Burnout is the tax on undervalued design

Lenny’s recent poll on burnout among product teams had a surprising result for many: Designers were the most burnt out.
But if you’re on a design team, this tracks.

While PMs and engineers are happily vibe-coding prototypes in hours (respect 👏)—design has quietly absorbed more work, not less. 

Because, while a prototype might be a replacement for PRD (which hardly any one reads anyway), it hardly covers for the intentionality and care great design brings. 

Most prototypes—while helpful—lack taste, hierarchy, narrative, and consistency. That’s not a dig, it’s a reflection of the mindset, skills, and doing right by the people we’re designing for. 

But that desire is constantly in tension with the business need to move fast and ship. 

Add to this:

• Low(er) influence on roadmaps

• Constant advocacy for value 

• Context switching between products with tight timelines 

…and you’ve got a team that’s perpetually catching up, always proving its worth, and rarely allowed to lead.

If you're a product or engineering leader reading this:
Empower design not just to respond, but to shape.

Because what looks like polish is often the very soul of the product experience.