Meerno
Language learning app with vocabulary cards and speech recognition
Screenshots
Problem
I analyzed Duolingo (strong social mechanics, retention) and Quizlet (custom words, user-created content). My idea: combine both. Users create their own vocabulary, share dictionaries, and compete with each other. Social features from Duolingo + content flexibility from Quizlet. First iOS product, learned Swift from scratch in Dec 2022.
Solution
Built a full iOS app with UIKit (programmatic layout, no storyboards). MVP architecture with Realm for local storage, REST API backend, Google Sign-In. Features: translator with 9 languages, word folders with covers and language pairs, flashcard training, speech recognition for pronunciation practice, social features (follow users, shared dictionaries). Freemium model with three tiers (guest/authorized/premium), each with different word and dictionary limits.
Results
- +500 downloads, 0 revenue (honest failure)
- +1.5 years of development, version 1.2.7
- +Learned UIKit, Realm, StoreKit, REST API from scratch
- +Key lesson: validate demand before building
- +Currently paused, preparing for relaunch with SwiftUI
Role & timeline
iOS developer & product owner. Team: mentor, backend developer, designer. 1.5 years of development