Get your startup mvp designed, prototyped, and investor-ready
Investors get bored with PDFs. I design clickable prototypes that look and feel like a real product — so you can validate your idea, pitch with confidence, and save months of expensive engineering time.
Why prototype first
and code later
Most founders make the same mistake. They hire a dev team too early, build for three months, show it to users, and realize they built the wrong thing. Then they do it again.
A clickable MVP prototype in Figma costs a fraction of what development costs. It looks real. It behaves like a real app. And it lets you test your assumptions with real users, with investors, with co-founders, before a single line of code gets written.
That's not a workaround. That's the right order.
I design startup prototypes that are detailed enough to test, polished enough to pitch, and specific enough to hand off directly to your developers when you're ready to build. You skip the guesswork. You keep your runway.
How the MVP prototype design process works
I keep this simple. Three stages, no bloat
We figure out what your V1 actually is
You have ten ideas. That's normal. We sit down, map out what your product needs to do on day one, and cut everything that doesn't serve that goal. If a feature can wait, it waits. V1 is about proving the core, not impressing anyone with a feature list.
Most founders are surprised by how much they can remove and still have something compelling.
I build a prototype that reacts like the real thing
Every screen. Every tap. Every transition. I design it in Figma and wire it up so it behaves like a production app. Investors can click through a full user journey. Testers can try the onboarding. Your dev team can see exactly what they're building.
This is not a mood board. It's not a rough wireframe. It's a working simulation of your product.
You walk away with something you can use immediately
Pitch deck? The prototype is your pitch. User testing? Run it this week. Developer handoff? The Figma file is organized, annotated, and ready. You are not waiting on anything. You leave with a real asset.
A freelance MVP designer, not an agency
Agencies have a process. It involves a lot of people, a lot of meetings, and timelines measured in months. That works for some things.
For an early-stage startup, it’s wrong.
You need speed. You need someone who can hold the full context of your product in their head, make judgment calls without a committee, and actually respond when you send a message. That’s what you get working with me.
I’m Sergio Gualda — a product designer with 6+ years of experience working with founders, early-stage teams, and entrepreneurs building things from scratch. I’ve worked across fintech, health, SaaS, and consumer apps. I know the patterns. I know what investors expect to see. And I know how to get from a half-formed idea to something that looks real, fast.
When you Slack me, I answer. I care about your speed because I know your runway is ticking.
Questions about MVP prototype design
How is a Figma prototype different from a real app?
Functionally, for most purposes, it isn’t. A well-built Figma prototype includes clickable interactions, realistic transitions, and a complete user flow. Investors can click through it. Users can test it. Your team can discuss and iterate on it. The key difference is that nothing is actually coded — which means changes take hours, not weeks.
Can I use the prototype to pitch investors?
Yes — that’s one of the main reasons to build one. A clickable prototype communicates your vision far more clearly than slides. Investors can experience the product rather than imagine it. It shows you’ve thought through the UX, not just the idea.
How long does an MVP prototype take?
Most projects take 2–4 weeks from kickoff to the final Figma file. A focused, single-flow prototype can be completed in under two weeks. The timeline depends on scope — we define that upfront so you know exactly when you’ll have it.
Do you work with founders who don’t have a technical background?
Yes — and honestly, those are some of my favorite projects. You don’t need to know what a component library is. You just need to understand what your product needs to do. I take care of translating that into a clear, usable design.
What happens after the prototype?
I don’t write production code, but the Figma file I deliver is built to make your developers’ lives easier — with organized frames, annotated specs, reusable components, and clear interaction notes. If you’re building with Framer or Webflow, I can also develop the site directly.
How much does MVP prototype design cost?
It depends on scope, but most projects fall between $1,500 and $4,000. A single-flow prototype or landing page sits at the lower end, while a full multi-screen app with a design system and developer handoff is at the higher end. Book a call, and I’ll give you a clear estimate after 20 minutes.
Let’s build something real
Just a casual chat to see if I can help you build this thing
First call is 20 minutes