How Two Founders Scaled a Design Subscription Agency to $100K MRR in 6 Months
Who is Alex Szczurek?π
Alex Szczurek, hailing from Poland, began her career as a front-end developer before transitioning into UX and CX, working with well-known companies like Meta, Hubspot, and PWC. She co-founded Baked Design after gaining diverse experience in both startups and larger enterprises, focusing on bringing affordable, high-quality design services to startups.
What problem does Baked Design solve?π
Baked Design helps startups get high-quality design work quickly and affordably, solving the common problem of inaccessible or slow traditional design services.
How did Alex come up with the idea for Baked Design?π
Alex, one of the founders of Baked Design, embarked on a journey that began with a desire to combine her UX expertise with her passion for startups. Her experiences as a front-end developer and her roles in UX and strategy in corporate settings highlighted a common struggle: startups needed high-quality design services at accessible prices. This observation sparked her interest in transforming how design services were offered.
Initially, Alex experimented with productizing design services but faced challenges in standardizing pricing and defining scopes. The transition moment came when she and her co-founder, Nick, began experimenting with design roasts on Twitter, gaining traction by offering affordable design critiques. This strategy allowed them to refine their approach as they iterated the subscription model, ultimately leading them to pivot to a design subscription model.
Through constant experimentation and feedback from the community, Alex learned the importance of flexibility and customer involvement in shaping a business model. By efficiently responding to client needs and reducing unnecessary complexities in service offerings, they established a streamlined service that resonated well with their target market. This iterative process showed Alex that maintaining adaptability and openness to feedback were key to overcoming initial setbacks and shaping a successful venture.
How did Alex build the initial version of Baked Design?π
Alex Szczurek and Nick Bass, the founders of Baked Design, built their subscription-based design agency by leveraging their combined experiences in UX, CX, and product design. They initially started by hosting design roasts on Twitter, which helped in showcasing their skills and attracting clients.
The agency employs a range of tools and methodologies, including Framer and Webflow, to deliver fast and effective design solutions. With a focus on constant client communication and an asynchronous workflow, they enhanced the design process significantly, allowing them to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Despite the challenges of transitioning roles and scaling a team, the founders found their complementary skills helped mitigate bottlenecks, enabling them to build an agile and effective team of specialists.
How did Alex launch Baked Design and get initial traction?π
Public Design Roastsπ
Baked Design initially gained traction by conducting public design roasts on Twitter (now X). Alex and Nick engaged with the community by offering critiques and redesign suggestions for landing pages, charging between $50 and $150 per page. These roasts not only showcased their skills but also connected them with potential clients who were looking for design work.
Why it worked: By providing valuable feedback and showcasing their expertise in a public forum, Alex and Nick established credibility and trust within the community. This approach also encouraged word-of-mouth referrals, helping them secure more clients.
Transition to Subscription Modelπ
After realizing the potential demand for ongoing design services, Alex and Nick shifted from one-time design roasts to a subscription-based model. They offered services that included branding and application design, initially pricing their subscription plans at $2137 and $4317 per month. Within two weeks of launching this model, they signed their first client with the Pro Plan.
Why it worked: The subscription model catered to startups and agencies looking for continuous design support. Offering a clear pricing structure and scope of work made it easier for clients to commit to ongoing services, ensuring a steady revenue stream for Baked Design.
Leveraging X (Twitter) for Visibilityπ
Throughout their early days and beyond, Alex and Nick utilized X as their primary marketing channel. They participated actively in relevant discussions, shared insights about their work process, and updated their audience on business milestones like monthly recurring revenue (MRR). This transparent and engaging approach helped build a community interested in their journey.
Why it worked: X provided a platform for real-time interaction and engagement with potential clients and collaborators. By sharing their story in public, they built a loyal following and attracted clients who appreciated their transparency and expertise.
What was the growth strategy for Baked Design and how did they scale?π
Twitter/Xπ
Baked Design effectively uses Twitter/X as their primary marketing channel. The founders frequently engage with their community by conducting public design roasts and sharing insights into their design processes, successes, and experiments. This engagement builds trust and showcases their expertise. By sharing updates about their business growth, such as reaching key revenue milestones, they provide social proof of their success, which attracts new clients. They tap into the #buildinpublic community to network and receive opportunities for partnerships and projects.
Why it worked: Twitter/X allowed Baked Design to connect directly with a community of potential clients and collaborators. The platform's interactive nature enabled them to showcase their design skills through public roasts, generating interest in their services. Their transparency about MRR (monthly recurring revenue) also served as compelling evidence of their agency's effectiveness, persuading new clients to invest in their offerings.
Product Design Roastsπ
Baked Design initially gained attention and clientele through public design roasts on Twitter/X. By critiquing and providing feedback on existing designs, they demonstrated their expertise and style, attracting indie hackers and startups who valued their input. This process started conversations and built relationships with future clients who saw the value in receiving a full design service.
Why it worked: The roasts showcased Baked Designβs skills in a practical, engaging manner, allowing potential clients to directly evaluate the quality and creativity of their work. This transparency in skill and process turned casual observers into potential clients as they saw the practical results and improvements Baked could bring to their projects.
Subscription Modelπ
The founders implemented a subscription model for their design services, focusing on startups needing different design elements like branding, websites, and applications. This model offered a fixed monthly cost for ongoing design needs, making their services accessible and predictable for startups with varying scopes of work.
Why it worked: The subscription model simplified pricing and engagement for clients, making it easier for startups to manage their design budget. This approach also fostered long-term relationships by providing continuous service, which is more attractive to clients looking for sustained quality support without renegotiating fees for each project.
What's the pricing strategy for Baked Design?π
Baked Design offers a monthly subscription model with two main pricing tiers: a basic plan at $4,900 per month and a pro plan at $6,317 per month, providing unlimited design services to startups.
What were the biggest lessons learned from building Baked Design?π
- Quick Adaptation to Market Needs: Baked evolved from simple design roasts to a subscription service by responding to diverse client demands, showing the importance of flexibility in business models.
- Embrace Communication: Initially, communication errors led to client dissatisfaction, but learning to effectively handle crisis communication improved client relationships significantly.
- Effective Team Dynamics: Alex and Nick's complementary skills allowed them to efficiently split tasks, demonstrating the value in finding co-founders who enhance rather than duplicate each other's abilities.
- Trust in Talent: Baked emphasized hiring skilled professionals rather than juniors, maintaining high standards and preventing burnout, which illustrates the importance of building a capable and independent team.
- Manage Client Expectations: Learning to manage client relationships, including knowing when to issue a refund, was crucial in maintaining a positive reputation and avoiding destructive interactions.
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More about Baked Design:π
Who is the owner of Baked Design?π
Alex Szczurek is the founder of Baked Design.
When did Alex Szczurek start Baked Design?π
2023
What is Alex Szczurek's net worth?π
Alex Szczurek's business makes an average of $100K/month.
How much money has Alex Szczurek made from Baked Design?π
Alex Szczurek started the business in 2023, and currently makes an average of $1.2M/year.
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