Anthony Casalena

The Process of Minimalism

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Demodern Digital Agency Demodern Digital Agency

part of a series on Minimal
June 15, 2014

18:37

Anthony Casalena shares a few concepts that embody the process of minimalism as well as Squarespace’s guiding principles.

Founder and CEO of Squarespace, Anthony Casalena took the stage in June to speak on the CreativeMornings global theme of Minimal. Wanting to create a website for himself, Anthony began building what would later become Squarespace in his dorm room. Reflecting on those early years, Anthony speaks to the idea of minimalism as a process, not an aesthetic.

Through removing unnecessary lines and throwing out good ideas, Anthony was able to hone in on what was really important. He shares that experience at CreativeMornings/NewYork.

About the speaker

Anthony Casalena is the Founder and CEO of Squarespace, which he started from his dorm room in 2003. During the company’s early years, Anthony acted as the sole engineer, designer, and support representative for the entire Squarespace platform, allowing for it to be a stable business from the outset. In addition to his main responsibilities in running the company and setting overall product strategy, he remains actively involved in the engineering, design, and product teams within the organization.

Anthony holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Maryland.

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I believe that minimalism is a process. It’s not an aesthetic. It’s not black and white. It’s the thoughtfulness that goes into creating these things. — Anthony Casalena

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It’s easy to throw out bad ideas, but to throw out really good ones is hard. — Anthony Casalena

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I think minimalism, if approached in the wrong way, if it is approached in the aesthetic sense, can give people the wrong reaction. — Anthony Casalena

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I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead. —Mark Twain — Anthony Casalena

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I erased the entire list [of tasks]. I just don't know if these things are the most important things to work on anymore. And, if they are important, they'll come back. — Anthony Casalena