Designli

Designli positions itself as a reliable product team for non-technical founders who have been burned by past development shops. Founded in 2013 and based in Greenville, South Carolina, the agency has grown to 50-249 employees and built a strong reputation for delivering custom software with full-time, dedicated teams. Their tagline, "Building apps is hard... when you're distracted," captures their core promise: you get a team that works exclusively on your project, not one that splits attention across multiple clients.

The agency's process is methodical and founder-friendly. They start with a UX/UI design phase that produces a clickable simulation of the app interface and a development-ready backlog with each feature defined and estimated. This output is useful for fundraising, internal buy-in, and market validation. Once development begins, a cross-functional team of designers, engineers, and product thinkers is assigned full-time to the project. This structure mimics an in-house product department, giving clients a sense of ownership and control without the overhead of hiring.

Designli's portfolio includes several notable success stories. Behind the Knife, a surgical education app, was built over 12 months with a $670,500 budget, replacing an outdated WordPress site with a robust platform handling podcasts, audiobooks, and ebooks. AskIris, a healthcare inventory management app, was developed for $221,025 and runs on Android, iPhone, Apple Watch, and Zebra devices. Virtuosity, an educational app for character development, cost $471,980 and now sells to government entities and universities in Canada. These examples show the agency can handle complex, multi-platform projects in regulated industries.

Pricing starts at $10,000 per project, with typical engagements lasting 1-3 months for initial phases and longer for full development. The agency works with small, mid, and enterprise businesses, and focuses on clients in the US and Canada. Their services cover the full stack: web development, mobile app development, UX/UI design, product design, and website maintenance. They also offer a "Designli Engine" service, which appears to be an AI-powered approach to accelerate development for SaaS founders.

Designli is best suited for non-technical founders and SaaS companies that need a dependable, long-term development partner. The agency's model of full-time dedicated teams is ideal for projects that require sustained focus and iterative delivery. Their strong UX design process also makes them a good fit for founders who need a polished prototype for fundraising or stakeholder buy-in. However, the $10,000 minimum budget means very early-stage startups with limited funding may need to look elsewhere.

Overall, Designli delivers on its promise of transparency, speed, and quality. Client reviews consistently highlight the team's professionalism, responsiveness, and genuine investment in the project's success. The agency's ability to adapt as products evolve -- from MVP to feature-rich platforms -- makes it a solid choice for founders who want a partner, not just a vendor. If you have a clear vision and a budget that starts at five figures, Designli is worth a serious look.