Prototyping Software for Startups

AI Prototyping Tools Masterclass: If you've been bouncing between v0, Bolt, Replit, and Lovable wondering, "Which one should I actually be using?" You're not alone. They all look impressive. But if you don’t understand what each one actually does best, you're just spinning your wheels. So, let’s break it all down: — ONE - The 4 Major Players (and What They’re Built For) Let me remind you, these aren’t just "tools" anymore. They’re fast-evolving cloud development environments And each one has a clear edge. 1. v0 by Vercel This one’s all about beautiful front-end design - out of the box. Clean UIs, polished interactions, and a $3.25B valuation behind it. Perfect if you’re spinning up a demo for stakeholders... And want something that looks amazing fast. Just don’t expect deep backend stuff without plugging in extras like Supabase. 2. Bolt Built for speed. The CEO told us the whole thing runs in the browser, no VMs & no lag. That's the reason it went from $0 to $40M ARR in just 6 months. If you’re testing ideas fast (think 10-minute prototypes), this is your tool. It’s flexible, but you'll need to connect things like a database yourself. 3. Replit This one goes deep. Founded by Amjad Masad and now valued at $1.16B, Replit gives you full-stack power. Built-in auth, built-in database, built-in deployment. If your prototype needs to function like a real product, this is the play. It’s not as slick as v0 or as lightning-fast as Bolt... But when it comes to handling real logic, Replit is in a league of its own. 4. Lovable Lovable is becoming the most loved "vibe coding" tool. Founded by Antonin Osika, and it hit $17M ARR in just 3 months. Honestly? It’s the easiest tool in the game, especially if you don’t code. Drag, drop, sync with Supabase. That’s it. No setup headaches. No complex environment. Perfect for non-technical PMs or anyone who wants to go... From idea to live prototype without touching a line of code. — TWO - ADJACENT TOOLS But wait, there’s a twist. These tools aren’t where AI prototyping stops. There are adjacent tools you’ll want to layer in depending on your skill level: If you’re just looking to generate quick code or play around with ideas: → ChatGPT and Claude work great. But if you want to build something real (and you can code): → Tools like Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, and GitHub Copilot are insanely powerful. A great flow in my experience so far? Start in Bolt or Lovable → Sync to GitHub → Then build deeper in Cursor. — I broke all this down in my latest newsletter drop: "Ultimate Guide to AI Prototyping Tools (Lovable, Bolt, Replit, v0)" If you want to understand how to actually use these tools and which one fits your workflow best, go here: https://lnkd.in/eRypMZQ8 It’ll save you weeks of trial and error.

I tried 10+ AI prototyping apps. Only one stood out. Here's why: Don't sleep on this tool. I tried the usual suspects (Lovable, Stitch, Make, Bolt, v0, etc.) But when I found Magic Patterns, I stopped looking. It had everything I needed for collaborative, AI-powered prototyping, especially in the early stages of the design process. Everyone’s debating which AI prototyping tool generates the best UI designs or code. Or they're showing off a random vibe coded app. But I think the real opportunity for product teams is being overlooked. Early-stage collaborative AI prototyping is where the magic happens. Fast exploration, shared context, real momentum. 3 Reasons why Magic Patterns excels at this: 1. Live AI prototyping with others = game changer Magic Patterns lets you invite people to a shared canvas. Review and interact with multiple prototypes in one view. Fork, remix, and build on ideas instantly. It’s multiplayer AI prototyping done right, perfect for my AI design sprint workshops. And perfect for product teams to rally around a problem and explore ideas. 2. Front-end focus, no backend noise You can explore flows and concepts fast, without getting distracted by databases or logic. Many of the hyped AI tools are focused on vibe coding complete apps. But for early-stage work you just need to quickly explore multiple ideas, iterate, get alignment, and test for feedback. For this purpose, Magic Patterns is exactly what I needed. 3. Thoughtful features that speed up your flow Magic Patterns is perfect for first-time AI prototypers. The beginner friendly interface and useful features like "Presets," "Inspiration," and "Polish", make it easy for anyone to experiment with purposeful ideas. Bonus Reason: Don't mistake Magic Patterns for a basic AI UI tool. There are advanced features and smart workflows I’ll show you that make this the most valuable tool I’ve added to my design process in years. I’m hosting a FREE live walkthrough next week where I’ll demo exactly how I use Magic Patterns inside my AI Design Sprint workshops, including best practices and the frameworks I’ve used in real sessions. This is a glimpse into how design, product, and engineering will work together in the AI era. Once you see it in action, you’ll want to run your next workshop this way. Come hang out. It’s going to be fun, useful, and maybe even a little magical. 🪄 Spots are limited. Drop “magic” in the comments or DM me to reserve your spot.

🌟 Big Update on VibeProto: Empowering Non-Tech Founders with AI-Driven Prototyping! 🌟 I’m very happy to share the latest advancements in VibeProto, a project designed to make prototyping accessible to everyone, especially my non-tech friends! Check out the video Here’s what’s new and why it matters: Session Storage: 🪣 A huge shoutout to Ashpreet B. CEO of Agno whose insightful tweet opened my eyes to the power of session storage. I’ve integrated Agno’s SqliteStorage into VibeProto, allowing users to save their chat sessions and generated code seamlessly. Now, you can pick up right where you left off no more starting from scratch! This is a game-changer for maintaining continuity in your prototyping journey, especially in production environments where session persistence is key. Enhanced Prompt Option: Better Results for Non-Tech Founders 🗣️ We’ve added an enhanced prompt feature to the chat interface. By prepending optimized instructions to your input (e.g., “Generate a high-quality script…”), VibeProto ensures the AI delivers more accurate and functional code. For non-tech founders, this means you can describe your idea in plain English like “A Python script to fetch YouTube transcripts” and get reliable, production-ready code without needing to know the technical nuances. It’s like having a coding junior in your pocket! Detailed Instructions: Bridging the Gap for Non-Tech Founders 🙌🏼 To make VibeProto truly accessible, I’ve included detailed instructions alongside the generated code. These step-by-step guides explain how to use the code, from installing dependencies to running the app locally. While this feature is a huge step toward empowering non-tech founders to bring their ideas to life, I’ll admit it still needs some work sometimes the instructions can be too technical, and I’m working on simplifying them further. Feedback welcome! 🙏 Built a YouTube Transcript Fetcher in Just 10 Minutes! 😱Checkout the video at the end Here’s a fun example of VibeProto in action: I used it to generate a Python script with the prompt “A Python script that gets the transcript of a YouTube video when I provide its link.” Within 10 minutes, I had a fully functional app using the youtube_transcript_api library! I simply copied the code, installed the dependency, and ran it with a YouTube link, bam 💥 , transcripts extracted! This speed and simplicity show how VibeProto can turn ideas into reality, even for those without a coding background. 🚀 What’s Next? I’m committed to making VibeProto the go-to tool for my non-tech friends. Upcoming updates will include multimodal input , real-time code analysis, support for more languages and even simpler instructions. Stay tuned. 💡 Follow me for more updates on VibeProto and to see how we’re breaking down barriers for non-tech founders in the world of AI and prototyping. Let’s build the future together!

I've discovered a product that will change the world. I’ve been a founder and done some product management, but I’m not an expert in product or engineering. I love trying out new tools, but I’ve always lacked the technical skills to build things myself. That all changes with Lovable. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been playing around with it in my spare time, and it’s been an eye-opener. Here’s what I’ve learned... What Lovable Gets Right: ✅ Generates code quickly – You can go from idea to working prototype in minutes. ✅ Understands complex codebases – It doesn’t just generate code; it can update multiple areas intelligently from new prompts. ✅ Fast prototyping – Perfect for iterating on ideas before committing serious resources. ✅ A Figma killer for web design – Instead of static design files, you get real, working front-end code, fast. Where It Needs Improvement: 🔸 Memory – Unlike ChatGPT, Lovable doesn’t retain much context from earlier messages in the conversation, which can slow down longer projects and sometimes you have to repeat yourself. 🔸 Guidance for non-technical users – If you’re not an engineer, setting up a project correctly is tricky. The "wow" moment is there for all users with the fast front-end generation, but if you’re building something meaningful, your data structure matters—and that’s where some upfront guidance would help. Tips for Getting the Most Out of Lovable: 💡 Start with a data structure plan – Use ChatGPT to draft a data structure document before jumping into development. 💡 Prepare before you build – The more thought you put in upfront, the smoother the process. 💡 Use ChatGPT as a coding assistant – When Lovable gets stuck, use ChatGPT to troubleshoot and refine solutions. 💡 Switch between tasks – If the AI gets stuck in a loop, refreshing the task can help it re-evaluate the problem from a different angle. Why This is a Game-Changer: Lovable opens up entirely new opportunities for founders, agencies, and businesses: 🚀 Agencies – Web development agencies should be using Lovable to demo ideas for potential clients. Expect to see Lovable-specialist agencies emerge soon. 🛒 Marketplaces – Don’t just offer your own services—build platforms that let others sell theirs, too. ☁️ Micro-SaaS - build smaller, niche but useful products. 💰 New business models – The cost of software creation is dropping, making it easier to launch new ideas without deep technical expertise. If you’re curious about building products faster, easier, and with fewer technical barriers, start exploring Lovable.dev today. Congrats to Anton Osika and the Lovable team on what you have built so far!

#Startups : “You Need A Technical Co - Founder” - An Outdated Advice for Startups ? Product Hunt and Calendly didn't have technical co-founders . Drivers : ** Availability of no-code / low-code tools for prototyping ** Incentivization of early engineering team members with #equity . Here is a list of no-code and low-code tools(not an exhaustive list) that startup founders with no technical background can use to build products and prototypes: Bubble: Bubble is a powerful no-code platform for web and mobile app development. Adalo: Adalo is a no-code platform for building mobile and web apps with a focus on design and user experience. Appy Pie: Appy Pie is a user-friendly no-code platform that allows you to create mobile apps, websites, chatbots, and more. OutSystems: OutSystems is a low-code platform for building complex, enterprise-grade applications. Mendix: Mendix is a low-code development platform with a strong focus on application development and deployment. AppSheet (now Google AppSheet): AppSheet, now integrated with Google, enables users to create mobile and web apps using spreadsheet data. Airtable: Airtable is a no-code database tool that combines the simplicity of a spreadsheet with the complexity of a database. Zapier: Zapier is an automation platform that allows you to connect various web applications and create workflows without coding. Integromat: Similar to Zapier, Integromat lets you automate workflows by connecting different apps and services. Coda: Coda is a no-code platform that combines documents and spreadsheets with interactive apps. Thunkable: Thunkable is a no-code platform for building mobile apps, and it's great for prototyping. Glide: Glide is a no-code platform that focuses on creating mobile apps from Google Sheets. Webflow: Webflow is a no-code web design and development platform that's perfect for creating responsive websites. Wix: Wix is a website builder that offers a no-code platform for creating websites and simple web apps. PowerApps: Part of the Microsoft Power Platform, PowerApps is a low-code tool for building custom business apps. Quick Base: Quick Base is a low-code platform for building applications and automating workflows. Appian: Appian is a low-code automation platform focused on enterprise solutions. Kissflow: Kissflow is a no-code platform for building business process automation and workflow applications. These tools vary in complexity and functionality, so it's a good idea to explore them to see which one best suits your specific needs and technical proficiency. Keep in mind that while these tools can help non-technical founders get started, building complex or highly customized applications may still require some technical expertise or the assistance of a developer.

If you still think building a startup prototype takes months, you’re probably not using the right tools. Last night, I went from zero to a working prototype in 30 minutes. No big team. No “stealth mode.” No months of planning. Just: 1️⃣ A real workflow bottleneck 2️⃣ AI-powered research 3️⃣ Instant wireframing & prototyping tools Here’s what actually happened (and how you can steal the playbook): Picked a real-world bottleneck: Instead of chasing “cool ideas,” I dug into the daily pain points of doctors in India—using ChatGPT & Gemini to synthesize thousands of words of research in minutes. Let AI play detective: Uploaded research docs to ChatGPT, got a prioritized list of the actual top bottlenecks. No assumptions, no wishful thinking. Prototyped instantly: Dropped the requirements into Lovable.dev, and in minutes had a clickable prototype ready to demo to real users. What did I learn? If you’re still spending weeks “validating” and “ideating,” you’re already behind. The right AI stack can take you from problem → insight → prototype before most people finish their deck. Ready to see how it works? Grab the full play-by-play PDF [Attached] Check the prototype link in the comments section. If you’re a founder still stuck on the whiteboard, try this workflow and break your own speed limits.

Happy Friday, this week in #learnwithmz, let's explore how AI is revolutionizing product prototyping, from idea to interactive mockup faster than ever. I’m delivering an internal talk on this topic for my team, and thought it would be valuable to share some highlights here as well. 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐀𝐈 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 -Visily Transform text prompts, sketches, or screenshots into editable UI designs. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gcerJweq - Uizard Generate wireframes and mockups instantly from text descriptions. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/grdSadcb - Microsoft 365 Copilot Prototype ideas directly within your workflow using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. Great for early PRDs, visualizations, and cross-team brainstorming. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gB2PNq9k - V0 by Vercel Create full-stack web apps from prompts, integrating frontend and backend. 🔗 https://v0.dev/ - Bolt Rapidly build and iterate on AI-driven product ideas. 🔗 https://boltai.co - Lovable Design and deploy AI-powered products with minimal coding. 🔗 https://lovable.so 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧-𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 - NodeTool: Build and automate AI workflows without code. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gnnB_7UU - ReacType: Visualize and export React applications with drag-and-drop. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/geQbxbEC 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 - Speed vs. Precision: AI tools are great accelerators, but manual polish is still needed for complex workflows and specific needs. - Experiment often: The space is evolving fast; test, learn, and share back. - Check before you use: Always check your company’s policies on tool usage, especially when working with sensitive product data or proprietary designs. 𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 A Guide to AI Prototyping for Product Managers by Lenny Rachitsky and Colin Matthews 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ge6nbzcr Which AI prototyping tools are in your workflow or on your radar? Drop your experiences or recommendations below 👇 #AI #ProductManagement #Prototyping #AItools #learnwithmz