Episode 3: From prison to an app

Romeatrius ended up in prison after a career in the armed forces. When she got out, she found that the process to keep in touch with her case manager, and ask for simple permissions to go out with her children or to the super market, was extremely cumbersome. That’s when the idea to build an app came to light, and in this episode we learn more about her idea and journey from idea to product. Find out more about this app at uhomereentry.com

Romeatrius: I don't know. I just, I'm very happy with the work you guys did. And I think we did it within how many weeks.

I think we did it.

It was fast. Um, and that was after someone told me that you couldn't do it in a no code app. You know, like what you want, you can't do you have to have it in the code app.

Jesus Vargas: Hello everybody. Thanks for watching and listening to the low-code podcast today. We have Dr. Romeatrius Moss. Uh, she has a great story, uh, and she has a great app. It's one of my favorite apps, very unique, very niche, very interesting. That fixes a real, very real pain or a very real issue. Um, so I'm very happy to welcome you Romeatrius to the podcast.

How are you today? 

Romeatrius: I'm doing well. Thank you so much. 

Jesus Vargas: So why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, who are you, and what do you do? 

Romeatrius: Okay. Uh, well, I'm Dr. Romeatrius Moss and I have had a wonderful life. I had a lot of stuff happening, took some risks and found myself in a situation where I ended up in federal prison. So I went from being a federal employee with the United States air force to serve in time as a federal inmate in federal prison.

And even though this was, I started my sentence in 2020. So October of 2020, so yeah, just had an anniversary. Um, so I went there, um, it, you know, it was an experience for me. Um, you know, life happens, you know, so I got sentenced to two years. Uh, I served five months. Thanks to COVID. Um, and then get people out of there, you know, low, you know, hadn't really have a lot, no priors, you know, model citizens prior to all this chaos that happened in my life.

Um, so I get out and I'm kind of going through the pro... you know, the process of home confinement or how, you know, you can be on halfway house or home confinement. So even understanding what all that meant was so new to me, I didn't know how to navigate that. So I, you know, did a lot of studying, wanted to make sure I did everything right.

Didn't want to make any mistakes. Cause you know, one violation can end you back into the halfway house or you can be sent back to prison, which is something that I did not want to do. I already have four children I was away from for five months, which was long enough. Um, so as I went through. This half [uninteligible].

The halfway house is kind of where you go between prison and going back to your, you know, residents, you know, to your real life. So thankfully I had a home in the city, I was going back to a family there. I was able to be on home confinement. So I went to a house, but you still have to check in. It's very strict.

You can't go anywhere without making sure you submit a pass, you call before you go. You can call. When you get back, there was a lot of restrictions. You can't just stop to get gas. You can't just stop to get some takeout. You know, there's a lot of different, uh, rules and regulations. Um, and it was very, and 

Jesus Vargas: those rules are for everybody that has been in prison and then gets out 

Romeatrius: Yes.

And it may you have a timeframe. So some people may just get three months or six months. For me, it was over a year because I got out so early. I was serving my time at home instead of being in prison. So technically I'm in prison, but in my house, in the comfort of my own, which is better, you know, for me and the mother.

So I rather be, um, you know, with my kids and I can, I can take them to school. I can pick them up. I can go to daycare. I can do stuff like that. Just with a past. I can take them out to the aquariums, the zoo. I could do all this fun stuff with them. Um, so they called this whole process reentry, you know, re-entry back into society, used to think of re-entry like I'm reentering back to prison, reentry back to the society, where you left.

Uh, and there are some, you know, visions for the re-entry, as it was created. It's re re re not you, um, what your family and loved ones and friends. Right? So it's the core, the idea. You getting out and doing things, positive things, and connecting back to your community, but in the midst of COVID. You know, coming back everybody's on restriction, right?

I'm not the only one on house arrest. On confine. The world was on home confinement with me. So I was like, okay. Yeah, I may be stuck here. But a lot of people, you know, in 2000 couldn't leave their house. Really. They weren't going to school. It's a lot of restrictions, you know, globally around the world.

Um, but with the system, uh, with the prison system, you come back, we still have to, you know, have those notifications and submit a lot of paperwork, which means a lot of interaction with the halfway house, which is where your case manager is housed. And so the process that they had, you have, they have a stack of, you know, a little shelf with all these passes and you can pick one up, you can take it, you can fill it out.

You have to your case manager? The, what the issue with my halfway house is that most of the time, those passes were always gone because people wanted to take them for they can use them to go places. So I was like, ah, you know, 

Jesus Vargas: I have a question you were at home. So you were not at the halfway house

Romeatrius: But you have to go there to report to your case manager.

So, yeah, so that like the hub. So we have to go there twice a month. You have to go, you know, take a drug test. You have to go meet with your case worker. Uh, just let them see you put eyes on you. Um, but then there were still restrictions, you know, they have over a hundred, you know, residents there and yeah, so, and it's already how it is, you know, prison populations, um, you know, jail says high risk for COVID.

You can spread it easily. So me being a healthcare provider it's well, like I can just see this as not, the best, you know, they need to make some like, yeah, let's be more efficient. Uh, one of my roles in the military, I was very interested in lean processes and that was, can you make something okay, how can you remove all the crazy makers?

How can you make something more efficient? How can you make things flow better? So, I mean, I didn't miss an opportunity to feel like there is a niche here, there is not a lot of, that I'm aware of, there's not a system there's not an app out there for, uh, prior inmates to use who's fresh out of prison when they end that halfway house and that home confinement rim that will allow them to easily navigate this system, you know, like it's another, so if I want to go take my kids out, I will have to, you know, get a pass.

Go to the halfway house, fill it out, give it to the lady said there are men in the front then wait and see if it gets approved. And, but that's the process. Even getting in the car and moving, you know, going to the halfway house, you may not be centrally located to the halfway house. It may be across town.

It may be up the street, you know? So 

Jesus Vargas: I haven't seen though in the halfway house doesn't have any passes. 

Romeatrius: Uh, well, you can ask your case manager to email you one, that you have to go print it. Okay. Then you have to claim it. Well, that's another headache. 

Jesus Vargas: The whole system is rigged against the people that have been, that are out of prison, now it's so complicated for them to do normal stuff. 

Romeatrius: Yes, it is. It's they make it where it's very difficult, you know? And I know that. Maybe it may be, you know, the people who are behind that says, you know, that's what you get. You need to be there for court. We need to put you into this difficult situation, but 

Jesus Vargas: do you think that's the goal or the, or that's just a process and then some being complicated.

Romeatrius: That's the federal process, usually federal is always slow and difficult and has a lot of burocracy around it. Yeah, I feel like there's an opportunity to make it better, you make it better. And it doesn't matter. These people, you know, they're judged, you know, we are, and I'm one of those people who are just because I have a felon, you know, behind me now, but at the same time, the whole re-entry mindset and vision is to connect you with your family, make opportunities for you to do stuff.

And so let's make that opportunity to do stuff. Let's make it easy for them, make it where it's not a headache. You know? So my first month living with this was crazy. I would get nervous if I didn't call in like, oh, they gonna come get me, pick me up that I'm going back. You know, I'm this opportunity with my kids.

I can't, you know, take them to the crane, cause I don't have a pass. I don't feel like going to the halfway house just to get a pass, you know? Um, because, um, It's not the best place to be. You know, it's not inviting, you know, some ears, some 

Jesus Vargas: It's an environment that is not good for anyone. 

Romeatrius: I asked you that you were still an inmate, you know?

Um, and then we know they want to, uh, Make you move forward, but at the same, hold you back at the same time. They want you to all go up there and be the new version of yourself, but yet let me hold you down. So I try to avoid it as much as I could. And plus the COVID plus I, like I mentioned, it's the height it's, uh, you know, for people carrying this cause they all, they all talk with each other.

They all, they sharing rooms, that sharing spaces. So it's a, it's a risk for me to go there because I could be infected. So I thought of a plan, you know, I just started writing my specifications. Like if I could create something, what would it look like? What would it do? Um, how can this help me in the short term and later help others?

Um, because I wanted something that could be used now I started searching like, it's this app already done, you know, have somebody already created this because it's needs to be it's needs to be great. You know, right now with COVID going on. Especially for COVID. Um, there's nothing like it on the market, nothing. And that could be because people don't want to, you know, again, there's a stigma around people, prisoners, felons, you know, that I want to create a tool for us or they haven't thought about that, you know?

But, uh, I feel like there's, again, that's an opportunity for me, you know, 

Jesus Vargas: Yes because how many, how many people 

get out of jail every year in the states? 

Uh, almost 

Romeatrius: 200,000, you know, it's a in rotation constantly one get out. I go in, you know, it's always. And that's just federal, you know, you think of our state, the local, you know, so 

Jesus Vargas: Local also have a halfway house and the pass and all that?

Romeatrius: Yes. Yeah. So the federal, the state and federal kind of like on the same. Uh, local, they may put you on a hat, like a house arrest type thing, but it's a little different, you know, I've learned, I'm learning because I'm trying to research and study for this app that, uh, you know, federal inmates have a little bit priority overstate because the funding is there.

There's more money in federal and state funding. So, um, even when you, you know, if you have two inmates, that's one federal, one, one's a state, the federal gets, they own room. You know, they get, like, they gotta separate them a little bit. Um, but at the same time, you know, There is a need. There's a need there.

And so, 

Jesus Vargas: So you were doing the research, and there, you didn't find anything. 

Romeatrius: No, that didn't make it because this is not a federal, like, I didn't want it to be like a federal program. You know, this is something like an assistant, you know, this is for somebody who want an assistant app to help them process their passes. You know, and it's in the reminders and help them organize their, cause my first two weeks in, my case manager told me I needed to submit all my passes for the next two weeks.

And I'm like, wow, that's a lot to submit, you know, what am I going to do? So now I've got to lay out my calendar and playing while I want to do what I want to, you know, if I'm going to go to Walmart this day, I'm going to the bank that day. You know, if I'm going to pick up my kids, take them out to the aquariums or the zoos, you know?

Then I may turn it all and then forget to make copies, forget to write it down. And I don't know, like what would I say I'm going to do? I don't know that I don't do any 

Jesus Vargas: Are they that strict or, or that's just like the rules and then on the real life, it's not that complicated? 

Romeatrius: Yeah, that was the rules at the time. And I feel like, COVID made it, where they were limiting our access there as well, because you understand the risk of us being there and exposed for exposure purposes. But then again, like how can you remember 10 things you want to do in a week?

I can't remember what I'm doing tomorrow. Some people just memory, you know? And so, um, then I would not do things I said I was going to do. Cause I forgot I was going to do.

And then please call us to cancel the passes if you dont wanna do them, and then everything threatened with the, you could go, you could violate the... , you know, so it was driving me crazy. And so I felt like I needed to do something that will allow me to submit my passes, even the go to church, you know, I had to submit passes.

And then I have to put it on my calendar and then send myself a task reminder. So I can remember, I have this plan on my calendar to go, you know, I'll just be brilliant if I could do that. And I can, you know, help me as an organized professional. They could probably help others who may not be as organized, you know, they help keep track of stuff in at least the purpose of the keeping track of stuff, you know?

And so, um, I did the specifications, um, my dream board, you know, everything I want it to be and have, and they had all the bells and whistles I incorporated. Do you know, a fitness log and going to the gym and workout routines, you know, cause one thing, and then they, um, they were really easy with this. You can work out three days a week.

They wouldn't fight you on that. You know, even though like five days a week, you know, by the I'll take another day at the gym, I'll take it. You know? So I wanted to make sure health was a component in this app and then.

Jesus Vargas: So you did your wish list with everything that you wanted, and then actually you started like you actually build or rebuild the past [uninteligible]. That was like the first time after the wishlist. 

Romeatrius: Yeah. So I did a prototype. So, um, because I am, I have a little skill, but not like you Jesus. Like you got, you got skills. You are the boy you're like very organized.

But I, I decided I could do like a splash board. Let me just see I'm a visual person. I wanted to see it. And then a company will come into fruition. So I started working on mock-ups and doing screens and just making sure I, I wanted the flow and I wanted to be, then I did my ma I'm a marketing person. I'm a healthcare person.

But then also my dream was marketing. I have a marketing agency, so. Oh, yeah. So I was like, let me do marketing for them. Let me see how I look, you know, and then, um, that's when, 

Jesus Vargas: how do you do the mock-ups of the wireframes? Do you use software or do you need them in paper? 

Romeatrius: Yes. Well, at first I did them on paper. And then I got a developer and we started working on just the screen, and the marketing stuff I did myself. Like I created the logo by myself. I did all the video work, all that little animation, you know, seeing it with the, with the music, you know, all the cute things I showed you that I had. And now I have my brochures. I have my presentation, my PowerPoints to, you know, the kind of promote it to other ha um, halfway houses in the future.

Jesus Vargas: Um, because the client, is the client the end user, or the client that halfway house, or the client the federal government that you could implement there 

Romeatrius: um, I will say the client is the halfway house I would like 

Jesus Vargas: And those, they have federal funds. Right? So each, each halfway house can decide how they spend them on?

Romeatrius: They can spend, or they can say, oh, they can make it available for the clients just to purchase on their. You know, just promote it. So for me, I would like for them in my head to have it like a poster, you know, you can use this app, it will be, you know, a fee, you know, per use. Um, and I already talked to like how I want to structure the pay or make it free up until so many submissions.

And then they, you know, so I'm still working on that, um, layout right now, but I would love for it to, you know, the goal will be to have a federal contract. You know, because we know how many houses they may get funding, but they're not, they're limited in their funds, you know? And, um, or, well, it could be a resource, but they will, they pay for it, you know, will they want this luxury, you know, app, because to me, when I first created it, it was for a certain clientele, but they might not appreciate the app.

You know, this app will be for busy mamas, like me. Okay. Yeah. You know, or, or women or men who want to be more organized and they have stuff they're doing, you know, like you haven't, you know, you have keys, you have other things that you were planning, you know? So everybody may not know.

Jesus Vargas: It's interesting because when people make apps or they get apps fields, they're like, everybody can be my user. Right. Everybody's my client. And you're saying not everybody's from 500,000 people that come out of jail every year. Uh, only these, these, these, [uninteligible]. Busy mothers, uh, professionals. And how do you end up figuring out who's your ideal client? Is that because you feel you are a part of that, um, niche, or did you do a little bit of marketing researchers but with other people?

Romeatrius: Well, I kind of having the feel of being with those ladies and being in that, you know, being part of that new population now, and I could kind of do my own little like, Hey, do you think you'll use this?

Is this something that you can find useful? And, you know, Let's say I'm a 40 year old woman, you know, I have. And so versus somebody who's fresh out. Cause most of the population that sadly enters into this prison system may be young, no children, you know, they may not be focused, you know, and they may be an opportunity that they, they may miss.

They may go back in and they, so they may not have it together all yet. You know? So sadly because of the, the community that you come from, Um, a lot of the, you know, the stigmas that does out there are trapping a lot of our young inner city youth in our meal, you know, women with the drug and all. So for me, going in, um, not really meeting that stereotype, you know, a white collar criminal, um, you know, I think there's a little, I'm a little bit.

You know, like I'm not going back in, you know, I, you know, I took the risk, um, or a part of a risk and, uh, took responsibility for that. And now moving on. And so I feel like that, my clientele, the perfect clientele would be people who are 100% ready to move forward. They're ready to reentry. They want, they have it.

They're making plans. Positive planning there. They're engaging with their families. They're with their communities. They're trying to do stuff. They're making a difference. You know, they want to go on and be advocates. Um, and I know it's not for everybody, but in the mint, I guess the least. I guess it will be useful, just be an organization away.

And then they may not get that much. Like for people who don't have a lot of time on the halfway house too, you know, it just will be used for three months. But have a majority of people. If it's six months or more, this could be, this could be a useful app. You know, you can organize, you can have it in your system.

You can plan with it. But, uh, Yeah, that's what I feel is my clientele. Now I would love everybody to use it, but to be real, you know, I have to say. 

Jesus Vargas: And just to give our listeners and our viewers, uh, a better idea of what are we talking about because you and I know what the app and they don't, so, or maybe why don't you explain what the, 

okay.

Romeatrius: Okay. So the app is called uHome and that just kind of stuck with me because you're finally home, you know, and we need to keep you home. And this app can help you organize yourself while you're at home. So simply just you then home. And then what the app does. It allows you to submit your passes and that's a special passes that you have to submit when you under the halfway house or a home confinement, and then your church passes, you can submit your gas receipts all at the touch of your phone, is right here.

And then, um, the beautiful thing about it is that, with the app and the hope is focused that you guys do in the backend, that is submits the PDF forms exactly to the halfway house. As if I was there. I can sign it digitally. I can submit my time, my dates and location. And it's just beautiful. I'm so happy with it.

I've been using it, testing it out and for the last month or so, trying to make sure that it flows. It works before I submit it and push it out to mainstream. Um, yeah, I've showed it to my case manager, and she was really impressed with it. She was like, whoa, this is, you can see, but she's kind of new. So she didn't really know, like, this is new.

She, you know, she kinda assumed that it was some already out there. And I was like, no, this is actually something that I helped put together as in my vision, you know? Um, and so it it's just, uh, uh, to me it's been very helpful. I can submit my, I can really organize myself. I can put it on my Google calendar.

So now I get notified, um, before, um, you know, an event is happening for all my submissions, which is beautiful. And then I can go back and look and see what I submitted. So it saves it. Oh, I forgot, also does the monthly budgets. So when you're in the halfway house or, you know, home can find me, you have to submit monthly budgets, you have to submit phone bills and all that stuff.

So.

Jesus Vargas: If you don't they supposedly will pick you up and throw you back in jail. 

Romeatrius: Throw you back in jail, yes. They will submit, you, first step is that you lose privileges if you don't submit this stuff. 

Jesus Vargas: Do you get like a warning?

Romeatrius: I think they may warn you, it depends on how they feel. You never know, you know, people, some case managers that are strict, some that are not some are realistic and they understand, and they give you warnings, but I've heard.

You know, I have, I have a good one, you know, my, she's cool, but yeah. 

Jesus Vargas: And you get your case manager and she, or he's with you, the whole process till the end?

Romeatrius: Well, they could switch out. I have a new one. They I believe the funding is short, they get they're short-staffed and there's a lot they have to deal with, you know, so for me, it's easier then to deal with someone who's submitting the app.

You know, versus somebody who's constantly coming up there to submit stuff and then exposing you every time they come up there. You know? So I think that it makes sense for me. I don't have to see, unless it's a mandatory every two weeks when I have to come up there to do my drug test. But, um, but, um, I can just use my phone and just submit directly to her.

And then she gets the, in her email, I get CC'd on it. So I confirmed that it went through. I can go back and look at it and like, you know, just be, I like to go back and look at the PDF just to make sure I submitted and everything was correct. Um, and just be an awe that it's such a beautiful app, that it submitted everything I wanted.

And then not only does it submit to the case manager. But it does like this cute little intro. You don't have to keep writing, you know, how you have to write G you know, email out. This is what I'm going. It automatically does that for you with my inmate number and my name and location I want to go to, so she can easily find me in a Google search, you know, because their stuff, they have a lot of people emailing them, you know?

So I'm trying to be considerate from their standpoint of how can I stand out? How can they get my, my pass and printed and make sure that it's ready to go and approved. So I'm keeping all that in mind. Now the ultimate goal for this app is to make it where it's a user, where it has an admin function for the halfway house side, because I see a huge opportunity, like right in there, what they're doing is chaos like a big binder and they have to keep track of all the inmates, right?

All the people who are in their house. And every time they go somewhere, they have. Write it down, manually write this stuff down and then they have, you know, it's just a chaos, you know, crazy maker. And I'm like, I can fix this. We can make 

Jesus Vargas: even though you're sending the email or the app is sending the email, they're printing that for the halfway house and then it gets to your file.

Romeatrius: Yeah. 

So what, what if we can have it where it goes inside a system where they can see that I have somewhere I'm going and they can click with a click of a button, they can approve it, or they could know when I check in and check out and click it. And there's a space to help improve that area as well.

But that's way down the line. Um, but I feel like I'm ready. I feel like this is a start with the uHome app and we can build on it, you know, once we can get this in the hands of a few thousand people and make a success of it and then kind of branch off, or maybe do a contract with the government, you know, do a contract with a private organization, just a lot of private organizations.

I trust that way from the government. You know, I like, I like private organizations. I like private citizens. Right now, you know, this work with the private people, you know? Um, but I feel like this is needed. This is definitely needed. And I think it's an opportunity for us. And definitely for me, I'm on a, I'm on home confinement for a year.

So I have, you know, a lot of time to use this app. So that's why I wanted to make sure I did something that... a few, a few months, I will never really put the energy and the money into the, you know, to this thing. But I did also, uh, submit a patent for it as well. The, and the trademark. Yes. Because I understand that the patent, um, you know, so they'd never been done before.

Let me just make sure I have some stake in it, you know, as a visionary for this idea. And then the trademarks were to protect the brand of uHome. And, you know, people are, they can kind of see something like, oh, I should've thought of that. [uninteligible] just, you know, just take over, so. 

Jesus Vargas: Yeah, right now we have a client that we built an app for them at the beginning of the year.

And they have just that problem with the brand. They had to change all the branding, their domain, their logo. So yeah, things that you wouldn't think about, then, they become a pain in the ass.

Romeatrius: Yes. Yes. And that's why I really, I, I submitted all that stuff before the app was done, because I wanted to make sure this is something that I'm going to work, you know, for, for years to come, you know, and I'm a, now I'm just going to add a piece of, you know, I want to make sure I can, um, speak on it. Be a voice of reason, you know, help with lean processes like this, you know, moving forward, so.

Jesus Vargas: Is the next step getting a lot of users in the app or the next step is getting an organization, either a halfway house or a private organization that takes over and, uh, shares these with their audience or their users. 

Romeatrius: That's a good question. Cause I feel like I'm open to either, you know, I'm open to white labeling the app.

 For our organization. But I do love the name so much. I love the logo. I feel like it should be uHome across the board, but if there's a realization that wants to put their name on it and pay a fee for that, go ahead. You know, I would send it, um, but I would love to get more users to test it out, uh, because I'm just testing it, you know?

Uh, in my station.

Jesus Vargas: So right now only you are sing the app.

Romeatrius: Only me, only me right now. November was my month to really kind of get other people to use it, you know, kind of see, um, because I wanted, you know, there were some glitches, you know, we always gotta make sure we get the glitches out. Like anything you do, you know, in business, let's call a product that you launch an invention, you know, you want to kind of test it for myself.

Uh, and once I'm happy with it. Okay. Now I know I said November, let's go ahead and try to push it out of already got all the halfway houses in my, you know, email. I already have my marketing stuff completed. I just got to push a button and submit it. You know? So I'm in the phase of, for November is to start.

Seeing if there's interest in setting up demos and try to show people the app and see what they think, you know, how to feel, and, um, if you're interested in working with me to, uh, as the app, as it is now working with the app, or I will do something to further develop it. So investors, you know, because I felt like I didn't want to add investors early because I need to make sure I can make this real, and then I feel like it's real, you know, then I could probably get people to say, okay, now you want to see it at the next level, because to me it's already at a high level, you know, you get, you did a great job with it. And I feel like, uh, your organization really help people visualize their dreams, you know, without breaking the bank, you know, without breaking the bank because, you know, I got a lot of quotes.

I, you know how I am. I'm like I was here, I got 18 quotes. I want to make sure, you know, I need to make sure I get the best deal. 

Jesus Vargas: Why did you choose us? 

Romeatrius: Well, because I liked the concept. Uh, I was on Instagram one day, just browsing. Then I saw something about no code app, you know, how Google reads our minds, right. So I think I was thinking about it, and then it just popped up and I was like, I've never heard of this. Let me, just thinking about just apps and you want to be on Google store or you want to just be out there to be authentic. But for me and my users. Google play mate, Google play an apple store may be a hindrance because I didn't want this.

I want it to be like where I can get on my computer and do a pass, or I can go on my phone and do a pass. And because of that, that desktop function, you can't get that with a lot of apps, you can't get the desktop function. So I really was intrigued by the desktop functionality. And I liked the fact that I don't have to submit the application and beg the Google gods and the apple gods for permission to put my app on there and then the cost factor, right.

I'm saving 80% on what it would've cost. And that's where money that I could put in my pocket. You're right. You know, or the restitution that I owe, uh, you know, stuff like, why would I. Hey, all that money when I can get something that I need and it works and it's easy and my clients can easily get to it.

The only thing is, is protect the unit, right? Because I was like, oh, what if someone shares this link with everybody? And then I have X, but then you can still do some control. We talked about how you control measures in place. So there's always, you know. 

Jesus Vargas: What do you think were the trade-offs of getting an app field with no code or low code, compared to let's say traditional development.

What do you miss? 

What are the negative trade-offs? 

Romeatrius: The negative of using low code. 

Jesus Vargas: The positive ones are that you've got it for cheaper and faster. At least that's what I tell everybody. The negative ones? 

Romeatrius: Sometimes I, like I said, some people don't feel like your app is real, unless you can see it in the play store or the apple store.

So I feel like, or can you call it an app? It's not in the, it's not in the Google store. So I think we need to break the barrier, right? Oh, that stigma of low code apps, you know, your no code apps as being apps, they're still apps. It's an application, you know. 

Jesus Vargas: You still have them on your home screen on your phone, you can install it.

Romeatrius: Yes, yes. And, and, and to me, um, it just, some people just want that, you know, they'll pay $10,000 more just to have that, you know, and I just feel that it's innecessary. It's not necessary, but the people like that more, you know, and they they're a little to just throw money away, you know? So, and the other thing, I feel like that.

Hm. I don't know. That's the only thing I can say is maybe the negative of not seeing the Google play store or the apple store, because everything else I'm happy with because I don't need my app to be, um, Hmm. Oh, well, one negative is that the pay options, sometimes when you're trying to set up a subscription, you know, I know there was some, there was something, you know, where it's not as clean and clear as that.

Traditional app. Um, but, um, you know, but you can work it out, you know, do a second little stage and we say, let's set up where people can pay a $4 a month for the app, 3.99, you know, we can do that. It just has to be incorporated. Um, or I think making sure you know, what you want upfront, you know, in the beginning and, and, you know, I know like I did this with you.

I was like, oh, I thought I was getting at, I didn't get, you know, I had to pay the extra innovator I had, this, the texting part. Um, I know that was kind of an issue too, because you have to sometimes maybe pay for that subscription outside. And I'm not sure if this is the same thing with the code apps that you still have to pay.

The monthly subscription or is it all included because that's why you pay that big amount of money is that maybe this is something that is already built in. So I don't have to worry about an annual subscription to have a certain function within my app. Um, but I don't really have that much experience with apps, like. 

I'm not, I'm not sure if that's needed.

Jesus Vargas: I think it is needed in any type of app, either code, no code. Yeah. 

Romeatrius: Yeah. But I don't know. I just, I'm very happy with the work you guys did. And I think we did it within how many weeks? 

Jesus Vargas: Three or four.

Romeatrius: Yeah I think we did it. 

Jesus Vargas: It was a fast app, yeah.

Romeatrius: It was fast. Um, and that was after someone told me that you couldn't do it in a no lo no code. You know, like what you want, you can't do, you have to have it in the code app, but you got to do it, you know? So I like, I feel like when I met with you and did my consultation, I felt like you was like, I got this.

Like, you knew you could do it. Other people, like, I don't feel like I could do it. And they were like, ah, you know, all that was for the... So I had a meetings with people who were the no code apps and people with the coding apps. Right. And then, uh, by this felt like the people with the code, I can do it, but it going to cost you your house payment, you know, it would cost you half of your house, you know, got a, mortgage your house, you know?

Um, so yeah, I just wasn't in a position, especially when coming out of prison and, uh, trying to get back on your, you know, trying to get back into the swing of things. I didn't have a lot of them. I couldn't spend, I'm willing to take that money out my family's mouth, you know, take a chance. You know, I feel like we talk about, 

Jesus Vargas: Exactly especially now that it's for you, you're testing, you don't have a lot of users.

You can't spend tens of thousands of dollars and that's a little bit in your pockets. 

Romeatrius: I feel like it was reasonable for me to pay what I pay. And, uh, the family didn't go hungry or anything like that. You know, we were able to function and, um, and I was able to get what I needed from it. And they're excited to see you.

We know what this can, they, they invested in me, this was an investment, you know? And so I visited myself to, now I can take it out there and then see what the world thinks about it. So yeah, it's, it's definitely a need. I feel like. People once they see the functionality of it and they, in this situation it's so, so niche, it's such a niche, right?

Because everybody won't need the app, only people who are coming out of prison.

Even though it's a lot, but at the same time, it's not what you see everybody going to be downloading it, you know, like they don't have to download because it's not a code app. Right. But, um, but I just think that it's something that's needed and I feel like, it was something that, somebody needed to take a chance on us.

So I took a chance on me and my new population, my new community that I have now. Um, and I'm going to be the person who could make maybe streamline a lot of stuff. The same thing. Yeah. 

Jesus Vargas: And then, I mean, you're saving hours per week. If you compare. My last question was, uh, these app probably saves you a lot of time. If we, because these app is for busy, mothers, or parents for people in general, uh, it saves you time because you don't have now to go to the halfway house and do a lot of things. And every time you have, or you want it to go out, you would have to go over there, do the paperwork. It's a very useful app that has a very clear value for the end user, probably because right now, something that, I mean, when we think of your phone or your computer, you have so many apps, so many options, and we, all apps are competing for the attention potential of the user, but these apps saves you so much time and so much hassle, any bad experience probably in going and having to go to the halfway house that provides a lot of value for the end users. Uh, so, and that's why I think that's why I love your app very much because the more niche the app is, the more valuable it is for, for those users.

Of course, it's not for everybody. And I think that's the main goal. I mean, it's hard to build an Uber, right? They spend millions of dollars a year developing their software. But going that niche, very niche is a very good idea. So when people ask me, what should I do, what should my ad be about? I always tell them, do something very specific that that solves a pain that you have.

That's like a hard thing, right? Your case, time, saving you from bad experience from moving throughout the whole city to go to a halfway house. So it's very, very unique, very valuable. And that value is where eventually investors or your clients, either consumers or organizations will. I'm sure they were jumping to be part of this.

Romeatrius: Yes. I love it. I feel like, and I'm hard to say or anything, and for me, when I look at the app, when I'm, when I, and the best thing about it, like I say, it's an organization part. You know, I need to know where I'm going and what I submitted for. I need to see it on my calendar and it's eased me, just my kid want to go skating this weekend?

Okay. Let me pull out my phone. Let me go ahead and stick it in there. You know, and as long as I'm meeting the rules and regulations of the halfway house and my timeframes and all that, you know, it gets approved. Just gotta submit it. So, and that's, and that's, that's the barrier. Most people don't want to submit because there's a barrier to submit. 

But if you move that barrier, you can have more people doing things with their family members and with their friends. And to get them back into society the way they should be. So I feel like I'm fully integrated back in society. Um, and it's only been, I started November. I came back the end of April, you know, so I'm back and I'm organized and, um, I'm here for my family.

So that's what I think this app is helping bring families together. And that's the basis around the whole uHome. And the whole mission of the app is to keep families connected. 

Jesus Vargas: That's a great mission. What's the URL. Where can people find more about the app?

Romeatrius: Uh, uhomereentry.com, where u home re-entry so it's R E E N T R Y .com is where you can learn more about, uh, the mission of the uHome, what we stand for, what, what my vision is, but I want to do for more people, uh, who are coming home from prison, I feel like there's an opportunity too, for me to use my skills and marketing, to help, uh, people with whatever they need help with from a business consultant to train them how to do flyers. I don't know. Just anything you need can do it together, you know? And then the, um, the main part is also connecting with the uHome app. I have a, I'm on Instagram, on Facebook. I'm on Twitter. So, um, yeah, I'm trying to get out there 

Jesus Vargas: Everywhere. That's good, that's great. Romeatrius thank you so much for joining us.

Romeatrius: Thank you for having me. 

Jesus Vargas: Absolutely 

Romeatrius: Have a good day.

‍