TINTYPE Is Redefining Creative Collaboration
Sep 12, 2024
David Brennan MBA
When we talk about SaaS, we usually default to CRM, sales automation, or dev tools. But what happens when you apply that same energy to creative teams? Teams managing massive files, high-end design workflows, and all the friction that comes with creative collaboration?
That’s exactly what Daniella Uche-Oji, founder of TINTYPE, is setting out to solve — and she’s doing it with a unique blend of design experience, technical creativity, and relentless self-education.
Key Takeaways
TINTYPE is tackling the workflow pain of creative teams managing large design assets
The product is built for seamless file collaboration — no heavy downloads required
Daniella is combining cloud-first infrastructure with plug-ins to open files directly in your design tools
Her journey as a solopreneur is reshaping how we think about “computer art” in the SaaS world
Education, not just product, is central to unlocking this market
Building in the Overlooked Corners of SaaS
Daniella’s story starts not in Silicon Valley, but in a collision of two passions: art and computers.
After graduating from SCAD and working on a labor-intensive creative project — one that involved hand-drawing 300 characters — she realized just how broken collaborative workflows were for creative teams.
“If you’ve ever worked in Blender or Photoshop, you know how big the files get. One project can blow up to 2GB fast. Multiply that across a team? It’s chaos.”
The problem wasn’t just creative tools. It was how teams collaborated across those tools. Emailing files, saving endless versions, dealing with long render times — it didn’t scale.
So Daniella started sketching out a better way.
What TINTYPE Does (and Why It’s Different)
At its core, TINTYPE is project management and asset sharing for creative teams — without the heavyweight downloads.
Picture this: You upload your file once, click a plug-in from inside your favorite tool (like Blender or Photoshop), make your changes, and it automatically saves back to TINTYPE as the latest version.
“You shouldn’t have to download massive files just to collaborate. We’re creating a fluid layer that sits between creative tools and teams.”
Creative teams can start projects, assign tasks, drop in massive files — and never worry about version control or file size again. The platform is especially tuned for industries like animation, interior design, video production, and architecture.
From NFT Burnout to Founder Breakthrough
The original spark for TINTYPE came from a failed NFT project — one that left Daniella burned out after illustrating hundreds of characters by hand. But instead of walking away, she decided to solve the problem she had experienced firsthand.
“I never wanted to be in a situation again where I had to carry a creative project alone. That’s where TINTYPE came from — giving teams a better way to work together.”
And when she couldn’t find investment in the early days, she didn’t stop. She turned to education, community-building, and storytelling.
“If I said I was building a payment portal, I probably would’ve raised money already. But creative tech? People don’t get it — yet.”
Now, Daniella is using talks, events, and partnerships (including ones with teams at Zapier and LinkedIn) to drive the conversation around computer art — and why it deserves real infrastructure.
Reframing Computer Art as Infrastructure
One of the most compelling parts of Daniella’s story is her focus on redefining “computer art” as more than just design.
“Code built the internet. But computer art should shape it, too. Why can’t design be infrastructure?”
TINTYPE isn’t just a product — it’s part of a bigger conversation Daniella’s trying to lead. A conversation about how creative professionals deserve tools that treat their workflows with the same seriousness as engineering or product teams.
And honestly? She’s right.
What's Next for TINTYPE
The MVP drops soon. And from there, Daniella’s focused on two things:
Getting TINTYPE into the hands of real creative teams
Continuing to spark a larger conversation around the value of design-first infrastructure
“Just like electric cars weren’t obvious at first — I want people to look at TINTYPE and say, ‘Oh yeah, this makes sense now.’”
Support the Mission — and Explore What's Possible
If you’re part of a creative team drowning in giant files, messy handoffs, or disjointed workflows — TINTYPE might be exactly what you need.
Book a Free AI Assessment if you're building in a creative or niche industry and want help identifying where AI can streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, or reduce complexity. We’ll help you map the opportunities and deliver a strategic roadmap tailored to your product and team.
