From Snapchat to Startup: How Kate Deyneka Built Reelful in 6 Months

How does a former Snapchat ML engineer go from building AI video generation models to launching a startup that automatically turns camera roll videos into ready-to-post Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts? In this interview, Kate ( https://x.com/katedeyneka) shares how she left Snapchat, built Reelful, won a hackathon, and transformed a side project into a startup. She discusses her journey from machine learning engineer to full-stack founder, the AI tools that accelerated development, and the backend stack powering her app. You'll learn: * How to validate startup ideas quickly * Why shipping early beats waiting for perfection * How AI coding tools help non-full-stack engineers build products * The tech stack behind an AI video editing startup * Why Convex became the backend of choice * Lessons from launching and getting real user feedback * How founders can build an audience while building a product Whether you're building your first AI startup, looking for a backend database, exploring full-stack development tools, or learning how developers are using AI agents to ship products faster, this interview is packed with practical insights. Resources Convex https://convex.dev Reelful https://reelful.app Timestamps 00:00 Meet Kate and the Origin Story 01:29 From Hackathon Project to Startup 02:46 The Aha Moment for Reelful 03:27 From ML Engineer to Founder 05:04 Building the Tech Stack 06:32 Why Reelful Uses Convex 07:40 Launching, Growth, and User Feedback 08:20 Advice for Builders and Founders 09:09 Closing Thoughts If you're interested in AI startups, full-stack development, React Native, Convex, Claude Code, AI agents, startup validation, or building products with LLMs, subscribe for more founder and developer interviews.