— Creative leadership for high-stakes moments

We build creative that makes your company impossible to ignore.

Whether you’re launching post-funding, pivoting to capture a market, or fixing what’s been holding you back — your window is now. You need experienced creative leadership and expert judgment built for this moment, not for later.

Let's Get This Right
See Our Work$

Jim Mercado

Founder & Creative Director
  • Fractional Creative Director
  • Deep creative expertise
  • Foundational design · AI-native
  • FAA instrument-rated pilot

3+

Year avg. client partnerships

100%

Experienced-level, every project

48hrs

From discovery call to proposal

Trusted by innovative companies

$

Most clients find me through a VC, a partner, or a founder who’s worked with me before. If someone sent you my way, that’s exactly how this is supposed to work. If you found me on your own, good instincts.

Good enough for now
vs. built to win.

You’ve got one shot. Your creative needs to be built for that, not for later. How you build it determines what happens next.

DIY with AI Tools

“Good enough for now” thinking. Generating options without the expertise to know which one will actually win. Fast to produce. Easy to get wrong. Your moment deserves better than a placeholder.

Crowdsource Freelancers

“Good enough for now” result. Cheap because it’s placeholder-grade work. You end up managing corrections instead of approving strategy — and your window closes while you’re waiting on revisions.

R

Built to Win with Octane

Experienced judgment. AI for speed. Custom strategy built for your specific moment — launch, pivot, or reinvention. One shot. One team who’s done this before at the highest level. 

Built for Real Stakes

— How It Works

Strategy before a single pixel moves.

01

Discovery

Before anything is designed, we understand your market, your buyers, and what actually makes them act. No assumptions. No templates.

02

Strategy

A creative brief that answers the question most agencies skip: why should anyone care? Get this right and the creative almost writes itself.

03

Design & Build

Iterative creative led by a director who can tell you — with conviction — whether it’s good. Not just acceptable. Actually good.

04

Launch & Grow

Go live with confidence, then optimize. Most clients stay for years because great creative leadership compounds over time.

— What We Do

We build creative that moves your business forward.

Most clients come for a website. They stay for years because experienced creative leadership touches every part of your marketing.

Creative Direction & Advisory
Expert judgment on your current creative — clear direction on what to change and why.
Websites
Custom-built sites that make your company impossible to ignore.
Marketing Campaigns
Integrated campaigns across email, digital ads, and content that drive pipeline.
Sales Collateral
Pitch decks, one-pagers, tradeshow materials, and video that close deals.

Creative Direction & Advisory

Sometimes you don’t need a full project. You need an experienced creative director to review what you’re working on and tell you — with conviction — what’s working, what isn’t, and exactly where to take it next. That judgment call is the hardest part. One session can change the entire direction of your creative.
→ Result: Clear direction. No more second-guessing.

Websites

Strategy, UX, design, and development — led by a creative director who’s shipped hundreds of sites and knows the difference between creative that looks good and creative that wins. No templates. No shortcuts. Built for your specific buyers, your specific moment, and the specific action you need them to take.
→ Result: A website that performs from day one.

Marketing Campaigns

From strategy through execution — email sequences, ad creative, landing pages, and analytics. Built around what your buyers actually care about at the moment they’re deciding. Not what looks good in a deck. Not what worked for someone else’s audience. Built for yours.
→ Result: Campaigns that generate pipeline, not just impressions.

Sales Collateral

Every touchpoint your sales team needs, designed to build trust and accelerate decisions. Pitch decks that tell a story, one-pagers that answer the right questions, tradeshow materials that stop people mid-stride, and videos that make the case when you’re not in the room.
→ Result: Materials that close deals when it matters.

— WHY OCTANE

Six reasons our clients stay for years.

Most clients come for a website. They stay for years because experienced creative leadership touches every part of your marketing.

No account managers between you and the decision-maker

Jim leads every engagement from first brief to final launch. You always know who’s responsible for every call — and who’s accountable for the outcome.

Judgment you can't automate

AI generates unlimited options. What it can’t do is tell you which one is actually good. That trained eye — built from rigorous fundamentals and deep expertise — is what you’re hiring.

Proven with companies like yours

PayPal. Ravelco. Axle Health. Fleak.ai. Springboard. Companies that needed creative to perform — not just look good — and got results they could measure.

No overhead you don't need

Experienced creative leadership and a vetted network of specialists for exactly what the project demands. Not a 50-person agency billing for people not on your account.

3+ year average relationship

Most agencies lose clients after the first project. Our average engagement lasts over three years. That’s what happens when creative actually moves business metrics.

Proposals in 48 hours

Full scope, timeline, and investment within 48 hours of your first call. When your moment is now, you can’t wait weeks to find out what you’re getting into.

— Recent Work

Work that had to perform, not just impress.

fleak.ai

AI data workflows. Simplified.

Cybersecurity   |   AI/Data   |   Series A

Fleak.ai — Partner project with Tim Hillison

Website creative for an AI data platform trusted by Cisco

One moment: RSAC 2026. Fleak needed a website that communicated complex data infrastructure to enterprise buyers — before the conference, not after.

View case study →

fleak.ai

AI data workflows. Simplified.

Cybersecurity   |   AI/Data   |   Series A

Fleak.ai — Partner project with Tim Hillison

Website creative for an AI data platform trusted by Cisco

One moment: RSAC 2026. Fleak needed a website that communicated complex data infrastructure to enterprise buyers — before the conference, not after.

View case study →
See more work →

— WHAT FOUNDERS SAY AFTER WE WORK TOGETHER

“

Adam Stansell

CEO, Axle Health — Referred by Pear VC

“We had one shot post-funding to get our brand right. Jim understood exactly what that moment demanded — no learning curve, no placeholders, no ‘good enough for now.’ Just experienced leadership and results.”

Adam Stansell

CEO, Axle Health — Referred by Pear VC

“We had one shot post-funding to get our brand right. Jim understood exactly what that moment demanded — no learning curve, no placeholders, no ‘good enough for now.’ Just experienced leadership and results.”

Adam Stansell

CEO, Axle Health — Referred by Pear VC

“We had one shot post-funding to get our brand right. Jim understood exactly what that moment demanded — no learning curve, no placeholders, no ‘good enough for now.’ Just experienced leadership and results.”

— FAQ

Questions people ask before they reach out.

If you have a question that isn’t here, just email Jim directly.

What types of companies do you work with?

We work with funded startups, established companies, and any organization facing a high-stakes creative moment — launch, pivot, reinvention, or fix. If your creative needs to perform right now, not later, we’re probably a fit.

How long does a typical website project take?

We work with funded startups, established companies, and any organization facing a high-stakes creative moment — launch, pivot, reinvention, or fix. If your creative needs to perform right now, not later, we’re probably a fit.

How long does a typical website project take?

Most website projects run 6–10 weeks from kick-off to launch. Complex sites with multiple audiences or heavy content needs can run 12 weeks. We’ll scope it precisely in your proposal.

Do you work with companies outside the Bay Area?

Yes — most of our work is remote-friendly. We’ve successfully delivered projects for clients across the US. If you’re in the Bay Area, in-person collaboration is always an option.

What's your typical engagement model?

Three ways to work together: as a Fractional Creative Director (embedding with your team, AI tools included), a defined project (website, campaign, video, collateral), or strategic advisory (reviewing your current creative and providing clear direction). Our longest relationships have run for years on the retainer model — it’s where the best work happens.

How does pricing work?

Projects are quoted based on scope and timeline. You’ll have a complete proposal with investment, scope, and timeline within 48 hours of our discovery call. No surprises, no ranges that move during the project.

Do you use AI tools in your work?

Yes — strategically. AI accelerates execution: faster iteration, more options, quicker prototyping. What AI can’t do is tell you which option is actually good. Knowing that — and acting on it with conviction — is the experienced judgment you’re hiring. The tools are fast. The judgment is what wins.

Can you help if we already have a brand and just need a website?

Absolutely. Many clients come with an existing brand and just need experienced creative direction applied to their website or campaigns. We work with what you have and make it perform better — without rebuilding from scratch unless that’s what the moment demands.

Your moment is now.

Let’s make it count.

Let’s start with a conversation. No pitch, no pressure — just an honest assessment of what your moment needs.

Let's Get This Right