Hiring designers is tough (everybody claims they know UX just how everybody claims they can be a PM) and most startups underestimate how valuable (or detrimenta

Hiring designers is tough (everybody claims they know UX just how everybody claims they can be a PM) and most startups underestimate how valuable (or detrimental) design can be to your business. Good design can change the trajectory of your product and make it a lasting success, bad design can waste your resources working on the wrong thing and sink your business entirely. Chances are, at this stage you don’t have the money to hire a good designer, and if you don’t know much about design (which it sounds like you don’t), you’re likely going to hire an inexperienced/bad designer—-and it might even make your product worse. I’d hire a more expensive (in the short term) freelancer or agency that can show multiple portfolio case studies directly relating to what you do. Save the full time salary for after the more expensive (and more experienced) freelancer/agency has set the direction. Then bring in the just-out-of-school kid (which is all you’ll probably get at startup salaries and with no brand recognition) to follow the direction you’ve already set.