“Stop Being So Hard On Yourself”: An Interview With Designer And Entrepreneur Cat Noone
- By Melanie Lang
- October 10th, 2014
- 0 Comments
More and some-more designers and developers in a attention are origination a burst into apropos entrepreneurs by starting their unequivocally possess products. One of these determined designers is Cat Noone, co-founder of Liberio.
Cat is a immature and gifted engineer and businessman from Brooklyn, New York, now vital and operative in Berlin. She worked in a margin of special preparation before jumping into a career that she unequivocally loves and creates her happy.
Since switching tracks, Cat has worked as a product engineer during Prolific Interactive and as pattern lead during ADP Innovation Labs, and she has freelanced and suggested startups. She is a co-creator of Designer Relationships131 and The Gentle Hound2 and works now on her possess start-up Liberio3, an eBook origination and self-publishing height for everyone.
In this interview, Cat shares insights about her personal life and Berlin, talks about her latest plan (the startup Liberio) and gives recommendation to immature designers and developers in a industry.
Q: First, tell us a small about yourself, Cat. Where did we grow up, and how did we start designing?
I was surrounded by art via my whole childhood. My grandfather and aunt were illusory with doodles, sketches and more. we remember my aunt pulling out this pleasing square of Belle from Beauty and a Beast that she did in college — we desired it and that kind of sparked a titillate to do a same. we still see a sum of that square in my head, and it desirous me to blueprint and pull a characters we desired so much, too.
My family knew a adore we had, and still have, for art. They entirely upheld my passion by brisk me with coloring and blueprint books, house and paints, pastels and more. we always had pencils, crayons, markers and paint nearby, and we also had this overwhelming art table where we kept everything. Paintings, sketches and self-made characters filled my books and donned a fridge like they were masterpieces, pleasantness of my family — we was always so unapproachable of them.
As we got older, a sketchbook was mostly a usually thing we brought to school. we drew my propagandize records in there, and a information was defended many easier when a records were doodled, contra essay them so plainly.
Even yet we never dictated to be a engineer when we was younger (I wanted to be a veterinarian), we theory we should have famous we would spin one. we was always utterly sold about a approach things should look, work and be constructed. When we was a kid, we had a transparent suspicion in my conduct of what done clarity and what didn’t. However, notwithstanding a adore we had for design, we was frightened to make a burst into conceptualizing full-time when a event initial came around.
I wasn’t certain either or not we would be means to make a vital off of it, and we cruise we would have unsuccessful if we had jumped into it during that time. In hindsight, we positively wasn’t ready. Instead, we suspicion that a college grade in something else like psychology or preparation would be safe, so we went into college as a biology vital and minored in psychology. we finished adult in a special preparation margin before we motionless that we usually have to be peaceful to burst infrequently — and we did.
Q: You live in Berlin now. How did we finish adult there, and what has done we stay?
Cat: Always a story we suffer telling! we indeed finished adult here since of my poignant other, Benedikt. We met in a United States, yet he lived in Berlin. We knew that, eventually, it would come down to “What now? Who moves where?” [laughs]
I had been in a Valley for a bit and indispensable something different. we indispensable a mangle and knew a change of view would work out for me. We discussed it during length, any entirely peaceful to support whatever preference we came adult with, and finally came to a conclusion: we would come to Berlin, we’d stay out here for a while, transport around Europe, and after some time we would eventually conduct behind to a States together.
From a impulse we stepped feet in Berlin, we knew we done a right decision. For being such a vital city, it’s so relaxing and beautiful. There are these small pockets within a core of a city that are so suburban-like. On tip of that, a disproportion in culture, denunciation and some-more is a good event to learn so much. we adore it.
Q: Having spent a while in Berlin, do we cruise Berlin (and Germany) is an enlivening place for people in a industry?
Cat: we cruise it’s good for a accumulation of reasons. It’s not “busy” out here, for one. The city surrounding a theatre is many some-more calming, origination it feel reduction pell-mell in an attention that is always on a go. Compared to a other cities I’ve been in, it’s still a baby startup scene. But that’s partial of a reason I’m happy to be out here now rather than later. It’s flourishing and needs to be molded. Building a association that is partial of that feels awesome.
When it comes to a Valley, there are a lot of qualities people in a attention are not happy about. we also see and hear of some-more designers and developers selecting Berlin over San Francisco, that is interesting. So, we cruise Berlin could learn from what people dislike about other places and can mature and figure itself into what it should and needs to be in sequence to thrive. It has a lot of potential; some overwhelming startups are growing lately, and I’m vehement to see where it goes. we suggest everybody believe a startup theatre during a theatre Berlin is during now.
Q: Coming to a new city, what do we cruise is a best plan to build a artistic network and to find people to build something?
Cat: Reach out to people, for sure. You have to mangle out of your comfort section and usually hit people. One thing we suffer doing is joining with people who are in my area on Twitter. It’s good to see what others are operative on and what we can learn from them. Much like a Valley, something is always happening, and someone is always peaceful to couple adult for a coffee or lunch. Take advantage of that!
It competence feel uncanny during first, reaching out to someone we don’t know, yet it’s good value it.
Q: You also met cofounder Nicolas Zimmer in Berlin. How did we come adult with a suspicion for Liberio?
Cat: Nicolas indeed came adult with a core suspicion for Liberio. He grew adult in a family that during one indicate ran a edition house. So, he gifted firsthand a transition from normal to digital and a onslaught that self-publishers face.
For me, we had privately attempted formulating an eBook during one indicate and knew what it was like to pattern and emanate a high-quality one. It was not fun. And we could suppose how many others out there are not as tech-savvy yet wish to share their thoughts, stories and some-more with a world.
Once Nicolas and we met and sat down to plead Liberio further, we solidified it, built on a suspicion and combined what we see today.
4Q: What creates Liberio softened than other solutions?
Cat: Until Liberio, there was no product that enabled a normal particular to emanate and tell an eBook in a simplest, easiest and many pleasing approach possible. Before, we had to use mixed and mostly formidable collection to do so. The edition marketplace is mostly in a hands of edition houses, or else a products are done for professionals, that totally eliminates a possibility for self-publishers to go distant yet vital help. Realistically, that indispensable to change. Self-publishing is no longer a niche trend, and we wanted to emanate something that enables everybody to share their ideas, stories and knowledge.
The one thing we stress is that we wish to do for eBooks what a App Store did for software: that is to concede people to emanate and tell their ideas and knowledge. Ultimately, we wish to be a one-stop emporium for it all. Liberio is for everyone. On a platform, we now have students, teachers, doctors, authors, engineers, designers, chefs, bloggers and more. And that’s unequivocally sparkling to see.
Q: What were a simple facilities and categorical goals we started with, and how did your product evolve?
Cat: Writing and reading are unequivocally romantic experiences, and one of a things we wanted from a commencement was to daub into that as many as probable by a branding and voice. That’s a categorical reason since we went with a scholastic pattern and accessible voice that we have. From there, we could move a story, characters, objects and some-more to life — identical to what you’re informed with from books.
Our idea from a commencement was to make a pattern as easy as probable to understand, so that people could simply emanate and tell an eBook. We started in private beta to safeguard that a height was plain and easy to collect adult on, permitting we to simply emanate and tell right from Google Drive. We knew doing that in private beta would concede people on a height to pronounce to us and countenance or scold a assumptions we were origination and a instruction in that we were holding Liberio.
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10The routine helped us to advantage a softened bargain of a subsequent steps. We’ve schooled a lot about what is indispensable in a self-publishing universe contra what is simply wanted. we cruise a biggest discernment was bargain a opposite ways we need to showcase and foster authors as many as possible; and now, post-launch, we’re operative on ways to do so.
Q: There has been a lot of contention newly about a destiny of self-publishing. Do we cruise publishers will spin redundant, and will Liberio play a partial in that development?
Cat: Definitely. People are realizing they don’t need edition houses to attain anymore. Before, carrying a association like Penguin on your book cover meant dollar signs. However, in a digital universe we live in now, with amicable networks, self-publishers no longer need a edition residence to pull their digital calm out there, and consumers positively don’t need a self-centredness trademark to assure them that this is something they’ll wish to read. Consumer reading lists are now drawn usually from suggestions formed on before reads and from others in your circle.
Nicolas and we giggle since a lot of people don’t comprehend that a (infamous) 50 Shades of Gray array started out as a self-published book. Only once it blew adult did a edition residence wish it since they were guaranteed to make so many income off of it. Before that, they didn’t wish to hold it. That’s a problem self-publishers face. But a good thing is, they no longer need a edition house.
Q: What are your destiny plans, dreams and hopes for Liberio?
Cat: Ultimately, we wish Liberio to be a one-stop-shop not usually for authors, yet for any particular who wants to simply emanate and tell calm that can afterwards be consumed by everyone. we wish to yield them with collection on a height that capacitate them to emanate a many interactive and enchanting calm and to distinction from it emotionally and financially.
There are so many stories left untold, and I’d adore to continue doing all probable to safeguard they are written, distributed yet a con and seen by everyone.
Q: What are a biggest hurdles or fears you’ve faced as an entrepreneur, and how did we tackle them?
Cat: So, what come to mind now are speed and efficiency. Right now, it’s usually Nicolas and we building Liberio, and while it unequivocally is good on a one hand, it also has a cons. The series of people on a height is discerning augmenting week by week, and nonetheless we won’t and never will protest about that, it means that a lot some-more hands are indispensable on deck.
Nicolas is doing all things growth and business and some support. I’m focusing on all things pattern and code management, business and selling and some support also. With some-more people on board, this would apparently assuage vigour on both of us and giveaway us adult to concentration on other areas, pulling a product brazen in a many faster, some-more fit and some-more vital way.
Q: You’re life contingency be unequivocally bustling right now. What inspires you, and how do we get out of designer’s block?
Cat: I’m unequivocally shabby by a innovative products around me. They unequivocally get me vehement about what’s to come, and they keep pulling me to work harder and cruise differently.
I do my best to safeguard designer’s retard doesn’t happen, since it ends adult being kryptonite for me, and my mind becomes toast for a prolonged duration of time. It’s happened once already, and we usually couldn’t glance during another pixel — it was bad.
When we usually can’t get into a groove, though, or I’m not confident with how something is going, we make it a indicate to step divided from a Internet and a mechanism for inspiration. we adore traveling, observant a area around me, reading or looking during magazines and more. we make certain we get mislaid and mentally isolated from a tech universe as many as we can.
At a finish of a day, we make it a indicate not to demeanour during my phone or mechanism as many as possible. It takes a prolonged time for my mind to breeze down as it is, so feeding it ceaselessly into a night is usually counter-productive. To do so, we suffer cozying adult in a vital room with Benedikt and a puppy, Dex, examination a shows or going for a good prolonged travel together.
Q: Besides branch Liberio into a successful product, what are your personal and business goals for this year?
Cat: Oh wow. This is a flattering low question. we cruise this year we have some-more personal goals than we do business-wise, especially since we know one palm will rinse a other — we know, that’s such an aged grandma saying.
My biggest conflict is and substantially always has been myself. we design a lot from myself. This isn’t indispensably a bad thing, yet a problem is that we kick myself adult a lot during a same time, and it overtly creates me unproductive. It’s humorous since we tell everyone, “Stop being so tough on yourself” — yet when it comes to myself, we unequivocally don’t take my possess recommendation often.
Although I’m confident with a lot of what we do and with a swell I’ve made, there is always a other side articulate to me saying, “It isn’t good” or “You’re not going to make it,” and it feels rather low. So, that’s something we wish to work on. we wish to spin a “It isn’t good” voice into “Can this be improved? If so, how? Look during it from a opposite angle.”
12Personally, we also wish to suffer life more. we spent a lot of time before to this year focusing on things that we suspicion would get me closer to “success,” instead of realizing that success is what we make of it. Being successful isn’t about how large your business becomes, yet about how happy we are, about a pleasing attribute we emanate with my poignant other. Now, don’t get me wrong: we wish to make a large disproportion in a community, and we wish Liberio to be successful, yet removing there is so many some-more expected if a cofounder has a turn conduct to do so.
In business, we wish to learn a lot from each aspect of my work right now. we wish to teach myself in areas that we am subpar in (development, business, finances, etc.), to safeguard we always keep adult and continue to file my skills. we wish to build adult my network and form and to bond with a lot of people who we can learn from as best as possible, so that we can request it to all we work on.
Q: And final yet not least, what recommendation can we give to immature designers and developers who wish to start a successful side plan or startup?
Cat: Yes, we have a few points that we cruise unequivocally critical to apropos “successful.”
- Know what we surpass and siphon at.
It’s critical to know where we develop and where we destroy and to be peaceful to accept that so that we can accept help. Most people have such large egos that they exclude to acknowledge and ask. It’s a career-killer. - Connect.
Get to know people in a margin who we can watch and learn from, pronounce to and get recommendation from when we ask. Reach out to them! The misfortune that’s going to occur is they contend no. - Use a collection we have.
Use your collection to make something fast, suggestive and pleasing all during a same time. Use what we know, and afterwards go from there. Adapt once we have a basis down. There’s always going to be something new growing up. - Love what we do.
Nothing is worse than going by life doing something that isn’t truly satisfying. It will make life ruin for you, your employees and, in a end, a company. It’s not value it. Find what we love, do it, and a universe will benefit. You competence be scared, yet we have to do what creates we happy — we usually have one shot during this. - Enjoy a ride.
When it comes to startups, months are like years. The life cycle is unequivocally quick. 90% of companies fail, yet in a disaster is a gathering of mistakes that freshness into lessons learned. In a end, we take those lessons and learn from them. You request them to your subsequent try and wish you’ve schooled adequate not to make a mistakes again. You’re in a atmosphere drifting for what seems like a lifetime, and it could be burdensome or exhilarating. So, strap your wings as tough as probable while you’re adult there, since there’s no revelation when it’ll be time to come behind down again.
Thank we for pity with us these moving insights into your work, Cat! Please feel giveaway to follow Cat Noone on Twitter14 and check out her website15.
(al, il)
Footnotes
- 1 http://designerrelationships.tumblr.com/
- 2 http://www.gentlehound.co
- 3 http://liber.io
- 4 http://www.smashingmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/liberio-business-card-sketch-opt.png
- 5 http://www.smashingmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/liberio-business-card-sketch-opt.png
- 6 http://www.smashingmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/early-sketches-1-opt.png
- 7 http://www.smashingmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/early-sketches-1-opt.png
- 8 http://www.smashingmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/liberio-finished-opt.png
- 9 http://www.smashingmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/liberio-finished-opt.png
- 10 http://www.smashingmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/liberio-share-popover-opt.png
- 11 http://www.smashingmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/liberio-finished-2-opt.png
- 12 http://gridtips.com/wp-content/plugins/RSSPoster_PRO/cache/c7758_designer-relationships-opt.png
- 13 http://designerrelationships.tumblr.com/
- 14 https://twitter.com/imcatnoone
- 15 http://heyimcat.com
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“Stop Being So Hard On Yourself”: An Interview With Designer And Entrepreneur Cat Noone
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