Independent Developer

Song Zhou

From idea to shipped product.

I build apps and tools across mobile and web — five products live, more in progress.

About

I'm Song Zhou, an independent developer who builds consumer apps and web products solo — product, design, and engineering, end to end. Five products shipped so far across iOS and web, spanning skiing, brand marketing, mental health, e-commerce AI, and couples entertainment.

Before going independent, I spent five years as a software engineer at BOC Financial Technology (Bank of China's tech subsidiary), building systems at enterprise scale. Earlier, I worked at a New York fintech startup on cross-border payment infrastructure. I hold an M.S. in Data Science from Stony Brook University, which informs how I think about AI and product analytics.

Projects

Five products built solo, from zero to launch.

Xuetu (雪途)

iOS App · Sports

A dedicated platform for skiing enthusiasts. Covers ski resorts across Japan, Russia, and beyond — with real-time snow depth and new snowfall updates, accurate weather forecasts, multi-modal transportation guides, accommodation recommendations near resorts, and skiing tips for all skill levels.

Real-time snow conditions: depth, new snowfall & resort status
Transportation & accommodation guides for major ski destinations
Skiing tips and safety guides from beginner to expert

iOSSwiftMapKitSports

App Store

Brandlift

Web App · SaaS

A GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) platform that gets brands recommended by AI search engines — ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Full-chain managed service: AI brand diagnosis, multilingual content production in 4 languages, multi-platform distribution, and weekly citation-rate monitoring.

Free AI brand diagnosis across ChatGPT, Perplexity & Gemini
Multilingual content production (EN / ES / JP / AR) + Reddit & Quora seeding
Weekly citation-rate reports & competitive analysis dashboard

Next.jsGEOAI SearchSaaS

Visit Site

PsyZenLab

Web App

A psychology and mindfulness platform merging scientifically validated assessments with Eastern Zen practices. 10+ free tests — MBTI, Big Five, attachment style, anxiety, depression, stress screening, career interest, and more — plus guided meditation, breathing exercises, and AI-powered dream analysis.

10+ free validated tests (MBTI, Big Five, ECR-R, Zung, PSS-10…)
No login required — anonymous & privacy-first, data stays on device
Zen space: meditation, breathing, rock garden & AI dream analysis

Next.jsPsychologyMindfulnessAI

Visit Site

Sellify Studio

Web App · SaaS

AI product photography platform for e-commerce sellers. Upload one photo, get studio-quality visuals in under 60 seconds. 11 AI tools including background removal, scene generation, color swaps, 4× HD upscaling, ghost mannequin, and virtual try-on — with batch export auto-sized for Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and TikTok Shop.

11 AI editing tools, results in < 60s
Batch export for Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shop
Transparent pricing from free to enterprise

Next.jsAI ImageE-commerceSaaS

Visit Site

Couple Haven (情侣秘境)

iOS App · Entertainment

An AI-powered couples interactive game app with 4 game modes — Couple Cards, Couple Dice, Flight Chess, and Treasure Hunt. AI generates personalized Q&As, challenges, and romantic moments tailored to your mood. Privacy-first with local data storage. Available in 9 languages.

4 game modes: Cards, Dice, Flight Chess & Treasure Hunt
AI-generated personalized challenges across 4 activity styles
9 languages, local-only data storage, privacy-first

iOSSwiftSwiftUIAI

App Store

Experience

Independent Developer

Self-employed

Oct 2025 – Present

Building and shipping consumer apps and SaaS products solo — across iOS and web, from product to design to deployment.

Software Engineer

BOC Financial Technology Co., Ltd.

Oct 2020 – Oct 2025

Developed and maintained large-scale financial technology systems at the tech subsidiary of Bank of China, one of China's Big Four state-owned banks. Worked on enterprise-grade applications serving millions of users.

Software Engineer

Yuansfer · New York

Jan 2020 – Jun 2020

Worked on payment infrastructure at a New York-based fintech startup enabling cross-border payments — Alipay, WeChat Pay, Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and more — through a unified API.

Education

M.S. Data Science

Stony Brook University (SUNY) · Stony Brook, NY

Aug 2018 – Dec 2019

B.E. Software Engineering

Zhejiang University of Technology · Hangzhou

Sep 2014 – Jun 2018

Now

Open to collaboration

Currently focused on

Growing Brandlift — helping brands get cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity & Gemini
Iterating on existing products based on user feedback
Exploring the next product idea
Continuously learning AI engineering and productization methodologies

Open to

Interesting collaborations and co-founder conversations
Contract work on product-driven web or iOS projects
Full-time or part-time remote roles that feel like a good fit
Coffee chats about building in public
Any interesting idea or opportunity you'd like to share