Why now?

I've been a designer for many years and wanted to go beyond creating static screen designs and actually build something real, something tangible.

I don't have a great memory and had a scary dream where I lost my phone and couldn't remember anyone's number. I told others about this dream and quickly realised my concern was shared with almost everyone I spoke to. There seems to be a Before-iPhone and After-iPhone divide. Important numbers learned before the iPhone could be remembered but anything new, in the last 10-15 years, is much harder to remember.

So this really started as a 'could I learn a set of tech to solve this specific concern'. I wanted to see if I could tie a phone system to a database and an easy-to-use web settings panel. Could someone add a few phones on a website and hear those read back to them on a phone call? Yes. Yes they can, although the devil is in the detail, and protecting your information was of paramount importance.

I roped my son in as I quickly exceeded my level of understanding of database querying and security and together we built the various systems needed, and tied them together. It's been a lot of fun learning to code, moving away from static designs, and jumping straight into programming.

We kept talking to people about the idea and tweaking accordingly. Almost every TV show we watched had some situation that involved a lost phone, dead phone, or phone left behind. As the weeks progressed we've become even more convinced that this service is actually going to be a real-life safer for some. 

It doesn't matter how prepared we are, or how prepared we make our kids and loved ones, things go south every now and then. Getting stuck out with a dead phone is not unusual, being able to grab another phone, call Number Buddy and get access to someone who can come pick you up, could save you lots of money, angst, and energy. And as parents, knowing our kids have a get-out-of-jail-free card (not literally, Number Buddy can't provide legal support), brings peace of mind, especially when those kids are away at uni.

So what started as a funny little idea to grow and flex my coding skills has become something I'm really passionate about. We've priced the service in a way that ensures sustainability, so you know it'll be there when you do need it. We've said no to lots of tangential ideas in order to keep the service simple to use and simple to maintain.

And here's a little reward as you made it all the way down to here 🥰

- Pas