Overview
Cue is a social app that introduces you to new people nearby. It connects you to people within roughly 150 feet of your current location who share tags you type into the app. These tags can be interests such as hiking or cooking, or any word you want.
Cue was conceived during Startup Semester at BDW by Adam Noffsinger, Tory Rebhun and myself. In April 2014, the concept won second place in the CU New Venture Challenge Mobile Track. That next month, it was announced to the public at BDW’s RE:VEAL event on May 1st, 2014. After several iterations of research, design and prototyping, Cue is currently in development and is expected to launch by the end of 2014.
Role
My primary role at Cue is Technical Director. I handle all feasibility research and coding. Because of its reliance on Bluetooth Low Energy, a relatively new technology, Cue required a great deal of research and prototyping of Bluetooth functionality. In the process of building several prototypes that leveraged both Bluetooth Central and Peripheral functionality, I created the first and only Phonegap plugin that manages Bluetooth Peripherals for iOS. I have made it available as an open-source project on Github.
As a small startup team, I am also involved on a daily basis in user experience design, business development and branding for the app.
Process
My favorite aspect of building a startup is having control over work process and the flexibility to change it when it's not working. As a small startup team, Cue collaborates, iterates and ideates often. Each team member is responsible for a specific area — I am tech lead — but all team members contribute to all areas of the product. For example, though I am not in charge of user experience, I contributed the original concept for the app and continue to sketch UIs, design user flows, conduct user interviews and advocate for user’s needs. Because our team was all trained in the same skillsets (UX, visual design, front end code) during semester one at BDW, we can assist any team member with any task.
Responsibilities
- Client and server-side development: HTML, CSS and JavaScript
- Phonegap Plugin development: Objective-C, XML and JavaScript
- Technology feasibility research
- UI sketching
- User flows
- Technical and design prototyping
- Company vision: messaging, business model and adoption strategy
- Managed all company finances
- Developed user research method
- User interviews
Technologies
- iOS
- Phonegap/Cordova
- Backbone.js
- Parse.com
- Bluetooth LE Phonegap Plugin
- BLE Peripheral Manager Phonegap Plugin
- Flinto
Outcome
Cue is constantly evolving and we are still building the beta version of the app, but we’ve managed to create a strong foundation for the company in the following areas:
- adoption strategy
- business strategy
- app development (in progress)
- UI Design
History
For BDW’s Startup Semester, our team was chosen by faculty to work together to build a startup. We assessed the strengths of our team and began looking at industries and verticals that fit our experience and interests.
Cue began as a retail app leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy technology to create a more personalized shopping experience for consumers. Though the idea was a strong one, two months in we discovered an even greater opportunity to leverage Bluetooth Low Energy technology. We pivoted to focus the app on meeting new people nearby who share interests.
Today, Cue is developing at a steady pace and is scheduled to launch by the end of 2014.
Team
- Adam Noffsinger, Design Lead
- Tory Rebhun, UX Lead
- Nick Stevens, Tech Lead