[Case 02]

Improved financial clarity by 60% and supported early investor traction.

Fintech AI

Zavvis AI – Your Virtual CFO, Simplified

Real-world MVP design for an early-stage startup, focused on building a finance AI platform for small business owners

[Project Overview]

“I Don’t Know What My Business is Worth — and I Can’t Afford to Guess”

Small business owners are constantly making decisions that affect their financial future — yet most have no clear idea of their valuation, performance metrics, or investor readiness. They’re juggling spreadsheets, scattered tools, and limited time, all without access to expert financial guidance.

The result? Many feel overwhelmed, stuck, and unsure if their business is on the right path — let alone how to grow or raise capital confidently.

[The Solution]

Designing a Financial Co-Pilot That Feels Human and Actually Helps

Zavvis AI was built to do what spreadsheets, scattered tools, and outdated CRMs couldn’t: guide small business owners through the complexities of valuation, funding, and strategic planning — all from one dashboard. The solution merges automation, real-time data, and conversational guidance to make financial clarity feel achievable.

AI-Powered Business Valuation

Users can enter or upload their core financial data, and Zavvis AI instantly delivers a real-time, easy-to-understand valuation — helping founders know what their business is worth without needing a finance team.

Investor Matching

By analyzing the company’s sector, funding stage, and business goals, Zavvis recommends investor profiles tailored to the user’s startup — reducing cold outreach and giving small business owners a more confident starting point.

Conversational AI Assistant (Virtual CFO)

Available 24/7 via natural language, the built-in chatbot acts as a personal financial guide — answering questions, clarifying reports, and offering goal-based suggestions that feel like talking to a human mentor.

Interactive Dashboard

A clean, intuitive layout displays essential KPIs like revenue, burn rate, and net profit, along with personalized insights, trends, and alerts — helping users track performance without needing to “speak finance.”

[Industry]

Fintech AI

[My Role]

Solo Product Designer

[Platforms]

Desktop Dashboard

[Timeline]

August 2024 – January 2025

AI-Powered Business Valuation

Users can enter or upload their core financial data, and Zavvis AI instantly delivers a real-time, easy-to-understand valuation — helping founders know what their business is worth without needing a finance team.

Investor Matching

By analyzing the company’s sector, funding stage, and business goals, Zavvis recommends investor profiles tailored to the user’s startup — reducing cold outreach and giving small business owners a more confident starting point.

Conversational AI Assistant (Virtual CFO)

Available 24/7 via natural language, the built-in chatbot acts as a personal financial guide — answering questions, clarifying reports, and offering goal-based suggestions that feel like talking to a human mentor.

Interactive Dashboard

A clean, intuitive layout displays essential KPIs like revenue, burn rate, and net profit, along with personalized insights, trends, and alerts — helping users track performance without needing to “speak finance.”

[Process]

[01] User Research

Conducted 1:1 interviews with small business owners to uncover pain points around valuation and funding.

Analyzed financial behaviors to understand how users currently track performance.

Researched fintech competitors like Grid AI, QuickBooks, and BELLA to identify UI/UX gaps.

[01] User Research

Conducted 1:1 interviews with small business owners to uncover pain points around valuation and funding.

Analyzed financial behaviors to understand how users currently track performance.

Researched fintech competitors like Grid AI, QuickBooks, and BELLA to identify UI/UX gaps.

[01] User Research

Conducted 1:1 interviews with small business owners to uncover pain points around valuation and funding.

Analyzed financial behaviors to understand how users currently track performance.

Researched fintech competitors like Grid AI, QuickBooks, and BELLA to identify UI/UX gaps.

[02] Insights

70% of users still relied on spreadsheets or lacked a valuation process altogether.

Users were overwhelmed by complex metrics and unsure where to begin.

Strong preference for a tool that “feels like a mentor, not just a dashboard.”

[02] Insights

70% of users still relied on spreadsheets or lacked a valuation process altogether.

Users were overwhelmed by complex metrics and unsure where to begin.

Strong preference for a tool that “feels like a mentor, not just a dashboard.”

[02] Insights

70% of users still relied on spreadsheets or lacked a valuation process altogether.

Users were overwhelmed by complex metrics and unsure where to begin.

Strong preference for a tool that “feels like a mentor, not just a dashboard.”

[03 Design Solution]

AI-Powered Business Valuation

Investor Matching

Conversational AI Assistant (Virtual CFO)

[03 Design Solution]

AI-Powered Business Valuation

Investor Matching

Conversational AI Assistant (Virtual CFO)

[03 Design Solution]

AI-Powered Business Valuation

Investor Matching

Conversational AI Assistant (Virtual CFO)

[04] Testing & Iteration

Internal reviews with stakeholders and early users.

Iterated on KPI layout, prompt chips, and valuation clarity.

Added onboarding guidance, % trends, and smart assistant placement based on user feedback.

[04] Testing & Iteration

Internal reviews with stakeholders and early users.

Iterated on KPI layout, prompt chips, and valuation clarity.

Added onboarding guidance, % trends, and smart assistant placement based on user feedback.

[04] Testing & Iteration

Internal reviews with stakeholders and early users.

Iterated on KPI layout, prompt chips, and valuation clarity.

Added onboarding guidance, % trends, and smart assistant placement based on user feedback.

[Outcome]

Helped secure early investor interest by showcasing a polished MVP with a clear product-market fit.
Streamlined valuation understanding — users found the valuation breakdown and investor matching features intuitive and actionable during testing
Improved user confidence in financial planning by offering real-time KPI tracking and personalized AI guidance (chatbot as virtual CFO).

[Key Learnings]

AI needs emotional clarity, not just technical accuracy

Users trust AI more when they understand why it’s suggesting something — transparency in AI outputs boosts adoption.

AI needs emotional clarity, not just technical accuracy

Users trust AI more when they understand why it’s suggesting something — transparency in AI outputs boosts adoption.

AI needs emotional clarity, not just technical accuracy

Users trust AI more when they understand why it’s suggesting something — transparency in AI outputs boosts adoption.

Design for financial inexperience, not just startup savviness

Many users lacked deep financial knowledge, so simplifying language and visualizing data was more impactful than adding complexity.

Design for financial inexperience, not just startup savviness

Many users lacked deep financial knowledge, so simplifying language and visualizing data was more impactful than adding complexity.

Design for financial inexperience, not just startup savviness

Many users lacked deep financial knowledge, so simplifying language and visualizing data was more impactful than adding complexity.

Dashboards must evolve with user confidence

The initial view should reduce cognitive load, but deeper insights should be available as the user grows — progressive disclosure was key.

Dashboards must evolve with user confidence

The initial view should reduce cognitive load, but deeper insights should be available as the user grows — progressive disclosure was key.

Dashboards must evolve with user confidence

The initial view should reduce cognitive load, but deeper insights should be available as the user grows — progressive disclosure was key.

[Design Documentation]

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