Things are finally moving for Budge!
On 30th January 2025, I soft-launched Budge for iOS and Android phones. This is perhaps the first time I am writing and publishing about it anywhere till now. This blog post is a formal announcement of the same.
If you are curious and have questions like – why soft-launch? Why and how did I create this app? Or in general want to be updated with the story behind it – then I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter where I share such stories.
What is Budge?
Budge is a simple travel app that helps you plan your travel adventures, provide information about your desired destination in a categorized manner, and also lets you create your traveller profile.
Budge v0.1.1 is currently in a very nascent stage, and it will probably be in the same state at least for the next few months. I am excited about this idea as it simply has a multitude of growth possibilities. Whether it is about the app features, collaboration, integration with other platforms, or monetization – there is just too much to think and get excited about.
Is Budge v0.1.1 an MVP?
Well, these are the types of questions which are perspective based. I don’t think I am in a position to definitely say. But let me put it in this way – technically – perhaps yes, business wise – perhaps no. I have had many conversations around this, and have always observed mixed views. Maybe the descriptions of the features below will help you decide for yourself.
Explore Experiences Everywhere
Budge v0.1.1 lets users explore countries, cities, and categorized experiences in those cities. The aim here is to reduce the research time required, by offering readily available “things-to-do” in those cities. Users can experience this even without logging in to the app. Cities and experiences are categorised, making it easier for the users to pin-point the information they would want to see. The Budge app currently provides useful information like time zone, currency, weather conditions and forecast for next few days.
For example, if a traveller wants to explore an unknown location, they can simply navigate to that city and find a ready-made list of things to do across categories like nature, adventure, night life, city life, local cuisine and markets, adventures, off-beat, day trips, etc. This avoids doing internet searches and interpreting GPT responses, thus saving time.
Your Budge Profile
Users can choose to log in to the Budge app and create their profile. The profile feature currently offers a limited set of functionalities, but displays all the activities you have marked as complete before. In this version, Budge allows users to update their names, write a short bio, and change/remove profile pictures.
Users can select any experience and mark that experience as done. They can select a date and add a comment to describe how they felt. When they do this, it appears on their profile in chronological order, and the “flag array” on their profile is updated, if that was the first activity they marked in a new country.
We are often asked – where all have you been? The Budge profile offers a very convenient way to answer that question precisely.
Bookmarks
For all the logged in users, Budge offers a way to bookmark places or experiences for quick access. This comes in very handy for the current or upcoming trip.
What’s next?
Budge v0.1.1 is currently available on iOS App Store and Google Play Store for you to install and use. Download the app now and be a part of this very first release!
As mentioned above, Budge v0.1.1 is in a very nascent stage and may even contain bugs. My first priority is to fix the bugs if they exist, and prioritize features for next releases. I am aiming towards releasing monthly updates, with new features enhancements each time.
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