I Found a Tool to Help Build My App on the Same Platform That Listed My App

I found a great tool to help build my app on the same platform that just listed my app. I didn't plan it that way. That's kind of the point.

Betabound

Betabound is a platform where small developers to large companies list their apps and products for beta testing, and everyday people sign up to try them. A few months ago I was browsing looking to see what's out there to try. I came across Clacky.ai, an AI development platform, and signed up to test it. I played with it, saw how powerful and capable it was, went from a free beta user to a paying customer, one thing led to another and I happened to build Slyce.app, a free group trip planning and expense splitting app, using Clacky as my development partner. Then I submitted Slyce to Betabound for its own beta listing. And Betabound said yes.

The Story Behind Slyce

The story of why I built Slyce is its own post, but the short version is 20+ years of organizing the same annual friend trip with duct-taped together tools. That frustration is what sent me looking for something better, which is what put me on Betabound that day.

When I submitted Slyce to Betabound to list I mentioned the full circle connection in my application. Betabound reached back out to say they loved the story. I asked if there was any room for it in the listing. There wasn't, the format only allows for a single line. But the whole team at Betabound thought it was cool.

So the story that didn't fit in one line became this post instead.

What I Don't Know

I don't know if Slyce will turn into anything. I'm a designer by trade, not an engineer, and building it is its own adventure. What I do know is that the tools available to solo builders right now are remarkable. I found one on a beta testing platform, built something with it, and that same platform listed what I built.

The interwebs are full of unique stories, and occasionally spins one for you.

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