Campfire

Nomadic dating and community app focused on the journeys people take based on their crossed paths. With a focus suitability of nomadic styles, this is the app I want as a vanlifer myself.

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Testflight: Please use the latest build! Only edits are subtle refinements / bug fixes

Overview

Unique Focuses

  • No unlimited likes -- quality over quantity
  • Van-curious designation
  • An emphasis on Profiles: Sections on Rigs 🚐, Pets 🐾 and a personality through prompts
  • Route intersection visualizations and matching
  • Builders, dump stations, showers, recycling location sharing and tips from community
  • Community forums to keep engagement
  • Invited based, but you can apply to be vetted to join

Inspiration

I am a long-term van-lifer myself and feel the pain of dating while being nomadic. I took inspiration from how hinge brings higher quality likes by focusing on personality and limiting likes. I also brought in aspects from my favorite apps such as iOverlander to help bring the community more value, and closer together.

Despite the app being invite only, we should have a pathway for people to get vetted to join on their own accord, to grow the user-base, which is very important for the success of dating apps as per user feedback. So existing folk can vet profiles and accept them into the community.

What it does

It is a location, and journey based app -- matching people who share similar passions, and lifestyles that are suitable, who are on the way of where you're going. It also gives a way for those wanting to enter into nomadic lifestyles, but otherwise, have a hard time getting over the initial hump.

How we built it

Initial designs were done in Figma, taken into various tools, with a heavy reliance on AI assistance.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating RevenueCat for the first time and general app store woes were the main slowdown. Building the interface, and making product decisions was incredibly fun.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We were able to draw the path a user is taking on their current journey, and intersect that with those with their own paths. We think this is key for this app. Also, with the very short time period (starting on Feb 4th, while doing a Japan ski trip, I was able to get it together enough to get the idea across).

What we learned

Many dating app users still find incumbents to be the best (Facebook, Tinder) purely because of the dating pool, thus we included a pathway for non-invite users to be vetted in.

What's next for Campfire

I want to use this app as a way to also bring the community closer, help it grow, and make it stronger. With it's own marketplace, channels for people to help each other out, and finding services and goods, it can really help the community grow, and help each other out with even minute things such as finding spots.

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