Building a startup MVP with AI-assisted design-to-code

STEALTH AI STARTUP

An early-stage, AI-native SaaS startup serving the IT services market. As founding designer, I shaped the product vision, designed the core UX flows, coded the functional front end using v0, and delivered a lightweight brand system — all after hours alongside a full-time role.

0→1AI
RoleFounding Designer
TimeframeJune – December 2025
TeamFounders + engineering
The Setup Guide — default landing view, walking new partners step by step to their first value moment.

Approach

Compress the feedback cycle

I interviewed an advisor running a large MSP practice before designing the core product flows. He was managing Microsoft 365 licenses across dozens of client tenants manually — tracking costs, utilization, and renewal status in static spreadsheets. The complexity was high enough that he couldn't hand it off to junior staff. That conversation shaped the product direction. From there, the process was lean by design. Using AI tools, I moved from concept to functional coded prototype in hours — real interactions, mock data wired in. Feedback cycles compressed from weeks to days. I validated the core flows with the same advisor before anything was committed to engineering.
Prototype screen from the stealth AI startup MVP
A code-based prototype with real data wired in — quick-turn feedback before engineering started.

Selected Work

Every design decision — from component architecture to brand — was made with handoff and scale in mind

The front end was built to be inspected, not just presented — components structured from the design system, mock data wired in.

1

Design System

A token-based React component library — colors, typography, and UI patterns — coded and pushed to the engineering repo for direct adoption.

A full-coverage component library built in v0 — coded with design specifications built in.
2

Brand System

A lightweight brand package designed to give the startup credibility from day one — intelligent, structured, and approachable across product and investor contexts.

Stealth AI startup brand identity
Logo and icon across light, dark, and brand colorways — ready for product, marketing, and pitch.
3

Marketing Site

I designed and shipped the marketing site, working directly with the CEO on brand positioning — messaging built around MSP-first outcomes.

Marketing site designed and shipped to support investor conversations and early partner outreach.

Outcomes

Designed, coded, and shipped

In six months, after hours, I delivered a coded front-end platform built with v0 — real components from the design system, ready for the backend to plug into. Tables, alerts, toasts, and more — each with brief usage guidelines for engineering adoption. The design system and brand assets were also completed, giving the founding team everything needed for development and investor conversations. One advisor committed to deploying across his entire client base and providing ongoing feedback as the product developed.

Design System