Problem. Check-ins are a solved problem and a boring one; a pin with a timestamp tells you nothing in two years. What people actually want is the memory attached to the place, and control over who gets to see it.
Approach. A React Native app built around the map rather than a feed. You tap anywhere on the live map or search a place, write what happened, attach photos from library or camera, and tag it: life event, food, music. Then you choose the audience: public, family, or just friends. Supabase handles auth, storage and real-time sync, which meant no backend to babysit for a product still finding its shape.
The design constraint that mattered: the whole flow, from opening the app to publishing, is three steps. Anything that added a fourth got cut.
Outcome. Shipped and live on the App Store.