Tom Krcha, and Pencil.dev: The Future of Agentic Design
Tom Krcha is a seasoned designer and entrepreneur with a history of successful ventures, including co-founding Adobe XD and Alter avatars (acquired by Google for $100M in 2022) and serving as Head of Product at Around (acquired by Miro).1 Now, he’s focused on Pencil.dev, a startup aiming to revolutionize the design process through AI-powered tools. Pencil.dev has quickly gained traction, amassing over 200,000 users after its launch.2
Agentic Design Canvas: AI-Powered Design Assistance
Krcha describes Pencil.dev’s core offering as an “Agentic Design Canvas.”2 This essentially provides users with an AI designer capable of assisting with brainstorming, design creation, and task execution. The concept extends to the idea of an “Autonomous Design Agency,” leveraging AI agents to streamline the design workflow.2
The inspiration for Pencil.dev stemmed from Krcha’s experience creating user interfaces for the AI code creation tool, Cursor. He found himself repeatedly writing detailed descriptions for basic UI elements. “I kept feeling like I was writing text essays just to explain button placement, navigation bars, and sidebars. I was like, why can’t I just draw it and tell the AI to do it for me like this?” he explained.2
Rapid Growth and User Adoption
A video demonstration of Pencil.dev shared on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn went viral, garnering over a million views and driving significant user interest.2 Following a closed beta period with several hundred users, Pencil.dev launched publicly and quickly reached 100,000 registered users within two weeks, surpassing 200,000 users in less than two months.2
Pencil.dev integrates with popular code creation tools like Cursor, VSCode, Claude Code, and OpenAI Codex, enabling AI agents to generate code based on design proposals. Users can simply describe their desired outcome, and the automated systems handle the implementation.2
Pencil just crossed 100,000 users!
Today we are introducing SWARM mode.
A team of AI design agents working with you in parallel.Your autonomous design agency.
Download now. pic.twitter.com/w6t3GPu2KD— Tom Krcha (@tomkrcha) February 24, 2026
Beyond UI: Versatile Design Applications
According to Krcha, Pencil.dev facilitates rapid prototyping and refinement of design ideas. “A lot of people today go to ChatGPT or Claude to ask about options, where they secure a list of bullet points or searches. Imagine Pencil doing the same thing, just showing you those options visually.”2 Users are employing the tool for a variety of applications, including website and application design, presentation slides, marketing campaigns, technical documentation, and print materials.2
The outputs generated by Pencil.dev are designed to be iterative and adaptable, allowing users to refine and finalize designs. Krcha likens the process to delegating tasks to a colleague who provides a preliminary framework for further development.2
A16Z Speedrun and Future Investment
In 2025, Krcha and Pencil.dev participated in the A16Z Speedrun, a highly competitive startup accelerator run by Andreesen Horowitz. With an acceptance rate of 0.4 percent, it is more selective than Harvard or Stanford.2 The accelerator also invested in Pencil.dev, alongside the Czech fund Kaya VC, though the specific investment amount remains undisclosed.2
Krcha emphasizes the importance of building products that solve real problems and fostering a passionate team. “It’s hard to compete with people who are having fun. You have to have fun, then you are invincible.”2 He believes that the current technological landscape empowers individuals and modest teams to create impactful solutions with minimal barriers to entry.2
Looking ahead, the ten-person Pencil.dev team is focused on enhancing the quality and sophistication of its designs. “We’re investing a lot of time and iterating on it. The things it was generating two months ago, what it’s generating now and what it’s going to generate next month.”2 Krcha acknowledges the competitive landscape and the need to maintain momentum while remaining grounded. “Since this is my umpteenth project, I know that anyone can overtake us at any time. That hurts. That’s why modesty is critical.”2
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