Most designers treat marketing like a dirty word.

So they don't do it.

They ship great work, post occasionally, and hope the right person notices.

This week I ran a roundtable with two founders who've cracked this:

Nick Zechner has spent 7 years running Grauberg, a design studio helping AI startups go from scrappy to fundable.

And Wyatt Feaster has a decade in product design, worked with companies like Etsy, and just launched his own iOS app.

4 things we discussed:

1. Marketing strategy (the real stuff)

Before you post a single thing, get this right: your offer

I like what Nick said, "you can do as much marketing as you want, but if the offer isn't clear, all those eyeballs go nowhere".

Wyatt added, "if you try to appeal to everyone, you resonate with nobody".

The more specific you are about who you're talking to, the more that person feels like you're reading their mind.

Get clear on your who and what.

2. LinkedIn, what actually drives clients

The content that goes viral and the content that gets you clients are almost never the same post.

Nick has watched this play out for 2 years.

The viral stuff gets engagement from designers and randoms. The client stuff: case studies, project promos, result-focused posts, gets 10 likes and one DM that turns into a $$$ contract.

Nick had a founder follow him silently for four months. No likes. No comments. Zero engagement. The day their funding round closed, they booked a call and showed up already knowing his process, his pricing, his vibe.

You don't always know who's watching. Still, you should show up.

3. Newsletter, how to run one that converts

Wyatt spoke about 3 types of people on your newsletter list: buyers, lurkers, supporters.

If you don't have enough buyers, the content doesn't matter. You can write the best newsletter in the world and still make zero sales.

So the first job is getting the right people subscribed.

Once you have the right people, the next mistake is not asking enough. Nick sends an email every time he has something to say with an offer attached. Not every email. But when there's a reason, he asks. The money follows the ask.

One more thing worth stealing is segmentation. Tag the people who click your links. When you have an offer, pitch them specifically. Not your whole list. Just the folks who've already shown interest.

Lastly, frequency matters. The more emails, the better your chances of conversion.

4. YouTube and short-form, worth it or not?

Both. But for different reasons.

Nick uploaded a video breaking down pitch decks. 500 views. One founder watched & messaged him on LinkedIn mid-watch, and booked a call within the hour.

Short-form is the opposite game.

Wyatt's been posting BlockWalk shorts four times a day, testing hooks and formats. Fastest subscriber growth he's seen. Most app downloads coming from there.

But does it build deep trust? Not yet.

Long-form is like sitting across from someone for an hour. Short-form is a wave from across the street.

Both matter. Most designers don't do either.