Curiosity-Driven Software
Build What Matters.
Every experiment begins with a simple observation.
- Observe
- Experiment
- Share
Philosophy
Curiosity leads. Usefulness decides.
Every experiment begins with a simple observation. Explore ideas by building and share what proves genuinely useful.
See Opportunities
Pay attention to the everyday problems people simply learn to live with. Ask questions. Stay curious. The best ideas often begin there.
Explore Solutions
Learn by creating. Start small. Improve incrementally. Building isn't the goal—understanding is. Every experiment teaches something, whether it becomes a product or not.
Share What Works
When something proves genuinely useful, put it into the world. Sometimes that means a free tool. Sometimes it's open source. Sometimes it's a product worth paying for. What matters is helping people by sharing solutions that make life a little better.
Experiments
On the workbench
Every experiment begins with an observation. The cards below share why each one exists—open one to read the full story.
PokeScout
ExperimentWhy it exists
Learning Pokémon shouldn't require jumping between multiple websites to understand characters, battles, and type matchups.
Open PokeScout
FairwayCast
ExperimentWhy it exists
Weather apps tell you the forecast, but they don't answer the real question:
Should I play golf today?
Open FairwayCast
Payson Football
LiveWhy it exists
Following youth football shouldn't require searching multiple places for schedules, locations, weather, and team information—especially for families with multiple players.
Visit site
ChordFrame
ExperimentWhy it exists
Playing through an entire song shouldn't require stopping to scroll.
Open ChordFrame
ClosetCast
ExperimentWhy it exists
The weather tells you the temperature—but not what to wear.
Open ClosetCast
TimeFrame
ExperimentWhy it exists
A date should tell a story, not just mark a place on the calendar.
Open TimeFrame
About
An independent software lab
Big Sand Labs was created by Zeke Smith, a product leader who believes the best way to understand an idea is to build it. It's home to curiosity-driven experiments and the products worth sharing that grow from them.
Every experiment starts with a real problem and a simple question: Could this work better?
Building is a way to better understand problems—and to make everyday life a little simpler, clearer, or more useful.
Beyond the Lab
Big Sand Labs is where I explore ideas by building. ZekeSmith.dev is where I explore them through writing, leadership, and product thinking.
Visit ZekeSmith.dev