Growthmates: Create and Grow Meaningful Products & Careers

The Staff Designer Mindset and How to Stay Creative | Catt Small (Dropbox)

Mar 17, 2026
Guest
Catt Small
Catt Small, staff designer at Dropbox, author, and indie game developer, talks about building a book and course while working full-time. She explains using small daily steps, beating perfectionism with “good enough” thresholds, and validating ideas by teaching. She also covers balancing side projects with full-time roles, transparency around IP, and how community and curiosity fuel creative energy.
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ADVICE

Schedule Small Daily Blocks To Ship Big Projects

  • Build a strict relationship with your calendar to find time for big projects.
  • Catt wrote daily (10–20 minutes) and used deadlines, accountability, and a workback plan to finish her book while working full-time.
ANECDOTE

From Blog Posts To A Book Deal Through Teaching

  • Catt built publisher relationships by publishing essays and serving on Rosenfeld Media's editorial board.
  • She validated the book idea by running a Maven class, getting 400 survey responses and 40+ signups, then wrote the book while teaching.
ADVICE

Publish Early To Grow Audience And Validate Ideas

  • Share work publicly early to attract opportunities and feedback.
  • Catt published blog posts and social snippets while writing, which led both Rosenfeld and Maven to reach out about teaching and publishing.
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