TimeSync: A Musician-Turned-Coder’s Solution to Busy Schedules

In a world where every second counts, managing meetings and appointments can feel like a never-ending game of phone tag or email tennis. Su, a former musician with a knack for problem-solving, decided it was time for a change—not just in his career but also in how people schedule meetings.

Enter TimeSync: a simple yet powerful web application designed to eliminate the headaches of scheduling. Inspired by tools like Calendly, TimeSync makes finding the perfect meeting slot as easy as a few clicks. 

This is Su’s journey of building his project during his time at Sigma School, the challenges he faced, and the invaluable lessons he learned.

Watch the full YouTube video of his project here: 

Su’s Background

Su’s story began in a completely different field—music. As a former musician, he spent years perfecting melodies and rhythms. But beneath his love for music lay a curiosity for technology and a desire to solve real-world problems.

When Su joined Sigma School, he was new to the world of coding. Through the school’s structured curriculum, he mastered the fundamentals of programming—HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and advanced tools like React JS, Redux, Firebase, and more. 

Combining his creative problem-solving skills from his music days with his newfound tech knowledge, Su embarked on building TimeSync, a tool he envisioned to simplify scheduling.

The Problem: Making Time for What Matters

Let’s face it: Everyone’s schedules are packed these days. Time is a valuable resource, and finding a convenient slot to meet often requires long email threads or phone calls. 

Su identified this pain point and set out to create a solution that would:

• Reduce the back-and-forth in scheduling meetings.
• Ensure clients could easily see and book available slots.
• Save everyone precious time.

TimeSync achieves this by connecting the user’s availability with their client’s convenience. Set your availability, share the link, and let the app handle the rest. No more endless emails or scheduling stress.

Overcoming Challenges: The Roadblocks and Solutions

As Su started building TimeSync, he faced a fair share of challenges, each offering a unique learning opportunity.

1. Firebase and Zapier Integration

One of the key features of TimeSync is automating workflows with Zapier. For instance, whenever a new meeting is scheduled, Zapier detects this in the Firebase collection and triggers specific actions. However, Su hit a major roadblock:

• The Problem: Zapier couldn’t detect the Firebase collection. Su didn’t realize that the collection needed at least one piece of sample data for Zapier to recognize it.
• The Solution: After hours of troubleshooting and reading through online forums, Su found the answer on Stack Overflow. By adding a sample entry, Zapier could finally detect the collection.

2. JSON Queries

The integration required Su to write queries in JSON format to fetch and interact with Firebase data. Since he was new to this, figuring out the correct structure and making it work was challenging. But with patience and practice, he eventually solved the issue.

3. User Experience Feedback

Initially, users pointed out that they could select past dates when booking meetings. Su acted quickly to fix this and added a feature to disable dates before the current date. This small change made a big difference in improving the app.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

Throughout his journey, Su gained valuable insights, not just in coding but also in problem-solving and project management:

• Mastery of Redux: Managing app states became more intuitive as he dived deeper into Redux.
• The Power of User Feedback: Listening to users led to meaningful updates that made TimeSync more polished.
• Patience Pays Off: Su learned that it’s better to take the time to get things right than to rush and deliver a subpar product.
  

Conclusion: A Project That Syncs with Success

TimeSync is more than just a scheduling tool—it’s a testament to Su’s determination to learn and grow. From tackling Firebase-Zapier integration to refining the user experience, Su’s journey showcases the value of persistence and a willingness to learn.

For Su, Sigma School provided the foundation he needed to transition into tech and bring his ideas to life. By combining his creativity with technical skills, he’s created something that solves a real-world problem. TimeSync is just the beginning of his journey in tech—and we can’t wait to see what he builds next!