![small luggage for trip](/images/stories/earlydesign/luggage.jpg)
What does someone do who quit their job? Book a flight to LA, right? This was my luggage for 10 weeks of LA, SF and NY. Less but better.
![posters of rimowa in nyc](/images/stories/earlydesign/rimowa.jpg)
RIMOWA is a brand with heritage. The level of quality I aspire for Amie. Yeah, they're expensive. What's the value of a lifetime?
![venice beach beach house](/images/stories/earlydesign/venice.jpg)
Venice is a magical place. Sitting there, sketching, drawing and writing. LA is forerunning culture. Especially streets like Abbot Kinney.
![Amie pitchdeck cover slide](/images/stories/earlydesign/cocodeck.jpg)
In SF I opportunistically put together this deck↗. It taught me to be genuine and willing to break rules. Now most of my decks are vertical.
![in photography the biggest difference between an amateur and a professional is the size of the wastebasket](/images/stories/earlydesign/waste.jpg)
Building a startup compares to producing a movie↗. Think like this and you understand why so few win.
![handdrawn Amie logo in whatsapp](/images/stories/earlydesign/logosketch.jpg)
Creative processes are inflated. You need no fancy tools, WhatsApp might suffice. While in the car with Malte to Lake Tahoe.
Virgil Abloh↗ does most of his work that way.
![malte at lake tahoe](/images/stories/earlydesign/malte.jpg)
Malte. Patient and reflected. We shared beds in SF, Lake Tahoe and Berlin.
![edu on bed after run](/images/stories/earlydesign/edu.jpg)
Edu. Right after one of our nearly daily runs. A very early supporter and dear friend.
![bagel place in new york russ and daughters](/images/stories/earlydesign/bagel.jpg)
The bagels at Russ and Daughters↗ were mind-boggling. We waited for an hour, paid $14 per bagel and it was worth it. Quality.
![whatsapp screenshot of chatbot](/images/stories/earlydesign/bot.jpg)
Cafés were my lab. Here is an experiment of creating a joyful chatbot for habit building.
![photo of timo and sundowner](/images/stories/earlydesign/timo.jpg)
Timo. What a guy. Always uplifting and generous. Believing in the vision but challenging the details—invaluable.
![baggu bags](/images/stories/earlydesign/baggu.jpg)
Why another tote bag brand? Baggu is an absolute product inspiration↗. They have better handles, thicker material, close partially and have a mini bag with a zipper inside. So buttery↗.
![view down from top at guggenheim museum nyc](/images/stories/earlydesign/guggenheim.jpg)
Tech products are more art than portrayed. Amie's aesthetic is made of countless museum visits.
![brooklyn museum photo exhibition](/images/stories/earlydesign/art.jpg)
Brooklyn Museum. I wish that photo came out sharper. On the other hand, it's just right. Photography is underused in startups.
![early Amie inspirations on instagram](/images/stories/earlydesign/inspo.jpg)
How could you not love this palette? Yes, I use Instagram in the browser. Makes it more functional and less addictive.
![jfk airport flight to sfo](/images/stories/earlydesign/jfksfo.jpg)
JFK→SFO. Airports resemble pure movement. This was for a potentially life changing meeting. It didn't work out.
![dennis eating ice cream in new york](/images/stories/earlydesign/icie.jpg)
This is my 2nd happy place. Morgenstern in New York serves this beauty of ice cream. In their stores I feel like am a kid.
![quote of creativity inc](/images/stories/earlydesign/creativityinc.jpg)
This was the last thing I read before taking off to Cape Town. The end of the start.