What do you get when a web developer falls in love with a mathematical modeler & data-vis designer?
Well, a baby (coming soon!), who’s probably gonna grow up to be a nerd.
But also, a fun little web app game that turns birth date and weight guesses into a way to support our family in lieu of a registry.
As woefully practical and unluxurious people, we didn’t want a pile of gifts that may not go to use. So we built something playful, nerdy, and community-driven. It’s an expression of who we are as a couple, and we hope it invites you into the anticipation!
At a glance: How it works
(See the full explanation here)
- Pick your guess(es). Use two sliders to choose a birth date and birth weight. We’ll give you some info to help you guess.
- Pay the odds. Safer guesses cost more; bold guesses cost less. The cost of your guess is your donation to our family. Feel free to make multiple guesses for better chances!
- See the chart. Your guess(es) appear alongside everyone else’s, so you can watch the field fill in.
- Win some glory. When the baby arrives, the three closest guesses get a little prize and bragging rights.
How it all started
We had just booked the venue for our baby shower, and were at dinner with Keegan’s parents. The table talk drifted toward what games to play at the party.
That’s when things went off the rails.
Keegan’s stepdad, Dave, casually tossed out an idea:
“What about a betting pool on the baby’s birth date and weight?”
The moment she heard “betting pool,” Heather wasn’t picturing slips of paper. She saw a giant parameter space filling with guesses. She wondered:
- Would everyone cluster around the “safe” answers?
- How could we tempt people into making bolder, wilder guesses?
She dove into birth data distributions and noticed something beautiful: both birth weights and dates follow a curve that looks almost exactly like a bell curve.
She started refining the pricing model and designing data visualizations.
As she floated ideas to Keegan, his brain went exactly where it always goes:
“This has to be a web app.”
Keegan started wire-framing, prototyping a user-friendly interface, and setting up a backend that accepted donations through Stripe.
Heather worked on the branding and design in parallel. Many late nights followed. Two laptops side by side, digitally playing in the same Github repo and Figma file. But sometimes, nothing beats good ol’ fashioned analog.
Thanks for reading — we are excited to share this with you!