:03 Transitioning from Industrial Design to Graphic Design
12:14 Design Nature vs. Nurture Debate
14:00 The Origin Story of Zaprite
17:16 Building the MVP with Nate's Help
20:27 Design Consistency Through Growth
21:39 Balancing CEO and Designer Roles
24:23 Starting with Code as a Designer
27:45 Working with Parker and Will
31:08 AI Tools for Design
34:16 Managing Customer Feature Requests
40:52 QA Process and Feature Rollout
44:16 The Linear Approach to Features
48:38 Hot Takes on Collaborative Design
51:18 Future Design Plans for Zaprite
54:05 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information
Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio
In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Stephen DeLorme from Voltage to explore the intersection of design, development, and Bitcoin. Stephen shares his journey from comic book artist to graphic designer to Bitcoin builder, and insights from his work on Lightning Network infrastructure.
🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:
The evolution from traditional design to Bitcoin engineering
Approaches to building open source Bitcoin products
Using AI tools to accelerate design and development
Lightning Network's unique challenges and opportunities
How designers can start coding with modern tools
🔗 Subscribe for more content on Bitcoin and product design from the Studio Twentyone Show!
Connect with Stephen:
Website: https://d.elor.me/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephenDeLorme
Contact: steven@vtdo.ge
Connect with Me:
Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0
Nostr: sahil@primal.net/sahil
Web: https://sahilc.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show00:40 Meeting Stephen DeLorme01:19 Stephen's Hackathon Success02:09 UX for the Streets Workshop06:35 Stephen's Background and Journey10:11 From Comic Books to Graphic Design13:23 Discovering Bitcoin and Spiral Grant15:10 B2B Experience and Bitcoin Design19:42 Working on the Bitcoin Design Guide24:27 Approaches to Open Source Design30:08 Lightning versus Other Layer 2 Solutions32:37 Voltage's Approach to Lightning Infrastructure36:30 Starting with Code for Designers40:57 Using AI Tools for Development44:47 AI's Impact on Design and Development Jobs49:05 Current Projects and Future Plans51:34 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information
Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/
In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Mia White to explore her journey from marketing to Bitcoin design and her experiences as an independent designer working with various Bitcoin companies.
🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:
Transitioning from marketing to product design
🔗 Subscribe for more conversations on Bitcoin design and product development!
Connect with Mia:
Twitter:https://x.com/mia_white21
Connect with Me:
Twitter:https://x.com/SahilC0
Nostr:sahil@primal.net/sahil
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show
00:30 Meeting Mia White
01:14 Mia's Background in Business and Marketing
02:57 Transition to Design During COVID
04:31 Online Design Education
06:20 Starting as a Freelancer in Bitcoin
08:05 Working with Engineering-Heavy Startups
10:34 Managing Design Process with Multiple Stakeholders
13:40 Using Secondary Research to Convince Teams
15:32 Freelance versus Full-Time Considerations
19:30 Challenges in Bitcoin Startups
20:46 Bitcoin Education and UX Challenges
23:35 Designing for Technical Constraints in El Salvador
24:47 Copywriting and Website Design
27:36 Using AI Tools in Design
29:14 The Future of Designers with AI
31:35 Being a "Cowboy Designer"
33:17 Learning New Skills On-the-Go
34:51 Hot Takes on Bitcoin Companies
37:13 The Education Problem in Bitcoin Products
39:28 Staying Updated on Design Trends
40:57 Future of Bitcoin Design
44:30 Personal Growth and Balance
45:21 Closing Thoughts
Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/
In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Lee Gordon from Fold to explore the evolution of Bitcoin design and brand identity. Lee shares insights from Fold's recent redesign and his journey from creative writing to leading design at one of Bitcoin's most recognizable companies.
🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:
How Fold approached their recent redesign as they prepare to go public
Managing design teams efficiently in Bitcoin companies
The role of research and customer feedback in product development
Building design systems that scale
Drawing inspiration from art and culture for Bitcoin products
🔗 Subscribe for more content on Bitcoin and product design from the Studio Twentyone Show!
Connect with Lee:
Twitter: https://x.com/leegordon
Nostr: https://primal.net/p/npub13wj709u2tdpflj83mxnlz507e54v0k78dzy0pe5prcukrpfnpdjsxnen3s
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanceleegordon
Connect with Me:
Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0
Nostr: sahil@primal.net/sahil
Web: https://sahilc.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show 00:20 Meeting Lee Gordon from Fold 01:14 Lee's Journey into Design 02:54 Path Through Agency World and Tech 05:04 Experience at RGA and Other Companies 08:03 Leadership and Individual Contributor Roles 11:10 Design Philosophy at Fold 14:17 Brand Evolution and Redesign Process 20:53 Working with Design Teams and Freelancers 27:07 Research and Customer Feedback 31:16 Design Systems and Efficiency 34:08 Using AI for Research Insights 39:24 Hot Takes on Design Industry 42:05 Art and Design Inspiration 46:47 Future of Bitcoin Design 50:16 Personal Growth and Future Plans 52:23 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information
Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/
In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil walks with Sasha Klein from Unchained to explore the world of Bitcoin front-end development and design systems. Sasha shares his journey from English major to Bitcoin engineer and his unique perspectives on building user-friendly self-custody solutions.
🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:
The evolution from traditional web development to Bitcoin products
How to balance technical requirements with user experience
The importance of consistent design systems in Bitcoin products
Building maintainable front-end architecture for complex applications
Hot takes on animation, prototyping, and design trade-offs
🔗 Subscribe for more content on Bitcoin and product design from the Studio Twentyone Show!
Connect with Sasha:
Twitter: https://x.com/sashafklein
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sasha-klein/
Connect with Me:
Twitter: https://x.com/SahilC0
Nostr: sahil@primal.net/sahil
Web: https://sahilc.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show 00:21 Meeting Sasha Klein from Unchained 01:14 Sasha's Background and Harvard Years 02:54 Transition into Programming through MOOCs 04:06 Learning Ruby on Rails and Full Stack Development 05:04 Experience at Design Consultancy 08:03 Design Philosophy and Trade-offs at Unchained 11:10 The Role of Animation in Design 14:17 Domain Expertise in Bitcoin Products 16:24 Balancing Customer Needs with Bitcoin Security 20:27 UX and Visual Design Integration 23:51 Evolution of Web Design Standards 26:28 Design Systems and Component Libraries 29:01 The Role of Prototyping 32:35 AI in Development and Design 37:06 Future of Tech Jobs 39:24 Hot Takes on Design 42:05 Managing Design Trade-offs 46:47 Consistency and Code Quality 50:16 Bitcoin Design Evolution 54:19 Future of Bitcoin UX 56:13 Real-world Bitcoin Payment Challenges 57:05 Closing Thoughts and Contact Information
Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/
Hey everyone! Sahil here, walking along a lake in Riga for today’s episode. I’m joined by Erik, a bitcoin designer who’s here to share his unique journey and insights from the world of UX and design.
Episode Highlights:
Exploring Riga & European Design: Erik shares his love for European architecture and city design, comparing it to the walkability and creativity-inspiring aesthetics of Stockholm, where he lives.
Erik’s Path into Design: From dabbling with early digital design tools as a kid, customizing game graphics, and pirating Photoshop to eventually mastering UX—Erik has quite the unconventional, tech-centric backstory.
Peer-to-Peer Influence on Bitcoin UX: Erik explains how his fascination with file-sharing communities naturally led to his interest in Bitcoin and designing peer-to-peer systems.
Design Philosophy: We dive into what “good design” means to Erik—balancing functionality with user enjoyment, making sure even technical designs offer a seamless, pleasant experience.
Challenges in eCash UX: Erik talks about his work with eCash, a protocol he’s passionate about, and the unique UX challenges it presents—like offline functionality and “pending” transactions that need intuitive design solutions.
Hoseki and Institutional UX: Erik shares his experience with institutional design at Hoseki, where keeping it polished yet simple for a traditional finance audience is key.
Design Inspiration from Solana & Beyond: Erik’s got a hot take—he’s learning design patterns from Ethereum and Solana’s fire UI/UX, proving that great design inspiration can come from all corners of the tech world.
The Art of Explaining Design: We get into a candid chat about the challenges of articulating design choices to stakeholders and Erik’s journey to improve in this area.
This episode is full of gems on navigating design with a user-first mindset while staying grounded in practicality. Whether you’re a designer, a dev, or just interested in the thought processes behind some of the products you use, you’re gonna love this conversation.
Connect with Erik:
Twitter: @uxerik_
Noster: erik@uierik.com
Website: uierik.com
Connect with Me:
Twitter: @Sahilc0
Nostr: sahil@primal.net
Web: sahilc.com
Don't Miss Out:
If you’re in Austin, check out the Bitcoin Design Club that Paul and I host on the 4th Wednesday of each month. It’s where we connect with other designers, builders, and anyone passionate about Bitcoin design.
Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, hit that subscribe button, and let’s keep this design conversation rolling. Peace!
Background image credits:
Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Studio 21 Show
00:33 Exploring Riga and Personal Backgrounds
03:33 Early Design Inspirations and Journey
05:58 Combining Design with Bitcoin
11:05 Institutional Design at Hoseki
16:04 Challenges in eCash UX Design
21:15 Exploring eCash Offline Functionality
22:53 User Communication Challenges
23:05 Design Philosophy: Truth vs. Abstraction
24:35 Balancing User Feedback and Development
26:37 Hot Takes on Design Prototyping
29:18 Learning from Cutting-Edge Design
33:17 The Culture of Cashew
34:41 Challenges in Design Communication
37:53 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up
In this episode of the Studio Twentyone Show, Sahil chats with Paul Miller from Mutiny to dive deep into the world of Bitcoin product design. Paul shares his unique journey from being a web designer at 13 years old to becoming a key player in the Bitcoin ecosystem, working on projects like Voltage and Fedimint.
🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:
The challenges of designing intuitive Bitcoin UX for users.
How to balance simplicity with the complexities of Bitcoin technology.
The importance of iteration and progressive enhancement in product design.
Why great UX for Bitcoin products is about more than just making things look pretty.
Hot takes on the future of Bitcoin products and how designers can make Bitcoin more user-friendly.
Paul offers candid insights into his design philosophy and the difficulties of delivering seamless user experiences in a space where technical complexity and user expectations clash. If you're interested in Bitcoin development, UX/UI design, or just curious about the behind-the-scenes of how Bitcoin products are created, this episode is a must-watch!
🎧 Listen to the full episode to discover:
Paul’s thoughts on what makes good design in Bitcoin.
Why "better UX won’t be easy" and how it compares to relationships or fitness.
The truth vs. abstraction debate in Bitcoin UX.
🔗 Subscribe for more content on Bitcoin, product design, and tech from the Studio Twentyone Show!
Connect with Paul:
Twitter: @FuturePaul
Upcoming Projects: Keep an eye out for some exciting B2B SaaS evolutions from Mutiny.
Connect with Me:
Twitter: @SahilC0
Nostr: sahil@primal.net
Web: sahilc.com
Don't Miss Out:
If you’re in Austin, check out the Bitcoin Design Club that Paul and I host on the last Thursday of each month. It’s where we connect with other designers, builders, and anyone passionate about Bitcoin design.
Thanks for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, hit that subscribe button, and let’s keep this design conversation rolling. Peace!
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to the Studio Twentyone Show
00:21 Meet Paul Miller from Mutiny
00:44 Casual Walk and Talk in Austin
01:02 Discussing the Concept of Design
03:52 Paul's Journey from Web Developer to Journalist
06:15 The Essence of Design and Creativity
09:44 Integrating Design and Problem Solving
15:33 Paul's Early Design Influences
20:33 Challenges in Designing Bitcoin Products
22:59 The Importance of User Experience in Bitcoin
27:19 The Value of Health and Relationships
27:33 Effort and Consequences in Health and Wealth
29:12 Building for Different Audiences
29:34 The Mutiny Team's Decision
31:03 Bitcoin and User Responsibility
32:30 The Evolution of the Internet and Bitcoin
34:02 Designing for Truth vs. Abstraction
37:36 Challenges in Bitcoin Payment Methods
42:01 Learning and Inspiration in Design
50:16 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up
Background image credits: Jason Marder https://jtrain.studio/
