Product Designer (Future Openings)

Pogo Technologies, Inc.
Full-time

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer (Future Openings)

Company: Pogo Technologies, Inc.

Location: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Support

Date Posted: 2026-08-28

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote (US-based candidates preferred, but open to Canada)

🚀 Role Summary

  • Lead end-to-end product design for a new consumer insights B2B platform and a growing consumer app, impacting millions of users.

  • Drive the creative direction and establish foundational design systems, language, and culture for a rapidly scaling startup.

  • Collaborate closely with engineering and Go-To-Market (GTM) teams to rapidly iterate and launch high-quality, user-centric product experiences.

  • Apply advanced design principles and tools, including Figma and LLMs, to achieve "escape velocity design" and deliver polished, delightful interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Product Designer," its responsibilities heavily involve supporting GTM initiatives by creating user-facing products that drive adoption and engagement for enterprise clients. The emphasis on "connecting with millions of purchase-verified consumers" and designing for "brands/retailers" highlights a strong GTM component. The role also requires close collaboration with GTM teams, indicating a need for understanding market needs and translating them into product features.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Design core product experiences for both the B2B insights platform and the consumer app, encompassing the entire product lifecycle from initial exploration to post-launch iteration.

  • Develop polished and intuitive user interfaces that build trust, effectively communicate the value of data and AI technology, and enhance user engagement.

  • Meticulously craft and refine visual elements including layout, typography, spacing, color, motion, and interactions to ensure a high standard of design quality.

  • Contribute to defining the product roadmap, strategic vision, and the establishment of the company's design language, systems, and overall design culture.

  • Identify and implement creative solutions to deliver high-quality work efficiently within a fast-paced, often ambiguous startup environment.

  • Function as one of two core designers, working in tight-knit, cross-functional teams with engineering and GTM stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities suggest a need for a designer who can operate autonomously and strategically, influencing product direction rather than just executing designs. The emphasis on "laying the foundations for our design language, systems, and culture" points to a role that will shape future design operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

  • Continuous learning and staying updated on design trends and best practices is highly valued. Experience:

  • Proven experience designing software products, with a strong emphasis on end-to-end product design.

  • Experience in a startup environment is highly desirable, demonstrating adaptability and the ability to thrive in ambiguity.

  • Prior experience designing AI interactions or enterprise-grade products is a significant advantage. Required Skills:

  • Figma Proficiency: Expert-level skills in Figma for rapid prototyping, interface design, and collaboration.

  • UI/UX Design: Deep understanding of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) principles, with a portfolio showcasing successful product designs.

  • Interaction Design: Ability to design engaging and intuitive interactions, including motion and micro-interactions.

  • Visual Design: Strong aesthetic sense with meticulous attention to detail in layout, typography, color theory, and overall visual polish.

  • Product Strategy Contribution: Ability to contribute to product strategy, roadmap planning, and user needs analysis.

  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with engineering, product management, and GTM teams.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience designing for AI-powered products or features.

  • Experience with enterprise software design, understanding complex workflows and user needs in B2B contexts.

  • Familiarity with LLMs (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) and their application within design workflows.

  • Experience in establishing and evolving design systems.

  • User research methodologies and ability to translate insights into design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "full-stack designer" requirement implies a need for a candidate who can manage the entire design process, from conceptualization to implementation, and is comfortable with both strategic thinking and detailed execution. The mention of LLMs suggests a forward-thinking approach to design tools and processes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Showcase a minimum of 2-3 end-to-end product design case studies, demonstrating your full design process from problem definition to shipped product.

  • Clearly articulate the problem statement, user research conducted, design challenges faced, your design solutions, and the impact of your work.

  • Highlight your contributions to design systems, including how you've leveraged or contributed to design libraries and style guides.

  • Demonstrate proficiency in Figma, including the creation of interactive prototypes and detailed design specifications.

  • Quantify impact where possible, using metrics related to user engagement, conversion rates, or user satisfaction. Process Documentation:

  • Evidence of designing within a fast-paced, iterative product development cycle, ideally with examples of weekly or bi-weekly release cadences.

  • Examples of how you've managed design trade-offs and made near-term decisions while maintaining a vision for future product improvements.

  • Documentation or explanation of how you've collaborated with engineering and GTM teams to ensure design feasibility and successful product launches.

  • Examples of how you incorporate user feedback and data into design iterations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the startup environment and emphasis on "Calculated Speed," the portfolio should emphasize rapid iteration, effective trade-offs, and measurable impact over exhaustive documentation. The ability to demonstrate contribution to design systems is crucial for scalability.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

  • Estimated Range: $120,000 - $170,000 USD annually.

  • Explanation: This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for mid-level Product Designers with 2-5 years of experience in high-cost-of-living areas like New York, factoring in the startup environment which often offers competitive compensation to attract top talent. The company's statement of offering "above-market salaries & equity" supports this range.

Benefits:

  • Above-market salary: Compensation designed to be competitive within the industry.

  • Equity: Stock options or grants, offering potential for significant financial upside as the company grows.

  • Unlimited PTO: Flexibility to take time off as needed, promoting work-life balance.

  • Minimum 20 days vacation policy: A mandated minimum ensures employees take sufficient time to rest and recharge.

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance (assumed, standard for US tech roles).

  • Opportunities for professional development and learning. Working Hours:

  • Estimated Hours: 40-50 hours per week.

  • Flexibility: While the company expects significant impact and "raw hours" at this stage, they trust team members to create a flexible schedule that maximizes productivity and accommodates personal priorities. This suggests a results-oriented work environment with some autonomy in managing daily schedules.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company explicitly mentions "above-market salaries & equity" and a strong emphasis on work-life balance with generous PTO policies, which are key differentiators. The "raw hours make an impact" statement should be interpreted as a high-output environment rather than a rigid schedule.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Software (Consumer Insights, Data & AI)

Company Size: Small (Estimated 10-50 employees based on the role being the second designer). This implies a close-knit team where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: (Information not provided, but implied to be a growing startup).

Team Structure:

  • The design team currently consists of a Lead Product Designer and this role, indicating a lean, hands-on structure.

  • Close cross-functional collaboration is expected with engineering and GTM teams, suggesting a flat hierarchy and direct communication channels.

  • The company emphasizes "product thinking" across all roles, fostering a culture where everyone contributes to product development. Methodology:

  • Data-Driven Design: Decisions are informed by user data and qualitative feedback, with quick feedback loops from product launches.

  • Calculated Speed: A core value emphasizing rapid iteration, weekly shipping, and making pragmatic trade-offs to move quickly.

  • Experimentation & Agility: Willingness to pivot based on data and user feedback, adapting to ambiguous problems.

  • User-Centricity: Strong focus on understanding and serving user needs, both for consumers and enterprise clients.

Company Website: https://www.joinpogo.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is characterized by speed, agility, a strong product mindset, and a deep appreciation for design. The small team size means this designer will have a high degree of influence and autonomy.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-Level Product Designer with significant growth potential into a senior or lead role within the design function.

Reporting Structure: This role will report to the Lead Product Designer, who has experience at notable tech companies (Figma, Slack, Glean). This provides an excellent mentorship opportunity.

Operations Impact: The product designer will directly influence the user experience of a B2B platform used by large companies and a consumer app with millions of users. Their work will be critical in driving adoption, user satisfaction, and ultimately, the commercial success of Pogo's offerings.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Design Leadership: As one of the first designers, there's a clear path to becoming a lead or manager as the design team scales.

  • Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in areas like AI interaction design, enterprise UX, or design systems.

  • Product Strategy Influence: Directly contribute to shaping the product roadmap and future direction of Pogo's core offerings.

  • Industry Exposure: Gain experience in the rapidly evolving consumer insights and AI technology space.

  • Cultural Shaping: Play a pivotal role in defining and embedding design best practices and culture within the company from its early stages.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a rare opportunity to be a foundational member of a design team, providing significant opportunities for career acceleration and impact beyond typical mid-level positions. The mentorship from an experienced Lead Product Designer is a key growth driver.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. The company operates without a central physical office, embracing distributed work.

Office Location(s): While remote, the company prefers candidates within the United States and Canada, suggesting a focus on time zone alignment for collaboration.

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Environment: Designed for remote collaboration, utilizing digital tools for communication and design. Expect frequent virtual meetings and asynchronous communication.

  • Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design and collaboration tools (Figma, Slack, etc.) is essential. The company encourages the use of AI tools in the design workflow.

  • Team Interaction: While remote, emphasis is placed on building strong team connections through regular communication and shared goals. The small team size facilitates direct interaction and camaraderie.

Work Schedule: Flexible, results-oriented. The company values productivity and trusts team members to manage their time effectively to meet deadlines and achieve goals, while also encouraging ample time off.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature requires a self-disciplined individual comfortable with asynchronous communication and virtual collaboration. The emphasis on flexibility is balanced with the expectation of high output and impact.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience and design quality.

  • Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A session to walk through selected case studies, discussing your design process, decision-making, and impact. Expect questions about how you handled ambiguity, made trade-offs, and collaborated with teams.

  • Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with engineering and GTM team members to assess collaboration style, product thinking, and cultural fit.

  • Hiring Manager/Lead Designer Interview: A deeper dive into your design philosophy, leadership potential, and alignment with Pogo's values and vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the problem, your solution, and the measurable outcomes of your design work. Use data and metrics whenever possible.

  • Showcase Process: Detail your design thinking, research methods, iteration cycles, and how you tackled challenges.

  • Highlight Figma & LLM Use: Demonstrate advanced Figma skills and any innovative ways you've used LLMs in your workflow.

  • Emphasize Collaboration: Provide examples of how you've worked effectively with engineers and GTM teams.

  • Tailor to Pogo: Understand Pogo's mission and values, and subtly align your portfolio examples with their emphasis on speed, data, and user-centricity.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Be prepared for a design exercise or challenge that may focus on a specific problem related to Pogo's product domain. This could involve rapid ideation, wireframing, or a short prototype.

  • Practice articulating your design rationale clearly and concisely, especially under time constraints.

  • Prepare to discuss how you would approach a complex, ambiguous problem with limited information, reflecting Pogo's "Calculated Speed" value.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not just design skills but also adaptability, problem-solving, and cultural fit within a fast-paced startup. The portfolio is the central piece of evidence.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Figma: The core design tool for UI design, prototyping, and design system management.

  • LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude): Expected to be integrated into the design workflow for ideation, content generation, or research assistance.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • While not explicitly listed for the designer, familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel) and reporting dashboards is beneficial for understanding user behavior and product performance. CRM & Automation:

  • The designer will work with products that support GTM functions, so an understanding of CRM principles (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and automation workflows can be advantageous for context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable. The explicit mention of LLMs suggests an openness to adopting cutting-edge tools for design efficiency.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Calculated Speed: A commitment to rapid iteration, shipping frequently (weekly), and making pragmatic decisions to achieve velocity.

  • Product Obsession: A company-wide focus on product thinking, where everyone contributes to product ideation and improvement.

  • Design Matters: A deep appreciation for design quality and its impact on product success.

  • Data-Driven: Decisions are informed by user data and insights.

  • Experimentation: A culture that embraces testing new ideas and pivoting based on learnings.

  • Simplicity & Clarity: A drive to create user experiences that are easy to understand and use.

Collaboration Style:

  • Lean & Cross-functional: Working in small, agile teams with direct communication channels between design, engineering, and GTM.

  • Asynchronous Communication: Reliance on tools like Slack for effective remote collaboration.

  • Feedback-Oriented: Quick feedback loops are integral to the iterative process.

  • Autonomous: Team members are trusted to manage their work and contribute proactively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is fast-paced, outcome-oriented, and deeply collaborative. Designers are expected to be proactive, influential, and comfortable with ambiguity.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Ambiguity & Rapid Prioritization: Navigating undefined problems and quickly shifting priorities inherent in a startup environment.

  • Lean Design Resources: Operating with a small design team, requiring self-sufficiency and the ability to wear multiple hats.

  • Balancing Speed and Quality: Delivering high-quality design solutions rapidly, requiring strategic trade-offs.

  • Scaling Design Systems: Contributing to and evolving design systems that support rapid growth and multiple product lines.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Mentorship from Lead Designer: Learning from an experienced designer with a strong background in leading tech companies.

  • Exposure to AI & Enterprise Design: Gaining specialized experience in cutting-edge technology domains.

  • Shaping Design Culture: Playing a key role in defining the future of design at Pogo.

  • Product Strategy Involvement: Direct influence on product direction and roadmap.

  • Fast-Paced Learning: Rapid iteration cycles provide continuous learning opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is ideal for someone who thrives in dynamic environments and sees challenges as opportunities for growth and impact. The learning curve will be steep but rewarding.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you had to make significant design trade-offs to ship a product quickly. How did you balance speed with long-term product vision?"

  • "How would you approach designing a new feature for an enterprise platform where user needs might be complex and diverse? What research methods would you employ?"

  • "How do you incorporate user data and feedback into your design process, especially when dealing with ambiguous problems?"

  • "Walk us through a design system you've worked with or helped build. What were the key principles and how did it support product development?" Company & Culture Questions:

  • "How do you stay updated on the latest design trends and tools, particularly in areas like AI and LLMs?"

  • "What does 'Calculated Speed' mean to you in a product development context, and how would you embody it as a designer?"

  • "How do you envision contributing to shaping Pogo's design culture as one of our early designers?"

  • "Describe your ideal collaboration with engineering and GTM teams." Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Storytelling: Frame each case study as a narrative, highlighting the problem, your journey, and the successful outcome.

  • Focus on Process: Clearly explain why you made certain design decisions, not just what you designed.

  • Quantify Impact: Use metrics and data to demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs.

  • Highlight Figma & LLM Skills: Show examples of advanced Figma techniques and innovative use of LLMs.

  • Be Concise: Given the emphasis on speed, deliver your presentation efficiently and be ready for focused Q&A.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to demonstrate not just design execution, but strategic thinking, problem-solving under pressure, and a proactive approach to collaboration and culture-building, all aligned with Pogo's stated values.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

  • Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

  • Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to highlight 2-3 strong case studies that best represent your end-to-end product design process, focusing on impact and how you navigated ambiguity and speed.

  • Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize experience in startup environments, Figma proficiency, cross-functional collaboration, and any relevant experience with AI or enterprise products. Use keywords from the job description.

  • Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and how you contribute to product strategy. Prepare to discuss your experience with rapid iteration and design trade-offs.

  • Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Pogo Technologies' mission, product offerings, and company values, particularly "Calculated Speed" and their emphasis on product thinking and design.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.


Application Requirements

The ideal candidate has experience designing software products, preferably in a startup or enterprise environment. You must be proficient in Figma, possess strong product intuition, and be comfortable working in an ambiguous, high-speed setting.