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Glidde Media
Inspiration
I was inspired to build Glidde for three deeply personal reasons.
First, my wife. At the end of last year, we did our annual reviews; sharing what we could improve and what went well. I knew I wanted to build something for her, but I wasn't clear on the approach until now.
Second, my sisters. They often reach out to share their challenges, and I noticed a pattern: most of their struggles could be overcome with small, consistent micro-actions. They weren't lacking ambition, they were stuck in the gap between dreaming and doing.
Third, my own entrepreneurial journey. I've been researching business ideas with the goal of building a one-founder unicorn in the next 3-5 years. When I stumbled on Shipyard and discovered this hackathon, I saw a massive market opportunity: ambitious women who need a bridge between inspiration and action. Gabby's brief resonated immediately; this is exactly what my wife, my sisters, and millions of women like them need.
What it does
Glidde helps ambitious women close the gap between dreaming and doing through daily "Confidence Reps", personalized micro-challenges that turn "someday" into today.
Here's how it works:
Onboarding: Users select their identity (Solo Traveler, Six-Figure Earner, Career Leaper, etc.), identify what's keeping them stuck (fear, uncertainty, timing), and choose their commitment style (daily, weekly, or own pace).
Daily Reps: Every morning, users receive one tailored micro-challenge (2-30 minutes) designed to move them toward their goals. These aren't generic tasks, they're specific, bold actions matched to their identity and blockers.
Proof Stack: Every completed rep goes into their visual archive, evidence that they're not just dreaming anymore, they're doing. Users track emotions, add notes, and see their transformation over time.
Momentum Tracking: Instead of guilt-based streaks, Glidde uses a compassionate momentum system with grace periods. Miss a day? Your momentum pauses, not resets. This builds sustainable habits, not anxiety.
Identity Milestones: Users unlock badges as they complete reps (10, 25, 50, 100, 200), celebrating their evolution from "dreaming about it" to "becoming her."
Custom Goals: Users can add personal goals (e.g., "Book solo trip to Japan"), and Glidde suggests 3 relevant challenges per goal to achieve them.
Glidde is built on a premium model with a $9.99/month or $99.99/year subscription plan. It's designed specifically for women aged 25-45 who are tired of waiting for permission to live their dream lives.
How we built it
I vibecoded Glidde end-to-end over the past week. I've been vibecoding for roughly a year, primarily web apps, but this is my first full mobile app.
Tech Stack:
Frontend: React Native (Expo), started with Rork for rapid prototyping, then switched to Antigravity after exhausting Rork credits
Backend: Supabase (PostgreSQL database, auth)
Subscriptions: RevenueCat (first time integrating Apple In-App Purchase)
AI/Logic: OpenAI's models for challenge suggestion logic and custom goal recommendations
Design: Got inspiration from Mobbin, used Lovable and Figma for initial prototype ideas
Product Strategy: Claude as my co-product manager, helped with PRD development, user flows, challenge content, and strategic decisions
Build Process:
Studied Gabby's brief and her content (@packslight) to understand her voice and audience
Created a comprehensive PRD with Claude covering onboarding, paywall, core features, and database schema
Built the frontend UI flow (onboarding → paywall → Today tab → Proof Stack → Identity milestones)
Implemented backend logic for challenge assignment (identity-based, blocker-aware, difficulty rotation)
Integrated RevenueCat for subscription management
Implemented momentum tracking system (grace periods, soft resets)
Added custom goals with AI-powered challenge suggestions
Extensive bug fixing and flow testing
Challenges we ran into
Routing Issues: The biggest technical challenge was routing bugs where some screens redirected incorrectly. For example, pro users completing a rep were being redirected back to the paywall, a duplicated flow from the onboarding sequence. This required careful debugging of navigation state and conditional routing logic.
Flow Duplication: Some user flows were duplicated across different entry points (onboarding vs. daily use), causing confusion and unexpected behavior. I had to refactor the navigation to ensure clean separation between first-time onboarding and recurring daily flows.
RevenueCat Integration: This was my first time integrating Apple In-App Purchase. I'm more experienced with web apps using Stripe or other gateways. Learning RevenueCat's SDK, testing subscription flows, and handling edge cases (restore purchases) had a learning curve.
Time Constraints: Building a production-ready app with onboarding, paywall, backend logic, database, subscriptions, and content in one week was intense. I had to ruthlessly prioritize features and cut scope multiple times.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Shipped Before Deadline: Despite the challenges, I got Glidde live and functional before the hackathon deadline. It's not just a prototype... it's a real app with working subscriptions, backend logic, and meaningful UX.
Bug Fixes: I spotted and fixed dozens of bugs during testing. The app is stable, flows work correctly, and the user experience is smooth.
Real User Validation: My wife is already using Glidde daily. Seeing her complete reps, build momentum, and genuinely engage with the Proof Stack validated that this solves a real problem.
Production-Ready Infrastructure: I didn't cut corners. The backend uses proper database schema, the subscription system is fully integrated with RevenueCat, and the challenge assignment logic is smart (identity-based, blocker-aware, and difficulty progression).
Comprehensive PRD: I created a detailed Product Requirements Document covering onboarding, paywall strategy, challenge database, momentum logic, badge systems, and technical implementation, all aligned with Gabby's voice and audience.
First Mobile App: This is my first fully vibecoded mobile app. I've built web apps before, but shipping a React Native app with Apple In-App Purchase integration in one week is a milestone for me.
What we learned
Philosophical: Sometimes you need to step back and rethink your logic instead of staying active and introducing more bugs. I learned that pausing, mapping out the flow on paper, and rewriting clean code is faster than debugging messy iterations.
Technical: I learned how to integrate RevenueCat and Apple In-App Purchase from scratch. This was entirely new territory for me (I'm used to Stripe on web), and now I'm confident building subscription-based mobile apps.
Product: I learned how to balance feature scope vs. time. I originally wanted to include community features, social sharing, and voice-spoken reps, but I had to prioritize the core loop (onboarding → daily rep → momentum → proof stack) to ship on time.
AI Collaboration: Claude was an incredible co-product manager. I learned how to use AI not just for code generation, but for strategic thinking; PRD development, user psychology, content creation, and decision-making. This felt like pair programming at the product level.
User-Centric Design: Studying Gabby's content and her audience taught me to design for emotional resonance, not just functionality. Every word in the app (from "Confidence Reps" to "Proof Stack" to "Why not you?") is intentional and speaks to her community's mindset.
What's next for Glidde
Short-Term (Next 3 Months):
Continue refining the app based on user feedback
Fix any remaining bugs and optimize performance
Launch on App Store publicly (currently in TestFlight)
Medium-Term (6-12 Months):
In-App Community: A space for users to share wins, celebrate each other, and build accountability
Social Sharing: Branded templates for sharing wins on Instagram Stories (e.g., "I just unlocked Flight Booker on Glidde")
Glidde Wrap: Year-end summary showing total reps, momentum milestones, identities unlocked, and transformation journey
Voice-Spoken Reps: Audio challenges narrated in Gabby's style for users who prefer listening over reading (may require partnership).
Explore Section: Curated content, resources, and opportunities for users (e.g., travel deals for Solo Travelers, salary negotiation guides for Six-Figure Earners)
Long-Term (1-2 Years):
Partnership with Gabby Beckford: If we win the hackathon, I'd love to collaborate on co-branded content, exclusive challenges, and community events
Revenue Goal: Reach $100K ARR by end of 2026 through organic growth and creator partnerships
Expand Identities: Add more identity options based on user demand (e.g., Entrepreneur, Fitness Transformer, Creative)
AI Personalization: Use machine learning to adapt challenge difficulty and timing based on user behavior
Corporate Wellness: Explore B2B opportunities (e.g., Glidde for employee development programs)
Ultimate Vision: Build a one-founder unicorn by creating the go-to transformation platform for ambitious women worldwide. Glidde isn't just a habit tracker; it's the bridge between inspiration and action, between dreaming and doing. And I believe this market is massive, underserved, and ready for a product that truly gets them.
Let's see who they become!
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