Hi everyone! I wanted to share my experience and get some honest feedback on whether a reapplication is worth it.
I applied for Exceptional Talent (outside UK) as a Staff Product Designer in cybersecurity / developer tooling.
My evidence included:
- Leading design for multiple 0→1 products
- Named inventor on 2 published patent applications
- Commercial impact: ~$3M ARR contribution, strong adoption + engagement growth
- Leadership evidence: cross-functional ownership, influencing product strategy, org-level process improvements
- 3 strong recommendation letters (VP Product, VP Design, Engineering Director)
- Some speaking + mentorship (universities, internal, limited external)
Outcome: Rejected
Main feedback themes (direct feedback attached):
- Not enough evidence that I was the primary driver of innovation (vs part of a team)
- Impact metrics seen as company-level, not clearly attributable to me individually
- Too much reliance on internal evidence + recommendation letters
- Insufficient external recognition (talks, publications, industry presence)
- Role viewed as strong IC in design, but not clearly a field leader / exceptional talent
Would really appreciate any honest takes from people who understand how strict the ET bar is for non-engineering roles.
Do I realistically have a shot if I fix these gaps, or is this profile better suited for Promise / not viable?
Thanks in advance!
