We're hiring at Stir! Join our team
Stir is dedicated to building a team as diverse as the community of creators we serve. You can help us to realize this vision at Stir and beyond. If you introduce us to a candidate we hire, by emailing joylyn@usestir.com, we will give you $2500 and match that donation in your name to Inneract Project.
Hey world,
I'm Joylyn, and today I'm joining Stir to lead design and help arm the creators in building a new economy and future.
A couple of years ago, I joined Intuit (QuickBooks) and discovered the power of financial technology and product design in realizing preferred futures. At Intuit, I built complex new-to-the-world products, became passionate about the pain points of running a small business, and met extraordinary mentors and friends who challenged me to learn more about myself. I quickly discovered that what brings me the most happiness and energy is helping others grow and prosper. It made me hungry to become the best creative thinker I could be. I wanted my life’s story to be one of empowering others as they defined and pursued their versions of success.
Enter Hari. I had recently become curious about startups and what it might look like to design at one when I came across Stir on Twitter. In one conversation with Hari, I felt shared purpose, an immediate sense of ease and trust, and I walked away more excited about the future of my career than ever before.
I then talked to Joe, Kushal, and Jess and learned more about Stir and its vision. It was clear this company was rooted in how much these founders and first employees cared about every creator as an individual. Not only were they as kind and grounded as Hari, but I found myself in awe of the unique talent, perspective, and heart each brought to the team. Though it wasn't my initial intention, after just those few conversations, I knew this was a group of people I'd be lucky to join.
But I tend to be risk-averse, and I was in a very fortunate position at Intuit. The startup world was new to me, and aside from a few talented friends and Twitter scrolling, I knew near nothing about the budding creator economy. I didn't even have TikTok until a week ago 🤫. When I got the offer to join the team, it took a little soul searching to come to a decision. Eventually, I realized I had to join Stir, and here's why:
The team
Joe and Kushal have gathered a special group of people at Stir. From founders to interns, everyone on this team excels at what they do and is almost equally great at everything else. Folks are not only willing but enjoy wearing multiple hats and leaning into new skills. Each person embraces a growth mindset and readily admits what they do well and where they could be better. They learn from and inspire one another. Stir is a place formed by everyone who works there.
The mission
This company is centered around the creator. As someone who has been on creative pursuits since childhood, first as an elite figure skater and now as a designer, I love that I can help others who are taking their creative pursuits and making new careers from them. These folks aren't just creating content for the internet, they're creating an entire economy. We're experiencing it in real-time with the rise of TikTok, Clubhouse, and Substack. Stir envisions a world driven by creators and powered by the products we'll build. I could not be more excited to help bring that vision to life.
Fast-paced opportunity
Stir moves fast. Like really fast. Between drops and the core product, the team thinks on its feet to build for creators. It moves fast because no one is afraid to be wrong. The team accepts failure as part of the journey to getting it right. That's the kind of environment that fosters impact and ownership. At Stir you have no choice but to dream big, learn fast, and influence. At Stir, I know I'll never be bored.
Inclusion
I experience the world as a queer Taiwanese-American woman, but I wasn't always proud to say that. I've looked to queer content creators like Shannon Beveridge, Taiwanese-American storytellers like Inga Lam, and even recently the courage of lifelong athletic inspirations like Kaitlyn Weaver to learn about and validate my own identity. It is an especially incredible feeling now to build for creators like them who are helping others like me. As a designer, the team I collaborate with must be as diverse in lived experience as the people we serve. It's a value I set high standards for. The Stir team is uncompromising in delivering this promise. In growing the design team, I will be as well.
The investors
It would be a disservice to anyone who's read this far to not speak to the very practical financial risk of joining a startup. To join this team I took a pay cut and left a very cushy job at a large, prosperous company. I spoke frankly about this with the Stir team and other folks who had made this choice before, and I learned there could not be a better risk to take. Stir is not only backed by some of the best VCs in the world, but also by many of the most successful creators, the most respected creator economy thought leaders, and the CEOs and founders of creator platforms we know well. With faith in those leaders and the four points above, I knew this was a risk worth taking.
At the heart of my decision was a fundamental belief that we can change the world with the stories we tell.
Stir believes this too. We want to help creators succeed in telling their stories by writing our own about the perseverance, determination, and passion of each member on this team. It'll be one composed through diverse perspectives, vulnerability, friendship, and honesty. It'll be a story of how we learned together, made each other better, and empowered the future of creators.
If you think you want to help write that story or you just want to learn more, let's talk! Email me at joylyn@usestir.com, DM me on Twitter, or LinkedIn stalk me. You can also apply to our open roles (or create your own) here.
