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Hi 👋🏾 I'm Jade a Product Manager passionate about building meaningful products that support growth, spark reflection, and meet people where they are. My goal has never been just to ship features, but to craft experiences that feel intentional and thoughtfully consider the user at every stage of their journey.
How it Started
I started building Kanoa in the quiet moments between work, life, and everything else. It wasn’t about creating the next big journaling app it started with a personal frustration: I wanted to journal more, but most days I didn’t know what to say. Blank pages were overwhelming, and sometimes the hardest part of reflection was simply knowing where to begin.
A year ago, I couldn’t code a button or design a screen. But I had an idea I couldn’t shake. So I decided to figure it out. I spent late nights in long conversations with Claude about SwiftUI, explored interfaces with v0, taught myself Firebase from scratch, and sketched endless flows in Figma. I wrestled with Xcode previews that refused to work and bugs that didn’t make sense.
The Breakthrough
I built my first prototype using v0 and saw it run in Xcode Previews. Can I be honest? Things broke all the time. I’d get stuck for hours trying to fix something that worked the day before. At one point, I threw in the towel and told myself this just wasn’t for me.
Then I remembered why I started.
I wanted every part of Kanoa to be built with care, always guided by one question: how might this make someone feel?
Journaling should feel like you’re being heard. It should feel safe, warm, and conversational - like the daily check-ins you have with yourself.
First Glimpse: The Early Prototype
This was one of the very first working versions of Kanoa - rough around the edges, but a huge milestone. I was still figuring things out, wrestling with Anthropic integration,
and trying to get authentication to work.
Nothing came easy.
But then - for the first time - an AI-generated prompt appeared in the app.
It was a huge win… and a big moment.
I was building the wrong product.
The Wrong Product
The fun part about building something personal?
Realising you’ve been building the wrong thing and having the freedom to start again.
I originally set out to build a simple journaling app. Just something to help people reflect a little each day. But the more I used it, the more I noticed something interesting: I wasn’t journaling anymore. I was writing poems. That’s when it hit me: I wasn’t building a journaling app. I was creating a space for expression.
After a long creative slump, I’ve finally been writing poetry again - the raw, honest kind that exposes you… but somehow frees you too. It’s helped me find my voice again.
Re-Introducing....
Kanoa or Kavi? (eventually Kanoa)
A new kind of platform for writers - a place to share your words, whether it’s poetry, short stories, reflections, or whatever’s been sitting on your heart.
Think of it like Instagram, but for words. (Meta, please don’t come for me.) This app is more ambitious than what I originally set out to build. It’s more complex. More layered. But also more true. Because now it’s not just about building a product - it’s about reconnecting with the creative part of me I thought I’d lost. And I hope it can be that kind of space for others too.
Built. Uploaded. Vibes.
Kanoa officially made it to App Store Connect, bugs, glitches, and all. It might’ve been held together with duct tape and prayers, but hitting that “Upload” button made it real. From scribbles in my notes app to a working build on TestFlight... I’m actually doing this.
It was a HUGE win… and a HUGE moment.
You can download the latest build here: Download Kanoa
Some cool stats!
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