The Entrepreneur Compass
align is an app that helps startups find the resources they need, whether that be mentors, incubation space, pitch events, or even cofounders.
Sort of a “Tinder for Startups”, align let people in the startup community create profiles and connect to each other.
Starting Up
Align was the first startup I ever worked on. As one half of the product team, I helped design and architect the app, and I worked on the front end and later devops for the company, as well as playing an active role in customer development.
We pivoted a few times, and built multiple versions of the product, throughout the year and a half I was at the company, all while trying to pitch and raise money.
Eventually we secured enough seed funding from pitch competitions to justify launching the app in a pilot in Philadelphia, targeting the university system.
Closing down
Unfortunately, despite more or less successfully bootstrapping the product, a series of life decisions caused the team to go their separate ways, moving to different parts of the world and taking up various gigs consulting or working at other startups.
Nonetheless, I probably learned the most I will ever learn in such a short time about, design, development, and marketing.
Working on this product laid the foundation for all the founder’s eventual careers, and I certainly don’t count myself as an exception.
