Hi, I’m Ken Seals.
Three times, I’ve been the first or second person a founder hired to lead product and design: at Abound, Draft, and SquareFoot.
The longest was Abound. Six years, from no product through a pivot and a Series B.
I design, run the research, and still write code. Right now I’m building Roster and publishing The Ultra Minute, with AI agents doing much of the legwork.
I’m in Austin, a dad of three boys, and a trail runner.
The work
DraftA consumer investing app that became an analysis product for institutions.Head of Product & Design · First hire2015–2017
SquareFootOffice search with the ease of booking a trip. Product, brand, and front end.Head of Product & Design · Employee #22013–2015
Now
On the side
Inside the TorA race preview you can explore.
MaybelAn experiment in asynchronous user research.
LettuceShared company context for people and their AI agents.
ClawBellAn experiment in giving a private agent a small public interface.
The long way
I like making complicated things feel clear, getting close to the people who use them, and staying hands-on as the work grows.
After Abound, I took time away from full-time work to be home with my kids while they were little.
I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail at 19. Taking the long way has been something of a habit ever since.
I still notice small things, and was last seen taking pictures of the sunrise.
Sunrise from our back patio. We’re up early these days to get our oldest to kindergarten.
I’m open to the right full-time role. If you’re building something and want that kind of help early, I’d like to hear about it.