The Wolf Project - Reworking a Real-World Project

Zachary Sturman — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:06:25 +0000

A few weeks ago I watched a Dodo video about The Wolf Project that stayed with me more than I expected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMf8mlxO4sk

After that, I tried to find more information about what I had just watched. When I googled ‘the wolf project’ there was obviously a lot of options so I went to their Instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/_wolf_project/

I sent a message, Megan responded, and she made it clear that help on the site itself would actually be useful. That became the starting point.

Where the Project Started

The existing site did what it needed to do at a basic level. It explained the mission, shared stories, and gave people a way to engage.

The site had everything it needed for the moment, but it was missing the actual layers Megan was wanting like the ability to have specific animal stories showcased, specific dollar amount shown per case plus blogs and an application process for others to get on board.

What I’ve Been Working On

The current version is built with Next.js and uses Firebase for authentication and data, with Cloudinary handling image storage.

Cases, blog posts, and site-wide content are stored in Firestore, which means updates are persisted and reflected immediately on the site. This is building the first parts of the real system Megan is looking for.

That change shifts how the project can be used.

Structured data for cases, blog posts, and shared site content
Image uploads that don’t rely on local assets
Seeded demo data so the site is usable without setup

There’s still work to do, especially around polish and edge cases, but the foundation is in a much better place than it was.

Current State

The dev version of the site is live here:

https://the-wolf-project-14stqkkgr-zsturmans-projects.vercel.app

The original site is still available here:

https://yourdogcanstay.com

It’s still a work in progress. There are areas that need refinement, and some features that haven’t been fully implemented yet. But it’s at a point where it’s usable and where feedback is actually helpful.

If you’ve seen the story or care about the space this project is working in, there’s room to contribute, whether that’s through feedback, design suggestions, or development.

What Comes Next

There are a few areas I’m focused on next:

Tightening up editing and data validation
Improving how donation data is handled and displayed
Cleaning up remaining assumptions around static content
Making sure the system is stable enough for real usage

The goal is to make sure the site can actually support the work it’s tied to, without becoming something that needs constant technical maintenance.

How’s My Eating?

Zachary Sturman — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 06:17:16 +0000

“Breathe”
"The food’s not going anywhere."
"Are you in a race?"

I eat too fast. It’s something that’s been an issue in my life for as long as I can remember. I always finish my food way faster than the people around me.

Sitting in front of the TV, barely chewing my food, and missing the moment when my body tries to tell me I’m full—binge eating can be a challenging habit to break, mostly because it’s really, really hard for me to pull my concentration away from the act of eating to the act of self-control.

There are a lot of benefits of slowing down:

Mindful eating habits lead to healthier food choices
Avoiding overeating by listening to your body
Quality of life increases when you actually taste what you're eating

I’ve tried a lot of different ways to slow down my eating like matching my bite pace with someone who eats slower and counting my chews.

These strategies have their downsides, such as:

Distraction from social interactions
Not allowing yourself to enjoy the flavors
And it's just hard to maintain long enough to build habits

"There's an app for that"

“How’s My Eating?” is an app designed to provide real-time notifications about your eating habits. Specifically, the app would monitor your eating pace or chew count and alert you if you’re eating too fast. This could lead to:

Healthier eating habits
Better digestion
More enjoyment of food

How to Make It?

To achieve this, I decided to focus on kinetic data—movements and patterns captured by devices like AirPods. This method is less intrusive and more feasible for users who value privacy.

I’m excited to continue developing “How’s My Eating?” and share my progress with you. This is the first post I’ve made in this format, so I hope it came across well. I plan to develop a schedule to keep these updates coming, but for now, let’s aim for one post a week.