I’m so excited I get to share this first edition with you, as you.

This newsletter is the culmination of that journey. It's filled with insights about building products, working with teams, and cutting through business complexity—principles that honestly apply way beyond just tech.

I'm sending it to you not because I think you need it, but because you're someone whose perspective I value, and I'd love for you to see what I've been putting together. You can unsubscribe anytime, but I have a feeling you're going to love what's coming.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. It means everything to have people like you in my corner.

x Maxim

I was working with a client recently who was frustrated that people downloaded her app but then disappeared - never to return.

In Dutch we say, it’s like mopping with the tap running. I’m sure you can picture it already.

It's the classic product founder's nightmare. You've spent months building something, people are interested enough to download it, but then... nothing. They're gone. All that effort wasted.

What her app was missing - and what yours might be missing too - is something I've seen trip up countless founders: designing for user states.

What, you might ask?

Here's the thing. When someone opens your app, they're not just "a user" - they're a human in a specific situation with specific needs in that moment.

And I've found that apps usually have about four main user states that you need to design for.

The magic happens when you design your home screen to adapt to these different states.