pannisy

/pan-nih-see/ noun

product designer who shapes AI behavior,
not just the interface around it.

INFORMAL : ex-game-design teacher, ex-violist, and recently a painter.

ORIGIN : B.S. Symbolic Systems (HCI) + M.S. Computer Science (AI) @Stanford

HABITAT : @Rilla, Series B AI startup

Rick Copilot suggesting a coaching comment beside a call transcript, shown on a laptop screen.

RILLA · MODEL BEHAVIOR · CASE STUDY · 2026

Rick Copilot & Autopilot

Managers did not have time to coach every rep, so I designed an AI system that turns the strongest moments in a call into useful feedback: first with a one-tap suggestion (Copilot), then autonomously (Autopilot). ~70% of coaching comments sent on Rilla were AI-written.

A 365-day streak milestone screen: the Rilla gorilla in a tuxedo raising a glass, with a commit button.

The Gold League leaderboard with promotion and demotion zones.

RILLA · GAME SYSTEMS · CASE STUDY · 2025

The Game Layer

Sales teams already have their own competitions, so I built the game layer into their work: streaks, leagues, and XP. The system doubled daily manager retention from ~20 to 40% and brought consistent weekend engagement for the first time.

RILLA · ONBOARDING · CASE STUDY · 2025

Self-Serve Onboarding

New managers needed a live call to learn the core habit: comment, finish a ride-along, clear the daily inbox. I turned onboarding into a guided game that teaches it in context. D1 retention rose from 5% to 40%, saving ~3 hours/week per CSM.

The welcome modal of Rilla onboarding, with the gorilla mascot and an I am ready to onboard button, over the dimmed product.

CISCO · CONVERSATIONAL AI · INTERNSHIP · 2023

Cisco AI Assistant

I explored one of five directions for Cisco's first AI experience: a context-aware assistant that works with whatever is on screen, gathers the relevant data, and helps people act without having to explain the context first.