What I’m learning as a first time founder (#3)
This was actually meant to come out in April but, as you can imagine, things have been mad busy between then and this post. So let me tell you what’s been happening.
The Build So Far
We’re halfway through the development of the app now. This first half was the front end development of the app and was split in two phases. The first was the UI/UX design of the screens, which is literally designing what the screens look like. The second part to this was applying code to the designs so that the app is both responsive and interactive when you are using it. This is done for both the iOS and Android platforms. We put this on Testflight, an environment which allows you to test your app and I have to say it’s looking good.
The second half was the admin panel. Think of this as the control centre of your app: you get to upload and manage content, look at user activity in the app and also view analytics. It informs what you do with the app and allows you to manage the app efficiently and effortlessly.
All that is left of the build is the backend development, which would make the app fully functional and make Chillingz realer than what it is right now. If you’re interested in testing the app when that is completed, give us a shout.
Getting the word out about Chillingz
Whilst that’s been happening on the development side, I’ve also been getting the word out there about Chillingz through our socials. Being consistent in posting content can be a bit difficult especially when:
a)you’ve got a lot going on in other areas of the app build
b) you’re self-sabotaging/delaying posting because you don’t know how well the content is going to perform
c)you’ve got so many ideas to the extent that you spend lots of time perfecting them but then this turns into procrastination
c) posting content is not something you usually do
One way I’ve been able to curb this is bulk content making and using a content calendar. That way, when I make the content and schedule it for the day I want to post , I don’t have to worry about spending time perfecting the specifics of the post. Once its published on the content calendar, I can move onto doing something else.
Speaking of our socials , you can follow us on all our platforms:
Instagram: chillingzworldwide
TikTok: chillingzworldwide
Being a Generalist as a Solo Founder
I’d describe myself as a jack of all trades, so I know a bit about everything that goes into an app build. A bit of technicals, business operations, design and marketing. However, I think having a technical co-founder would be really beneficial because whilst I can understand the bigger picture and communicate the vision, having someone deeply technical alongside you helps bridge the gap between the idea and the execution. It also means decisions can be made quicker and problems can be solved more efficiently as the product grows. So I’m actually open to having a technical co-founder (if that’s you, hit me up!)
Communication
It goes without saying that communication is really important in any project. In the case of Chillingz, the developers I’m working with are based abroad. The time difference can make scheduling meetings a bit tricky, but we make it work. They’re also very responsive when I send messages to check-in on the build.
The main thing I’ve realised is making sure everyone is on the same page. When I communicate the vision, I try to give examples of how I see things working (user flows and feature specifications) so it’s easier to translate the idea into something buildable. I also ask questions to check understanding and make sure we’re aligned.
The best working relationships are two-way. When the team asks questions or challenges parts of the vision, it usually means they’re actually engaging with the product. There have been times where I’ve had to repeat myself and thought, “have you been listening to what I’m saying?”. But that’s part of the process. Ultimately, repeating the vision and constant check-ins go a long way in building something like this.
Being a One-Man Band
When you’re a one-man band at the beginning of whatever project you are pursuing, you’re responsible for every single thing. Every.Single.Thing. From the marketing and promotion of it, the technical know-how and the operationality, you have to have oversight of everything. The reason why this can be difficult as well is because there may be some things you might like doing naturally and therefore find easier to do. For example, if you’re someone that is creative and like to put together abstract ideas, you may enjoy the marketing side. If you’re someone that loves strategy and business, the operational side may keep you ticking.
Whatever you love doing, you naturally lean towards doing that thing. However if you’re not careful, you will fall behind on other areas which also need attention. If you’re concentrating on on the technicals a lot, you may fall behind in outreach to potential clients and partners. If you’re busy planning on how you intend to scale your business, you may forget to actually market and promote it. The point is, you are going to have to give everything as much attention as possible and it has to be relatively equal. How you do that is entirely up to you. The way I’m currently working around this is using a timetable and Claude AI.
At the beginning of each week, or on the weekends, I tell Claude what I have done in the previous week and what I’m outstanding. I then ask Claude to create a timetable for me on the tasks I need to concentrate on for the week. It also gives me the estimated time each task would take to complete. The time indicator it gives me is really important as it gives a hint not only how long a task would take, but also how much effort it might need. You might feel like you can kill two birds with one stone in a day by doing 2 different tasks but one might need more concentration. So just stick to the schedule and watch your to-do list steadily get ticked-off.
The emotional rollercoaster
Turning a concept or idea into reality for me so far has been one of the biggest emotional rollercoasters. One day you think your idea is the best thing since sliced bread. Another day when things aren’t going the way you’ve planned and you’re falling behind on the things you need to do, you want to scrap the whole idea. The main thing you need to keep in mind, especially on the bad days, is why you started in the first place. For me, it was and is about two things. The first was about helping people find things to do no matter your personality. The second was the fact that I personally love turning an idea I’ve been pondering on into reality. This whole process of building Chillingz up until this point has made me both learn and confirm things about myself. One thing I’d definitely say to anyone is however big or small an idea you have, do your best to bring it to life. The experience of trying alone willl teach you a lot.
I’m actually going to do my best to follow up to this post as soon as I can. I can’t promise, but I will try. In the meantime though, do signup for updates to know when we launch Chillingz here.
If you’re in the travel or experiences space, or do want to be a part of what we’re building, do reach out.
