The Network — v1 (2022)
Coffee-themed prototype. The first attempt before the 2026 rebuild.
Flutter · Dart · Firebase Auth · Firestore
An early experiment in a social network that wasn't trying to be one. Login via Google or anonymous, heart people you'd want to see again, set a favorite coffee, control who sees what via permissions. Soft-launched to Google Play in August 2022 then went quiet — the idea kept evolving until it came back as the 2026 rebuild.
v1 was scoped down to the smallest interesting kernel:
- Sign in with Google, or anonymously
- See everyone on The Network who's made a profile
- Heart someone to make a connection
- Set a nickname and a favorite coffee
- Per-field permissions: who can see what
Built with Flutter + Firebase. The Slack community (#the-network-users) ran alongside as feedback channel. v1 taught me that "social network" was the wrong frame — what people wanted was a contact app that didn't lie to them. That insight became The Network (2026 rebuild).