Tiago Sá
I’ve built, failed, stopped, and started again. Cozy Watch reminded me why I build — not for others, but for myself. 2026 will be about learning, failing better, and leaving a trail behind.
Every time I make something work, it feels like magic.
When I was living alone in London, I met a lot of entrepreneurs.I had my share of it with Esterisco, but it never clicked the way I thought it would.
My first app idea was simple: a mobile app to let my friends know when I was on my way.They’d see me moving on a map, like how Uber or Glovo does it today.But back then, nothing like that existed.
I struggled a lot with mapping and real-time location.Everything was new to me.I remember spending two weeks just to make the notification system work.It was hard, painfully hard.
When the app was almost done, I showed it to a friend.I asked if he thought it was a good idea and if he wanted to design it.He wasn’t interested in the idea or the design.That hit me.So, I gave up.
The next app came from a problem I was having with my housemates, managing shared expenses.One of them was a software developer too, so we teamed up.
At first, it was fun.But soon, we were trying to manage the entire world.So many features, calculations, and roundings, it got overwhelming.And when everyone moved out, the project got buried.
After that, I didn’t build anything for about 10 or 12 years.
The Corporate Chapter
During that time, I focused on my 9–5.It was a startup in its early stages, based in the US.I gave it everything.It felt like mine.
Then, we got acquired.Suddenly, it became a corporate job.I still loved what I did, I still do, but things changed.People were shuffled around.Mass layoffs became normal.I wasn’t affected, but it shook me.
It made me realise something:I don’t need anyone’s permission or anyone’s designs to build something.
On December 29th, 2024, I made a promise to myself.In 2025, I would release something into the wild.It didn’t matter if no one wanted it.It didn’t matter if it was ugly or clunky.
Cozy Watch was born.
No market fit.Not as beautiful as I wanted.Not working perfectly.But it was alive, floating somewhere out there on the internet.
This journey made me meet incredible builders.People with passion, discipline, and their own battles.It made me realise how much I love to build.
I’ve already won.
2026 will be different.I feel more mature now.I can analyse things better.I understand the game.
I’m ready to fail, and that’s fine.I’ll get up.
I’ll compound my knowledge, keep shipping, and at the end, look back at the trail I’ve built.
Thank you for reading.
🫵🫶 You are loved, and you can do it.
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