Hey everyone! I’m looking to connect with designers for some mentorship or casual chats about career growth.

I have 8 years of work experience, including 6 in design. I’m currently the Lead Designer and sole designer at a hardware sports tech company. Our team has grown from around 12 to 50 people, and my role spans design, some product management, and increasingly, coding with AI.

I’d like to grow toward a Head of Design role, but I’m feeling a bit stuck on what that progression looks like when you’re still a design team of one - we might grow the team in a year or so. I don’t have a set timeline or an immediate promotion in mind—I’d like to get better at the leadership side and understand where to focus my development.

I’d love to hear from people who’ve made a similar transition, led design at a growing company, or are navigating something similar. I’m open to ongoing mentorship, but even an occasional chat to exchange experiences would be great.

How did you find guidance at this stage? And if any of this sounds familiar, would you be open to connecting?

Looking forward to chat!