#45 - How Smallcase Built Its Brand, Design, Storytelling & Trust in Fintech : Nivedita Saikia

What does it take to build a career that's a masterclass in curiosity and adaptation?

In this episode, we sit down with Nivedita Saikia, a Design Leader at Smallcase, whose career journey is anything but linear.

From her beginnings in architecture and furniture design to her current role in the fast-paced world of fintech, Nivedita's story is a powerful guide for any creative navigating a changing industry.

She shares the honest truth about pivoting between fields, the unique challenges of designing for finance, and why a generalist mindset is a superpower in today's world. This conversation is for every creative, designer, and entrepreneur who wants to understand how to build, lead, and stay relevant in an era of constant change.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Nivedita's career journey from furniture design at Urban Ladder to leading a creative team at fintech giant, Smallcase.
• The surprising reason why she decided to pivot from a physical design job to a digital one.
• How to find the "fun" in designing for a "boring" space like finance and the power of designing with constraints.
• The business value of brand building and storytelling, and why it's a crucial differentiator for tech companies today.
• The behind-the-scenes story of the viral Swiggy "appraisal email" and the value of topical storytelling.
• Her strategy for managing a design team by balancing specialists and generalists.
• How to build a career on a foundation of curiosity, a growth mindset, and intentional habits.
  
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