Padoq - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

No, my background was in business management and IT, however having that fundamental understanding of systems architecture has allowed us to piece together the necessary building blocks for the app. I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by far more talented application developers who have brought this vision to life.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

The sheer size and complexity of the app meant that designing it was a challenge. We have over 250 screen designs within the app and just mapping them into an 'InVision' click through deck was a procedure that took months - I am so happy with the results we have achieved though, and very excited to now get users on the app!

_{Mike Anderson}

Serial entrepreneur Mike Anderson’s first venture 'Jolly Goods' was sold in 2017. He then started award-winning digital agency 'Nothing But Epic', which now employs 10 staff and is on track to turn over £500,000 in 2018. His latest venture 'Padoq' is a networking platform for communities launched in May 2018, following a £400,000 fundraising round.

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

I really enjoy using 'Airbnb' for planning trips away - the variety of rooms and places to stay you can get has completely revolutionised the way I travel!

How long have you been working on this app?

The first line of code for 'Padoq' was written in July 2017 - It’s a big app with a lot of functionality, but we are very proud to now have it in a go-to market shell!

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

We felt that there was a particular difficulty for organisers managing their communities - they were using multiple apps to communicate, payments were always a pain and it was really difficult to align your group to a central message.

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

One of the key aspects of 'Padoq' is its stance on personal data. We believe that the past 10 years of the internet (and social media platforms in particular), have been dominated by the ‘grab data game’, a land grab of users' personal data for commercial gain by the online platforms they are using. At 'Padoq', we have no plans for monetising users' personal data, and want to create an application that finally puts users in control of the data they share.

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

The next few months are focused on improving the initial app experience - from onboarding to setting up payments. After that, we want to create more external web based views of data so that the application could touch more users. For example, I could create a vote on the 'Padoq' app, share it with friends in my 'WhatsApp' group so that they can all vote on the web page, but then to view the result they have to log in to the app.

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

If you are or you know a community organiser, or you are planning a holiday or trip, or simply want a more organised space for content that interests you, then please check out www.padoq.com. We are trying to change the social space for the better, with a privacy focused tool for organisers to better engage with their communities.