I Don’t Want AI to Replace Thinking. I Want It to Help People Think Better

FounderBase has become the most practical example of how I'm applying what I've learned about AI UX and System Design.

It started as a way to understand how to think like a founder, but it's also turned into an experiment in designing how reasoning itself should feel when AI is part of the process.

The problem with most AI tools

Most AI tools are designed to complete tasks. They take input, generate output, and move on. Like a vending machine for answers. Insert question, receive solution, don't think too hard about it.

But that's not how people actually think through complex problems.

People don't just need answers. They need to reason through trade-offs, test assumptions, and iterate on ideas. The tool should support that process, not shortcut it.

How I'm approaching it

I'm designing FounderBase to carry context forward. When someone defines a goal, the system remembers it and uses that context to inform future decisions. The focus is on continuity.

The interface encourages reasoning by asking the right questions at the right time. It doesn't try to think for you. It thinks with you.

What I'm learning

Designing for reasoning is harder than designing for tasks. It requires understanding how people make decisions, not just what decisions they make. Turns out understanding human cognition is more complex than slapping a chat interface on everything and calling it "AI-powered."

This project is teaching me how to build systems that feel like partners, not tools. That mindset is changing how I approach product design entirely.