Creating an app from scratch because I’ve spent too much time doom scrolling
A doctor, a lawyer, a strategy consultant and a product designer (me) walk into a bar.
A doctor, a lawyer, a strategy consultant and a product designer (me) walk into a bar.
No punchline. Just four Google Calendars, three last-minute cancellations, and one increasingly unhinged group chat.
What started as a joke has quietly become my villain origin story.
Once a month — ideally — my high school girlfriends and I attempt the logistical miracle of seeing each other in real life. We want to catch up. We really do. But negotiating availability across four grown-woman schedules inside a Facebook Messenger thread feels less like friendship and more like an endurance sport. Messages pile up. Dates float by unanswered. Someone inevitably gets left out. Or worse — nothing happens at all.
…Surely it doesn’t have to be this hard?
We were promised that by our mid-20s we could have it all: fulfilling careers, great outfits, and a tight-knit group of women who show up for each other — preferably on time and without a spreadsheet. But somewhere between ambition and adulthood, organising a casual drink started to feel like planning a small conference.
So I’m building an app. (cue the evil laughing).
One that helps friends organise and schedule catch-ups - whether they’re locked in weeks ahead or thrown together on a Wednesday at 4:17pm. Something that removes the chaos without killing the spontaneity. Something that understands that yes, we’re busy - but we still want to belong.
For the last five years of my career, I’ve carried a quiet guilt that I should be doing more with my product design skills. I’ve watched from the sidelines as product design influencers document their app-building journeys - equal parts inspired and envious, until it hit me: I already do this every day. I just haven’t done it for myself. Not for something I deeply care about.
So this Substack is where I’ll document the highs, the lows, the “why did I think this was a good idea?” moments, and the small wins of building something from scratch.
Because if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that friendship shouldn’t be the hardest thing to organise. And if I already spend my days designing solutions to complex problems, maybe it’s time I finally applied that energy to my most simplest problems.
🔨 Let’s get this started…
Today’s environment
What i’m listening to -
What i’m watching - One battle after another
What i’m reading - Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar
and if you’ve made it this far, thank you (◕‿◕✿).