How I Went From Jail to Building a Design Career.

The playbook newsletter is officially launching today and this post is deeply personal to me. This story shaped who I am and the path that brought me here.

Back in 2006-2007 (no old shaming please), the design industry was unrecognizable compared to today. Mostly boomer agencies, with the occasional web startup gig if you were lucky, especially in France.

I was stuck in a local company in my hometown, rotting away and wasting time.

What started as a one-month trip to New York to visit a close friend turned into me overstaying, working in restaurants to survive. I fell hard for the city—a literal spark. Learning a new language, hustling, figuring things out as I went.

I knew the risks but at this stage of my life, going back home wasn’t an option.

I started as a busboy. Two months later, I was managing the place. A restaurant near Union Square. That’s where I met my mentor Matias Corea, co-founder of Behance.

Through him and Scott Belsky, I found myself spending time at Behance, surrounded by creative energy and some of the most passionate minds I’d ever encountered. Those moments taught me more than any formal training ever could and I’m forever grateful for those.

At night and on weekends, I was back at the restaurant, working shifts to pay the bills. It was relentless, but I couldn’t get enough.

The OG iPhone had just launched. Rushed to the 5th Avenue Apple Store on Day 1 to get one. The App Store didn’t exist yet. I couldn’t afford one and was struggling to pay rent, but I was obsessed. Obsessed with what it meant for design, for the future—and for me.

Then, shit hit the fan.