Why this exists
We review thousands of portfolios placing designers and engineers at top companies. The same problems show up constantly. Meanwhile, the candidates who actually land roles at Linear, Vercel, Stripe, and Figma are doing the opposite of conventional portfolio advice: radical minimalism, craft pages, one-sentence descriptions, zero testimonials.
We built this skill to close that gap so candidates stop optimizing for blog post advice and start optimizing for what actually works.
What it evaluates
8 categories, each scored 1-5. Total out of 40.
- 10-Second Gut Check: typography, spacing, color, overall craft
- Work Is the Hero: real work visible immediately, not process text
- Ruthless Curation: every project earns its place
- Ambition & Scope: obsessive craft, side projects, initiative
- Storytelling & Framing: if text exists, is it good?
- Soul & Uniqueness: does this feel like a person or a template?
- Portfolio as Product: IA, performance, responsiveness
- Builder Signals: shipped tools, live demos, code
Reference benchmarks
Scored against a curated set of portfolios from designers and engineers at top companies. The skill cites specific examples in its feedback so candidates know exactly what to study.