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Genesis: Reimagining the Enterprise Platform

A net-new, vibe-first enterprise builder: one unified no-code + code workspace that turns intent into a deployed AI application—guided creation, generated scaffolding, verification, and release in a single flow.

Role

Innovation Lead

Timeline

2025 — Present

Team

Co-led multidisciplinary squad (Design, Product, Eng)

At a Glance

The existing platform required users to understand the full database architecture before seeing any value — a model that created blank canvas paralysis. Non-technical users hit a wall immediately, and even technical users needed weeks of onboarding.

  • -Enabled non-technical users to build and deploy enterprise AI applications for the first time on C3
  • -Dramatically reduced time from idea to deployed application
  • -Adopted by several major enterprise customers — including Fortune 500 and Forbes-recognized companies — within the first quarter of launch
  • -Demoed at Davos as a flagship example of enterprise AI innovation

Overview

Genesis is C3 AI Studio reimagined — a unified environment that blends code and no-code in a single platform. Business users can build complex enterprise AI applications from a plain language prompt. Developers retain full access to code and granular controls. I led the innovation strategy and 0-to-1 redesign over a 6-month cycle, co-leading a multidisciplinary team across Design, Product, and Engineering. It was a large, complex project with many moving parts — I set the vision and shaped the core interaction models while collaborating closely with the team on execution.

My Role

  • -Designed the Prompt-First interaction model — letting non-technical users describe what they want and get a working app
  • -Defined a three-mode workspace (Preview, Code, Configure) so users could verify the app visually without losing access to low-level controls
  • -Set the North Star vision, ran design sprints with the team, and secured VP buy-in for the shift to Chat-First
  • -Led design reviews with the VP of Product

The Problem

The existing platform required users to understand the full database architecture before seeing any value — a model that created blank canvas paralysis. Non-technical users hit a wall immediately, and even technical users needed weeks of onboarding. Basic tasks that business users could describe in a sentence required high-code engineering support to execute.

What I Learned from Users

01

Business analysts could articulate exactly what they needed but had no path to build it without engineering support

02

Users who tried the existing tools gave up within the first hour — the starting point assumed too much

03

The most successful deployments always started from a clear natural language description of the use case

04

Data configuration was the biggest source of project delays, not model building or UI

The Approach

We started from scratch — no assumptions carried over from the old model. I researched the emerging generation of prompt-driven tools (Cursor, v0, Manus, Antigravity) to understand where interaction patterns were heading. From there, I ran a series of design sprint worksessions with the team to define core principles and goals. My PM counterpart and I then iterated through mid-fi prototypes, debating and deciding on the core interaction model together. The process was collaborative and fast — prototype, review, debate, refine.

Key Design Decisions

Intent capture through natural language

The home screen starts with a single prompt: describe what you want to build. The system interprets the user's natural language input and generates a structured plan. This was a deliberate choice to meet users where they are. Instead of asking them to fill out forms or choose from templates, we let them express their intent in their own words. The AI then translates that into a concrete application specification that the user can review and adjust.

Genesis Home1 Start

Genesis Home2 Capture Intent

Genesis Home3 Form Plan

Transparent app creation with live preview

Once the user approves the plan, the system generates the application. Instead of a loading spinner, I designed a creation sequence that shows what the system is building in real time. The user sees the app take shape and can preview it before any data is connected. This built trust and gave users a chance to course-correct early rather than discovering problems after a lengthy build process.

Genesis App Creation

Genesis App Preview

Guided data hydration in three clear steps

Data configuration was the biggest pain point in the old workflow. I broke it into three explicit steps: add your data source, configure the processing pipelines, and define the data model. Each step has sensible defaults and clear explanations of what each setting does. The system suggests configurations based on the data it discovers, so users are reviewing and approving rather than building from scratch. This turned a multi-week task into something achievable in an afternoon.

Genesis App Hydrate Data1 Add Source

Genesis App Hydrate Data2 Configure Pipelines

Genesis App Hydrate Data3 Configure Data Model

Simplified deployment with environment selection

Deploying an enterprise application typically involves DevOps teams and staging environments. We designed a deployment flow that abstracts that complexity — users select their target environment, step through the deployment, and get clear status feedback at each stage. The goal was to make something that had always required engineering handoff feel manageable for the person who built the app.

Genesis App Deploy1 Select

Genesis App Deploy2 Deploying

Genesis App Deploy3 Deployed

Built-in monitoring and sharing

After deployment, users need to know their application is working and be able to share it with stakeholders. I added a monitoring view that surfaces key health metrics and usage data without requiring users to set up separate analytics. A sharing flow lets users generate access links with configurable permissions, making it easy to get the right people using the application quickly.

Genesis App Monitor

Genesis App Share

Impact

  • -Enabled non-technical users to build and deploy enterprise AI applications for the first time on C3
  • -Dramatically reduced time from idea to deployed application
  • -Adopted by several major enterprise customers — including Fortune 500 and Forbes-recognized companies — within the first quarter of launch
  • -Demoed at Davos as a flagship example of enterprise AI innovation
  • -Selected to headline C3 AI's upcoming Transform conference
  • -Featured in C3 AI's annual product keynote as a flagship capability
  • -Eliminated the need for dedicated developer support during initial app creation

What I Would Do Next

  • -Add real-time collaboration so multiple stakeholders can shape an application together
  • -Build a template marketplace where customers can share and fork successful application configurations
  • -Integrate deeper monitoring with automated AI-driven alerts and optimization suggestions