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/
