![]() ![]() What’s the most surprising thing about running your own business? Is there anything you would’ve done differently?īaron Fig is the fifth venture I’ve worked on building from scratch. We pat ourselves on the back for small wins, but generally we keep our heads down and move forward, little by little. A failure isn’t a failure if you keep on going, and a success isn’t a success when you realize that it’s just a stepping stone. Our mission mirrors this sentiment: To champion thinkers in their journey to create and inspire the world.Īs far as great successes or failures, Adam Kornfield, our co-founder, and I don’t tend to frame things as either. Before we make a decision, we weigh the effects it will have on the people who interact with our products. There’s a phrase permanently written on our whiteboard, which says “people-centric process.” Despite the fact that we may look like a design-focused company from the outside, behind the doors of Baron Fig everything points toward one thing: the customer. ![]() What have you learned from starting Baron Fig? Each showed me that love was at the core of everything, that connecting with people was the key to happiness, and that everyone is worth your time. My uncle, a carpenter since childhood, could fix anything, solving problems people didn’t know they had. My grandfather, as a master plumber, had incredible technical knowledge, with the ability to picture vast infrastructure in his mind. My mother’s strong personality commanded a room in a way that made everyone comfortable. My mother, grandfather and uncle were all inspirations. failure - wasn’t as bad as we make it out to be. ![]() I also got into a lot of trouble when I was young, which made me realize that getting into trouble - i.e. I grew up in a family of plumbers and carpenters who ran their own businesses, which likely influenced me to be self-sufficient. Was there a specific factor that motivated you to start a business that followed your love for design? I’m incredibly grateful to have had an educator that cared so much. As a designer I get to communicate ideas with both images and words, and it’s the most fulfilling way I can imagine spending my life. You’re a designer.” I didn’t even know what a designer was, but I listened - and she was spot on. The very first semester, one of my teachers was paying close attention to the work I was doing, and at some point she came up to me and said, “You’re not an illustrator. Drawing was always a strong interest of mine, so it made sense to explore it. ![]() I decided to go to the School of Visual Arts for a degree in Illustration. Studying the works of other writers was fantastic, but I was left wanting more. At the time, I thought I enjoyed writing itself, but eventually I realized that what I truly enjoyed was the ability to communicate a message. It was so important to me that I spent four years studying literature and philosophy, filling my head with ideas from history’s brightest minds. When I was young, I wanted to be a writer. (This interview has been edited for both length and clarity.) Tell us about your background. We spoke to Joey about his life as a designer and the value of a “people-centric process” - an important element of Baron Fig’s business. One year into his job as the co-founder of eco-friendly notebook line Baron Fig and Joey Cofone has learned a thing or two about what it takes to start a business. ![]()
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