We spoke with Marina, an experienced product designer and active mentor for startups at various stages of product development. Currently, Marina serves as a part-time mentor within a startup accelerator, and prior to this role, she helped several startups successfully reach the market.

The importance of having a designer as a mentor or part-time contributor to a startup is often underestimated. Marina offers a fresh perspective on the value a designer brings: a designer’s role goes beyond just shaping the interface—it’s about deepening customer understanding and refining the product to meet real needs.

For more of Marina's insights, listen to our recent podcast.