How a Y-Combinator Startup Hired a Graphic Designer for $1,800 a Month

The candidate's portfolio and skills were a perfect fit for the client's needs. When the right match happens, great results follow—read on to see how it all came together.

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Location: Brazil

What does the client’s business do?

Our client is a startup using AI to revolutionize the real estate industry.

They reached out to us in search of a Graphic Designer, and we found the perfect match. The candidate’s portfolio and skill set aligned exactly with what the client was looking for.

What were the requirements?

They were looking for a creative professional to collaborate closely with internal teams and produce visually striking, yet highly functional real estate materials.

Key requirements included:

  • Proficiency in Canva and Figma (experience with additional tools was a plus)
  • Experience in structuring and formatting corporate or real estate presentations and documents
  • Familiarity with 2D and 3D mapping tools—or a willingness to learn
  • Strong attention to detail and ability to follow structured design processes
  • The capacity to handle repetitive design work while maintaining high accuracy
  • A background in real estate, architecture, or urban planning was a plus

Given this criteria and the nature of the role, Matheus quickly stood out as the ideal candidate.

What were the responsibilities?

The position involved a wide range of design tasks essential to the company’s real estate operations:

  • Creating and refining 2D and 3D maps with clear visual hierarchy and spatial accuracy
  • Designing and formatting real estate documents such as investment decks and property reports
  • Developing data-driven visuals like charts, infographics, and layouts
  • Ensuring consistent branding and formatting across all materials
  • Collaborating with operations and real estate teams to meet business needs
  • Managing a high volume of design requests with attention to detail and on-time delivery

What was the candidate’s background?

Matheus is a highly skilled Graphic Designer whose blend of creativity and precision immediately impressed the team. Though he hadn’t yet worked with U.S.-based companies, his experience in Brazil—spanning the education and finance sectors—demonstrated a versatile and refined design approach.

He’s led end-to-end design from real estate maps and layouts to 400-page educational materials. His work has delivered measurable results, like increasing internal event participation by 30% and helping grow a corporate LinkedIn audience by over 150,000 followers.

What made him the perfect fit wasn’t just his portfolio—it was his ability to collaborate seamlessly, adapt quickly, and deliver under pressure. Matheus is a prime example of how top international talent can drive real impact for U.S. startups.

How did they find this candidate?

The company used South! We help US businesses find, hire, and pay top Latin American talent.

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