tech
Former X Design Lead Launches Independent Studio
As AI makes it easier to build, Brandon Jacoby says companies are competing on taste.
TL;DR
- Brandon Jacoby, ex-X and Cash App design leader, has launched Kainoa, an independent design practice.
- Kainoa is founded on the principle that AI makes human judgment and creativity more valuable.
- Companies are increasingly competing on taste in the AI era.
- While AI can speed up execution, it cannot replace the creative judgment of what to build and how it should feel.
- Jacoby sees AI expanding who can build products while increasing the value of expertise.
- More senior designers are choosing independence due to high demand for experienced talent.
- Jacoby uses AI agents for business tasks to focus on design, operating as a one-person practice.
- His long-term vision for Kainoa is a collective of independent collaborators, not a traditional agency.