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GradeUp — Full Waitlist Funnel Built from Scratch
The project
Built a complete end-to-end waitlist funnel for a stealth college student platform launching June 2026. No existing brand, no audience, no funnel — just a brief and a blank page. Took it from zero to fully live in under a week.
The problem I was solving
Most early stage startups have interest but no system to capture it. People visit, get curious, and disappear. This funnel was built to stop that — turn interest into emails, and emails into launch-day users.
What I built
🖥️ Landing page in Lovable
High-converting waitlist page with Gen Z branding — bold black and yellow, chunky typography, mobile responsive. Hero section, lead magnet offer, social proof bar, and email capture. Built and live in under 2 days.
📄 8-page lead magnet PDF
"The Ultimate College Starter Checklist" — designed in Canva to match the brand. Covers essential apps, first week survival tips, study schedule template, science-backed study techniques, and insider college tips. Given free in exchange for an email signup.
📧 3-email nurture sequence in Brevo
Full automation built with triggers, delays, and exit logic:
→ Email 1 — instant delivery of the checklist + warm brand intro
→ Email 2 — high value study tip with zero pitch, pure trust building
→ Email 3 — full product reveal, waitlist exclusivity, drives replies
All written in a Gen Z consumer voice — short, punchy, zero corporate speak.
Results
→ 100% conversion rate on warm traffic
→ Full 3-email automation live and tracking open rates
→ Entire funnel shipped in under 1 week
Tools used
Lovable · Brevo · Canva · Claude AI
What I'd do next
A/B test the landing page headline to optimise for cold traffic. Add a referral mechanic — refer a friend, move up the waitlist — to drive organic signups. Layer in a fourth email 2 weeks before launch to re-engage the list.
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Over the years I've designed many mobile apps for clients.
This one is different. It's mine.
- Two weekends.
- Figma for the design (it's hand-made)
- Claude for the code, App Store research and strategy and everything related to the app submission.
- 1 rejection from Apple, sorted out in a few minutes this morning, resubmitted for review and we're now live.
It's nothing world changing - just a kitchen timer. But it's on the App Store and I built it as a designer with zero coding skills. Gotta wrap up a case study for this soon.
P.S. Feels a bit odd to have "Developer" label above my name 🤣
Cool stuff Ivo, congrats on the lunch 😃 . You probably got this request before haha, do you mind sharing more behind the scenes of this project? For example, did you start first in Claude then doing visual refinements in Figma or the other way around?
Thanks 🫡
Building on Zo isn't just work - it's pure fun. The flow is so addictive that I’m officially down the rabbit hole and I'm not coming out.
Build on Zo here: 👉 https://on.contra.com/QpQmPg
How are you actually structuring your AI workflow right now - are your tools connected, or are you still using them separately?
I’ve landed on a pretty simple system using just Claude + Flora.
Claude is where I develop the thinking - my existing brand direction, concepts, and refining prompts until they actually reflect the creative intent behind the project.
Flora is where that intent becomes visual. It’s a node-based canvas, so I can generate imagery, iterate variations, drop in mockups, and build full product scenes in one connected system.
I don’t see AI replacing design thinking. I see it speeding up execution while I stay fully in control of direction, taste, and decisions.
Curious to hear from you guys 🤔
📢 What does your AI workflow look like right now?
📢 What tools are you actually using day to day?
📢 And is there anything you think I should check out?
Would love to hear how others are building their systems.
this is wonderful, i love your lightning!
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