Building an AI Faith Companion That People Can Trust

Building an AI Faith Companion That People Can Trust

Transforming digital experiences at the intersection of faith and AI

Transforming digital experiences at the intersection of faith and AI

Role

Role

Head of Product & Design

Head of Product & Design

Scope

Strategy, Design, Growth

Strategy, Design, Growth

Platform

Platform

Mobile App, Web

Mobile App, Web

Mobile App, Web

Impact

108,400+ Conversations

108,400+ Conversations

01 / OPPORTUNITY

01 / OPPORTUNITY

Building a relationship, not another Bible app.

As generative AI rapidly reshaped consumer expectations, we saw an opportunity to rethink digital faith experiences. As Head of Product & Design, I defined the product strategy and led the end-to-end experience, partnering with other founders and engineering to build an AI faith companion centered on memory, personalization, and long-term spiritual growth.

My role spanned product vision, user research and testing, AI interaction design, voice design, LLM training, metrics, and growth from concept through launch.

Business signal

Consumer expectations evolved. People increasingly expected AI to understand their context, remember past interactions, and provide personalized guidance.

User friction

Faith support was fragmented. People turned to different tools for different needs. There was no single experience that delivered personalized continuity across these moments into an ongoing spiritual journey.

Key Constraint

A Unique Adoption Challenge. Unlike most AI products, Isaiah entered a space where technology was met with caution. Establishing trust and demonstrating biblical integrity became foundational to the product experience.

02 / PROCESS

02 / PROCESS

Mission-first principles. Data validated experience. Believer focused.

We built an Alpha version of Isaiah using OpenAI's ChatGPT custom agents that allowed us to get the concept into people's hands quickly. Over 4-5 weeks, we surveyed Alpha testers and iterated constantly on the LLM instructions and voice experience.

This testing validated the desire for such a product as well as highlighted additional opportunities to scale the product vision.

Discovery

Alpha tested an OpenAI version, surveyed testers, defined product vision and success cirteria.

Alignment

Created principles that helped product, design, and engineering scope and launch.

Systems

Using OpenAI, ElvenLabs and deep LLM training built a scalable foundation across D2C and B2C.

Validation

Rapid prototype testing with Figma Make and Claude provided quick validation of core features and flows.

Alpha onboarding flow

The first pass focused on helping users understand the companion model, set intent, and reach value quickly without a polished visual system.

Alpha conversation surface

The rough interaction model made memory, tone, and prompt quality testable before investing in higher-fidelity navigation and production UI states.

04 / PRODUCT

Faithful guidance through natural conversation.

We launched a mobile-first AI faith companion on iOS and Android, enabling natural conversations through voice and text about faith, life, and everything in between.

Freemium users could chat with Isaiah, receive contextually relevant scripture powered by Bible APIs, bookmark verses, set reminders, and share conversations with friends and family.

Isaiah+ transformed the experience into a personalized companion with long-term memory, allowing the AI to remember explicit preferences and implicit behaviors so every conversation became more relevant over time.

05 / SCALABILITY

05 / SCALABILITY

Extending the front door of the church through AI.

To earn the trust of churches and faith communities, we designed Isaiah as a self-contained AI experience grounded in curated biblical knowledge rather than open web search. This gave churches confidence that conversations remained aligned with their theological values while providing a safe, consistent experience for members.

That foundation enabled us to expand beyond a consumer app into Isaiah Church—a platform where churches could create AI-powered conversation prompts, reinforce weekly sermons, and foster meaningful engagement throughout the week. Instead of discipleship ending on Sunday, churches gained a new way to extend their message, strengthen community, and support members through personalized conversations every day.

06 / IMPACT

Measurable human impact and business outcomes.

Isaiah delivered value for both users and the business by creating a more personalized, engaging faith experience. The product drove meaningful customer engagement while validating a scalable model for premium subscriptions and church partnerships.

108,400+

Total spiritual conversations started (12mo)

22,600+

Average daily conversations started (12 mo)

99.5%

Retention rate: paid users (12mo)

52%

Trial conversion rate

52%

Trial conversion rate

50%

Increase in engagement (4mo)

10,000+

Souls impacted by faith

What I would do different.

Through continued customer and industry research, I was able to observe the true power of the companion we built is Isaiah Church. I worked with pastors and spiritual leaders to understand Isaiah's place for outreach and communication.

This vision provides a unique community experience within the product ultimately extending the front door of the church through AI. I would double down here and deprioritize certain D2C feature enhancements.

Through continued customer and industry research, I was able to observe the true power of the companion we built is Isaiah Church. I worked with pastors and spiritual leaders to understand Isaiah's place for outreach and communication.

This vision provides a unique community experience within the product ultimately extending the front door of the church through AI. I would double down here and deprioritize certain D2C feature enhancements.

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Contact

Have a product story worth shaping?

Have a product story worth shaping?

Have a product story worth shaping?

I’m open to focused design leadership, product strategy, and case-study-worthy collaborations.

I’m open to focused design leadership, product strategy, and case-study-worthy collaborations.

Email Kyle

Prefer context first? Send a short note with the problem, team, and timeline.

Based in Chicago · Available for remote teams

Selected tools and partners

Kyle Chuises

Lead product designer crafting systems, services, and product stories.

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