Collaborated with a leading researcher on brain function to develop an innovative Android app prototype; the new application is set to revolutionize focus enhancement strategies and is currently in beta testing with 50 users.

Championed and developed a MVP Android app (100%) using Kotlin, Room Database, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) libraries, adhering to Material Design principles in material.io and UX design principles for mobile apps.

Final design of UI which came a long way. It required you to have the properietary hardware to work with the app to determine your mental state during the day. It alerts you when your mental acuity is low and works with you on what can be done to raise your productivity.

Reflections

It has been a while since I revisited this project. I refreshed what I know of Android development for this project, and ultimately went deep into UI mobile design (button size, and why, it has to be the size of your thumb minimally). I wrestled with the low energy bluetooth libs, which is a mess. I doubted myself as a developer during this process, because I was totally out of my comfort zone. With the exception of this being java, everything was new. They did not even know what functionality they needed - typical non-tech founder who really wanted everything. He is a dreamy academic and very much attached to his research.

All in all, a good experience. I was also offered a leadership role in the company moving forward but I decided to walk away from it because there was limited growth in the role - I was open to anything given it was my first foray into startups and had no expectations.

I loved designing the UI, I took it up because I believe the visuals will make the biggest impact when VCs look at a product. It was my first indicator that perhaps frontend doesn’t quite stoke my fire. ;) The work is satisfying and fulfilling but I used none of the knowledge I accumulated in my career and they did not come to bear in this scenario. I also didn’t see an opportunity to grow past developing a flushed out mobile app, which is a major issue for me. They already have the algorithms for analyzing the data, they just needed a way to show it at conferences. Product was delivered. I declined further equity offered as I did not see a technical path forward for me at the company.