Jessica Hische

Lettering Artist and Designer at Independent

Design legend specializing in typographical work for logos, film, books, and commercial applications for clients including Wes Anderson, Apple, Nike, Tiffany, and Penguin Books, created logos for Philz Coffee, Eventbrite, and Mailchimp, known for contrarian advice that startups shouldn't over-invest in brand early but should refresh when they find product-market fit.

The Craftsperson The Operator

Dimension Profile

Strategic Vision 35%

Execution & Craft 80%

Data & Experimentation 15%

Growth & Distribution 20%

Team & Leadership 20%

User Empathy & Research 60%

Key Themes

logo and brand refresh timing typography and emotional impact good enough logo for early startups brand as tone-setting not culture-driving contrarian approach to brand investment pattern absorption in design perception

Episode Summary

Jessica Hische shares her contrarian perspective that startups shouldn't over-invest in brand identity early because pivots make that investment wasted, but should invest in a proper refresh once they find product-market fit and don't want to be locked into what they threw together for an investor meeting. She explains why most people intuitively understand typography's emotional impact better than they realize, and walks through her process for refreshing Lenny's newsletter brand as a case study.

Leadership Principles

→ Don't over-invest in brand at the beginning — if you have to pivot, you're throwing away money on the whole brand vision
→ The cover of the book should give incredible insight into what's inside — a logo sets the tone and tells people what to expect, but doesn't drive the culture
→ Most people are better at understanding the feelings typography gives them than they give themselves credit for — we are endless absorbers of patterns

Notable Quotes

"Most people are better at understanding the feelings and sensations that typography and logos give us than they give themselves credit for, because what we are as people are endless absorbers of patterns."
— On why non-designers can intuit good and bad design

"If they get venture money, what they don't want to do is spend it on a massive brand exploration when you're still hiring. I am a weird contrarian in the brand world."
— On why startups shouldn't over-invest in brand early

"Sometimes the company has to pivot. If you invest super heavily on the whole brand vision from the jump, it's like throwing away money."
— On the risk of premature brand investment

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