Umer Iqbal

Outside of work, I enjoy building products that improve everyday wellbeing.

Talk & Train icon
Talk & TrainLive · Built solo

An AI coach you talk to while you train, so working out feels less intimidating.

Plenty icon
PlentyLive · Built solo

A gentler food tracker, focused on eating enough.

Wicket icon
WicketLive · Built solo

A simple scorer for weekend pickup cricket.

Weave Community icon
Weave CommunitySunset · Built with a team

For staying close to the people who matter.

Campus Chemistry icon
Campus ChemistrySunset · Built with a team

Build lifelong connections on campus.

Check-in with Friends icon
Check-in with FriendsSunset · Built solo

A simple way for friends to check in on each other.

How I Think About Products

A few lessons from building and shipping products over the past few years.

Progress over perfection

A half-baked product in users’ hands is better than a perfect product that takes months to ship. Most of these apps went from idea to users in 1–2 weeks and continue to improve with feedback from real users.

Do one thing exceptionally well

One clear problem, solved exceptionally well, beats a product trying to do everything for everyone. Decide who you’re for, and more importantly, who you’re not for.

Deliver value fast

Every extra step is friction. Only ask for what’s needed now, and remove anything that slows users from reaching the core experience.

Meet users where they are

It’s easy to build a product. It’s hard to keep it simple. Watch how people actually use your product and be willing to cut anything that doesn’t serve what they’re trying to accomplish.