hmu.world

hmu.world is a progressive web app that allows mobile users to connect faster IRL with personal QR codes for what matters to them. It was envisioned as a cross-platform alternative to Apple’s NameDrop feature for iOS with several user-requested improvements upon other existing solutions (e.g. BL.INK, Popl).

Process & Outcome

I built the app during season 4 of buildspace nights & weekends with a very lean process that emphasized speed and a tight feedback loop of guerrilla user research, sketching and real-time building, feature experimentation, testing, and iteration. I eventually tested a near-final version with several hundred users during a 3-day hackathon in San Francisco to round out the final feature set.

Today, I frequently use hmu.world as personal software when I find myself in environments where social connection or professional networking are relevant. This project was a real test of my independent end-to-end capabilities. I sought to identify a problem that real people had, build a toy to play with, solicit feedback, iterate rapidly in a cross-functional manner (design, full-stack development, research, marketing, etc.), launch, build an audience, ship updates, and continue iterating. I credit this project with preparing me to tackle newer and broader challenges and attack unstructured problems as a founder.