Research, design and iterative build of an AI growth engine that enables experimentation for growing business
Heatseeker’s founders’ mission was to fundamentally change how businesses validate their early market decisions. The core challenge we faced, from a design and product perspective, was clear: "How might we accelerate the experimentation process, allowing businesses to test and iterate on ideas more rapidly and efficiently, leveraging AI?" Heatseeker, a promising marketing tech startup, aimed to revolutionise this space with an AI-powered growth engine. Our task was to design a product that not only integrated AI seamlessly but also enabled businesses to conduct faster, data-driven, live market testing, ultimately fueling their growth.
Our approach was rooted in rapid iteration, deep research, and customer obsession. We kicked things off by building a Proof of Concept (POC) in just three weeks. This allowed Heatseeker to quickly enter the market with diverse value propositions, from sentiment analysis to competitor audits, which we could immediately test. Leveraging insights from this POC, along with extensive primary and secondary research, we designed a lean Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
A key part of our strategy was identifying and prioritising Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) – initially, B2B startups and scale-ups keen on LinkedIn market tests. Throughout this transition, we embraced a hybrid testing model, validating hypotheses and co-creating with customers using tools like Miro and low-fidelity prototypes. This agile approach ensured our design decisions were always informed by real user feedback.
The impact of our design and product strategy was immediate and significant. Within just three months of the build, Heatseeker acquired over 100 B2B users and achieved an impressive 8x user retention rate, demonstrating strong product-market fit. Our accelerated POC to MVP transition meant Heatseeker could quickly establish itself in the market. Beyond the numbers, our collaborative efforts helped Heatseeker secure vital funding and gain significant industry recognition, including multiple Pause Awards and the "Product of the Year 2024" from Something Tech.
