Build 2 Create: Hardware Founder Stories | Analogy Design Studio

Ep 1: The hard truth about building design team


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B2C: Ep 1 - The Hard Truth About Building Design Teams 

"No a##holes. Just ideas."

What does it really take to build a world-class design team? In the first episode of B2C: Build 2 Create, we sit down with VyasTeja Rao (Founder & Chief Advisor) and Divya Rao (Co-founder) of Our Design Studio to uncover the unfiltered truth about scaling a design business from garage sketches to global product launches.

We share our 10+ year journey of building one of India's leading industrial design studios complete with the hiring mistakes, team pivots, culture experiments, and hard-won lessons that shaped their "no a##hole policy." From managing designers and engineers to coordinating vendors and operations teams, discover how they transformed a scrappy startup into a full-scale product design powerhouse serving clients worldwide.

You'll learn:

✅ The real difference between art and design (and why it matters for your business)

✅ How to hire and retain top creative talent without compromising culture

✅ What industrial design actually means in today's market

✅ Strategies for sustaining a design studio through economic ups and downs

✅ Why analogies unlock better design thinking and how they named their company

✅ The future of design in AI, sustainability, and human-centered innovation

Whether you're a designer, entrepreneur, product manager, or creative professional looking to level up your team building game, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you won't find in textbooks.



Timestamp:

00:00 – Trailer

00:30 – Meet VT & Divya: From Vision to Reality

06:30 – Why "Analogy"? The Story Behind the Name

11:15 – Sustaining a Design Startup for 10+ Years

22:00 – Art vs Design: Understanding the Divide

30:30 – HR & Team Culture: Building the Foundation

32:40 – How We Hire at Analogy (and Who We Don't)

41:49 – A Message for Next-Gen Creators

47:40 – What is Industrial Design, Really?

55:50 – The Future of Design: Trends & Predictions




⭐We are looking for founders, individuals & startups innovating products & want to launch now! If you are one, book slots now: 

🌐 Website: ⁠https://calendly.com/analogy/discoverycall?month=2026-01⁠



👉 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to B2C: Build 2 Create for more real conversations with founders, designers, and ⁠ creators who are shaping the future of product innovation.

🎥 YouTube ⁠https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC2ZEmYEiyp5g6AfZq0UCM9hVdVISmerv&si=7TSQDzmmM43pLfwU⁠ 

💼 LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/analogy-design/⁠


Follow Vyas here: LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/vyasatejarao/ ⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/designwillskill?igsh=YXJoZHl2N25yZnZq⁠

Follow Divya here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/divya-rao-062988330/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/divya_analogy?igsh=ejdqMXJmZm9mc280⁠



Follow Analogy here:

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/analogy-design/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/analogy.design?igsh=MTRvanI3Y21keWxx⁠



Our Communities:

General: ⁠https://chat.whatsapp.com/CTwGdALDGdD3q5Ng3Vw2DQ

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/16566026/⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbYykgaCadachwnX/⁠


 Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and hosts and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of B2C: Build 2 Create. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only.



Scripted. Directed. Edited by - Team Analogy

Thank you for Visiting Analogy



#IndustrialDesign #ProductDesign #Entrepreneurship #StartupCulture #DesignThinking #TeamBuilding #B2CPodcast #AnalogyDesign #CreativeLeadership #IndianStartups #DesignStudio #HiringTips

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Build 2 Create: Hardware Founder Stories | Analogy Design StudioBy Analogy Design