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HappyPath

A purpose-built CRM that helps vending operators discover locations, track leads and follow-ups, and plan more efficient routes.

Role

Founder, Designer & Builder

Role

Founder, Designer & Builder

Role

Founder, Designer & Builder

Role

Founder, Designer & Builder

Timeline

January to April 2026

Timeline

January to April 2026

Timeline

January to April 2026

Timeline

January to April 2026

Team

Solo

Team

Solo

Team

Solo

Team

Solo

Status

Working beta

Status

Working beta

Status

Working beta

Status

Working beta

HappyPath brings location discovery, lead management, follow-ups, and route planning into one field-ready workflow.

HappyPath brings location discovery, lead management, follow-ups, and route planning into one field-ready workflow.

HappyPath brings location discovery, lead management, follow-ups, and route planning into one field-ready workflow.

HappyPath brings location discovery, lead management, follow-ups, and route planning into one field-ready workflow.

The problem

Vending operators were piecing together notes, spreadsheets, reminders, and maps to manage location outreach and field visits.

The direction

Create a focused, mobile-friendly CRM that connects property discovery, lead tracking, follow-ups, and route planning.

The outcome

I built a working beta, tested it with six operators using real leads, and improved onboarding and map support based on their feedback.

The outcome

I built a working beta, tested it with six operators using real leads, and improved onboarding and map support based on their feedback.

01 · Context

The tools existed. The workflow didn’t.

01 · Context

The tools existed. The workflow didn’t.

01 · Context

The tools existed. The workflow didn’t.

01 · Context

The tools existed. The workflow didn’t.

While building Pitstop Pantry, my own vending business, I needed to track potential locations, conversations with property managers, follow-up dates, and notes from in-person visits. I tried Google Keep, Apple Notes, spreadsheets, and eventually Notion.

Each tool handled part of the job, but the workflow became fragmented quickly. Information was difficult to update from a phone, follow-ups were easy to miss, and planning a day of visits meant moving between lists and mapping tools. I saw an opportunity for a simple CRM built around how vending operators actually work.

02 · Direction

Designing around the realities of field work

02 · Direction

Designing around the realities of field work

02 · Direction

Designing around the realities of field work

02 · Direction

Designing around the realities of field work

I focused the first beta on independent vending operators who scout locations, manage follow-ups, and plan visits themselves. The goal was to replace a patchwork workflow with one lightweight product that worked at a desk and in the field. As a solo builder, I kept the scope centered on the core job: find a location, record what happened, know what to do next, and plan an efficient visit.

01 · Fast in the field

Notes, status updates, and follow-ups should take only a few moments on a phone.

02 · Built for vending

The language and actions should match how operators scout, pitch, and manage locations.

03 · Make the next action clear

Every property should show its history, current stage, and next follow-up.

04 · Connect planning with action

Lead management and route planning should live in the same workflow.

Key product decisions

Three decisions that shaped the experience

Decision 01

Giving every property a clear history and next step

Situation

My notes captured what happened at a location, but they did not consistently show where the opportunity stood or what needed to happen next.

Evidence

Conversations, visit notes, contact details, reminders, and status updates could end up scattered across several tools.

Decision

I designed each property around an activity timeline, lead stage, notes, and a visible follow-up date. Every update became part of one consistent record.

Result

Operators could see where each opportunity stood and what needed to happen next without piecing together information across multiple tools.

A single property record brings together its stage, activity, notes, and next follow-up.

A single property record brings together its stage, activity, notes, and next follow-up.

A single property record brings together its stage, activity, notes, and next follow-up.

A single property record brings together its stage, activity, notes, and next follow-up.

Decision 02

Making route planning part of lead management

Situation

Vending operators often visit several prospects or machines in one trip, but their lead lists and navigation tools were disconnected.

Evidence

Planning a day required copying addresses into a separate mapping tool and determining a sensible visit order manually.

Decision

I let operators select properties, enter a starting and ending point, optimize the stop order, rearrange it manually, and open the final route in Google Maps or Apple Maps.

Result

A list of properties became an actionable field route with fewer steps and enough flexibility for real-world judgment.

Operators can optimize a route, adjust the order, and launch it in their preferred navigation app.

Operators can optimize a route, adjust the order, and launch it in their preferred navigation app.

Operators can optimize a route, adjust the order, and launch it in their preferred navigation app.

Operators can optimize a route, adjust the order, and launch it in their preferred navigation app.

Decision 03

Letting operators organize leads their own way

Situation

Operators structure their territories differently. Some think by city, while others organize by route, priority, or business stage.

Evidence

A fixed folder structure would force every operator into the same mental model and become difficult to scan as the number of leads increased.

Decision

I created customizable lists that could be renamed and personalized with an icon and color. Operators could also sort their properties and reverse the order when needed.

Result

Testers could group and scan locations in a way that matched their business. List customization became one of the most well-received parts of the beta.

Operators can organize locations by city, route, priority, or any structure that fits their business.

Operators can organize locations by city, route, priority, or any structure that fits their business.

Operators can organize locations by city, route, priority, or any structure that fits their business.

Operators can organize locations by city, route, priority, or any structure that fits their business.

Names, icons, colors, and sorting make each list faster to recognize and manage in the field.

Names, icons, colors, and sorting make each list faster to recognize and manage in the field.

Names, icons, colors, and sorting make each list faster to recognize and manage in the field.

Names, icons, colors, and sorting make each list faster to recognize and manage in the field.

Tester Feedback

Testers wanted a faster way to distinguish lists at a glance. They suggested customizable colors and icons, similar to the visual cues used in messaging apps. That feedback shaped the final list customization system.

Tester Feedback

03 · Experience

From discovering a property to planning the visit

03 · Experience

From discovering a property to planning the visit

03 · Experience

From discovering a property to planning the visit

03 · Experience

From discovering a property to planning the visit

HappyPath connects the steps operators previously managed across several tools.
A location can move from discovery to follow-up and route planning without leaving the product.

Step 01 · Discover a property

Search the map, filter by property type, and review potential vending locations.

Filter the map to focus on the types of properties that fit the operator’s business.

Step 02 · Add and organize the lead

Add a property to HappyPath and place it in the list that matches the operator’s territory or workflow.

Move a promising property from discovery into an organized lead list.

Step 03 · Track activity and follow-ups

Record visits and conversations, update the lead stage, and schedule the next follow-up.

Keep the property’s history and next action together as the relationship develops.

Step 04 · Plan and launch the route

Select the locations, optimize the stop order, make any manual adjustments, and open the route in Maps.

Turn selected properties into an efficient, ready-to-drive route.

04 · Validation

Testing revealed where the workflow broke

04 · Validation

Testing revealed where the workflow broke

04 · Validation

Testing revealed where the workflow broke

04 · Validation

Testing revealed where the workflow broke

I invited six vending operators to use HappyPath with real leads for two weeks. Their behavior and feedback exposed a critical gap in the first-run experience: users did not understand that lead creation began in Discover.

Participants

6 vending operators

Participants

6 vending operators

Participants

6 vending operators

Participants

6 vending operators

Method

Real-world beta use

Method

Real-world beta use

Method

Real-world beta use

Method

Real-world beta use

Duration

2-week formal beta

Duration

2-week formal beta

Duration

2-week formal beta

Duration

2-week formal beta

An empty-state prompt explained where to begin, but only after users reached the Leads area.

An empty-state prompt explained where to begin, but only after users reached the Leads area.

An empty-state prompt explained where to begin, but only after users reached the Leads area.

An empty-state prompt explained where to begin, but only after users reached the Leads area.

The revised onboarding introduced Discover before users entered the main workflow.

The revised onboarding introduced Discover before users entered the main workflow.

The revised onboarding introduced Discover before users entered the main workflow.

The revised onboarding introduced Discover before users entered the main workflow.

What Happened

Several testers entered the product unsure how to add a property to a list. Lead creation began in Discover, but the relationship between the map and their lists was not obvious.

What Changed

I added an onboarding flow that introduced Discover first and showed users how to find a property, add it as a lead, and continue into the rest of the product. I also added Apple Maps after testers asked for an alternative to Google Maps.

Why it mattered

The beta exposed an information-architecture and onboarding problem. Making the starting point explicit helped users understand how the product fit together, while the Apple Maps option made route handoff work with their existing preferences.

Testing Insight

A useful feature can still feel unavailable when users cannot find the first step.

Testing Insight

A useful feature can still feel unavailable when users cannot find the first step.

Testing Insight

A useful feature can still feel unavailable when users cannot find the first step.

Testing Insight

A useful feature can still feel unavailable when users cannot find the first step.

05 · Outcome

A working beta, grounded in real use

05 · Outcome

A working beta, grounded in real use

05 · Outcome

A working beta, grounded in real use

05 · Outcome

A working beta, grounded in real use

End-to-end beta

Lead discovery, tracking, follow-ups, list organization, and route planning in one working product.

End-to-end beta

Lead discovery, tracking, follow-ups, list organization, and route planning in one working product.

End-to-end beta

Lead discovery, tracking, follow-ups, list organization, and route planning in one working product.

End-to-end beta

Lead discovery, tracking, follow-ups, list organization, and route planning in one working product.

Real workflows supported

Operators used HappyPath with active leads, routes, property visits, and follow-ups.

Real workflows supported

Operators used HappyPath with active leads, routes, property visits, and follow-ups.

Real workflows supported

Operators used HappyPath with active leads, routes, property visits, and follow-ups.

Real workflows supported

Operators used HappyPath with active leads, routes, property visits, and follow-ups.

Six target users

Six vending operators tested the product for two weeks, with usage continuing beyond the formal period.

Six target users

Six vending operators tested the product for two weeks, with usage continuing beyond the formal period.

Six target users

Six vending operators tested the product for two weeks, with usage continuing beyond the formal period.

Six target users

Six vending operators tested the product for two weeks, with usage continuing beyond the formal period.

Commercial demand unvalidated

The beta did not include a paywall, pricing test, or wider commercial launch.

Commercial demand unvalidated

The beta did not include a paywall, pricing test, or wider commercial launch.

Commercial demand unvalidated

The beta did not include a paywall, pricing test, or wider commercial launch.

Commercial demand unvalidated

The beta did not include a paywall, pricing test, or wider commercial launch.

Currently paused

The product remains functional but is not being actively marketed or developed.

Currently paused

The product remains functional but is not being actively marketed or developed.

Currently paused

The product remains functional but is not being actively marketed or developed.

Currently paused

The product remains functional but is not being actively marketed or developed.

HappyPath validated the usefulness of the core workflow for a small group of vending operators. Willingness to pay, long-term retention, and demand at a larger scale remain open questions.

I paused active development before adding payments or investing in marketing so I could reassess the positioning, pricing, and path toward a wider launch.

06 · Delivery

Designing and building the product end to end

06 · Delivery

Designing and building the product end to end

06 · Delivery

Designing and building the product end to end

06 · Delivery

Designing and building the product end to end

I took HappyPath from a problem I experienced firsthand to a functional beta. Working independently, I defined the product direction, mapped the workflows, designed the interface, built the application in Bolt, connected the Supabase backend, and integrated the mapping and route functionality. Designing inside the working product allowed me to test ideas quickly and improve them in context.

Built with

Bolt · Supabase · Google Maps APIs · Apple Maps integration

Built with

Bolt · Supabase · Google Maps APIs · Apple Maps integration

Built with

Bolt · Supabase · Google Maps APIs · Apple Maps integration

Built with

Bolt · Supabase · Google Maps APIs · Apple Maps integration

The product connects lead data, map discovery, route planning, and navigation handoff in one responsive experience.

The product connects lead data, map discovery, route planning, and navigation handoff in one responsive experience.

The product connects lead data, map discovery, route planning, and navigation handoff in one responsive experience.

The product connects lead data, map discovery, route planning, and navigation handoff in one responsive experience.

07 · Reflection

What I would carry forward

07 · Reflection

What I would carry forward

07 · Reflection

What I would carry forward

07 · Reflection

What I would carry forward

What worked

Starting from my own workflow kept the product focused on a real, recurring problem. Combining lead tracking and route planning created more value than a general-purpose CRM, and testing with actual operators quickly revealed which parts mattered most.

What I would reconsider

I would test the first-run experience earlier and add product analytics before inviting beta users. The relationship between Discover and lead creation was clear to me as the builder, but it was not clear to someone entering the product for the first time.

What I would explore next

I would recruit a small paid early-access group to test willingness to pay, then measure activation, follow-up completion, route creation, and retention before expanding the feature set.

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Next project

Dough

Redesigning a fintech registration flow to reduce friction and increase onboarding conversion by 22%.

View case study →

Next project

Dough

Redesigning a fintech registration flow to reduce friction and increase onboarding conversion by 22%.

View case study →