Daniel Feles: Building MindOne to Empower Designers with Developer Tools

Hi Daniel, your career journey and the story behind MindOne are incredibly compelling. Can you share how your background as a developer and designer led to the creation of this product?

I started working on products 16 years ago, first as a developer and then quickly transitioned to a designer, though I retained a developer mindset. Over time, I realized there was a significant gap in tools for designers that catered to their unique needs but also aligned with the logic-driven workflows developers rely on.  

With MindOne, we’re finally addressing that gap. It’s a developer tool for designers, built to empower them to create with greater efficiency and flexibility.  

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MindOne is the result of teamwork and shared passion. How did you meet your co-founders, and what brought you together?

I met Csaba and Gabor in 2015 when I started working at Skyscanner as a designer. Csaba was working on iOS and Gabor on Android. We collaborated occasionally and quickly noticed our shared passion for quality and design.  

A few years later, in 2017, they approached me with the idea of forming a product development studio together. We grew that studio to 18 people and over €1 million in yearly revenue. After surviving challenges like COVID-19 and the rising pressures on developers, we realized we needed to pivot.  

That’s when MindOne was born. We’ve been bootstrapping it for six months, investing all our income to make it a reality. This week, we’ve just opened our doors to the masses. It’s an incredibly exciting and rewarding journey.  

The idea behind MindOne is innovative. How did you come up with the concept, and what role has AI played in shaping it?

Three years ago, before the AI revolution, we already had an idea for an app builder. From a technical standpoint, we could have built it, but the design complexities made it unfeasible at the time.  

With the rise of AI, much of that complexity has been simplified. By implementing AI effectively, we believe we can teach non-technical people how to use databases and create robust solutions. AI has allowed us to rethink our approach, making the product more accessible and impactful.  

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MindOne seems to be redefining the standards for no-code tools. What sets you apart from others in the industry?

We’re building a Cursor for no-code. Everything Cursor is revolutionizing for coders, we’re doing for non-technical people.  

Our focus on agencies and prosumer citizen developers lets us approach the space with a unique perspective—playful, design-centric, and bold. This emphasis on design and user experience sets us apart from other app builders that often prioritize function over form.

You’ve chosen to bootstrap MindOne without external funding. Has anyone on your team had experience with venture capital? How do you plan to attract investment in the future?

Currently, we are investing our own income from the agency into MindOne, which gives us full control over its direction. While none of us have directly raised venture capital before, we understand its potential for accelerating growth.  

Our approach is to focus on achieving measurable success, like hitting key user adoption milestones and refining our product-market fit. Once we’ve established clear traction and a scalable model, we’ll be in a stronger position to engage with potential investors.  

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Building a startup without external funding comes with its own challenges. How are the founders supporting themselves, and do you balance MindOne with other work?

Right now, we’re funding everything through the income generated by our agency. This setup allows us to focus on building MindOne without distractions, though it requires careful financial planning. So far, we’ve been able to dedicate ourselves fully to this vision, relying on the stability of our previous work.  

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Reflecting on your journey, what is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned as a founder?

Only follow our users. Listen to everyone, but make decisions in the best interests of our users. This focus ensures we stay true to our mission and create something truly valuable.