Best practices and standard processes are the ship’s rudder when sailing the high waters of constant change and budget constraints. In startups there isn’t any long stretch of time when circumstances are optimum for designing a product. The willingness to adapt is a prerequisite.
I’ve come to learn that design leadership is to press forward while preserving the integrity of the process through a variety of adverse conditions. Keeping an eye on the horizon of delivering a quality user experience while making trade-offs along the way is a mission.
Serving the user is the center of gravity around which decisions can align with confidence. In my experience the conviction to uphold the user’s interests is the arbitrator of compromises. In time this reveals the actual values of the company and its culture.
If your startup needs help with this, contact me on Slack.