Story

Why I started Merlo.

The problem I couldn't stop thinking about, and what I did about it.

Nov 2026 · 4 min read

Get the highlights.

The whole story in four moments. Swipe through.

01

The moment it clicked.

The day you noticed the problem.

02

The first ugly version.

What you built in the first weekend.

03

The first real user.

Who they were and what they said.

04

Where it is now.

And what's next.

Everyone said it was a small problem. I couldn't stop seeing it everywhere.

By the numbers.

Swap these for your real ones.

100
conversations with users
3
versions thrown away
1
problem worth solving

How it started

This is where the full story goes, in a narrow, easy-to-read column, the way Apple puts the details between its big visual moments.

Keep each section short. Let the big headlines, numbers and images do the heavy lifting, and use text to fill in the details.

What I got wrong

Honest stories work best. Say what failed, why, and what you changed.

What I learned.

Talk to users before writing code.

One line on why this mattered.

Ship ugly.

Speed beat polish.

Say no.

Focus is a feature.

The tool you build for yourself is often the product.

How my own CRM came about.

Want to talk about it?

I reply to every message.

Next story

100 cold calls.

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