Discovery
Demo Night occurs every few months in St. John’s and I wanted to attend it some day to see what cool stuff people build.
When I saw the Demo Night #3 post on LinkedIn, this was my sign. But I wanted to attend as a presenter. I had existing projects I could showcase. But then I thought, I could do more. I could go the extra mile and present something that connects more to the community around me while challenging me to make it in a short time.
That’s when Meridian came back to my mind.
Deciding What to Showcase
I’ve had this idea since 2021.
A transit app that provides convenience, real-time data, and lets you personalize your routes and daily commute.
But I procrastinated…for five years.
Back then I was a complete beginner. Now I had the skills and the tools so the timing felt right. This was my time to shine. The pressure of Demo Night gave me a deadline.
So I decided to finally build it 3 days before the event.
Old Idea to Finished Demo Project
I built the core features:
- Real-time bus tracking
- Saved locations
- Scheduled trips
- Daily recurring trips
- Live ETA notification features
An idea that lived in my head for half a decade finally became a working demo.
Storytelling During the Presentation
I didn’t want to present it the usual way.
Instead of explaining the app, I told a story and also added memes.
A story that can relate to the viewer.
Meet Da B’y.
First-year uni student. No Honda Civic. Just Metrobus.
He’s rushing to work. Has a date after. Needs Bus 15.
He checks Google Maps, no live data.
Checks the Metrobus site, feels ancient.
Zooming. Searching. Freezing in the NL cold.
Bus is late.
Misses his transfer.
Late to work again. Boss fires him.
Misses his return bus.
Misses his date.
Gets home. Mom yells.
ROCK BOTTOM.
Texts his bro.
Bro cheers him.
Da B’y LOCKS IN AND STARTS CLAUDE+OPENCLAW MAXXING.
Builds his own transit app.
Lives happily ever after with new convenience.
The room had a laugh throughout, but everyone also related to it. Because everyone who has used the transit system has been Da B’y at some point.
I then walked through the app and showcased a demo video I had recorded just an hour before the event.
What I Learned
Presenting Meridian at the event gave me more confidence. Shipping something I had procrastinated on for five years and showing it live felt good. It pushed me to ship and not just build.
I also want to be sharper with pacing, pauses, and clarity. Demo Night wasn’t just about the app. It was about becoming better at communicating ideas and being out there.
Sign Up
I’ll be shipping Meridian soon to App Store and Google Playstore.
If you rely on transit and want a cleaner, real-time, personalized experience, sign up for the waitlist.
https://meridian-transit.vercel.app/
Meridian is just getting started.
Big Thanks
Big thanks to Ethan Denny and CoLab for hosting such a wonderful event full of ideas worth sharing. Demo Night 3 was packed with builders actually building.
Also walked out with a CoLab merch bag and hoodie. Thank You!
Fin.
Disclaimer
Meridian is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Metrobus Transit.