Ryan Gonzales's Open Cover Letter

To My Future Colleagues:

You are reading this letter because I had the audacity to type it. I know. I’ve sat in your seat at multiple companies; going through hundreds of resumes, looking for the “right” candidate... And... Oh no, someone actually submitted a cover letter? Now you’re obligated to at least give it a glance, right?

I’ve been building digital products since the early aughts, I have led design at companies like FedEx, Shine, StratiFi (YC/S13), TrackR, and Platinum Performance (acquired by Zoetis). I have led digital marketing projects for Sony, Columbia Pictures, Ford, Red Bull, and Danone. I’ve also done boring things like earn W3 Awards for UX and Self-Promotion, and an industry award for best Risk Tolerance Technology while at StratiFi. There’s probably an Oscar around here somewhere, let me look...

Okay, no Oscar yet. Perhaps one day when I star as myself in that documentary they make about the work we’re about to do? Did I mention I developed the design and UX process for FedEx Services, and led the redesign of their mobile app as their first in-house UX designer? How about that time my team at Shine managed to launch a novel hardware product in the middle of the pandemic when our contract manufacturer was in China? I'm wholly capable of running Zero-to-One initiatives in well-established enterprises and fresh startups. Enough about the past — let’s talk about our future together.

<Company Name> is right on top of my list of places I’d love to work. Hey, it’s an open letter, you’ve got to use your imagination. Anyway, I really enjoy the work you’ve done on [name projects]. I believe I can elevate and motivate your creative and product teams, bridge gaps between product and engineering, and be the fall guy for when we inevitably launch something that only gets a 4.5-star rating in the app stores or only garners a 50+ NPS. I can’t promise the 80+ NPS we maintained at Platinum, but I will try my best.

Look, if you’ve read this far, you are a champion. Someone I would be proud to call a teammate. Let’s start with a phone chat or a quick cup of coffee. I’d love to learn more about what keeps you and your teams up at night; then we can talk about the best swords to use to ward off the business dragons. I'm currently self-employed and writing my first novel, but I'm open to full-time opportunities with the right company.

I look forward to discussing how we’re going to build something awesome together.