From Idea to Concept: The Birth of MEZR
Nathan Ross
Founder & CTO
It all started on a rainy Tuesday in October 2023. I was helping a friend with some measurements for new gutters on his house, and we were struggling with the traditional tape measure approach. It was windy, we were on ladders, and getting accurate measurements was nearly impossible.
"There has to be a better way to do this," I remember thinking as I almost fell off the ladder for the third time that day. That evening, while researching alternatives, I discovered that the latest iPhone Pro models had LiDAR sensors capable of measuring distances with remarkable accuracy.
The lightbulb moment came: what if we could create an app specifically designed for contractors that leveraged this technology? Not just for taking measurements, but for creating comprehensive reports, estimating materials, and saving countless hours of tedious work.
Market Research
Before diving into development, we needed to validate the idea. We spoke with over 50 contractors, from small independent operators to large construction companies. The feedback was overwhelming - everyone was still using manual measurement methods, and almost everyone had stories about measurement errors leading to wasted materials and time.
We discovered that even a 5% improvement in measurement accuracy could save thousands of dollars in materials for medium to large projects. And the time savings from not having to revisit sites for remeasurement was equally valuable.
Initial Sketches
Our first concept sketches focused on simplicity. We wanted an app that would be intuitive for contractors who weren't necessarily tech-savvy. The initial UI designs emphasized large buttons, clear visual feedback, and a straightforward workflow:
- Scan the area using the phone's camera and LiDAR
- Mark the points you want to measure
- Get instant measurements with millimeter precision
- Export comprehensive reports
By December 2023, we had our first wireframes and a clearer vision of what MEZR could become. The excitement was building, but the real work was just beginning. In our next post, we'll share how we moved from concept to our first working prototype.
