BJJ Training Journal — SaaS Product

Before the current AI wave, I built a SaaS product from scratch.

The BJJ Training Journal started as a personal frustration: there was no good digital tool for martial artists to track their training, log techniques, or see patterns in their progress. No direct competition existed. So I built one.

Over four years (2013–2017), I took the product through its complete lifecycle: user research with real practitioners, feature prioritization using story mapping and acceptance criteria, UX design from low-fidelity wireframes through final interfaces, a freemium monetization model, and coordinated development across web and iOS platforms. The product shipped with four integrated modules — a technique database, session tracker, performance analytics, and a system-builder tool that helped users map relationships between techniques.

I wasn't the developer writing the code. I was the product manager defining what to build, why, and for whom — then making sure it actually worked for the people using it. That distinction matters. It's the same lens I bring to AI: understanding the gap between what technology can do and what users actually need it to do.

This project is the earliest proof point that I've always been a builder — someone who identifies real problems, designs practical solutions, and ships them. That instinct doesn't change when the technology stack does.