DEV Community: Esther Maria

The 90-Minute Shopping Trip That Sparked an Innovation

Esther Maria — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 15:28:12 +0000

We all know the feeling. It's 7 PM, the kids are asleep, and you finally have a moment to yourself. But that one simple task—buying a pair of school shoes online—turns into an exhausting 90-minute digital scavenger hunt.

You open Shop A, search for shoes, then switch to Shop B to compare prices. You find a great deal on an Instagram boutique but can’t find any reliable reviews. Your phone battery is at 3%, and you’re no closer to a decision.

This isn't a minor inconvenience; it's a profound friction point in our daily lives. This is the exact moment that inspired us to create Soomoja.

We believe online shopping should be seamless, not a source of stress. Soomoja is designed to be the single solution to this fragmented problem, bringing together Kenya's e-commerce landscape into one powerful, intuitive platform.

In this short video, we'll show you exactly how Soomoja transforms the shopping experience:

See how we aggregate prices from all major retailers and verified local boutiques, instantly showing you the "Best Value" option.

Get a first look at our aggregated review system with "Trusted Buyer" badges, so you can shop with confidence.

Discover how we streamline checkout to just a few taps, saving you precious time and battery life.

We're not just building a product; we're building a solution based on real user struggles.

This is your chance to help us get it right. Your professional insights are invaluable in shaping a platform that truly serves our community.

Please watch our video and tell us what you think.

👉 Watch the Soomoja Explainer Video: uhttps://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAcBmT5Ui2ezGLtgV0drl

Afterward, take a moment to contribute your feedback in our brief survey and join our waitlist for a chance at early access!

📝 Share Your Insights: uhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUiozI1vnHOb-8cPTTSrsrKaBtcEWnI66XeBxP23yLjLdfgg/viewform?usp=headerrl

🚀 Join the Waitlist: uhttps://soomoja.com/rl

Thank you for helping us shape the future of e-commerce in Kenya.

Soomoja #ECommerceInnovation #SmartShopping #FutureOfRetail #DigitalTransformation #KenyaBusiness #ConsumerTech #MarketResearch #ProductManagement

Bridging Digital and Physical Retail.

Esther Maria — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 18:57:41 +0000

We didn't set out to build just another shopping app. We set out to solve a feeling, one that lives in both the digital checkout and the dusty aisle of your local market.

At Soomoja, we're reimagining retail for the everyday Kenyan. Whether you're tapping through your phone or walking through a shop, the experience should feel the same: smooth, simple and trustworthy.

We believe in hybrid convenience. That means:

Online: Seamless interfaces, smart comparisons and real-time updates. No more clunky checkouts or review anxiety.
Offline: Reliable pickups, verified vendors and a community-first approach that honors the hustle of local sellers.

This isn't just software. It's a system built on transparency, feedback and shared wins. Every feature we design is shaped by real stories, from silent savers to vocal skeptics. Because smart living isn't solo, it's shared.

So, whether you're a shopper, a seller or a curious collaborator, we invite you to help shape the future of retail. One that blends the best of both worlds.

Join us at soomoja.com
Send us an email at info.soomoja@gmail.com

From Friction to Flow: Building Soomoja

Esther Maria — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 13:26:35 +0000

We set out to solve a feeling-one we know all too well. The friction of clunky checkouts, the chaos of mismatched interfaces, the disconnect about consumer needs and platform design.

Soomoja was born from that friction. And today, we're laying each brick of our pre-MVP phase with a clear ambition: to make shopping feel simple, effortless and smooth-not someday, but from Day One.

This image marks one of our many small milestones. Behind it lies hours of sketching, debating and refining. Real feedback from real users. Tiny wins and inevitable setbacks. It's gritty, not glamorous-but it's ours.

We're not just building software. We're building trust. Transparency. A community of early adopters who shape the product with us.

If you've ever built something from scratch, you know, the MVP isn't the magic. The making of it is.

PreMVPJourney

StartupLife

SoomojaStory

ProductDesign

BuildingInPublic

DigitalExperience

ShoppingSimplified

The Comment Section is Alive and It's Smarter Than Ever!

Esther Maria — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:00:31 +0000

We live in an era where scrolling is silent, and connection is fleeting. But at Soomoja, we believe in something different. We believe comments are conversations waiting to happen. We believe likes should be followed by questions. We believe smart living grows from honest, messy, joyful dialogue.

That's why we're taking a bold step forward.

We're not just posting content, we're posting invites. Invites to share your shopping wins. Your budgeting struggles. Your secret hacks. Even your wild Wishlist items.

Our social media isn't an announcement board. It's a living room.

We welcome your thoughts. Your questions. Your emojis. Because when feedback flows, innovation grows.

Soomoja is powered by AI, yes, but more importantly, it's inspired by you. Every comment shapes our future. Every reaction guides our next post. Every interaction helps us build smarter lives, not alone, but together.

Ready to speak up? The mic's yours.

SoomojaSpeaks #OpenInteraction #SmartCommunity #ShoppingMadeHuman #DigitalDialogue

Soomoja Understands You!

Esther Maria — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 16:50:51 +0000

Remember Grace...Instead of scrolling endlessly, she signed up, set her wish list and watched as her items were tracked across stores. Price drop alert? She got it. Restock notification? Right on time.
Soomoja didn't ask 'What do you want to buy?' It asked 'How do you live?'
With smart comparisons, curated recommendations and a shopping assistant built for chaotic lives, Grace got something better than convenience. She got time.
For Grace, it wasn't just about coins, it was about not feeling behind. Soomoja became a quiet partner in her week. Instead of spending Saturday morning scrolling through ten apps, she spent it walking with her daughter. That little yellow toy she needed? Soomoja found it. At the right price. With two taps.

It feels like the app knows me. Like it's not just selling, it's supporting me

Grace is a case study in what modern tools should do- respect your schedule, not rewrite it. Soomoja was built for everyday chaos and its mission is simple: Give you back the seconds, minutes, hours...you didn't even realize you were losing.

You're not shopping, you're solving. Want your items tracked? Deals compared? Notifications that feel intuitive? Soomoja is more than a tool, it's your co-pilot in making decisions faster, smarter and more joyfully

Join the platform built for brains, budgets and busy people.

🔗 Visit soomoja.com 📧 Write to us: info.soomoja@gmail.com 📱 Follow @soomoja_ke on socials 🧠 Because smart shopping shouldn’t feel like a chore.

[Boost]

Esther Maria — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:33:52 +0000

How One Busy Mom Found a Smarter Way to Shop

Esther Maria for Soomoja Ai ・ Jul 28

#ai #discuss #startup #marketing

How One Busy Mom Found a Smarter Way to Shop

Esther Maria — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 18:33:08 +0000

A Story That Feels Familiar
Grace is no stranger to the juggle. She's a business strategist by day, a storyteller by night and the glue that holds her family's ambitions together. Every box on her weekly planner fights for attention-work, school, exercise, goals and somewhere down the line: shopping.

She's not alone. Millions of multitaskers lose precious time to decision fatigue, price hunting, app-hopping and let's be honest, straight-up forgetting that the *deal ends today! *

But what if smart shopping didn't ask for more time? What if it saved it?

Grace's planner is organized, but her life? Not so much. One day she missed a birthday sale. Another day, she couldn't recall where she saw the perfect school bag. The friction wasn't the buying-it was the tracking.

Shopping has become a side hustle. And in the age of instant everything, Grace didn't want more tabs. She wanted trust.

Enter Soomoja, a unified shopping platform built not just for buyers, but for thinkers, jugglers and planners.

Follow for more updates about Soomoja in our subsequent posts!

[Boost]

Esther Maria — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 20:44:34 +0000

Building Soomoja!

Esther Maria for Soomoja Ai ・ Jul 16

#ai #startup #beginners #discuss

Building Soomoja!

Esther Maria — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 20:42:50 +0000

When we began dreaming about Soomoja, we asked a simple but powerful question:

What if shopping felt more intentional? More intuitive? More human?

Most marketplaces are built around products. We wanted to build around people.

Soomoja learns your patterns, tracks prices for you, and recommends products you'll actually love—without the noise.

Our MVP is near. But our mission is long-term: to create a space where shopping feels personal again.

Ready to join the waitlist? Visit [https://soomoja.com/]

We’d love to hear what frustrates you most about online shopping. Reply below or DM us at [info.soomoja@gmail.com]