Q1. What’s the current project your team is most excited about?
Alex: Right now, we’re developing a new AI-assisted brainstorming mode that helps users go from a single idea to a full mind map in seconds. It’s intuitive, but not invasive—designed to guide, not dominate.
We believe creativity thrives in structure, so this feature bridges inspiration and productivity. It’s especially helpful for students, consultants, or product managers who need to build clarity around chaotic information fast.
Q2. What impact will this work have on the business or users?
Alex: This feature helps solve the "blank canvas" problem. For many users, the hardest part of mind mapping is knowing where to start. Our AI mode will make it easier for users to structure ideas quickly, which increases engagement and long-term use.
For our business, it reflects a deeper mission: not just building tools for mind mapping, but guiding people through how they think. That distinction will help XMind grow from a product into a thinking ecosystem.
How do you approach collaboration when working on something new?
Alex: Collaboration is very cross-functional. We involve design, AI engineers, user researchers, and sometimes even users themselves during early prototyping.
In fact, we’ve been co-creating this feature with a test group of writers, strategists, and UX designers globally. Their real-world workflows help shape how our tools feel—not just how they function.
Q4. What challenges has the team overcome recently?
Alex: One challenge was ensuring that AI suggestions feel helpful but not controlling. Our users value creativity and autonomy, so we’ve built a lot of UX flexibility—users can adjust tone, intent, or structure of AI prompts without starting from scratch.
It’s also been a challenge to balance speed with accuracy. We had to optimize our backend to support fast rendering of complex maps without performance trade-offs on mobile or desktop.
This is the first time we’ve used AI to become a "thinking partner.
Q5. What makes this project different from others you’ve worked on?
Alex: This is the first time we’ve used AI to become a "thinking partner." Previously, XMind was a platform—you brought the ideas. Now, it’s also a co-creator, gently suggesting paths, connections, and structure.
That evolution feels big. It’s not just innovation for novelty’s sake—it’s innovation that respects user intent and enhances mental clarity.