Pinmate — an app for golfers

App · 2021-22

App · 2021-22

Pinmate helps players quickly find partners for a round of golf — both among friends and new people with shared interests. It’s tailored for an audience that sees golf not just as a sport, but also as a way to make valuable business and social connections.

Pinmate helps players quickly find partners for a round of golf — both among friends and new people with shared interests. It’s tailored for an audience that sees golf not just as a sport, but also as a way to make valuable business and social connections.

1k downloads

In the first three months
on iOS + Android

In the first three months on iOS + Android

78 games

In the first three months
after launch

In the first three months after launch

What I did as a product designer:

  • Designed the mobile UX from scratch for both iOS and Android

  • Defined and structured core user scenarios: creating games, inviting players, filtering, and in-app communication

  • Designed player profiles with relevant attributes: profession, languages, and HCP rating — to improve relevance of matches

  • Added product features that increase retention: real-time chat, calendar sync, and contextual filters

  • Developed the value proposition and UX for the Pro subscription, highlighting key benefits like advanced stats, verification, and matchmaking priority

Team: Max Perfiliev, Roman Nadein, Biken Serekbaev, Andrey Sorokin

Timeline: October 2020 — May 2021

Designed for instant match participation

The main screen isn’t a feed — it’s built for instant participation. We designed it so users open the app and immediately see where they can join. It adapts to location, time, and nearby activity. Smart filters help cut the noise and find the right match fast.

Set up a match in seconds

The game creation flow is built to quickly gather the right people at the right time. Users move step by step through format, course, and players, while the system speeds things up with autofill, filters, and calendar integration. It’s all about minimizing friction from intent to action.

Personalized profiles and Pro features

User profiles show name, job, golf stats, and profile completion progress. Friends are added via requests, and you can see shared game history with each player.
A Pro subscription unlocks advanced analytics, booking cancellation, priority support, and job verification to build trust.

Clubs and ready-to-join games

The “Clubs” tab lets users choose a course before creating a match — with filters by date, time, and region. The built-in chat helps coordinate details in advance. Each match card shows key info like course, weather, host rating, and game stats — everything needed to decide fast.

Results & Impact

The first version of Pinmate helped validate the core idea and build early user engagement. We focused on a lean MVP and delivered solid results within months after launch:

1k downloads

In the first three months
on iOS + Android

78 games

In the first three months
after launch

Alish Kozhakhmetov, 1996 – 🍪

Alish Kozhakhmetov,
1996 – 🍪