Dispatch

The Challenge

Ideas don’t wait for convenient moments. They arrive while driving, walking, showering—moments when typing isn’t an option. Standard voice memos create another inbox to process. I wanted instant transcription that captured thoughts as text, ready for action.

The Constraint

• Existing solutions inadequate: Voice memo apps required manual transcription review. Transcription services had latency. Nothing combined instant capture with clean output.
• Mobile-first requirement: Had to work seamlessly while in motion.
• Solo build: No team, limited time outside day job.

The Approach

Built a focused mobile app:

• Voice recording with instant transcription
• Clean text output ready for copy/paste or export
• Minimal UI optimized for quick capture
• Cloud sync for access across devices

Tech Stack:

• React Native for cross-platform mobile
• Whisper API for transcription
• Simple cloud backend for sync

The Outcome

A working tool I use daily. Not a commercial product—a personal utility that solved my specific problem.

What Worked:

• Near-instant transcription (sub-5 second processing)
• Clean, usable text output
• Minimal friction capture workflow

Lessons Learned:

• First “real” app I shipped end-to-end
• Proved I could take a concept to functional product
• Established patterns I’ve reused in subsequent projects

What This Proves

Dispatch wasn’t about building a startup. It was about proving to myself that I could ship software that solves real problems.

The skills developed here—React Native, API integration, mobile UX design—became foundation for everything that followed. More importantly, it broke the mental barrier of “I’m not a developer, so I can’t build apps.”

You don’t need permission to build tools you need. You just need to start.