Design Voices: Interview with Guizmo Bollmann, Lead Design Technologist
Welcome to another edition of Design Voices, where we invite industry leaders and experts at Carta to share their insights and experiences on the world of design.
Today, we are honored to feature Guizmo Bollmann, Lead Design Technologist of the Cap Table team at Carta. Guizmo’s vibrant career began with web design in a UK startup, evolved through co-founding a design company and making a difference with an NGO, before landing in the fintech industry with Carta. If you know Guizmo in real life, you’d know him for having a knack for solving problems, and a passion for design. Let’s dive into his world!
Guizmo’s Journey at Carta
You’ve been in Carta for some time now. Could you describe your initial impressions and how they have evolved over time?
Initially, I was drawn to Carta because it’s a fintech company, and it is an uncharted territory for me. I was also aiming to leave Brazil, and the fact that Carta is an international company was a plus.
Over time, my perspective didn’t change much. I still find a fascinating maze of problems to tackle, and it keeps my work engaging and exciting. I love the process of pinpointing pain points and translating them into real-world solutions — I find immense satisfaction from it.
This journey naturally has had its ups and downs. Since I joined, the size of the company has grown from 60 to nearly 2000, allowing me to contribute to various projects across diverse areas of Carta. Though some people might find this challenging or prefer to dive deep into one product area, I thrive in this dynamic environment.
Tell us a bit more about the differences between being in a team of 60 vs 2000!
There are a lot of differences, obviously. For me the two main ones are not directly related to the number of people in the company, but to where the company is and where it wants to go.
Our 60-person team was on the initial few steps in the journey of hyper growth. Back then, we didn’t have defined processes, a well structured org and set roles. Everyone was really invested in scaling the company and did 17 roles at once. Getting things done was the priority. You’d sell if you had to. You’d onboard or do customer service if you had to. You’d code, design, manage, implement, review… You had to do everything and anything you could to help the engine move faster and be as oiled as possible. It was amazing. It was a perfect representation of the 0–1 phase vs. the 1-n phase that we’re in right now — growing vs. scaling.
When you joined, your role was “Producer”. How has growing along with a startup impacted your responsibilities and your approach to problem solving?
In the early days, we were all Producers. Producer entailed a bit of everything — Adobe, Sketch, front-end coding, and even a bit of product management (you needed to write documents around how the feature should work). This model however wasn’t scalable. By mid-2018, we started to clearly separate roles to front-end engineers, designers, and PMs, and we started to hire people who are proficient and expert in their own area, which is the model we have today.
Seeing the company scale as it has brings mixed feelings. Although my responsibilities have shifted to orient around design processes and design outputs, my background as a Producer is incredibly beneficial in understanding the realm of PMs and Front-End Engineers. It helps to foster a respect for their roles; nonetheless, I still love being a designer the best!
What do you like about being a designer at Carta?
I always found the human side of problem solving more interesting than the technical aspect. Designers get to think creatively about multiple ways to solve a problem, interact with people, hone in on a solution, and then develop it. The front end side seems more creatively limited. During the role-transforming period, I also acted as a PM for 6 months while Carta figured out who was doing what.
How would you describe the culture differences in Carta Brazil and Carta US?
Simply put, Carta Brazil is a family. Everyone knows everyone. We go above and beyond to deliver our best and help our colleagues to deliver their best. Every non-Brazillian employee who’s visited the BR office can confirm that it is impossible not to bond and become friends with everyone there instantly. This is also a reflection of how Brazilians are–we’re warm, fuzzy, and friendly.
The US office is more about business. Get in, get it done, and get out. But you manage to make good friends at work in the US too — even when you’re off work mode, you feel all the warmth and friendliness as well.
Personal Growth
How has working with the NGO “Project UERE” impacted you personally and professionally?
From a professional perspective, I gained insights into business planning. We had a lot of International supporters, so we had to provide them with a very detailed-expense report. Most institutions held us accountable for every cent we spent. Therefore I was generating a lot of reports, filling out the forms, applying for grants and sponsorships constantly. To fill out the form, I had to be very familiar with the business plan.
Personally, the experience was truly eye-opening. I was born into a privileged middle-class family as an only child. It blew my mind to learn that the meal the NGO provided was the only meal some kids got to have their whole day. Some of the kids don’t have a bathroom at home, or their parents are in jail, and yet they are still the most lovable creatures in the world — so polite and mannered. Seeing the strength and resilience of the kids was a heartwarming and humbling experience.
Your career spans a spectrum of roles, from freelancer and web developer to PM. And yet, you state in your Linkedin that you’re “still hungrily learning”. What’s the next frontier for you? What excites you most about it?
Embracing the unknown has always been part of my identity. I like to learn about all the things I work with, and there’s really not one thing specific. For instance, when I was loaned to Carta X for six months, I dove into an entirely different world of trading and liquidity. I loved it because I got to learn more angles about our business.
Similarly, when I was a graphic designer back in the day, I got a much deeper understanding of how graphic design works when working with a print shop. Knowing how one puts ink on paper, how printing machines work, how to add water to ink, it helped me become a better graphic designer. I also believe that we digital product designers need a solid grasp of how our designs translate into code to excel at our jobs.
As for my career journey, I started as an intern at a startup in the UK in 1997, helping with web design for musicians. After that, I ventured into the world of design while working for my wife’s T-shirt design business. This eventually evolved into a freelance gig in logo and website design… All of that led me to where I am today!
Outside of Work
What’s your favorite recipe and who’s your favorite chef?
My favorite recipe has to be the Beef Wellington. For so many reasons! It’s delicious and it’s technically challenging. It’s also the perfect cuisine analogy to building a product MVP. The skateboard to car analogy fits like a glove here, but that is a whole article on its own.
I have a lot of favorite chefs. It’s very hard to choose. If I had to single one out I’d choose Alex Atala — a Brazilian chef with an amazing self growth and overcoming obstacles story. I love an underdog :)
What are your hobbies outside of work?
As controversial as it might seem, working is by far my favorite hobby. I started working at 15. All that I’ve learned, experienced, and achieved was because of working relentlessly. For me, doing what I love, and loving what I do are one and the same. From being a programmer, designer, t-shirt printer, delivery person, to being a chef — I love what I do.
Thanks for reading this edition of Design Voices! This article has been conducted and edited by Mika Gu and Shan Feng. You can also follow us on Instagram and read our other articles here.
