Notes from the Build of Piggier, Circle and Havoc
Building a social media platform from scratch is a long road. These notes are a look behind the scenes at how Piggier has come together so far, what has worked, and what I have changed my mind about along the way.
Where it started
The idea began while I was a university student. I kept noticing how much of my time online was spent in feeds that were not built for me, and how little of the value created by creators and communities stayed with them. I started sketching what a better set of platforms could look like, and that idea slowly became Piggier.
From one platform to a family
The first version was a single video platform. As it grew, it became clear that one app trying to do everything would repeat the same problems I wanted to fix. So the plan changed to a family of focused platforms under one login, made up of Circle, Connect, Ritual, Havoc and Relay.
Shipping Circle
Circle is where the video platform now lives. Getting it live meant working through the unglamorous parts of building a product, such as hosting, uploads that do not lose quality, sign in, moderation, a creator studio and an admin side for inviting creators. None of it is flashy, but all of it has to work before anyone can enjoy the platform.
Rethinking Havoc
Havoc went through several versions. Early ideas were fun on paper but did not land with people, so I removed them. The version that stuck is simple. Short clips from different sides of the same story, paired side by side. The biggest design decision was to let creators post freely and have Havoc link opposing clips automatically, instead of asking people to choose topics and sides themselves.
What I have learned so far
- Ship early and listen, because people will tell you quickly what does not work
- Remove features without regret when they are not helping
- Keep the experience simple even when the system behind it is complex
- Build the boring foundations properly, because everything else depends on them
What comes next
Circle and Havoc are live today. Connect, Ritual and Relay are next, along with mobile apps. I will keep writing these notes as the build continues, and if you would like to collaborate, invest or simply share feedback, you can reach me through the contact section on jatain.com.