Inside Figma: my time as a new grad | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

The post argues that choosing a first job should involve more than checking boxes such as “interesting problems,” “smart people,” and “good culture.” Josh Shi reflects on joining Figma as a new graduate and encourages readers to examine how work fits into their broader lives, interests, and changing goals. His conclusion is that the most useful job-search framework is built around personal questions rather than universal criteria.

Rethinking Work-Life Balance

• Work and life are not opposing forces in a zero-sum equation.
• The hours spent working and not working together constitute a person’s life, and each affects the other.
• Job satisfaction can influence life outside work, just as personal circumstances can affect satisfaction at work.
• Measuring balance only by the number of hours worked ignores the nature and meaning of the work.
• The author acknowledges that treating work as a career is a privilege, especially during economic hardship or when employment is uncertain.
• People who have the opportunity to choose should ask:
  • What kinds of work interest me?
  • Does this workplace support those interests?
  • Will I be able to learn and develop?
  • Can the role adapt as my interests change?
  • What skills or crafts can I build?
  • Does the job leave room for other interests?

Learning as a New Graduate

• At Figma, Shi gained new technical experience, including:
  • Full-stack development
  • Writing C++ for the web
• More significantly, he learned to own features and participate in the full product-development process.
• This included scoping projects, clarifying ambiguous goals, and taking ideas from inception through launch.
• Mentorship and support from colleagues made it possible for him to challenge himself and take ownership.
• The same people he met during his interview continued to provide guidance and expertise after he joined.

Company Growth and Change

• Figma had changed substantially during Shi’s first few years as the company and product expanded.
• The company began transitioning toward a hybrid model, illustrating that workplaces evolve over time.
• This reinforces the importance of considering not only whether a company fits current interests, but also whether it can accommodate future growth and changing priorities.