Missionary Misfits: Why Not Belonging Makes You Build Better

Event ID: PP1149251

Sat, Mar 14, 2026 | 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Venue: Salon C (JW Marriott)

View on Official SXSW

Summary

The best companies come from founders who don't quite fit in. Steve Vassallo (Foundation Capital, former IDEO designer) calls them "missionary misfits,” founders who weave different disciplines together instead of mining one vertical. He believes these cross-domain builders create the most transformative companies. Steve will sit down with Framer co-founder, Jorn van Dijk, whose misfit position helped him and his co-founder spot the dysfunction between design and development, and create a company now worth $2B. Learn why being an outsider might be the ultimate competitive advantage.

Contributors

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