Ctrl+Shifter Podcast

EP 15: THE FOUNDATIONS OF BUILDING A SOCIAL APP

February, 12, 2026

In this episode of Ctrl + Shifter Podcast, we sit down with Raed Zein, Co-Founder of imin, to unpack one deceptively simple question: How do you build a social app that actually brings real-life connections?

With over a decade of experience across mobile development, backend systems, and hardware integration, Raed shares a deeply practical perspective on building consumer products in today’s attention economy. From defining the right MVP to navigating real-time architecture, AI-driven onboarding, and trust in social platforms, this conversation goes beyond hype and focuses on what truly works.

Timestamp

00:00 Introduction

01:51 – Thinking as a builder: Raed’s story

03:49 – The mission behind Imin

06:04 – Building a social app: What’s inside

09:44 – Essential tech stack for social apps

13:40 – MVP decisions: what to build vs. what to leave out

15:55 – Managing presence

18:18 – Where AI actually adds value

21:26 – Go-to-market strategy: getting the first 100 users

28:53 – The road ahead for social app builders

33:06 – Outro

If your app needs a manual, you built a failure of an app. Your app needs to be as simple as possible so that the user won’t feel overwhelmed.

Keep it simple, and then you can always expand on it and make it grow.

About Our Guest Speaker

Raed Zein

Co-Founder at imin

With a decade of experience across mobile, backend, and hardware systems, He brings a builder’s mindset that starts with the problem first, keeps the product simple, and scales what users actually need. In the podcast, he shares how imin is growing from Paris and Berlin, why trust and safety matter as much as features, and where AI genuinely adds value - especially in onboarding and smarter matching.

imin is a real-life social app that helps people meet through spontaneous activities. It lets anyone launch or join spontaneous hangouts (think: picnics, dinners, nights out), see what their friends are doing in real life, and meet new people. We are currently live in Paris and Berlin.