- They say winning products need imagination, execution, and teamwork. They're not wrong, but those felt like buzzwords to me until I built OriJournal.
Back in 2012, I just wanted a better way to share stories. My grandparents raised me on journaling – not the 'Dear Diary' kind, but recording moments that shaped us. Turns out, that need to express ourselves, to pass something down, is hardwired into us.
But most journaling apps didn't get it. They were bland, or all about productivity. I wanted the feeling of a worn, leather-bound book, a sense that your words mattered. So, OriJournal started with a crazy restriction: invite-only. I know, terrible marketing strategy, right? But I needed it to feel exclusive, almost sacred.
That first week… crickets. Then my cousin invited a few friends, suddenly I had downloads. It wasn't meteoric – 100, 1000… but then it hit 100,000. No ads, just people needing a place where their stories felt special.
2. See the Need, Then Make Them Feel It
People don't always know what they want, but they feel the lack of it. We live in a world of 'good enough' products. It took me failing with my first two app ideas to realize that. Showing people what they didn't know they were missing – that's what makes them buy-in.
3. Teams Win, But the Right Teams
To much leadership advice is toxic positivity. The reality? Building a product is messy. I've seen brilliant teams fail because the person in charge couldn't handle their ego. One mind, no matter how smart, can't create what a group aligned towards a shared vision can. Leaders, owning their weaknesses and letting the team fill the gaps – that's when the magic happens.