Shabbir Manpurwala

Shabbir has spent over 12 years designing and shipping products. Before Hexcode he worked alongside teams building companies that went on to raise more than $1B between them, which is a polite way of saying he learned what works by being in the room when things didn't.

He started Hexcode in 2020 with Ali. The idea was simple and a little stubborn. Most early-stage founders get handed either junior work at senior prices or a freelancer who disappears after the invoice clears. Hexcode is the thing he wishes those founders had. A design partner who acts like a co-founder, not a contractor.

I like the messy middle of building. The part before the product is obvious, when a founder is still figuring out what they're actually making. That's where design earns its keep, and that's where I'm most useful.

The best work I've done came from treating the founder's problem like my own. Not "here's a deliverable." More "what are we actually trying to win here, and what's the fastest way to find out." Most of my favourite projects had at least one wrong turn in them. The wrong turn is usually where the real answer was hiding.

I care about craft, but I care more about whether it worked. A beautiful site that doesn't earn trust is a failed brief. I'd rather ship something honest and a little rough than something polished and forgettable.

Outside Hexcode, I read, I meet people, and I rewatch Billions and Suits more times than I'd admit.