Designing the team as well as the work

Why the structure behind the scenes matters just as much as what you ship.

When people think about creative leadership, they picture outputs: campaigns, rebrands, pitch decks, product launches. But one of the most valuable things I’ve learned is this: Great work doesn’t happen without a well-designed team behind it.

At Curve, Flipdish, and PrimaryBid, I’ve either built creative teams from scratch or reshaped what existed.

Here’s what I’ve learned about building the team as well as the brand:

1. Hire thinkers, not just doers. 

Especially in startups, you need people who can go from fuzzy problem → solid concept → polished execution. Titles matter less than mindset.

2. Generalists are gold. 

I’ve worked with brilliant creatives who could switch between brand, UX, campaign, and copy (sometimes in a single week). That range is essential in fast-paced environments. You can always contract a specialist if a skill is truly outside your team’s remit.

3. Process ≠ bureaucracy. 

Lightweight systems (like async feedback, clear briefs, creative standups, file naming conventions) create more freedom, not less. They keep everyone aligned without slowing things down.

4. Clear, consistent communication is underrated. 

Great teams share what they know. Often. That includes internal knowledge (how do I add crop marks to this PDF?) and stakeholder comms (your work is second in our queue because project X is an OKR priority). It builds trust across the business and makes the creative team feel less like a black box and more like a strategic partner.

5. Culture sets the creative bar.

You shouldn’t need to micromanage if the team understands what great looks like. When expectations are clear and people are proud of the work they’re doing, they’ll push themselves and each other to hit that standard. That’s what keeps quality high, even when you’re moving fast. If you want consistently great creative, don’t just chase the outputs. Invest in the people, the process, and the communication that holds it all together.