LLMs vs. Design Models: Complementary Roles

In this episode, Honey Mittal, CEO and co-founder of Locofy.ai, explores one of the most exciting transformations in software development: the convergence of design and engineering through AI-powered automation.

Honey shares the fascinating journey of building Locofy, a tool that converts Figma designs into production-ready front-end code. But this isn’t just another AI hype story. It’s a deep dive into why Large Language Models (LLMs) fundamentally can’t solve design-to-code problems, and why his team spent four years building specialized “Large Design Models” from scratch.

Key topics discussed:

• Why 60-70% of engineering time goes to front-end UI code (and how to automate it)
• The technical limitations of LLMs for visual design understanding
• How proper design structure is the key to successful code generation
• The emergence of “design engineers” who bridge design and development
• Lessons from pivoting from consumer to enterprise SaaS
• Building global developer tools from Southeast Asia
• The real challenges of building deep tech startups in Southeast Asia
• Career advice for staying relevant in the AI era

Whether you’re a front-end engineer tired of translating design pixel-by-pixel, a designer curious about coding, or a technical leader evaluating AI development tools, this episode offers practical insights into the future of software development.

Timestamps:

• (00:00:00) Trailer & Intro
• (00:02:13) Career Turning Points
• (00:05:28) Transition from Developers to Product Management
• (00:09:53) The Key Product Lessons from Working at Major Startups
• (00:14:12) Learnings from Locofy Product Pivot Journey
• (00:19:36) An Introduction to Locofy
• (00:22:40) The Story Behind The “Locofy” Name
• (00:23:27) How Locofy Generates Pixel Perfect & Accurate Codex
• (00:28:01) Why Locofy Pivoted to Focus on Enterprises
• (00:29:39) The Locofy’s Code Generation Process
• (00:32:13) Why Locofy Built Its Own Large Design Model
• (00:39:25) Locofy Integration with Existing Development Tools
• (00:42:44) LLM Strengths and Weaknesses
• (00:48:47) Other Challenges Building Locofy
• (00:50:59) The Future of Design & Engineering
• (00:58:35) The Future of AI-Assisted Development Tools
• (01:02:53) There is No AI Moat
• (01:04:37) The Potential of SEA Talents Solving Global Problems
• (01:08:14) The Challenges of Building Dev Tools in SEA
• (01:10:39) The Challenges of Being a Fully Remote Company in SEA
• (01:14:36) Locofy Traction and ARR
• (01:18:09) 3 Tech Lead Wisdom

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Honey Mittal’s Bio
Honey Mittal is the CEO and co-founder of Locofy.ai, a platform that automates front-end development by converting designs into production-ready code. Originally an engineer who built some of the first mobile apps in Singapore, Honey transitioned into product leadership after realizing his natural strength lay in identifying high-impact problems. He set a goal to become a CPO by 30 and achieved it, leading product transformations at major Southeast Asian scale-ups like Wego, FinAccel, and Homage.

Driven by a decade of experience and the “grunt work” he and his co-founder faced, he started Locofy to solve the costly friction between design and engineering. Honey is passionate about the future of AI in development, the rise of the “Design Engineer”, and proving that globally competitive, deep-tech companies can be built from Southeast Asia.

Follow Honey:

• LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/honeymittal
• Twitter – x.com/HoneyMittal07
• Website – locofy.ai

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