Designme.agency

How Adrian Scaled Design Agency to $100K/Month in Just 6 Months

January 10th, 2025

Founded By

Adrian Kuleszo

Monthly Revenue

$100K

Founders

Profitable

Yes

Year Started

2024

Customer

B2B

Founded By
Adrian Kuleszo: Monthly Revenue
$100K

Founders
1: Profitable
Yes

Year Started
2024: Customer
B2B

Who is Adrian Kuleszo?

Adrian Kuleszo, founder of DesignMe, transitioned from a background in mechanical engineering to become a leading UI/UX designer, growing a social media presence to over 550k followers and authoring successful design ebooks.

Adrian Kuleszo

What problem does Designme.agency solve?

Designme.agency helps tech startups by creating customized designs that deeply understand their users, making it crucial for businesses wanting to stand out and grow rapidly.

Designme.agency Landing Page

How did Adrian come up with the idea for Designme.agency?

Adrian's journey into founding Designme.agency began with a personal pivot from mechanical engineering to design, fueled by a deep curiosity and passion for user interfaces. Initially, Adrian was working alone, which limited the quality and range of services he could offer. This observation led him to realize the necessity of collaboration and leveraging top-tier design talent, which allowed him to provide more comprehensive solutions to tech startups.

Before taking the plunge, Adrian tapped into his active online presence, particularly through social media where he connected with a global community of designers. This network helped him understand the gaps and demands within the design landscape for fast-evolving industries like SaaS and AI. By engaging with this community, he validated the need for a specialized, flexible design agency that could rapidly adapt to meet the needs of tech startups, a niche that was under-served at the time.

Adrian faced the challenge of moving from a solo act to a team-based approach, which required careful selection of only the best design talent to maintain service quality. This experience taught him the importance of surrounding himself with creative talents who shared his vision, ultimately refining the agency’s service model to better address the specific needs and challenges of startup clients. Through this process, Adrian learned that scaling up was not just about increasing size, but also about enhancing the quality of his work by building a team that could push each project to its fullest potential.

How did Adrian Kuleszo build the initial version of Designme.agency?

Adrian started DesignMe.agency by initially working solo, leveraging his skills as a mechanical engineer turned UI/UX designer. He focused on crafting unique design solutions, beginning with custom interfaces that translated specific client needs into precise pixel work without relying on templates. After realizing the limitations of a one-person operation, he scaled by hiring top-tier design talent, maintaining a hands-on approach in design projects. The initial build process was rigorous, involving deep dives into understanding client requirements and market alignment, ensuring each design piece was meticulously tailored. Despite challenges in scaling and ensuring quality without compromise, this iterative process led to a successful framework capable of addressing complex startup needs.

What was the growth strategy for Designme.agency and how did they scale?

Adrian, the founder of DesignMe, leveraged his social media presence under the alias @uiadrian to significantly grow the agency's audience. By sharing educational content and mentoring a global community of designers, he attracted over 550,000 creatives to his accounts. This strategy helped bolster his personal brand, which in turn increased visibility and credibility for DesignMe.

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Why it worked: Social media allowed Adrian to connect directly with a large audience of creatives and potential clients. By providing valuable content and building a community, he was able to position himself as a thought leader in the design space, which translated into business opportunities for DesignMe.

Ebooks

Adrian authored and promoted three top-rated design ebooks ('The Design Manual,' 'The Ultimate Guide to Web Design,' and 'How to Design Better UI Components'), which have been downloaded by over 65,000 designers. These ebooks not only generated direct sales but also served as a tool for lead generation and establishing authority in the design industry.

Why it worked: The ebooks provided Adrian with a platform to showcase his expertise while delivering value to readers. This content marketing approach helped attract a specific audience interested in design, some of whom became clients.

Personal Branding

Starting DesignMe as a side project, Adrian used his journey to document what is possible with leveraging a personal brand. His goal was an additional $15k-20k in monthly revenue, but within six months, they crossed $100k in a single month. This growth was attributed to efforts in building a strong personal brand that linked directly to the success of the agency.

Why it worked: By investing in his personal brand, Adrian was able to build trust and recognition that facilitated business growth. A strong personal brand helped in communicating DesignMe's value proposition effectively, attracting more clients.

Client Results and Testimonials

DesignMe leverages client success stories to showcase their impact. For instance, they boast about adding $40M in additional ARR for one of their clients. These results are highlighted to potential clients as proof of their expertise and effectiveness.

Why it worked: Sharing concrete results and testimonials from past clients helps establish credibility and demonstrates the tangible benefits of working with DesignMe. This trust-building approach makes potential clients more confident in choosing their services.

What's the pricing strategy for Designme.agency?

Designme.agency offers custom design services with pricing determined after consultations, focusing on SaaS, AI, and tech startups without fixed rate packages.

What were the biggest lessons learned from building Designme.agency?

Invest in Talent: The founder realized that running a one-person agency limited the quality and scope of services. By bringing in top design talent, they significantly enhanced their offerings. This shows the importance of building a strong team for business success.
Embrace Continuous Learning: Transitioning from mechanical engineering to UI design, the founder exemplified a commitment to learning and adapting skills. This highlights the necessity for founders to continually expand their knowledge and adapt to industry changes.
Leverage Personal Branding: Starting as a side project, the founder leveraged their personal brand to grow the agency's reputation, demonstrating how personal branding can accelerate business growth and attract clients.
Set Ambitious Goals: Initially aiming for $15k-$20k monthly, surpassing $100k in a single month showcased the power of setting ambitious yet attainable goals. It underscores the potential of aiming high to drive motivation and business growth.
Prioritize Quality and Uniqueness: The agency emphasizes customized, detailed design over templates, illustrating how prioritizing unique, high-quality work can differentiate a business and attract diverse clients.

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