From Setback to Breakthrough: How a Failed Startup Birthed a Revolution in Tech

Like many ambitious founders, we began our journey with a vision. As seasoned software engineers, we left our comfortable jobs to build “Seftey”, an integrated student transportation system. We were driven by the classic entrepreneurial dream: to solve a real problem and make a difference.

The Expensive Lesson

What followed was a founder’s worst nightmare. We spent months perfecting our architecture, polishing our UI/UX, and crafting an impeccable brand identity. But we made a critical mistake: we built in isolation. When we finally approached our stakeholders - schools, transport providers, regulators, and parents - we discovered a harsh truth. The market wasn’t ready for our solution.

The Breakthrough Moment

This failure could have been the end of our story. Instead, it became our catalyst for innovation. We observed how companies like Midjourney and Cursor were revolutionizing their industries through rapid execution and validation. Midjourney leveraged Discord’s existing infrastructure to test their AI image generation. Cursor built upon VS Code to deliver AI-powered development tools. Both achieved remarkable success by focusing on speed to market and user validation.

The Market Gap

We identified a critical void in the startup ecosystem:

• Technical founders were constrained by limited tools and platforms
• Non-technical founders were trapped between expensive no-code solutions and restrictive platforms
• The market lacked a unified solution that could serve both groups effectively

Enter Realms: The Game-Changer

This is where Realms was born - a collaborative platform that helps founders rapidly build and validate their startups. At its core, Realms is an all-in-one workspace built on Matrix (an open network for secure, decentralized communication) that combines essential startup tools with real-time collaboration features.

Here’s how Realms works:

• Start with our AI-powered project setup that helps scope and plan your MVP
• Use our dual interface (code/no-code) to build your product, with AI assistance for both technical and design tasks
• Collaborate in real-time with your team through integrated chat, audio, and video
• Get instant feedback from potential users through our built-in community features
• Validate your ideas quickly with A/B testing and analytics tools
• Iterate rapidly based on user feedback and data

Every feature in Realms is designed to eliminate the common roadblocks that slow down startup development:

• Modern chat system replaces fragmented communication across multiple tools
• Advanced audio/video capabilities enable seamless remote collaboration
• AI-driven development tools speed up both coding and design tasks
• Built-in validation tools help test assumptions quickly
• Dual code/no-code modes ensure everyone on the team can contribute effectively

The Value Proposition

We designed Realms to make startup creation more accessible:

• 90% reduction in time-to-market
• 10x cost efficiency compared to traditional methods
• Unified platform for both technical and non-technical founders
• Built-in community features for instant user feedback
• AI-powered development tools for rapid iteration

Our Philosophy

Our journey taught us a valuable lesson that became our guiding philosophy: “Do it yourself, as fast as possible, validate, then scale or pivot.” This approach resonates with modern entrepreneurship principles and addresses the core challenges faced by founders today.

Looking Ahead

Launching in Q1 2025, Realms is positioned to become the de facto platform for startup creation. Our vision extends beyond just building a platform - we’re creating a movement that will empower the next generation of founders to build, validate, and scale their ideas faster and more efficiently than ever before.

Join us in revolutionizing how the next generation of world-changing companies are built. Because with Realms, your vision isn’t just a dream - it’s your realm to build.