Design Leadership for Scaling Startups
Hi, I’m Tom. I’ve spent 20 years in product design, the last 10 leading teams at Monzo, Babylon Health and BuzzFeed, across London and New York. Along the way I’ve managed over 100 designers, interviewed more than 1,000, and scaled teams several times over.
At Monzo, where I spent five years as Director of Product Design, I helped turn a team of 12 into a 60-strong design org. That meant partnering with business, product and engineering leaders to spin up new design functions all over the company, from payments to financial crime. I built a hiring process from scratch for craft, and a culture that cared about the details, so the quality bar kept rising as we grew.
What’s fascinated me throughout is the leverage that comes from getting design leadership right early on. Strong foundations here change everything that follows: hiring, quality, pace and influence. And despite what many teams assume, quality and pace aren’t opposites.
That’s what I do now, independently. I work with startups that care about getting design right, helping them build the leadership and foundations that make design a real advantage. The kind of senior thinking you need when the team’s about to double (or halve), or you’re betting on a product direction that’ll shape the next year of design work.
How we could work together
Offerings
Sessions
A thought partner in your corner, with a mix of practical coaching and advice that meets you where you are. Together we’ll work through your toughest decisions on the product, the team or your own leadership.
A focused hour on what matters most, from reshaping your team to clarifying direction.
In the work together. From Figma files to strategy docs, wherever the details live.
For new and experienced design leaders, and the founders they work with.
£3,750$5,000 for 12 sessions, or £375$500 each. Plus VAT for UK clients.
Fractional
The closest thing to a senior design leader on your team, without the full-time hire. I help build teams that trust each other and ship work they’re proud of.
2 days a week, embedded and hands-on as your interim Head or VP of Design.
Accountable for 1–3 business outcomes, like raising product quality, scaling the team or shaping AI strategy.
Best for Series A–C founders with small existing design teams.
Just 1–2 clients a year, 6+ months each.
Circles
Leading design has become a tough, often lonely job. Circles are a small, curated room of peers who get it, away from the 10x claims and ‘design is dead’ takes.
5–7 people, carefully matched by level, experience and team size.
90-minute video calls, structured in FigJam and facilitated by me.
Chatham House Rule, so what’s shared stays in the room and you can speak openly.
For leads, heads and VPs of design who want real talk on how other leaders and their teams are actually doing.
Every engagement starts with a free intro call, so just drop me an email and we’ll take it from there. I occasionally have room for one-off projects or light-touch advisory retainers too.
Nice things people have said
Testimonials
In eight months Tom doubled our product design team and took us from pockets of excellence to a consistently high bar across the whole team, building the rituals and frameworks that keep great design happening without him. He became a genuine sounding board on how we structured and staffed the wider product org, and solidified design as one of Midnite’s sharpest advantages.
Nick Wright
Founder & CEO
Midnite
Tom has been an instrumental partner to me in scaling Monzo's Design org. I've learned so much and levelled up as a leader throughout our time working together. Among other things he overhauled our hiring process, career framework and design reviews to strengthen product design at Monzo.
Vuokko Aro
Chief Design Officer
Monzo
Tom's superpower is using his deep empathy to build relationships quickly and help others around him thrive. During my time working with him, I witnessed first-hand how Tom's thoughtfulness and craft expertise leveled up the designers around him.
Cap Watkins
VP of Product Design
Lattice
Tom had a bigger impact on me during the time he managed me than anyone else in my career. Whether through his soft-spoken questions, clever wit, or honest reflections, he always had my best interests at heart. Tom set my standard for exceptional leadership.
Liam Carter-Hawkins
Head of Design
Kry Livi
Tom has been invaluable as we've scaled our team and product. He helped us shape a clear, lightweight hiring process for our first Product Manager and coached me through every step, leading to a brilliant hire. He built out our customer research practice, levelled up the design of our reports, and raised the quality and confidence of everything we ship.
Adam Rogers
CTO & Co-Founder
Martello
Tom helped me find focus and confidence as the only designer at Prosper. His guidance gave me tools to navigate disagreement, set boundaries, and communicate design's value with real business impact. I'm excited to continue getting his feedback on the design work itself.
Will Ayling
Lead Product Designer
Prosper
Tom has been an invaluable mentor in helping me grow as a leader. He's a great listener who asks the right questions to get to the heart of challenges, and his human-first but commercially-savvy approach has given me clarity through everything from team coaching to company restructures. With his guidance I've been able to unlock the potential in my team and create an environment where people can do their best work.
Chris Underdown
Head of Product Design
Motorway
In eight months Tom doubled our product design team and took us from pockets of excellence to a consistently high bar across the whole team, building the rituals and frameworks that keep great design happening without him. He became a genuine sounding board on how we structured and staffed the wider product org, and solidified design as one of Midnite’s sharpest advantages.
Nick Wright
Founder & CEO
Midnite
Tom has been an instrumental partner to me in scaling Monzo's Design org. I've learned so much and levelled up as a leader throughout our time working together. Among other things he overhauled our hiring process, career framework and design reviews to strengthen product design at Monzo.
Vuokko Aro
Chief Design Officer
Monzo
Tom's superpower is using his deep empathy to build relationships quickly and help others around him thrive. During my time working with him, I witnessed first-hand how Tom's thoughtfulness and craft expertise leveled up the designers around him.
Cap Watkins
VP of Product Design
Lattice
Tom had a bigger impact on me during the time he managed me than anyone else in my career. Whether through his soft-spoken questions, clever wit, or honest reflections, he always had my best interests at heart. Tom set my standard for exceptional leadership.
Liam Carter-Hawkins
Head of Design
Kry Livi
Tom has been invaluable as we've scaled our team and product. He helped us shape a clear, lightweight hiring process for our first Product Manager and coached me through every step, leading to a brilliant hire. He built out our customer research practice, levelled up the design of our reports, and raised the quality and confidence of everything we ship.
Adam Rogers
CTO & Co-Founder
Martello
Tom helped me find focus and confidence as the only designer at Prosper. His guidance gave me tools to navigate disagreement, set boundaries, and communicate design's value with real business impact. I'm excited to continue getting his feedback on the design work itself.
Will Ayling
Lead Product Designer
Prosper
Tom has been an invaluable mentor in helping me grow as a leader. He's a great listener who asks the right questions to get to the heart of challenges, and his human-first but commercially-savvy approach has given me clarity through everything from team coaching to company restructures. With his guidance I've been able to unlock the potential in my team and create an environment where people can do their best work.
Chris Underdown
Head of Product Design
Motorway
About Tom
I’m based in Walthamstow, London, with my wife and two young boys, where I try my best to run regularly in the forest. Before all this, I spent time making music, taking long train journeys, and living in NYC for 9 years, where I found my love for Minnesota tacos, among other things.
Outside of client work, I co-host Mostly Working, a podcast and London meetup where design leaders share what they’ve built with AI, and write occasional notes on my personal website.