"What am I supposed to do if my company pivots like 4 times a year?" a Lead Designer asked me recently. It's a question that captures the current reality of design work. While the job market remains challenging, designers who are still employed face a different pressure: businesses are demanding faster output with smaller teams. Many designers find themselves forced into startup environments, not by choice. 0A combination of AI tools and layoffs has reduced mid-size companies to skeleton crews that must operate at startup speed.