Pavel Rysych — Product Design Leader
Head of Design at Admirals; before that Mechanism Ventures, MetaMap, Fundraise Up
9+ years · Tbilisi, GMT+4 · remote or relocation
I lead product design and bring AI into everyday work — from prototypes and design systems to implementation.
I build products and the design teams behind them.
Make the important decision obvious.
Selected work
- 0 Surface
- −1 Why?
- −2 Why?
- Core
- = Proof
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0Surface
Livefig. 1 — Subskim on a phone, and the live site at subskim.com. A calendar surfaces what renews next, while a periodic review helps people decide what still earns its place.
−1Why?
Subscriptions are built to be easy to start and easy to forget.
−2Why?
Tracking them by hand means typing every subscription in — exactly the chore that stops people from doing it at all.
−3Core
AI takes on the tedious part, and a person stays in control of the decisions.
“I designed and built Subskim myself, with AI, to make every recurring charge visible — and the decision to keep it a deliberate one.”
My partI came up with Subskim, designed it and built it myself with AI — from the first product decisions to the working app.
=Proof
- Live product
- Live
- Subskim is live: add a few subscriptions, or import them from a screenshot, and see what renews next. subskim.com
- Idea, design and build
- Solo + AI
- From idea to live product, solo
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0Surface
fig. 2 — Admirals website, from the website recording. The bet is visible on the live site: trust signals, trading conditions and platforms up front, written for traders who already know what they need.
−1Why?
The traders worth winning — the ones who already know what they need — are the least moved by an easy-start pitch.
−2Why?
A count of new clients says nothing about whether they stay or fit the business.
−3Core
Count value, not volume.
“We shifted the focus from the number of clients acquired to the quality and business value of those relationships.”
My partMy role was to translate that direction into the website’s proposition, content hierarchy and customer journeys. I reshaped the design team around senior designers with more responsibility for decisions and execution.
=Proof
- Customer acquisition cost
- −67%
- Two-thirds lower than the previous CAC, with customer journey improvements contributing to the reduction.
- Monthly revenue
- +€400k
- Additional monthly revenue from a targeted UI change.
- First-time deposits
- +16%
- Increase in first-time deposits.
Broader business impactAnnual losses reduced from €10M to €1.6M through a focus on retention and unit economics.
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0Surface
fig. 3 — Four products, one studio: Pettable, Learner, Top Nutrition Coaching and PrimePutt. As Head of Product Design there, I worked on the launch and ongoing development of Pettable, Learner, Top Nutrition Coaching and PrimePutt.
−1Why?
A venture studio runs several businesses at once, each at its own stage.
−2Why?
A pattern that worked for one could be wrong for the next.
−3Core
Make the customer’s next decision obvious.
“Four ventures at different stages, one job: make the customer’s next decision obvious.”
My partMoving between businesses, I started each time from the product’s stage and the one decision its customer needed to make next — then designed the shortest clear path to it.
=Proof
- Onboarding conversion
- +28%
- Pettable · within three months
- User churn
- −18%
- Through leave-intent interventions
For context, not creditThe Mechanism Ventures portfolio drives more than $300M in revenue.
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0Surface
fig. 4 — Mati / MetaMap, from the product film. Verification is still set up as flexible, configurable workflows — the growth the design system had to keep understandable.
−1Why?
Every new check multiplies the choices.
−2Why?
Without a clear system, a product growing that fast turns into a maze for customers and a patchwork for the team.
−3Core
Preserve understandable decisions.
“The challenge was to preserve understandable decisions and a coherent experience while the product’s possibilities multiplied.”
My partI led design through a product pivot that broadened the platform’s verification offering. I led the design team and helped establish a more consistent way of working.
=Proof
- Verification checks
- 2 → 15+
- Expanded the verification offering through a product pivot.
- Design + delivery team
- 5 + 12
- Five designers and twelve developers across product, design and delivery.
For context, not creditThe company secured $70M in funding during that growth period and was later acquired by Incode.
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0Surface
fig. 5 — The donation form switching from Give once to Monthly and adapting the suggested amounts. Instead of sending donors to a separate page full of fields, the checkout opens as a compact widget on the nonprofit’s own site.
−1Why?
Every extra field is another reason to hesitate, and on a phone the form turns into an endless scroll.
−2Why?
Donors had to face every field before making their first real decision — how much to give.
−3Core
One decision at a time.
“It starts with the only question that matters first — how much, and how often — and asks for payment details only after that choice is made.”
My partAs the founding designer, I turned that idea into a working donation experience. I used gamification and motion to guide each step.
=Proof
- Donation conversion
- ×2.8
- Through a gamified donation experience
- Donor satisfaction
- ~98%
- CSAT for the donation experience
For context, not creditCompany team growth: 12 → 350+, from an early public team snapshot to the current company-reported headcount.
How I work
From founding designer to head of design, across fintech, identity verification and nonprofit products.
AI takes on the tedious part, and a person stays in control of the decisions.
SubskimCount value, not volume.
AdmiralsMake the customer’s next decision obvious.
MechanismPreserve understandable decisions.
MetaMapOne decision at a time.
Fundraise Up
Make the important decision obvious.
“That range shaped how I work with startups today: get close to the customer, make the important decision obvious and keep the experience coherent as the business grows.”
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Clear direction
At Admirals: experienced traders over “easy start” promises, client value over head counts.
Read the bet -
Ownership
A design team rebuilt around senior designers who own decisions and execution.
How the team changed -
AI in production
Web production moved from six developers to two designers with Claude and one developer.
See the workflow
What colleagues say
“Pavel is one of the best designers I worked with in my life. He is extremely talented and has a unique ability to transform complex ideas into graphics.”
“Pavel was a dedicated team player and is a talented artist. He was able to conceptualize complex concepts and articulate them effectively visually.”
“He is a very professional colleague and great individual. I'm going to miss working with him!”
Let's build what matters.
Open to Head of Design and Director of Product Design roles. Remote with a B2B contract worldwide, or relocation to Singapore, Dubai, London or the US.