Case Study
AURA
INVEST.
The Time I Pitched Logan Paul
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Timeline
3 weeks
Role
Co-Founder, Lead Engineer
Platform
iOS (Swift)
Status
Paused
THE CHALLENGE
Build a production-ready tax-aware investing app in three weeks. Help users optimize their investment decisions by surfacing tax implications in real-time.
TECHNICAL EXECUTION
1
4 Complete MVPs
Built iteratively, each incorporating user feedback and investor input
2
Plaid API Integration
Secure bank account linking and transaction data
3
Move-Style Financial Rails
Transaction processing and settlement infrastructure
4
Native iOS App
Real-time tax calculation engine
5
Backend Infrastructure
Financial data processing, tax code logic, and user authentication
THE OUTCOME
We pitched multiple investors, including Logan Paul. The product had momentum. We had traction and a story starting to click.
But speed reveals everything. We discovered fundamental misalignment in working styles—the kind that compounds when you're sprinting. By week three, it was clear: we had product-market fit potential, but not team-founder fit.
We paused the launch.
KEY LEARNINGS
Move fast to find the truth
Rapid iteration exposed both product viability and team dynamics.
Alignment beats momentum
A great product with a misaligned team won't succeed.
Knowing when to stop is as valuable as knowing when to ship
Walking away from traction takes courage, but it's sometimes the right call.
Technical execution speed matters
Building 4 MVPs in 3 weeks proved I could ship under pressure—a capability that carries into every future project.
Aura Invest never launched. But the experience validated my ability to build complex financial products at speed and taught me that the best technical skills in the world can't compensate for misaligned teams.