[ RESEARCH & STRATEGY ]

Case Studies

In-depth product teardowns applying CIRCLES, PRD writing, UX research, and competitive analysis: the frameworks that drive real product decisions.

ShippedAatram/2026/6 min read

Start Starting

Shipped V1 to the App Store in 7 days from first commit with a 3-person founding team on a SwiftUI, SwiftData, WidgetKit, and FamilyControls stack. 25-user closed beta and 16 archetype-segmented interviews (anxious avoider, overwhelmed planner, avoidance-loop, burnt-out performer) validated the V1 cut and sourced V2. Killed Plan Mode, shipped Study Rooms and Crew for social accountability, and specced an on-device nudge engine on Apple Foundation Models. Owned UI/UX, logo, visual identity, and aatram.com end-to-end.

0-to-1iOSApple Foundation ModelsBrand & DesignSocial Accountability

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7 daysFirst commit → App Store · 5.0 launch rating

TeardownCursor (Anysphere)/2026/9 min read

The $29B Fork

How four MIT students forked VS Code, grew with almost no traditional marketing, and built what may be the fastest-growing SaaS product ever, while every model provider simultaneously funds them and competes with them.

Product TeardownSaaSAI CodingCompetitive AnalysisUnit Economics

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$2BAnnualized Revenue

Case StudyDuolingo/2026/10 min read

Breaking the B1 Wall

52 million daily users. $1 billion in revenue. A learning ceiling nobody's fixing. A product strategy using the CIRCLES framework and PRD to address Duolingo's intermediate plateau.

CIRCLESPRDUX ResearchRICE ScoringWireframes

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52.7MDaily Active Users

Case StudyFigma/2026/8 min read

Rebuilding Trust After UI3

How a major redesign and AI data-sharing controversy tested trust with Figma's power users, and a PM framework for earning it back through progressive migration and transparent AI.

Trust RecoveryCIRCLESPRDRICE ScoringWireframes

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$1.06BFY2025 Revenue

Case StudyApple/2026/10 min read

When Glass Cracked

How Apple's most ambitious redesign since iOS 7 broke accessibility for millions, and what a better path forward looks like. A UX case study analyzing WCAG failures, heuristic violations, and solution design.

UX ResearchAccessibilityWCAG 2.2Heuristic EvaluationRICE

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1.5:1Contrast Measured

TeardownNotion/2026/12 min read

Notion's $600M Paradox

How AI Agents Could Solve the Onboarding Problem That Templates Never Fixed. After interviewing 10 Notion users and analyzing 10,000+ reviews, one pattern dominated: the flexibility that makes Notion powerful makes it overwhelming.

AARRR FunnelUser InterviewsRICE ScoringWireframesARR Modeling

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~$600MEst. ARR

Case StudyRivian/2026/7 min read

Rivian's Broken Handshake

How phone key failure rates as high as 70% threaten a $5.8B joint venture, and a PM framework for rebuilding trust through feedback, state communication, and failure recovery improvements.

CIRCLESPRDRICE ScoringUX WireframesBLE/UWB

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Up to 70%Failure Rate

TeardownPerplexity AI/2026/7 min read

The $20 Billion Subscription Gamble

Perplexity built the fastest-growing AI subscription business, then silently gutted its Pro plan, swapped premium models for cheaper ones, and pushed users toward a 10× more expensive tier.

Product TeardownPricing StrategyAARRRCompetitive AnalysisTrust

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$20BValuation

Case StudySonos/2026/8 min read

When the Music Stopped

How Sonos shipped a major app rewrite that removed core features, broke accessibility, and cost the CEO his job. A PM framework for how the migration should have been managed.

CIRCLESPRDSafe MigrationAccessibilityRICE Scoring

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~$500MMarket Cap Lost

Case StudyTikTok Shop/2026/8 min read

Redesigning Trust in Social Commerce

Redesigning trust, discovery & purchase confidence in the world's fastest-growing social commerce platform. CIRCLES framework, wireframes, and a full PRD for a Trust Layer.

CIRCLESSocial CommercePRDWireframesTrust Design

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~$64BGMV 2025 Est.

TeardownSpotify/2026/7 min read

Listening Into Loyalty

How Spotify turned a music player into a growth machine. A teardown of Discover Weekly and Wrapped: the two features that drive retention and acquisition through algorithmic personalization and viral data storytelling.

Product TeardownGrowth LoopsRecommendation SystemsViral MechanicsRetention

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751MMonthly Active Users

/ CIRCLES Framework/ PRD Writing/ RICE Prioritization/ UX Research/ Competitive Analysis