Nikita Kissel

Product builder
Emotional intelligence meets systems thinking.

Thesis

The friction that matters most is the one users don't notice.
The need that matters most is the actualized one.
I build for both.

Priority is not time spent in the product.
It's a better life outside of it: attention reclaimed, a deep need met.
Anything this user doesn't need gets cut, even if it works.

Where my passions and experiments have led me so far.

Bump Web · iOS coming Skip small talk for an overlap that matters.

The decision

Talking about what's real and current matters more than topics you used to.

What it proves

People crave connection, and even more for it being real.
An easy opener into the meaningful, current part of a conversation.

Artifacts

Three Bump screens: joining the event, answering a voice question, and a match with topics worth exploring together
Heer Web Conflict resolution reimagined.

The decision

Separate people on the call, until each of them feels heard.

What it proves

Conflict can only be resolved when both sides feel heard.

Artifacts

Three Heer screens: talking privately with Heer, confirming what gets shared, and hearing what the other person shared
Horoscope Android A daily horoscope that feels familiar and quietly runs on psychology and local weather-vibe.

The decision

Keep the surface a horoscope — nothing to configure, no refresh, only swipes between yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Substitute grounded behavioral psychology for prediction, and let the day's weather set the emotional texture without ever naming it.

What it proves

Product taste is what gets cut, not what gets added.
Non-goals were locked before features.

Artifacts

PRD · tech spec · design spec · agent brief. Links coming.

Three Horoscope screens: onboarding with name, birth date and city, today's reading, and the reset sheet
Wellbeing App Live prototype Your wearable and phone data, turned into seven scores you can actually feel.

The decision

Reward consistency with price.
Every day you stay in your target ranges builds Resilience, and Resilience lowers what you pay.

What it proves

The business can win only when the user does.
Taking care of yourself pays you back twice: in how you feel and in what you pay.

Three Wellbeing App screens: today's seven scores, correcting the sleep score to how it feels, and a profile where Resilience lowers the subscription price
What I'm looking for

Product building is my focus.
I'm open to a range of roles, as long as there's research and real product or business impact.
Early-stage or human-centered teams are a bonus.

I work with directness and care, and I'm looking for a team that values the same.