What is the project that you are currently working on or would like to pursue? Why? (Max: 500 characters - about 100 words)
For over a year, I’ve been working on using technology to reduce the barrier to human connection. I started off with building an app called Exo that helps people have better conversations with anyone but specifically with their partners and friends. But then eight months ago, I have moved to working on another app that aims to fight loneliness in university. I have spent over 700 hours in the IDE building these two apps and dozens of hours on researching, designing, validating, etc…
What problem are you solving? (Max: 500 characters - about 100 words)
As previously mentioned, my main mission for the past year has been removing the barrier to human connection because I believe that it is one of the core needs of humans to be able to live a fulfilling life. While in the past decade or so, technology has in someway increased the barrier to real human connection, I believe that we can fix that given our latest technologies (like AIs and LLMs).
What expertise do you have to execute on the work that you want to do? (Max: 500 characters - about 100 words)
I am a recovering socially awkward person who struggled to value themselves. And this mindset impacted every area of my life. I struggled to trust people and deeply bond with them. Thankfully, through learning about why I do things and how to change, how to become the person that I want to be, I learned so much about human nature and what it takes to connect with people. Now I want to share that wisdom with the world through content like in my YouTube channel or through technology like the apps
Who are your competitors and what do you understand about your idea that they don’t? (Max: 500 characters - about 100 words)
My competitors on a high level are dating and meet up apps, like hinge, tinder, bumble, and bumble for friends. The methodology that they use to find that perfect match is flawed and doesn’t align with how humans truly connect. In someway the users shouldn’t be the ones looking for that perfect match, that perfect match should naturally show up in their lives. The technology should find that perfect match for them. Swiping through people (especially based on their looks and surface level interests) is the most unnatural way of finding the right friend or partner. What if we had an AI that deeply understands who you are as a person and everyone else around you? It’s like that friend who knows everyone and wants to connect you with that right friend or partner that you can’t find
What have you worked on in the past? (Max: 500 characters - about 100 words)
I generally let my passions lead the projects I take on. But recently, I’m realizing that the work that I’m doing right now is not just a fleeting passion, but it’s more like a purpose that I strive to fulfill during my time in this world. Outside that purpose, I also enjoy automating things, especially things that help us “know thyself” and “dare to think”. In other words, I also am passionate about reducing the barrier to learning about ourselves—understanding why we do the things we do. I’ve built several automation tools, one of them being SnipTube (https://sniptube.vercel.app/) a lot of other internal (for now) tools that helps me store and connect things I learned about the world.
What’s the nerdiest thing about you? (Max: 250 characters - about 50 words)
Journaling and rating my day out of 10 every day based on these categories: Mindfulness,Discipline,Engagement,Focus,Courage,Authenticity,Purpose,Energy,Communication,Uniqueness,Overall
Using Data Science & stock analysis to find ways to improve my life
What drives you? (Max: 250 characters - about 50 words)
My purpose. which is reducing the barrier to human connection. It is more broad than you think. I also love helping people discover and reach their fullest potential. Because that indirectly reduces the barrier for that person to connect with other humans who have a similar mission in life. By them striving to reach their fullest potential, they bring out the best in themselves, and by them doing that, they will attract the right people. Whether it’s mentors, partners, or friends.
What non-traditional things were you doing growing up?
Two things. Watching people and investigating.
Tell us about a risk youʼve taken or a challenge you’ve faced. Tell us whether you failed or succeeded, how you behaved, and how you think this reflects your character. (Max: 500 characters - about 100 words)
I strive to take risks every day because it trains me to seize the opportunity whenever it shows up. Most times these risks end up not working in my favor, but I try to learn from them so that I don’t fail the next time. I think the biggest challenge I have faced in life was overcoming pornography during the time I was also feeling lonely. My motivation for quitting that was so high because I refuse to let any external substance control me. I’ve been a slave to people pleasing, video games, and pornography. But thankfully, not anymore. So of course, I am now on a mission to help others not be enslaved by anything outside their control. The risk I took was sharing my story and everything that I learned from the experience of being addicted to porn to the world (YouTube, insta, even linkedIn, etc..) despite some people close to me advising me not to. Reason is because I can’t stay quiet about something that: 1) I truly believe is true and 2) is aligned with my purpose of helping people reach their fullest potential. I loved the Kobe quote you shared in your latest newsletter. That’s exactly what I strive to do.
Personal and/or Project Website and/or Links about you
portfolio: https://rami-maalouf.tech journal (get to know me inside out): https://notes.rami-maalouf.tech YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ramimaalouf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rami-m Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/psycho.baller/ Resume: https://rami-maalouf.tech/resume
Orbit: https://www.linkedin.com/company/getorbitapp Exo: https://getexo.vercel.app/ SnipTube: https://sniptube.vercel.app/
Please list or describe any achievements and prizes
- A few Hackathon wins like CalHacks 2024. You can find all of them in my Devpost: https://devpost.com/ramim66809
- Got funding of $3.5k to spend 2 months learning about Entrepreneurship & Startups in TU Berlin. More info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rami-m/details/education/
- $10k University Scholarship & awards. More info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rami-m/details/honors/
- I strongly believe that I would have received many more awards and prizes if I was more aware of them, but I’m too busy to look for them.
- I like doing the work, not so much talking to people about my work. But that is how you get people to notice you, especially in this current day and age. So that’s something that I’m starting to do more of (applying to become a Z Fellow)
Please include a 1 minute video of yourself with a short introduction on your background, something impressive about yourself (i.e. brag :)), and what project you’re working on today. (Optional)
Who would you co-found a company with if you could pick anyone in your network? In other words, who is someone un-recruitable you would want to hire regardless?
Optional: What’s 1 thing you need help with? (Max: 500 characters - about 100 words)
- You guys offer a lot of things that would help me in my journey as a founder.
- I’m mainly looking for mentorship and people who deeply think of the problems that I am trying to solve before my time comes to an end in this world.
- Exchange knowledge, learnings, wisdom, perspectives
- I know I am not the only person who deeply thinks of these things. I wanna find these people so we can work together to make real change in this world.