Snapwear

Snapwear originated from experimentation with new image generation models spotted on Twitter that could overlay clothing items onto photos of people. The concept began as a Chrome extension that allowed users to select clothing items while shopping online and visualize how they would look wearing them.

While the initial prototype was interesting, I wasn't certain if it represented a significant business opportunity. After sharing the concept on Twitter, my friend Brian Mason, an expert in mobile app development, expressed enthusiasm for the idea. When we returned to Duke University, we decided to rapidly develop a mobile version as an MVP within approximately one week to test market viability.

We built the app using React Native and Expo for cross-platform functionality, Firebase and Firestore for the backend database, Superwall for payment processing, and integrated an image generation model API through Replicate for the virtual try-on functionality.

Despite some marketing efforts, the app didn't gain significant traction, and our initial excitement for the concept gradually waned, leading us to pause further development. The project served as a valuable learning experience in rapid prototyping and exploring market fit for innovative technologies.