The problem I kept seeing
After years in consumer education, I kept coming back to the same observation: people were signing up for skills because they wanted something in their lives to change. The goal was the meaningful part. The course was one way of getting there.
Meanwhile, learning was spreading across YouTube, podcasts, articles, searches and AI conversations. People had more resources, but they were still left to work out what mattered and hold the whole plan together themselves.
Getting it out of my head
I developed the original concept while serving as CEO of Upskillist. By around May 2025, I had created a clickable Figma prototype that let the team, shareholders and investors move through the experience I wanted us to build.
It mapped out the goal-led introduction, North Star, milestones, learning path, mentor conversation, content discovery and short-form video. It was an experience people could explore, not production software. Engineering began in Q1 2026.
First version of the product concept.
Clickable full-app Figma prototype, approximately.
Visual identity developed and refined with Debi.
Engineering work begins.
Working web prototype, with the Home feed in development.
Product and brand belong together
Spotify was a major influence: the way it brings media, discovery and a recognisable product identity into one experience. I wanted Kairo to bring together conversation, a plan and different forms of learning without feeling like separate products stitched together.
The colour choices were deliberate. A goal has its own colour, carried through the experience. My intention was that returning to the green business-building environment, for example, would help someone recognise the context they were stepping into.
I created the original Ambition logo, which Debi refined, and developed the concept behind the Kairo mark. Debi’s work helped turn that direction into a more resolved visual identity.
Making the first version possible
I believed the Home feed was important to the full experience. When Sonali explained the delivery implications, I agreed to defer it so we could bring the first version live. I also accepted changes to My Journey that the design team believed would improve the experience.
The original vision gave us a direction. Building it meant deciding what to hold onto, what to improve and what could wait.