HUGO HUANG / INDEPENDENT BUILDERTORONTO · FIELD NOTES, VOL. 01

NOTICETHE GAP.BUILD IT.

OBSERVATIONS, MADE USEFUL.

Real work leaves clues.
I turn them into products.

Enter the collection
ECONOMICS → REAL WORKFLOWS → APPLIED AISCROLL TO FIND THE CONNECTION
01 / THE CONNECTIONS

A real need.
A working answer.

FIELD NOTE 001 / EVERYDAY DECISIONS

Is this ride
worth it?

A fare is only one number.
Distance, time and costs tell the rest.

THE THING I BUILTTomato Drive

A native iOS app that makes trip economics easier to read.

Official Tomato Drive App Store artwork: automatic offer analysisOfficial Tomato Drive App Store artwork: Live Activities
OFFICIAL APP STORE ARTWORK · ENGLISH
Released on the App Store
THREE OBSERVATIONS. THREE PRODUCTS.
01 / 03
TOMATO DRIVE / IN THE REAL WORLD

Not just an idea.
A product in people’s hands.

1,846First-time downloads
21In-app purchases

App Store Connect · July 2–September 29, 2026 (UTC). Verified September 30, 2026.
Period totals, not live counters. Downloads are not active users; purchase count is not unique customers.

5.0 / 5 · 6 ratings6 languagesUS App Store · September 30, 2026View the published app

3mins English presentation mockup: daily prompt and three-minute practice
English presentation mockup based on the development interface. Internal-test project, not an App Store release.
CLOSER LOOK / 3MINS

One recording.
Three perspectives.

I wanted speaking practice to feel small enough to repeat. 3mins starts with a short recording, then separates listening, watching and reading so you can notice one thing at a time.

  1. 01
    Finish the thought.

    A three-minute default, a one-minute warm-up and pause/resume. No score interrupting the recording.

  2. 02
    Look again, differently.

    Listen without the picture. Watch without the sound. Read the transcript. Choose one improvement.

  3. 03
    Ask for help, on your terms.

    Optional AI feedback works from text you choose to share. Recordings stay local by default.

ALSO ON MY WORKBENCH

Different problems. The same curiosity.

02 / THE PERSON BEHIND THE PRODUCTS

Before deciding what technology should do, I look at how people actually work.

Hugo HuangBUILDER. OBSERVER. ALWAYS A STUDENT.

My path into technology started outside a computer science classroom. Economics, hospitality, healthcare and laboratory work taught me to notice the small frictions that shape someone’s day.

AI assisted development gave me a way to act on those observations. I use it as a tool while owning the product decisions, testing, debugging and the responsibility for what I ship.

Building real products also showed me what I still need to learn. I am deepening my understanding of data science, model evaluation and reliable AI systems, one project at a time.

BACKGROUND / A NONTRADITIONAL PATH INTO TECHNOLOGY

Different rooms.
The same habit of noticing.

Each part of my education and work taught me to look closely at systems, constraints and the people inside them.

2011 — 2016

Bachelor of Arts, Economics

York University · Quantitative economics, statistics and economic data.

2018 — 2020

Applied education at George Brown

Culinary Management, followed by Food and Nutrition Management.

2021 — 2024

Healthcare and senior living operations

Compliance, sensitive records, documentation and accountable service delivery.

2024 — 2025

Laboratory equipment operations

Digital tracking and distribution of more than 8,000 items at Humber College.

2025 — NOW

Independent product development

Learning in public through released software, prototypes and assessed professional certifications.

HOW I WORK
01

Notice.

Start with a real workflow. Find the friction before choosing the technology.

02

Make.

Turn the idea into something usable. Keep the scope clear and the human in control.

03

Learn.

Test what happens, question assumptions and improve the next version.

03 / LEARNING WITH INTENTION

Build. Learn.
Go deeper.

Three assessed DataCamp certifications.
A foundation I’m putting into practice.

CONTINUING EDUCATION / 2026

Professional learning credentials, not academic degrees or university credit.

GOOD WORK STARTS WITH A CONVERSATIONHave a what if?
SELECTED WORK / CASE NOTES