AI Startup MVP
Zero-to-one product design for a generative AI writing tool
Client
Pre-seed AI Startup
Role
Fractional CPO
Duration
6 weeks
Year
2024
Took a generative AI startup from concept to functional MVP in 6 weeks. The founder had deep ML expertise but needed product design leadership to translate the technology into a usable product that could demonstrate value to investors and early adopters.
What we were up against
The founder had built a powerful language model fine-tuned for long-form content creation, but the prototype was essentially a text box with a submit button. There was no clear value proposition for users, no differentiation from ChatGPT, and no path to demonstrating product-market fit. The startup needed a polished MVP for their upcoming investor demo in 6 weeks.
How we solved it
I ran a compressed discovery sprint — interviewing 15 content marketers in the first week to identify the specific pain points where AI could add the most value. We landed on a workflow-first approach: instead of a general-purpose chat interface, we designed purpose-built workflows for blog posts, email sequences, and social content. Each workflow guided users through structured inputs, generated multiple drafts, and offered revision tools that felt like collaborating with an editor rather than prompting a machine. The MVP shipped with 3 workflows, a brand voice trainer, and a collaborative workspace.
Impact that matters
Time to MVP
Concept to functional product
User Retention
Week 4 retention (beta)
Seed Round
Raised post-demo