presana

Inspiration

I'm a product designer, and while applying for new roles, recruiters often asked me to send my design case study by email so they could review it before moving forward.

The problem? I had no control over how they’d experience it — would they scroll too fast, miss key points, or not understand the flow the way I intended?

I tried recording a video to guide them, but every time I made a mistake, I had to re-record the whole thing. And even after sharing it with Loom, I had no idea what parts they were curious about or what questions they had.

That frustration inspired me to build Presana — a better way to present your story async, with clarity, control, and real insights.

What it does

Presana turns static slide decks into interactive, AI-presented experiences. Instead of sending a PDF or recording a long video, you can create a shareable link where your presentation is delivered by an AI virtual presenter. Viewers can watch at their own pace, ask questions, and you get analytics like time spent per slide, drop-off points, and engagement — helping you improve and convert better.

How we built it

I built it using modern web technologies, with a custom editor for adding voice readouts, integrated chat powered by AI, and real-time analytics. I used Bolt.new, Nextjs, Supabase, ElevenLabs and Heygen. As a solo founder, I also used Cursor — the AI code editor — which helped me ship faster and more efficiently.

Challenges we ran into

One major challenge was making the voice readouts flexible — especially allowing users to update a script without re-recording the entire thing. Balancing customization with ease of use was tricky. Another challenge was creating meaningful analytics without overwhelming the user, and making async presentations feel as natural and personal as live ones.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I am proud of turning the concept into a real product with early users already testing and sharing feedback. The ability to edit readouts instantly, track viewer behavior per slide, and embed a live Q&A chat interface — all without extra tools — was a big milestone. I also launched on Product Hunt and got amazing support from early adopters.

What we learned

From working closely with early adopters, one thing is clear: users want control without the technical complexity. They care deeply about understanding how their content performs, and they want the flexibility to improve and update without starting from scratch each time. What truly matters is simplicity, clarity, and the ability to iterate quickly based on real feedback.

What's next for presana

• Letting users customize voice tone (e.g., calm vs energetic)
• Training the AI with your own scripts and voice style
• Richer performance analytics like rewatch heatmaps and unanswered questions
• Smoother onboarding and templates for different use cases (sales, hiring, updates)
• Introduce an AI virtual avatar that’s lip-synced and personalized using the user’s photo.

Built With

• bolt
• elevenlabs
• nextjs
• openai
• postgresql
• supabase