Launching BeaconFound: A Journey from Idea to Reality
I’m excited to announce the launch of BeaconFound, a new solution for lost item recovery that I’ve been working on. This project represents a significant milestone in my journey as a developer and entrepreneur, combining technical innovation with real-world problem-solving.
The Genesis of BeaconFound
The idea for BeaconFound has been brewing for about 1.5 years. Like many good ideas, it came from a personal experience - the frustration of losing items and the realization that there wasn’t a simple, effective way to connect lost items with their owners. I built an initial proof of concept back then, but it wasn’t until recently that I had the opportunity to fully realize this vision.
The Development Journey
The development of BeaconFound coincided with my parental leave, which provided the perfect opportunity to dive deep into the project. During this time, I also wanted to explore and get familiar with modern AI coding tools, specifically Lovable and Cursor. These tools proved to be game-changers in the development process.
I’ll admit, I was initially skeptical about AI coding tools. Like many developers, I wondered if they could truly understand the nuances of building a production-ready application. However, I came away thoroughly impressed with their capabilities. These tools provided an incredible jump-start to the development process, helping with everything from boilerplate code to complex logic implementation.
That said, it’s important to note that while AI tools are powerful accelerators, they’re not magic wands. Building BeaconFound still required significant work, careful planning, and deep understanding of the technical requirements. The AI tools were more like having a highly skilled pair programmer - they could help with the heavy lifting, but the vision, architecture decisions, and final polish still needed human oversight.
The Technology Behind BeaconFound
For those interested in the technical details of how BeaconFound works, I’ve written a more in-depth post on our blog. There, I share the origins of the project, technical challenges we faced, and the solutions we implemented.
Looking Forward
As BeaconFound moves from development to operation, I’m entering a new phase of learning. Running a business involves much more than just building a great product. I’m particularly focused on:
- Marketing and customer acquisition strategies
- SEO optimization to help people find our service
- Understanding user behavior and needs
- Building a sustainable business model
This next phase is both exciting and challenging. While I’m comfortable with the technical aspects of the project, I’m looking forward to learning more about the business side of things. It’s a different kind of challenge, but one that I’m eager to tackle.
Join the Journey
If you’re interested in following along with BeaconFound’s journey, you can:
- Visit our website
- Read our blog for technical deep-dives and updates
- Try out the service if you’ve lost something or found an item
I’m grateful for the support and feedback from the community as we continue to grow and improve BeaconFound. Here’s to making the world a little less frustrating, one found item at a time!