For a long time, so much of Mixed lived inside my own hands. The prints, the design concepts, the revisions, the back-and-forth, the endless execution. I wore that closeness like a badge of honor. It made me feel responsible. Useful. In control.
But as a business grows, being deeply involved in everything can start to stunt growth.
Recently, I hired a design team, and it already feels like one of the most important shifts I’ve made. I feel energized knowing that product is no longer resting on one brain, one set of hands, or one perspective. Better people are stepping into the right seats, and that shift already feels meaningful.
As I step out of some day-to-day execution, I’m stepping into something less tangible: direction.
Less doing, more thinking.
Less making every piece, more shaping the whole.
Less being the engine, more being the compass.
And I’m still figuring out what success looks like in this new role. After spending years proving my value through output, it’s taking time to unlearn old ways of working and recognize that my value will look different in this next phase.
I once heard someone compare this shift to being a player versus being a coach. In the beginning, you’re on the field taking the shots and scoring the points. Over time, your job becomes building the team and coaching them to do the same. Right now, I’m somewhere in between. Part player, part coach. It’s a delicate balance and a challenging grey area.
I don’t think growth always looks like outputting more. Sometimes it looks like releasing your grip and trusting other people.
And I think you’ll start to feel that shift soon. Our upcoming capsule drop is only a small taste, but it already reflects the effect of our growing team: fresh perspective, stronger direction, and a more elevated level design. It’s not a full transformation overnight, but it is a meaningful step toward where I want Mixed to go.
Hugs,
Nasrin