About me
My Mission
My name is Nate Bauer, and I'm trying to fix the American healthcare system.
Like many, I've felt the cost of a system where financial barriers can outweigh human health — losing someone I loved as a result.
My mission is to prioritize health over cost by making affordable healthcare accessible to everyone.
Community
Mentoring Designers Every Friday
Every Friday from 11am–1pm PST I host Feedback Friday — a live, two-hour session where we review portfolios and resumes in front of an audience. It's an open, honest, and collaborative space to help designers level up their craft.
If you would like to attend, feel free to join the Design Buddies Discord channel.
If you would like to watch our past streams, take a look at the Design Shaped YouTube channel (and feel free to subscribe).
Side Project
Daily Noodle
Daily Noodle is a side project I built — a quiet little app that asks a single thoughtful question each day, 365 days a year. The idea is small on purpose: one question, a few minutes of reflection, and a year of answers you can look back on.
As the creator, I designed it to be the opposite of most journaling apps — no streaks to defend, no notifications fighting for attention. Just a small, honest commitment to checking in with yourself.
Try it at DailyNoodle.app.
Good Principles Have Sacrifices
They prioritize certain benefits over others, build constraints into one's workflow, and act as a guide toward performance and efficiency.
Here are four principles that guide my product design and team leadership.
Design is 90% Communication
Communication is the most important skillset in product design. This includes team facilitation, persuasive storytelling, and stakeholder management.
Infinite Mindset
Adopting a purpose-driven approach and playing for the long term is a more effective method of product development than short-term approaches like 'beating the competition'.
Outcomes Over Output
Customer behavior is the most important metric for determining business success. Solving problems begins by prioritizing outcomes, not features.
80% Is Good Enough
Reaching 80% of a goal is usually good enough. The time it would take to get to 100% satisfaction is usually better spent making progress elsewhere.