EssentialFlow

Where the flow of life meets technology. Automate your essential purchases, connect local markets to global platforms, and reclaim your time with elegant simplicity.

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Inspiration

My inspiration struck spontaneously while lounging on my sofa, reflecting on the tedious monthly ritual of buying my essential coffee. The process—creating a shopping list to activate or desactivate on my iPhone (Reminders app. Building a list to "switch", but bored and without sense list), driving to the supermarket, searching for the product, purchasing it, and returning home—felt like a time-consuming burden. In that moment, I envisioned automating this repetitive task. I searched for existing apps that could seamlessly integrate e-commerce, delivery, and subscriptions with the flexibility to activate or deactivate, but found nothing that fully met this need. This gap sparked the idea for EssentialFlow. Two weeks ago, on a Tuesday (coincidentally the submission deadline for this hackathon), I synthesized this concept from idle curiosity into a actionable vision. Living rurally in Pureo, Chiloé Island, Chile, I saw the potential to start in urban areas and eventually scale globally, liberating users from the hassle of manual shopping. This journey aligned perfectly with discovering Bolt.new and Grok, giving me the confidence to dive into coding despite freezing my university studies in sociocultural anthropology (just one year from a degree I no longer enjoy). EssentialFlow became my digital escape, a personal ecosystem to dedicate my time and passion to, moving away from academic and labor precarity in Chile. (I never before tried to make an app or developt something with codes (I wanted for a while, but this was my moment))

What it does

EssentialFlow is a web-based (also and important, a native mobile app soon) automation constructor that simplifies and automates the purchase of essential products. Users can select items (e.g., coffee, rice, medicines), set delivery frequencies (7 days, 15, 30 or custom days), and manage subscriptions with a single click in a switch—all from a minimalistic, premium interface. The app integrates with e-commerce catalogs, delivery services, and payment gateways to deliver products directly to users' doors, eliminating the need to create shopping lists, visit stores, or track orders. It offers a subscription model ($19.990 CLP/month) for Super EssencialFlow with unlimited automatizations and free delivery’s, a low $300 CLP commission per order to encourage frequent use, and plans to monetize anonymized data (complying with Chile’s Law 19.628). This solution saves time, enhances convenience, and targets busy individuals, families, and seniors, with potential to scale beyond Chile to global markets lacking such ecosystems.

How we built it

I built EssentialFlow primarily using Bolt.new, leveraging its intuitive platform to create a web application from scratch in just two weeks. Starting with no prior coding experience, I used Bolt.new’s prompts and conversational mode to generate and refine code, guided by Grok (xAI) for technical direction and Gemini for analyzing my codebase. The frontend features a dark, minimalistic design with React components, styled with Tailwind CSS for responsiveness. I integrated Supabase (project slug: qeasirszwsztnmmhjhcl) for authentication (email login/signup) and data management (e.g., automations, products), utilizing its REST API. For monetization, I configured RevenueCat (project ID: proj558b140b) to simulate a subscription flow, aligning with the "Make More Money" challenge. While full integrations with MercadoPago, PedidosYa, and Uber Eats are planned, I focused on a functional MVP showcasing the automation constructor, with Google Maps API already implemented for distance calculations. This rapid development reflects Bolt.new’s power to empower solo creators like me.

Challenges we ran into

The tight timeline of two weeks posed significant challenges. Transitioning from a mobile-first Expo app to a web-based Bolt.new project required a complete pivot, especially with only three days left before the hackathon deadline. Integrating multiple APIs (e.g., MercadoPago, DeliveryHero) proved complex due to limited time, forcing me to simulate payment and delivery flows. Supabase presented security issues (e.g., missing Row Level Security on public tables) and performance bottlenecks (e.g., unindexed queries), which I partially addressed with Grok’s assistance but couldn’t fully resolve. Additionally, my rural location and lack of a Mac for iOS builds (due to the $99 Apple Developer fee) limited testing, leading to failed Android builds in Expo. Balancing learning to code while designing a scalable solution was daunting, but Bolt.new’s support kept me on track.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I’m immensely proud of creating EssentialFlow as a solo developer in just two weeks, transforming a spontaneous idea into a functional web prototype. Achieving a premium, minimalistic UI that mirrors my vision (inspired by obreroizamero.com) is a testament to my growth. Successfully integrating Supabase for authentication and data, alongside RevenueCat for subscription simulation, showcases my ability to leverage cutting-edge tools. The automation constructor—allowing users to set up recurring deliveries with ease—is a unique achievement, with potential to scale globally, from Chile’s urban centers to worldwide markets. Most rewarding is escaping academic and labor precarity by building my own ecosystem, proving that passion and Bolt.new can turn ideas into reality, even without formal coding training.

What we learned

This journey taught me the fundamentals of programming, from React and Tailwind CSS to Supabase’s REST API, all accelerated by Bolt.new’s intuitive interface and Grok’s guidance. I learned to pivot from a mobile app to a web solution under pressure, highlighting the importance of adaptability. Navigating API integrations (e.g., Google Maps) and addressing Supabase security/performance issues deepened my technical understanding. I also gained insight into monetization strategies, balancing low commissions ($300 CLP) with subscription models ($5.000 CLP) and data insights, while ensuring compliance with Chile’s data privacy laws. Most valuably, I discovered the power of self-belief and community tools like Bolt.new, inspiring me to continue learning and scaling EssentialFlow with or without hackathon funding.

What's next for EssentialFlow

Next, I aim to fully integrate MercadoPago for subscription payments, alongside PedidosYa, Uber Eats, or DeliveryHero APIs for extensive catalogs and delivery logistics, creating a robust ecosystem. I’ll expand the product catalog to include national supermarkets (e.g., Jumbo, Líder), regional stores, and specialized retailers, ensuring a comprehensive automation experience for any seller (with catalog). Post-hackathon, I’ll resolve Supabase’s security and performance issues, launch a first functional mobile version with Expo (starting with Android, then iOS once I secure Apple Developer access), and scale from Chile’s urban areas (like Santiago) to other Latam countries and finally all global markets were this types of functions are not avaible in this simplicity type. Long-term, I envision adding travel automation (e.g., Uber, DiDi) and enhancing data monetization through anonymized insights, positioning EssentialFlow as a global leader in time-saving automation, driven by user growth and strategic partnerships. I believe in my app, and i'll be working an making integrations with potencial people (with the time), to upgrade and improve more and best in all types of detail into the app and the logistics automation rules.

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