portfolio · 2025

Ben
Kim

building apps, films, and a life worth replaying

founderfull-stack devcinematographermsu · hospitality & entrepreneurship
Ben Kim

chapter one

from student to builder on record

scroll to explore

chapter one

the journey

base
East Lansing, MI
degree
Hospitality · Entrepreneurship · Real Estate
focus
apps · film · freedom
scroll to move through the timeline →
HOTEL FRONT DESK · 2022
HOTEL FRONT DESK · 2022

Learning hospitality the hard way: late check-ins, angry guests, and fixing things on the fly.

FIRST LINES OF CODE · 2023
FIRST LINES OF CODE · 2023

Googling React Native errors between lectures and night shifts.

DILEMAA LAUNCH · 2025
DILEMAA LAUNCH · 2025

Shipping the first build and watching real dilemmas show up on my phone.

YOUTUBE GOES 160K+ · 2025
YOUTUBE GOES 160K+ · 2025

Posting one video about the app and waking up to DMs from everywhere.

PITCH NIGHTS · 2025
PITCH NIGHTS · 2025

Suit, slides, heartbeat in my ears — and hearing our name called for the win.

BUILDING NOSTALGIA · 2025
BUILDING NOSTALGIA · 2025

Turning burnout and overthinking into a calm place to talk things out.

SAE IN PROGRESS · NOW
SAE IN PROGRESS · NOW

Developing the best Korean teaching app.

chapter two

ventures

Every product is a different answer to the same question: “How can I make it easier for people to move forward?”

Dilemaa
01 · product

Dilemaa

social decision-making for real-life dilemmas

A Q&A social app where people share real dilemmas, get help from others, and follow up with what they actually chose.

10K+
Downloads
120+
Countries
React Native · Node · Azure · ML recommendations
Nostalgia
02 · product

Nostalgia

a conversational journal for people who feel burnt out

You talk like you would to a friend, and Nostalgia turns the conversation into structured journals you can revisit.

3.5K+
Journals
35+
Countries
React Native · Supabase · AI conversation flows
Sae
03 · product

Sae

learning Hangul through tiny cinematic lessons

A Korean-learning app that feels like a game: S-curve paths, a magpie mascot, and focused Hangul drills.

In active development
Status
Hangul basics
Focus
Custom lesson engine · JSON scenes · React Native

chapter three

documenting the journey

I treat my life like a series of films — from shipping builds at 2 a.m. to boarding flights with a camera in my hand.

my app went viral
my app went viral
160K+ views
life as a student
life as a student
cinematic vlog
working out
working out
story-driven
living in Korea
living in Korea
travel & identity
small thoughts on life
small thoughts on life
brand story
160K
top video views
~5K
subscribers
Every video is another chapter: apps going viral, semesters ending, lifts in the gym, flights out of Michigan. I use framing, pacing, and sound design so it feels like you're right there with me, not just watching from the outside.

chapter four

client films

Outside of building apps, I shoot short films for brands and people — vertical stories that feel like a mix of product video and day-in-the-life. I film on a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and build everything in DaVinci Resolve: color, pacing, and subtle effects.

tools
DJI Osmo Pocket 3
DaVinci Resolve
style
vertical · cinematic
brand & lifestyle
reel · client work

video is 100% crafted by me — shooting, editing, color grading.

chapter five

let's do something

I'm open to collaborations on products, film, or anything that blends technology and storytelling. If you think we should work together, reach out.