] ## Inspiration We’ve all seen roommate matches go sideways because forms don’t capture real life. Instagram already reflects what people actually care about—music, sports, hobbies, lifestyle—so we wanted a simple, fair, and consent-friendly way to use that for better matches.
What it does
Roominder combines a short preference survey with your Instagram interests to produce a clear 0–100 compatibility score and a plain-English explanation (“you both like the same music and prefer quiet nights”). Sensitive areas are opt-in, and everything is designed to be simple and privacy-friendly.
How we built it
We designed a straightforward flow: take a quick survey, upload an Instagram export, and get a score with reasons you can understand. We focused on categories that matter for living together—sleep, guests, smoke/drink, diet, language, interests—and kept the experience clean and fast for a short demo.
Challenges we ran into
Balancing usefulness with privacy and consent. Keeping explanations honest without feeling invasive. Making the score easy to trust and easy to act on for non-technical users.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
An end-to-end demo that turns real inputs into a clear match score with human-readable reasons. A consent-aware approach that lets users decide which sensitive categories to include. A simple interface that helps people talk through potential mismatches before they sign a lease.
What we learned
People care less about “fancy” features and more about clear, respectful explanations. Consent and transparency build trust. Using real interests (not just checkboxes) feels more accurate and leads to better conversations.
What's next for Roominder
Pilot with housing offices and dorms. Add group/roommate-suite matching and gentle “house rules” suggestions. Offer optional connections to other interest sources (e.g., music) while keeping privacy and consent front and center.
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