B2C: Ep 1 - The Hard Truth About Building Design Teams
"No a##holes. Just ideas."
What does it really take to build a world-class design team? In the first episode of B2C: Build 2 Create, we sit down with VyasTeja Rao (Founder & Chief Advisor) and Divya Rao (Co-founder) of Our Design Studio to uncover the unfiltered truth about scaling a design business from garage sketches to global product launches.
We share our 10+ year journey of building one of India's leading industrial design studios complete with the hiring mistakes, team pivots, culture experiments, and hard-won lessons that shaped their "no a##hole policy." From managing designers and engineers to coordinating vendors and operations teams, discover how they transformed a scrappy startup into a full-scale product design powerhouse serving clients worldwide.
You'll learn:
✅ The real difference between art and design (and why it matters for your business)
✅ How to hire and retain top creative talent without compromising culture
✅ What industrial design actually means in today's market
✅ Strategies for sustaining a design studio through economic ups and downs
✅ Why analogies unlock better design thinking and how they named their company
✅ The future of design in AI, sustainability, and human-centered innovation
Whether you're a designer, entrepreneur, product manager, or creative professional looking to level up your team building game, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you won't find in textbooks.
Timestamp:
00:00 – Trailer
00:30 – Meet VT & Divya: From Vision to Reality
06:30 – Why "Analogy"? The Story Behind the Name
11:15 – Sustaining a Design Startup for 10+ Years
22:00 – Art vs Design: Understanding the Divide
30:30 – HR & Team Culture: Building the Foundation
32:40 – How We Hire at Analogy (and Who We Don't)
41:49 – A Message for Next-Gen Creators
47:40 – What is Industrial Design, Really?
55:50 – The Future of Design: Trends & Predictions
⭐We are looking for founders, individuals & startups innovating products & want to launch now! If you are one, book slots now:
🌐 Website: https://calendly.com/analogy/discoverycall?month=2026-01
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🎥 YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC2ZEmYEiyp5g6AfZq0UCM9hVdVISmerv&si=7TSQDzmmM43pLfwU
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Follow Vyas here: LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/vyasatejarao/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designwillskill?igsh=YXJoZHl2N25yZnZq
Follow Divya here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/divya-rao-062988330/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divya_analogy?igsh=ejdqMXJmZm9mc280
Follow Analogy here:
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Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and hosts and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of B2C: Build 2 Create. This content is for informational and entertainment purposes only.
Scripted. Directed. Edited by - Team Analogy
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