Client's Testimonial
"Developers.dev was our secret weapon. We went from a PowerPoint deck to a stunning brand and a clickable prototype in three weeks. We walked into investor meetings looking like a company ten times our size. There is zero doubt in my mind that the work we did with them was the reason we closed our $2M seed round."
Ben Williams, Co-Founder, Connectly AI
Client Overview
Connectly AI was a two-person startup with a brilliant idea: an AI-powered platform to help e-commerce businesses personalize customer communication. They had a working backend algorithm but no brand, no user interface, and no way to effectively demonstrate their product to investors. They were trapped in the classic startup dilemma: they needed funding to build a product, but they needed a product to get funding. They needed to look like a polished, credible company, and they needed to do it yesterday.
Problem
The founders were deep-tech experts but had no experience in branding or product design. They needed a compelling brand identity and a functional prototype to make their abstract AI concept tangible and exciting for potential investors.
Key Challenges
Extreme Time Constraint
They had investor meetings lined up and needed to show progress fast.
Limited Budget
As a bootstrapped startup, every dollar had to deliver maximum impact.
Abstract Product
They needed to visualize a complex AI engine in a simple, intuitive way.
Building Credibility
They needed to overcome the perception of being "just two engineers with an idea."
Our Solution
We recommended a combination of our "Accelerated Growth PODs," specifically designed for this type of high-speed, high-impact scenario.
One-Week UI/UX Design Sprint
We started with an intensive, one-week design sprint. Our team facilitated brainstorming sessions with the founders to rapidly define the target user, map out the core user journey, and sketch initial interface concepts.
Agile Brand Identity
In parallel, our branding experts developed three distinct brand identity concepts. By the end of the week, the founders had chosen a name, logo, and color palette that projected innovation and intelligence.
AI/ML Rapid-Prototype Pod
With the UI/UX and brand direction set, we immediately engaged our "AI / ML Rapid-Prototype Pod." They took the approved wireframes and brand assets and, in two weeks, built a high-fidelity, clickable prototype in Figma, connected to a mock API to simulate the AI's functionality.
Investor Pitch Deck Design
As a final touch, we designed a professional 10-slide investor pitch deck using the new brand identity, ensuring their story was as compelling as their prototype.
Implementation and Execution
Day 1-5 (Design Sprint)
Intensive, collaborative workshops covering strategy, user journey mapping, sketching, and wireframing. A brand direction was chosen by Day 5.
Day 6-10 (Prototyping - Phase 1)
The prototype team built out the core screens and user flows based on the wireframes and new brand identity.
Day 11-15 (Prototyping - Phase 2)
The team added micro-interactions, realistic data, and polished the UI to a presentation-ready state.
Day 16-18 (Pitch Deck)
The design team created the investor pitch deck.
Day 19: Final Delivery
Final delivery of all assets: brand guidelines, clickable Figma prototype, and investor pitch deck. The entire process took less than three weeks.
Positive Outcome
Secured $2M Seed Funding
The founders successfully used the prototype and pitch deck to close their seed round funding within a month of our engagement.
Clear Product Vision
The process forced the founders to clarify their own product vision, making them more effective communicators.
Accelerated Product Development
The high-fidelity prototype served as the direct blueprint for their first MVP, saving them months of design and development time post-funding.
Established Market Credibility
They launched their company with a professional brand that immediately established them as a serious player in their field.
Why Choose Us
Speed
Our "Accelerated Growth PODs" are built for rapid execution.
Efficiency
We delivered immense value for a startup-friendly budget.
One-Stop-Shop
We provided strategy, branding, UI/UX, and prototyping in one seamless package.
Tangible Outcomes
We delivered a concrete tool (the prototype) that produced a direct result (funding).
Expert Facilitation
Our design sprint process extracted the founders' vision and made it real.
AI/ML Expertise
We understood their core technology and how to best represent it.
Flexibility
Our model was perfectly suited to the startup's needs.
Strategic Value
We provided more than design; we provided a tool to unlock growth.
Empathy
We understood the pressures of a startup and became a core part of their early team.
Conclusion
Connectly AI's story is a testament to the power of targeted, rapid, and expert execution. By leveraging our specialized PODs, they were able to achieve in weeks what takes most startups many months and significant capital. This is the new model for launching a tech brand: start with a strong, professionally engineered brand and product foundation, and accelerate your path to success.