Loops

Inspiration

We saw talented people creating all around us. We saw DJs performing at local gigs, filmmakers sharing short films, and actors fighting for auditions. Yet many of them were invisible to the opportunities right in front of them.

A talented DJ could not land a gig because no one knew he existed. A filmmaker could not find a local editor because there was no structured way to connect. We realized the problem was not a lack of talent — it was a lack of exposure.

Today, discovery is driven by global popularity and viral potential rather than local impact. Creators are rewarded for follower counts instead of proximity and skill.

That realization is what led to the creation of Loops.

What it does

In short, Loops connects creatives with collaborators and opportunities within their own cities.

Unlike LinkedIn, which caters to corporate professionals, and Instagram, which often rewards creators with existing followings, Loops connects creatives based on:

Location
Skill sets
Collaboration needs

For example:

DJs can look for venues and event organizers locally
Filmmakers can discover local actors, editors, and crew members
Actors can reach out to nearby directors
Writers can connect with production teams in their area

Users build professional profiles centered around their skills and work, browse relevant local opportunities, and directly reach out to collaborators nearby.

We are building a creative economy that runs on talent and geography — not luck and social following.

How we built it

We built Loops using modern web technologies that allowed us to move quickly and focus on fairness in creator discovery.

Frontend We built a responsive user interface using React. The platform is structured around reusable components such as:

User profiles
Portfolio cards
Discovery feeds
Authentication flows

This allowed us to iterate quickly during the hackathon.

Backend & Database We used Supabase for:

Database management (PostgreSQL)
User authentication
Media storage

Using Supabase allowed us to avoid building a backend from scratch and instead focus on features that directly improve creator connectivity.

Location Search We implemented location-based search functionality that allows users to find collaborators within a defined radius. This enables local-first discovery.

Fair Matching Loops does not rank users by followers or engagement metrics.

Instead, matching is based on:

Location
Skills
Collaboration intent

For example:

When a venue searches for a DJ, Loops surfaces DJs in the area.
When a filmmaker searches for an editor, Loops shows local editors with relevant skills.

We designed Loops so that discovery depends on intent and merit — not popularity.

Challenges we ran into

Learning Supabase during the hackathon took time since none of us had prior experience with it. We had to quickly understand authentication flows, database structure, and storage integration.

Implementing accurate and fast location-based search was another challenge. We needed to ensure radius filtering worked properly without slowing down performance.

Designing a fair discovery system was also harder than expected. We wanted to avoid recreating the same popularity-driven dynamics that already exist on other platforms.

We also faced the cold start problem: how do profiles feel valuable when users do not yet have connections?

Finally, building everything within 24–48 hours forced us to prioritize aggressively and decide which features to implement now versus later.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Within a single hackathon, we built a functional prototype that includes:

Creator profiles
Location-based search
Skill-based matching

We successfully designed a discovery system that breaks away from follower-based ranking.

We built a platform centered around real creator needs — local collaboration and meaningful exposure.

Even as a prototype, Loops demonstrates that local creative discovery is possible without relying on virality.

What we learned

We learned how to:

Use Supabase for database management and authentication
Implement location-based search for nearby creators
Write matching logic that prioritizes skill and distance instead of popularity

We discovered that fixing discovery is not just about better algorithms — it is about understanding why people want to connect in the first place.

Speaking with creators taught us that showcasing past work and collaboration history builds trust.

Supabase allowed us to move quickly by handling backend infrastructure so we could focus on product decisions.

Most importantly, we learned how to divide responsibilities effectively under pressure — splitting frontend, backend, and matching logic — to deliver a working product within 24–48 hours.

What's next for Loops

Next, we plan to build an opportunity board where venues, studios, and production companies can post paid roles.

We also plan to expand portfolio functionality so creators can showcase more detailed work samples.

Long term, we aim to:

Improve our matching engine with more advanced relevance logic
Introduce event-based discovery
Develop a “creative heat map” to visualize local creative activity

Our long-term vision is simple:

Loops becomes infrastructure for local creative economies — helping talented people build real careers in their own communities, on a platform designed specifically for them.