SoccerBolt is a purpose-built app that helps organizers:
• Create and schedule pickup soccer games
• Notify players of upcoming matches
• Manage private priority lists and backup players
• Reduce noise and confusion from group chats
• Maintain control and discretion as an organizer
From the start, my goal was not to replace social communication, but to streamline organization, reduce friction, and respect everyone’s time.
I owned the full product lifecycle, including:
• Problem definition & product vision
• User research based on real-world pickup soccer behavior
• UX flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity UI design
• Prototyping and iteration
• Collaboration with development for iOS & Android
• Go-to-market planning and launch execution
SoccerBolt was designed, built, and launched as an independent product.
Usually represented in a Gantt chart the MVP plan shows features needed to be added for the next 5 cycles. It makes it easier to talk to others (developers) about future additions to the app.
I used a whiteboard and foam board to surround myself with the most difficult questions and navigation issues. Ideas and solutions often don’t come immediately or while actively working on the project. That’s why it’s important to keep the problem visible and top of mind. Posting the most important questions helps maintain focus. Too much information can be overwhelming, so I made an effort to consolidate and group related questions and solutions to keep things clear and easy to reference.
Kickstarter Campaign that Didn’t Work
To fund development and validate demand, I launched a Kickstarter campaign. While the campaign did not meet its funding goal, it became one of the most important learning experiences of the project.
• Awareness is as critical as product quality, great ideas don’t sell themselves
• Messaging needs to focus less on features and more on emotional value
• Pickup soccer organizers are passionate, but fragmented across platforms
• Early traction requires community-first growth, not just marketing
Rather than viewing the Kickstarter as a failure, I treated it as user research at scale. The feedback and engagement shaped how I positioned the app moving forward and reinforced the need for real-world, in-person validation.
Sherma-Con Launch
On January 31st, SoccerBolt officially launched at Sherma-Con, a gaming and community-focused convention in Pennsylvania.This was a pivotal moment for the product:
• The app was launched live to an engaged audience
• Real users downloaded and explored the app on-site
• I gathered direct, in-person feedback from players and organizers
• Conversations validated the core problem SoccerBolt set out to solve
• Launching at Sherma-Con shifted the product from an idea into a real, publicly available tool.
SoccerBolt is now live on:
iPhone (iOS) & Android
Outcomes & Impact
• Successfully launched a cross-platform mobile app
• Transitioned from concept to real-world adoption
• Validated demand through live user interaction
• Gained critical insights for future iterations
While SoccerBolt is still evolving, the launch marked a major milestone—from identifying a problem to delivering a working solution into users’ hands.
Reflection
SoccerBolt represents more than just an app, it’s a case study in resilience, iteration, and learning through doing. From a spontaneous insight at a wedding in Brazil, to a failed Kickstarter, to a live launch at a gaming convention, the product reflects my belief that strong product design is rooted in real problems, honest feedback, and continuous improvement.
This project sharpened my skills as a product designer, founder, and strategist—and reinforced why I love building products that sit at the intersection of community, design, and real-world behavior.
What’s Next
• Iterating based on early user feedback
• Expanding organizer tools and scheduling flexibility
• Growing adoption within local pickup soccer communities
• Continuing to refine the experience across iOS and Android
SoccerBolt is just getting started.
If you like what you see and want to work together, get in touch!
scapursi@mixedi.com