NameNest

Swipe right on the perfect baby name! NameNest: 10K+ multicultural names, Tinder-style discovery, real-time partner sync. Couples find names they both love. RevenueCat powers premium subscriptions.

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Inspiration

The idea for NameNest came from watching my friends struggle to agree on baby names. They'd text each other screenshots of name lists, lose track of their favorites, and argue about pronunciations. I thought - there has to be a better way! What if finding the perfect name could be as fun as swiping through dating profiles, but for two people to do together?

What it does

NameNest is like Tinder meets baby names, with a twist - it's built for couples. You can swipe through over 10,000 names from 30+ cultures, save your favorites, and instantly see which names both you and your partner love. No more endless spreadsheets or forgotten sticky notes. Just swipe right if you like a name, and when your partner does too, it's a match! The app includes: Browse Mode: Filter names by origin, meaning, length, and more Swipe Mode: Fun Tinder-style cards for quick decisions Partner Sync: Real-time collaboration - see matches instantly Rich Details: Learn meanings, origins, pronunciations, and cultural significance Smart Collections: Your favorites, your partner's picks, and your matches all organized

How we built it

I built NameNest using React Native with Expo for cross-platform development. The tech stack includes: Frontend: React Native, NativeWind (Tailwind for RN), Reanimated for smooth animations Backend: Supabase for authentication and real-time partner sync Database: SQLite for offline name storage (10,000+ names work without internet!) Monetization: RevenueCat SDK for subscription management State Management: Zustand for clean, simple state handling The trickiest part was making partner sync feel magical. I used Supabase's real-time subscriptions so when you swipe right on "Emma," your partner's phone lights up instantly if they liked it too. It's those little moments of joy that make the app special.

Challenges we ran into

RevenueCat Integration: Getting the paywall to show at just the right time was harder than expected. Too early and users bounce, too late and they don't convert. I ended up with a smart flow - let users explore a bit first, then present the value proposition. Partner Sync Edge Cases: What happens if someone's offline? What if they disconnect? I had to handle dozens of edge cases to make sure favorites never get lost and matches always sync properly when reconnecting. Name Database Accuracy: I started with a messy dataset of 5,000 names. Many had wrong origins or meanings. I wrote custom scripts to verify each name against multiple sources, eventually expanding to 10,000+ verified names across 30 cultures. This took weeks but was worth it for quality. App Store Approval: Apple rejected my first submission because I showed the paywall too aggressively. Had to redesign the onboarding to show value first, paywall second. Lesson learned!

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Shipped to App Store: Version 1.0.2 is live and getting real users! 100% Name Accuracy: Every single name is verified for correct origin and meaning Butter-smooth animations: The swipe cards feel as good as any dating app Real couples using it: Already have friends who found their baby's name through NameNest

What we learned

Monetization is hard: Finding the right balance between free and paid features took multiple iterations UX beats features: A simple swipe is worth a thousand filters Real-time sync is magical: When it works, users love it. When it fails, they really notice Cultural sensitivity matters: Names carry deep meaning - had to be extra careful with origins and descriptions

What's next for NameNest

AI name suggestions: Train a model on your swipe patterns to suggest names you'll love Family voting: Let grandparents join the fun (read-only mode!) Name stories: Add user-submitted stories about why they chose their baby's name Push notifications: "Your partner just swiped right on Oliver!"

The dream is to become the app expecting parents open first when thinking about names. Every baby deserves a name chosen with love, meaning, and maybe a little bit of fun swiping!

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