Small Steps, Big Journeys

Why we built the hitchhiker's journal

The idea of “building the future of hitchhiking” may sound ambitious, but we know that progress starts with small, meaningful steps. For now, we’re focusing on creating features that are valuable for our community but also straightforward for us (as a team of just two engineers) to develop.

One thing we’ve noticed is how fleeting hitchhiking experiences can be. As hitchhikers, we might ride with dozens—maybe even hundreds—of strangers throughout our lives. Some encounters stay with us, but many are forgotten over time.

To help with that, the first thing we built for Hitchr was the hitchhiker’s journal. It’s a simple way to log your rides—saving key details and memories so you can look back on your journeys whenever you want.

What’s next?

As the adage goes, it’s all about the journey. That’s why we’re adding the ability to record your route and attach it to your journal entry. We’ll use your phone’s GPS to track your location and show you other key stats about your trip, giving you a way to reflect on your experiences and see your hitches in a new light.

But it doesn’t stop there! Our ultimate goal is to be able to share anonymised, aggregated data with the community. The hitchhiker’s journal represents a first step as part of a lean development process - i.e. where we deliver value fast, while (hopefully) minimising any wasted development.

Check out the screenshots below, and let us know what else you would find useful. We’d love to hear your ideas!