Why I Came Back to the Company I Left a Year Ago — and Why It Feels Like the Boldest Move Yet

One year ago, I packed up my digital sketchbooks, hugged my Figma files goodbye, and left Partnerz — the company I had been with for 2 years and 3 months — to pursue something new. A new challenge. A new culture. A new version of myself.

Today, I’m writing this with a grin, a slightly fuller beard, and a lot more life experience. Because yes, I’m back at Partnerz. And no, it’s not a tale of “oops, I made a mistake.” It’s the story of a transformation — personal, professional, and philosophical.

Let’s rewind.

Chapter 1: The Departure — A Designer’s Need to Roam

When I left Partnerz, it wasn’t out of frustration or fatigue. It was curiosity. I wanted to explore what was out there. I was craving the raw, unsanitized chaos of the startup world — the kind where your product may or may not exist next week and your salary is either paid or… sent to the metaverse for safekeeping.

So, I joined Pattern — a startup with its toes dipped in both web3 and AI. And let me say this clearly:
👉 It was a great move.
Sure, it was chaotic. Sure, it tested every nerve. But I learned more in that year than some people learn in five.

At Pattern, I wasn’t just a designer. I was the designer. Head of Design? Yes. But also: logo whisperer, UX researcher, UI polisher, Notion janitor, and occasional therapist to broken roadmaps. We worked on projects like Soniva.ai, Pattern Flow, FaceDancer, and more — all brave, ambitious, and ultimately, mostly dead.

But the point wasn’t the outcome — it was the ride. I explored what it meant to be a Swiss Army knife for all things design. I even dipped my toe into product management, which came with its own adrenaline — and its own Medium article.

In short, Pattern pushed me. It stretched my thinking. It made me more resilient, more resourceful, and a hell of a lot more humble. It was the startup experience I didn’t know I needed — and I’m incredibly grateful for it.

Chapter 2: A Product Designer in Existential Crisis (with a Burned-Out MacBook)

Startups are romantic — on pitch decks. In reality, they’re raw, uncertain, and often underfunded. One month we had budget to onboard freelancers; the next, we were splitting ramen noodles on Slack.

At some point, I wasn’t just designing for users. I was designing around survival. That adrenaline rush? It eventually morphed into chronic stress. And the rebellious, wild and bold version of Sepanta started to crave something radical: stability.

Not stagnation. Growth. But the kind that doesn’t come with weekly existential dread.

Chapter 3: A Change in Perspective (and Personality)

I used to think growth only came from jumping into the unknown. But over the past year, I’ve realized growth can also come from going deeper, not just wider.

From building with people who challenge you and support you.

From shipping things that don’t get buried under pivots and Post-its.

From having a vision, not just a pitch.

I started to crave:

• Strategic mentorship.
• Clear product goals.
• A team that values design as a driver, not decoration.
• And yes… a monthly salary that doesn’t need a crypto wallet to access.

Chapter 4: Coming Back Isn’t Weak — It’s a Power Move

So here I am. Back at Partnerz.

Older? Yep. Wiser? Absolutely.
Still using dark mode in everything? Of course.

But more than that — I’m coming back with a new perspective. Not as the same designer who left. As someone who’s led, failed, shipped, pivoted, burned out, rebuilt, and now returns with hunger for impact.

Partnerz is not the same either. The team has evolved. The vision is sharper. And there’s space for me to grow — as a senior product designer, as a leader, and as a human who still gets nerdy over good microcopy.

Chapter 5: What’s Next?

I’m not here just to resume what I was doing.

I’m here to:

• Bring in everything I’ve learned from being a one-person design army.
• Share leadership and mentorship lessons from wearing too many hats.
• Co-create a more resilient, scalable design culture.
• And of course, continue growing. Personally. Professionally. Pixel-by-pixel.

Because sometimes the bravest thing isn’t leaving to explore. It’s coming back to build — stronger, more grounded, and ready to design with deeper intention.

Final Thought

Leaving was necessary. Failing was educational. Pattern was a wild and wonderful detour.
Coming back? That was strategic.

So if you’ve ever thought about going back to a company you once left, don’t see it as retreat. See it as re-entry — with more velocity, more vision, and (hopefully) fewer broken prototypes.

Let’s build something beautiful again.

—
Sepanta Pouya
Senior Product Designer | Mentor | Ex-Jr Product Manager (by accident)
sepantapouya.com | LinkedIn