Builder's Growth Lab
The podcast where builders, founders, and investors talk AI marketing and customer acquisition for AI builders.
Join us (Conor Douglas, Mallory Loar, Charlie Hernandez) as we talk about the latest AI coding tools, interview the creators building them, and share real builder stories with AI founders. From Claude Code to cutting-edge startups, how to acquire customers for your AI app, we talk about AI code and keep you informed and entertained.
Perfect for builders who want to stay ahead of the AI curve without the hype.
New episodes weekly.
Builder's Growth Lab
From 0 to 150K, Building Communities That Actually Stick With Grace Ling | Episode #44
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Grace Ling built Design Buddies into a community of 150,000+ designers, cold-emailed 400 hiring managers to land her job at EA, got cancelled by people she trusted, was rejected from YC multiple times, quit her UX career to travel 21 countries, and came out the other side more unfiltered and more effective than ever.
In this episode, Charlie Hernandez, Conor Douglas, and Mallory Loar sit down with Grace to unpack how she actually builds things: communities, audiences, brands, and a life on her own terms.
What we cover:
- How Design Buddies grew from 0 to 150K+ members with steady, linear growth and zero viral moments
- Why Grace cold-emailed 400 hiring managers to get her job at EA, and why rejection posts outperform announcement posts
- The real mechanics of building a cult following (her words) vs. just an audience
- What happened when she got cancelled by ex-community mods, and why it freed her
- Quitting her "sexy" UX career, booking a one-way ticket, and hosting Design Buddies events across 21 countries
- Building Fluffle AI, vibe coding daily on Twitter, breaking into acting, and why she sees herself as a holding company
- Her actual LinkedIn strategy: live life, reflect on what you learned, post it, recycle what worked, repeat
Grace is one of those guests who makes you want to close your laptop and go do something. Equal parts tactical and chaotic good.
Episode brought to you by CampaignPilots.
Find Grace:
- LinkedIn: graceling
- Instagram: @irungracepace
- X/Twitter: @gracepace
- Community: designbuddies.com