Martin Maričák
Product & Design leader, founder, and writer
Košice, Slovakia
Joined January 2026
Summary
Hands-on product and design leader who bridges strategy and execution — Martin repeatedly takes roles that combine product management and design leadership (GroupSolver, Scene, Vacuumlabs), focusing on shipping product features and shaping product direction while staying hands-on with design work. peerlist+3
Founder and studio operator — he co-founded alt-shift, a studio that embeds with client teams to act like in-house design talent, signaling a preference for practical, embedded design partnerships and early-stage product work. altshiftstudio+1
Writer and researcher — Martin publishes long-form writing (Medium, Substack) and has academic research experience (co-authored a 2015 conference paper), demonstrating an interest in documenting design and HCI-related learnings. medium+2
Background in computer science applied to product design and AI-enabled research products — his education in computer science and roles at GroupSolver (working on AI to analyze open-ended survey responses) and fintech design roles indicate a blend of technical and design expertise. peerlist+2
Work
Education
Projects
Writing
Usability of a Domain-Specific Language for a Gesture-Driven IDE
January 1, 2015Academic conference paper (ACSIS, 2015) describing a gesture-driven language for touch-driven IDEs, including studies with developers and a prototype to evaluate usability.
Efficient creativity, and the power of delay
Medium essay exploring timing and creative workflow strategies for managing creative time.
Brainware (newsletter)
Substack publication making sense of lessons learned while designing products and building a small studio.