The brand designer covers the first impression. The product designer covers everyday use. But the middle — where a buyer is actively weighing whether to trust the thing — is the moment that decides the deal, and it's the one most companies leave to nobody.
This isn't a hunch. The venture firm a16z has spent the last year arguing that the people who sit between a technical product and the customer are the ones who build a real advantage, and that this hands-on layer is what lets young companies win bigger contracts and grow faster.