Look behind the scenes

Hello, I'm Ronny, and I'm the face behind this app. I was born and raised in the 80s on the island of Usedom, where I also found my interest in programming in the late 90s. Back then, I experimented with Quick Basic, HTML, and Perl on Windows 98, spending weeks reading documentation and other source codes to gain a basic understanding. However, my entry into the workforce as a construction worker kept programming as merely a hobby for a while. This changed after a few years when I was hired by a hotel in Zinnowitz following various professional ventures.

During my time at the hotel, I deepened my "knowledge" by updating and later completely redesigning their websites, including a custom interface to the existing hotel management system using PHP and SQL. I spent 14 years there, completing several projects and experiencing significant changes both professionally and personally, which led me to crave new challenges. Feeling isolated from social interaction, I embarked on a journey to become a teacher in 2017, but my passion for programming remained a crucial part of me. During my initial attempt at teacher training, I even developed a similar app to ticolly because I wanted to connect people in a different way. The development story even made it to the front page of a local newspaper (German), which made me extremely proud, although I still chuckle at my portrayal in the article today. However, due to numerous issues upon release, including the influx of ghosters, stalkers, and other undesirable users, I eventually withdrew the app from the market. Similarly, I had to abandon my teacher training due to personal problems I couldn't handle at the time.

Interestingly, this frustrating situation led me to the German Bundestag, where I expanded my amateur programming knowledge in various ways as an external IT employee. However, I found the work there personally unsatisfying and rather wasteful, as I developed a different perspective on society. Despite being extremely proud to have an office in the German Bundestag as an unskilled worker, I couldn't bear the mundane workflow, as I aspired to achieve more than just serving the brainless administrative apparatus. I felt a deep social obligation and a strong desire to contribute more to society as a whole. My original goal remained to become a teacher, but I wasn't financially stable enough, so I needed an interim solution.

Underneath the Bundestag, the U55 subway line was running at the time, and I found the idea of diving into something new quite exciting. So, after passing the training, I spent 4 years on the U8 and U5 lines, where I gained a new perspective on people – without going into detail here. On quiet days, I developed a shift exchange app for my colleagues, which received strong support and motivated me to dedicate myself to this project. Knowing that I would eventually resume teacher training, I wanted to create something that would financially support me and offer real value and great experiences to society. Since I personally struggle to make new contacts but have a keen interest in not only meeting new people but also in languages and cultures, I incorporated these ideas into the development of ticolly, focusing on privacy, transparency, and fairness to the user. It seems to become a tradition for me to embark on teacher training whenever I release an app. The development itself was a significant challenge, but the release process was even more daunting. Aside from many seemingly unsolvable problems, I was blackmailed by a law firm while seeking legal advice, and Google's new quality guidelines proved to be almost insurmountable barriers, which I managed to overcome after several months. As this app is a true labor of love, I hope for many great encounters, whether around the globe or in the neighborhood. I'm not sure where my journey will take me next, but I finally feel like I've made the contribution I've been searching for.

By the way, since June 1st, 2024, I've been taking the subway again on weekends because the app cost me more than I had planned and the money for the training isn't enough. Almost like last time. Printed T-shirts, app videos and legal texts are cost factors that I didn't take into account when programming and all that's missing now are users that I apparently can't reach. I'm extremely dependent on help because I can't and don't want to go the traditional route, so I'm extremely happy about sharing and spreading the word.

Thank you for reading, and best regards from the other side of the screen,