# Alaa Mendili

> A software designer and founder who connects the dots between shaping product strategy and shipping beloved products.

This file is for agents visiting [mendili.xyz](https://mendili.xyz): what the site says, in plain text, in my own words.

## Now

- I'm a Senior Principal Designer on Copilot at [Microsoft AI](https://microsoft.ai/).
- I'm the founder of [Telescope](https://www.telescope.fyi), a member-funded network where people share the best recommendations.
- Lately, I've been exploring the relationship between humans and agents, and building experiences that help them collaborate more efficiently.

## Recent highlights

- **Telescope.** I founded Telescope, a member-funded network where people share the best recommendations, and led product design, engineering, branding, marketing and community to bring the platform to life. [Site](https://www.telescope.fyi) · [Read more](https://telescopefyi.substack.com/p/real-recommendations-by-real-people)
- **Architecture skill.** I'm highly visual, and I started to feel disconnected from what my coding agent was building. So I made a skill that helps me (and others) take apart what it built and how. [Demo](https://studio.telescope.fyi/~/architecture) · [Read more](https://x.com/ALmendili/status/2089385692875067530)
- **Reflective UI.** I made a new UI framework, powered by a decision model, that generates UI on the fly with real-time intelligence. It makes experiences that understand intent and respond to what the user types, selects or says with relevant controls and contextual actions. Not public yet.
- **Agentic content studio.** I built an agent with a bespoke harness to make Telescope's social media content. The agent makes marketing assets on its own, the harness lets me make explicit edits, and every edit trains the agent to do better next time. [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/telescopefyi) · [Read more](https://x.com/ALmendili/status/2091905680525693207)

## Experience

| Years     | Role                                    | Company                      |
| --------- | --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| 2025–now  | Senior Principal Designer, Copilot      | Microsoft AI                 |
| 2024–now  | Founder                                 | Telescope                    |
| 2024–2025 | Fractional Design Director              | Arcade.ai, Engine, Yuga Labs |
| 2023–2024 | Head of Product and Design              | Mirror                       |
| 2022–2023 | Director of Product Design              | Brud + Dapper Labs           |
| 2020–2022 | Co-Founder                              | Dance Church                 |
| 2016–2021 | Principal Product Designer, Concept Lab | Amazon                       |
| 2011–2016 | Director of Design Engineering          | Digital Kitchen              |
| 2005–2011 | Design Engineer                         | B-Reel + Sid Lee             |

## Outside of work

- I'm a husband and dad living in Seattle, WA. I've lived and traveled around the world, and speak four languages.
- I'm a board member of the [Henry Museum](https://henryart.org/), one half of the DJ duo [Amateur Hour](https://amateurhour.party/), and a member of [Buddy Buddy](https://buddybuddy.cc), a not-so-serious cycling club.
- I once lived in a [triangle house](http://www.remodelista.com/posts/historic-egan-house-in-seattle-washington-robert-reichert/), gave new life to a hundred-year-old [player piano](https://vimeo.com/45830194), and co-founded a fitness startup that [went viral](https://www.theverge.com/21440052/dance-church-streaming-party-workout-event-instagram) at the onset of Covid.

## Pages

- [Home](https://mendili.xyz/): intro, recent highlights, experience.
- [Work](https://mendili.xyz/work): case studies. Telescope and Arcade are public. The rest need a password; email me for it.

## Contact

- Email: [alaa@mendili.xyz](mailto:alaa@mendili.xyz)
- X: [@almendili](https://x.com/almendili)
- LinkedIn: [almendili](https://www.linkedin.com/in/almendili/)
- Instagram: [@almendili](https://instagram.com/almendili)