https://www.kennethmak.com Software engineer and builder from Singapore, writing about products, mobile apps, and the systems behind them. en-us Sun, 30 Aug 2026 07:14:44 GMT https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/i-stopped-asking-users-to-sign-up https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/i-stopped-asking-users-to-sign-up Sun, 30 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT Most apps make you choose between signing in and signing up. I eventually changed my backend and authentication architecture so the front door became a single button, letting the server figure out whether you exist. Development Architecture Architecture Authentication Firebase Appwrite Flutter https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/i-wanted-a-google-knowledge-panel-for-the-wrong-reason https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/i-wanted-a-google-knowledge-panel-for-the-wrong-reason Sun, 30 Aug 2026 06:40:00 GMT I used to think getting a Google Knowledge Panel was a status symbol for an ambitious founder. When one finally appeared, I realized the panel was just a side effect of doing real work and leaving clean evidence. Reflections Building SEO Personal branding Google Shopmatey https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/i-kept-applying-to-accelerators-until-i-asked-a-better-question https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/i-kept-applying-to-accelerators-until-i-asked-a-better-question Sun, 30 Aug 2026 06:28:00 GMT I used to treat accelerator applications as an obvious habit for an ambitious builder. An interview with Antler Singapore in 2025 forced me to ask a different question: was I building the kind of company that actually needed venture capital? Building Reflections Startups Funding Antler Reflections https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/i-tried-making-instagram-dms-the-login-screen https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/i-tried-making-instagram-dms-the-login-screen Sun, 30 Aug 2026 06:10:00 GMT I built an Omni experiment where sending an Instagram DM bootstrapped a guest account and started conversational onboarding. Removing signup friction was easy. Losing control of conversation boundaries was the interesting part. Building Development Omni Instagram Product Architecture https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/why-i-gave-my-ai-companion-a-place-to-live https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/why-i-gave-my-ai-companion-a-place-to-live Sun, 30 Aug 2026 05:50:00 GMT AI Town made me realize an AI character did not have to exist only inside an empty chat window. That idea eventually led to Omni Companion: one companion, one living room, and a different way to think about presence. Building AI Omni AI Architecture Mobile https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/the-digital-clone-was-early-the-agent-wasnt https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/the-digital-clone-was-early-the-agent-wasnt Sun, 30 Aug 2026 04:50:00 GMT In 2024, everyone pitched a 'digital clone' that would do your chores. By 2026, the question isn't whether AI can act for you, but how much context, permission, and autonomy you actually want to hand over. Building AI Agents AI Workflows Product Architecture https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/why-i-moved-away-from-flutterflow https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/why-i-moved-away-from-flutterflow Sun, 30 Aug 2026 04:46:55 GMT I liked building Shopmatey with FlutterFlow. I moved away when owning the backend and keeping infrastructure costs predictable became more important than minimizing the first version. Mobile Development Flutter FlutterFlow Architecture https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/linkedin-leads-playbook https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/linkedin-leads-playbook Sun, 30 Aug 2026 04:36:22 GMT Most LinkedIn advice stops at attention. This is a look at what comes next: turning a useful post into permission, trust, and a real conversation. Building LinkedIn Automation Consulting https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/why-i-chose-flutterflow https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/why-i-chose-flutterflow Sun, 30 Aug 2026 03:13:24 GMT A retrospective on why FlutterFlow made sense when I was trying to get Shopmatey onto both platforms and still figuring out what the product should become. Mobile Development Flutter FlutterFlow Shopmatey Cross-platform https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/so-i-started-a-thing-then-another https://www.kennethmak.com/writing/so-i-started-a-thing-then-another Sat, 15 Nov 2025 06:58:07 GMT The story of my first startup, Shopmatey, the lessons learned, and how it led to what I'm building now with Omni. Building Reflections Shopmatey Omni Startups Building in public