Entrepreneurial Projects
Below are 11 entrepreneurial projects I worked on since 2014. Not all of them were launched to the public, but I learned a lot from each of them.
HACKHIVE
March 1, 2018
HackHive is an invite-only portfolio site for developers that allows them to showcase their projects, connect with other builders, and gain work opportunities. I worked on growing the user base and establishing partnerships.
BARBERME
November 1, 2017
BarberMe makes the haircut experience simple for barbers and their customers. Core features include a subscription model haircut, a virtual waiting list, and automated communication. I designed the app and interviewed barbers. Launch is imminent.
FUTURE UNIVERSITY
June 25, 2017
Future University provides curriculum to older kids and young adults about the opportunities of the future. The tagline “You’ve studied history, how about future?” speaks to its approach to future like a class. The idea is to understand how objectively analyze trends and data to understand what the world can likely look like five-ten years from now. Future University has a heavy technology bias since technology has been moving at such a rapid pace.
WEDESYN
October 1, 2016
I designed, built, and launched WeDesyn as part of Spooler. This was my fifth mobile app. WeDesyn allows communities to design their own clothing in a forum where they can upvote and downvote ideas. WeDesyn was launched to my old high school. They used the product to design their class shirts.
HDLV
July 1, 2016
Provided product strategy consulting services for this e-Commerce clothing store. Projects included competitive analysis, webpage redesign, and SEO strategy. I also devised Timeless, a designer platform that allows the company to scalably add designs to its store.
SWAYBRAND
July 1, 2016
I built this iOS app with a Disney iOS engineer, alongside a few other engineers within the influencer marketplace startup. During this project, I learned about design patterns, how to appeal to clients, and how to built a production-ready app from the get-go. I also provided feedback on the design. This project certainly has made me a better entrepreneur.
CATNIP
March 1, 2016
Oversaw marketing strategy as my co-founder built this incredibly fun mobile app. Catnip provides funny cat videos that people can swipe through. Swiping right means you like, Swiping left means no thanks. All right-swipes are saved to be viewed at your pleasure. I created a hilarious cat video as part of this project. Tap here to view The Catnip Trailer (shoutout to Honest Trailers for inspiration here).
TIME CAPSULE
February 1, 2016
Was the developer of TimeCapsule as part of a 3-person team. TimeCapsule allows people to send videos to other people in the future. Those who receive the video see a countdown to when they can open the video. After conducting several beta test, we couldn’t find a market that had a large enough need for the product.
*The screenshot to the left is based on a crude design before the app was developed.
BIRTHDAYBOOST
August 1, 2015
BirthdayBoost allows people to easily create mashup birthday videos with multiple contributors. See screenshot on the right for a screen of someone creating a mashup.
MISSIONPOSSIBLE
June 1, 2015
MissionPossible takes Facebook likes and interests, along with your input goals, and allows you to match with like-minded nearby individuals. I designed, built, and launched MissionPossible. Although able to cultivate a few matches, MissionPossible failed to get the critical mass in one area it needed for it to be useful.
COMPASS
April 1, 2015
This is the very first mobile app I ever designed, built, and launched. Don’t judge.
To build Compass, I conducted interviews with career coaches and their customers, learned how to code mobile apps, designed, built, and launched the app myself. The app even included a Newsfeed and Find Friends algorithm. I learned how to build apps using AppCoda, YouTube, Udemy courses, and Stack Overflow.
The most glaring issue with the app was design, since people didn’t know what to do. But looking back, there were all kinds of issues. My assumptions were flawed about how to grow the product, my algorithms were slow, and the code app wasn’t very scalable. While the entire project was humbling, it also opened my eyes to the possibilities in app development.