Capicua CEO Ismael Larrosa On Future-Proofing Ideas Into Successful Products

Why do so many promising startups stumble as they’re about to turn their great ideas into viable products?

Is it a lack of funding? Poor marketing? The reality is often much simpler yet greatly impactful: an imbalance between user experience (UX) and functionality.

Ismael Larrosa, CEO of Capicua, joined Website Planet to explain how a UX-centered approach is the key to transforming intuitive ideas into successful digital products.

It’s the exact approach responsible for Capicua’s successful track record of 325+ designed products from simple landing pages to entire software platforms, wich has been acknowledged by Clutch and the Financial Times, and got Capicua listed in the 2023 Inc 5,000.

Ismael Larrosa is the CEO of Capicua and a 10+ years expert in product development, serving from funded startups to publicly traded companies. Before Capicua he worked for international corporations and government agencies. He got the first Capicua’s retainer client in three weeks and has been in charge of creating and managing customer relationships since then.

What problems do you solve for your customers?

The main pain point that Capicua solves is future-proofing ideas into viable products. We do that by creating end-to-end digital products led by UI/UX Design and Product Development at the same level at every stage. Often, companies tend to prioritize functionality and end up launching products that, while serving their purpose, are unintuitive or complicated for their final users.

Our dedicated team works smoothly to ensure User Experience leads the way from scratch, with tailored User Discovery and Research to leverage the power of Software and Product Development in a way that users love. As a result, companies can guarantee all edges of their products work together for better experiences that can lead to higher engagement, loyalty, and revenue.

We combine design, technology, and business ingenuity to create world-class products that clients love and competitors aspire to.

Which types of companies benefit the most from your services?

A key strength of Capicua is that, due to our knowledge and experience, we’re able to work with a wide array of companies in several industries. We have several renowned projects in fields such as FinTech, EdTech, and Healthcare.

At all stages, our end-to-end team structure, our attention to detail, and our quick capability to adapt to dynamic circumstances are key tools for exploring tailored solutions for real-life problems. We carefully analyze all edges of a project to harness the correct experience while ensuring we’re not compromising either design or functionality.

We encourage two-way communication not only between our teams and clients, but also between the different hierarchies and disciplines within the company. This way we come up with fresh perspectives and ideas throughout the different stages of production to design.

What makes them eventually choose you over your competitors?

Our team’s confidence, experience, communication, and collaboration skills are definitely our best strengths. At all stages, we foster a great sense of ownership by encouraging all teammates to bring their Technology, Development, Design, and Management ideas to the table. Of course, this practice goes for our partners, too!

Besides that, we don’t rest ourselves in the status quo — we go beyond the expected by partnering with innovative ventures who believe in their boldest ideas and bring them forward. Whether building out new features or starting from zero, Design Sprints can be invaluable to development processes. We explore opportunities and discover what users want before making actual investments.

For that same reason, Capicua constantly invests in education and training for our team. As a result, we apply the right full-stack and UX-centered tools and skills for each project. Happy teams are the key to successful projects. We work hard to create positive environments for businesses, clients, and team members. If all parties are happy with their work, projects have a meaningful impact and inspiring quality, even under moon landing pressure!

Further, we take special care of Software Quality. We chose the ISO framework, certifying ourselves in ISO 9000-1 and ISO 27000-1. Meanwhile, we’re preparing for the ISO/IEC 3300X series, ISO/IEC 12207, and ISO/IEC 20000-1.

Capicua’s client scope spans diverse industries as broadcast and media, design, higher education, financial services, and food and beverages.

What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting their own tech business for the first time?

Nurture a blend of confidence and relentlessness tempered with disciplined execution. Confidence is your shield against the inevitable doubts and setbacks, empowering you to stay the course when the path gets rocky. Believe in your vision and your ability to make it a reality, even when others don’t see it the same way.

However, confidence must be paired with an undying passion for pushing through barriers, coupled with a disciplined approach to tackling tasks, setting milestones, and achieving goals.

The tech world is fast-paced and ever-evolving, so your ability to remain adaptable and learning from failures as quickly as possible is key. Discipline ensures that your relentless pursuit is focused, efficient, and effective, turning your vision into reality.

People will say you need money or connections to start a business, but we were able to make it happen from nothing.

Plans for the future?

We have started to integrate headless development alongside our full-stack approach to create custom front ends (increasingly popular especially in e-commerce). Our company’s tools are in constant evolution towards greater flexibility to help our clients reach new heights.