Sara Wilczynska left Google and turned a Thailand watercolor habit into Swil Arts
The former software engineer built a San Diego illustration studio after a 2023 travel year showed her a different way to work.
By Ryan Merket · Published
Primary source: Business Insider
Why it matters
Wilczynska's path shows a version of founder risk outside venture capital: quitting a high-status tech role, cutting costs, testing demand in public and building a business around a specific customer feeling.
Sara Wilczynska left Google at the end of 2022 and, after a year of travel, turned an unplanned watercolor practice on Koh Tao into Swil Arts, a San Diego illustration studio selling prints, goods, wholesale products, and custom commissions.…