Hey everyone I’m a Namibian developer (well, part-time developer, to be honest 😅). I mostly build apps and websites when I’m not doing other projects… and I just launched something I’m really excited about: “PickUp Namibia”. The idea came from something we all know too well here, people trying to get hikes at service stations or by the roadside. It’s part of everyday life in Namibia, but I thought… why not make it easier and safer? So I built an app where you can arrange hikes straight from your phone, from the comfort of your home. It’s already live on Google Play Store — you can search for PickUp Namibia and check it out. I’m also planning to publish it on the Apple App Store soon. Now, everything essential is working — registration, posting rides, matching drivers and passengers, etc. but the main challenge I’m working on is privacy and security. This will be my first draft, I’m expecting things will go wrong… but I will be ready to tackle the problems that will come up. If all goes well, we can charge 5%-12% admin fee for all the rides that takes place on the app… I believe this can be a great business since many people hike from one town to another on a daily basis. Users book seats that are available in a car, it’s not like Yango. In this app, you are allowed to make all your seats available for booking and then set departure time as well. Right now, people can sign up and optionally verify their profiles. Verified users get a checkmark, which helps others trust them more. I’m also looking at having drivers upload vehicle registration info and car details, so riders can see who they’re traveling with. Users can register with either their phone number or email, and since MTC already has biometric data linked to SIMs, it gives us a base layer of identity trust if needed. Still, I don’t want to make verification so strict that it scares people away… so I’m trying to find that balance between security and convenience. Would love your thoughts: What kind of verification would make you feel safe using an app like this? How strict is too strict when it comes to privacy during registration? Is 8% admin fee reasonable to charge for each transaction that takes place on our app? For context, this is actually my third app. My first app (launched back in 2018) has about 89,000 users now — mostly thanks to solid search engine optimization (SEO), which I’m doing again for “PickUp Namibia”. I focus a lot on SEO because, unlike social media ads that stop attracting clients when you stop paying, SEO keeps building traffic over time. For example, I’m writing blog posts that rank for terms like “private hikes in Namibia” so that people searching for rides on Google, they will find my blog, learn about the app, and download it. I’m currently averaging around 2,500 daily views across my blog posts, and if I can convert even 5–10% of those into app installs, I’m estimating around 4,500–5,500 downloads by mid-January just from organic search traffic. Anyway, I wanted to share this here to get some honest feedback — especially from developers, Namibian users, or anyone who’s built trust-based platforms before. I have gotten 170 users already on the new app, without any marketing or S.E.O. Also, if you’re a developer, designer, marketing guru or just someone with ideas and want to collaborate, you’re welcome to reach out to me. No money needed… just bring your expertise or passion. Would really appreciate your feedback or advice 🙌   submitted by   /u/sylvestersly79 [link]   [comments]