#1 Introducing Drinklytics: the start of the project
Why Drinklytics?
I had been planning to learn more about mobile development for a while. I'm not a programmer, but I believe it's critical to cultivate skills that complement my profile.
I work with data and digital products; in summary I help define, monitor and optimize KPIs,
Knowing the tech context of a product helps me communicate better with colleagues in other departments and understand all the pieces that make up the puzzle of the product.
The primary reason for this project is personal growth.
Of course, this work is also about combining the useful with the enjoyable, creating a product that addresses a need. I started by identifying a problem in my everyday life.
I have a poor memory for tastes, so I often find myself drinking a beer, wine, or other beverage, and then failing to remember it later. Sometimes, I buy a new bottle only to be reminded by my wife that I’ve already had it and didn’t like it.
What better solution than to develop an app dedicated to tracking each drink? Since I enjoy working with data, I plan to include an analytics component in the app.
I’m excited to introduce Drinklytics, my new (future) app designed to help users remember and evaluate their beverages. It will not only track what you’ve tasted but also provide insights through its analytics features, making it easier to recall your favourites and avoid past disappointments.
As I’ve mentioned before, I don't want to delve deeply into the code. My goal is to understand the context of mobile development, to create a product, and to oversee it from conception to release and subsequent growth.
That’s why I will use Generative AI tools to support my journey and the Flutter framework to minimize coding time, allowing me to release the app for both Android and iOS from a single codebase.
Fast delivery
For each iteration, I aim to work on a few features, adding the most value with the least effort and releasing an MVP in the minimum time.
As a side project, I am the developer, PO, stakeholder, and so on, which could complicate the development journey due to a lack of external feedback.
Building in public could help me reach people interested in the app or, more generally, in the approach. I hope to receive feedback that will help define the roadmap.
What’s new
Since this is the first post, everything is new. However, I’ve already started working on the product, so I wanted to provide some development updates in addition to the details already shared:
- the app will be free of cost. I’ve set the current budget for development at $50.
- I’ve configured the local development environment and need to set up an online repository, such as on GitHub.
- I’ve created a Google Play Console account and paid the one-time fee of $25.
- I’ve purchased the domain for the future website and paid the annual fee of $15.
- Since Apple requires a yearly payment of $99, and that is far beyond my remaining budget, I am delaying the iOS release.
- I’ve started competitor analysis to define the core features (more in the next post).
- I’ve activated a donation channel to support the project via my Ko-fi page. If you like, consider supporting, even if only on trust for now.
See you soon and thank you for your time!
