Soluna Stensale

Designing brands, websites & products for tech companies.
Co-founder at nullzwei.

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

I've worked with tech startups that have raised up to $450M, and one mistake I see is trying so hard to look like a major player in tech that they forget who they're actually selling to.

In a recent website project for a YC-backed AI company serving local businesses, we focused on the people doing the work.

The software was meant to help factory teams stay organized and make their work easier. We wanted potential customers to see it as something built to support their team, not replace it.

So we showed the world it would fit into, rather than making the technology the center of everything.

We generated factory imagery with warm tones, film grain and people at the center, including a scene moving from sunrise to sunset.

Looking credible and helping customers see why your product is right for them need to go hand in hand.

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

@claudsonx @chalaska @httpslinus thank you!

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

We've shipped 23+ updates for Plasticity so far this year. Still one of my favorite products to work on

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

@KiranJoshi05 it goes beyond a single sentence or visual. It's about the overall positioning and messaging across the entire page. The copy and visuals need to work together to show people what's changed and why the product is worth paying more for

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

I recently talked with a startup founder who raised their prices after significantly improving their product.
Instead of making more money, they ended up with fewer customers and lower revenue.

Here's one of the first things I'd check:

Does your website actually show why the improved product is worth more? Or is your products value only visible in a demo?

Your software might now solve much bigger problems for larger companies, while your website still shows the same basic use cases you started with.

So the customers who could justify paying more don't see why your product is right for them.
And the ones you're already attracting only see a higher price.

Show the new capabilities, the problems they solve, and why they're worth the investment to the customers you want to win.

You can't expect people to pay for the value you've added if your website never shows them what that is.

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

Fair point, and I think keeping existing customers on the old pricing for a month or two makes sense. But long-term, it could mean leaving a lot of revenue on the table. They're benefiting from the improvements too, so I'd use that time to show them the added value before raising their prices

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

@liutauras_liu thank you

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

I designed the online store for New Day Same Pain, a fashion brand that went from selling $40 T-shirts to selling out $200 pieces within 24 hours.

As the brand moved upmarket, the website needed to reflect that growth.
The store had to support hundreds of products while making it easier for customers to find what they wanted and feel confident buying.

So we added custom filters, sizing information, and relevant product recommendations instead of just pushing bestsellers.

When customers are paying more, they expect more from the entire experience, not just the product.

Your business can grow, but if your website still reflects where you started, it might be holding back where you want to go.

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

Your product might be a much better fit for someone, but if your website makes it look like every other option, why would they choose you over a brand they already trust?

I worked on Plasticity, a CAD product competing in a market dominated by giants like Autodesk and SolidWorks.

One thing Plasticity does particularly well is giving customers a clear reason to choose them.

They focus on a specific audience: artists who need powerful CAD tools without the complexity of traditional engineering software.

This gives Plasticity a clear direction for its product and messaging, but more importantly, it gives potential customers a reason to consider it over established alternatives.

Show the workflows where your product has a real advantage and make it clear who you're building it for.

Give customers a reason to choose you beyond comparing features and prices.

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

@alvarostudio_ Thank you, appreciate it!

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

One of my favorite footers we've done lately for a YC startup

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

@fedepontehq I co-run nullzwei, a design and development studio focused on websites and digital products. Mostly working with AI startups lately. Curious to see where you take GetEdge!

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

@chalaska @httpslinus Oh really? We’d be happy to meet up while we’re here

[Soluna Stensale @soluna_stensale]

I've worked on a dozen tech products, many get a flood of new users who never end up becoming paying subscribers.

So they invest more in marketing to get more users...but they keep churning.

Here's why it happens and how to fix it:

Most trials focus on teaching users the features rather than helping them experience the value of the product.

Someone signs up to get a job done. Give them a clear path to their first result, so they can actually experience the time and effort your software saves them.

If users never reach that point, they have little reason to pay, no matter how many features you've shown them.

A trial should make paying for your product feel like the obvious next step