Spot

Inspiration

During the pandemic, I worked as a concierge at a gym and saw people sit right next to each other, unaware they shared the same goals, interests, or job needs. I connected people manually — but realized there was no simple, real-time way for people to check in and see who’s around without leaving a permanent digital trail. This inspired me to build Spot: a QR-based protocol for ephemeral, real-time communication.

What It Does

Spot lets people instantly check in by scanning a QR code, see who’s nearby, chat, create group meetups, and disappear after 24 hours. No sign-ups, no profiles, no clutter — just real presence, privacy, and connection.

How We Built It

I built Spot solo, using Bolt AI to rapidly generate and test code. The tech stack includes:

• React for the front end
  
• Node.js with Express for the API
  
• Supabase for real-time database and auth
  
• Tailwind CSS for clean UI
  
• A TypeScript SDK for easy integration
  
• OpenAPI docs for clear endpoints
  
• Service workers for PWA support
  I also filed 3 provisional patents to protect the core QR-based ephemeral protocol.

Challenges

Building a protocol alone was tough — ensuring real-time connections, encryption, and privacy required careful design. Cold start was another hurdle: it’s useless without real people around. I learned that distribution and density are as important as code — and the next step is partnering with real venues.

What's Next

The plan is to deploy Spot in gyms, coworking spaces, and cafés — creating a privacy-first layer for spontaneous human connection anywhere people gather.

Built With

• bolt
• express.js
• node.js
• openapi
• react
• supabase
• tailwind-css
• typescript