From Customer Support to Code: Amanda’s Unexpected Leap into Tech
Sigma School
20th May 2025
Before diving into the world of software development, Amanda was working in customer support—helping people, solving problems, and picking up patterns. But deep down, she knew she wanted more freedom, creativity, and the power to build something of her own. When she joined Sigma School’s full-stack program, she didn’t just want to learn code—she wanted to solve real problems she experienced in everyday life.
Amanda is a passionate pet lover. And like many others who adore animals, she once thought about learning pet grooming herself—but not in a full-time, pet shop kind of way. That insight sparked the idea for her capstone project: Petify.
Amanda noticed a gap in the market that affected both sides of the pet care industry. On one hand, pet owners often struggle to find reliable groomers who are available when they are. On the other, aspiring groomers—like Amanda herself—want to learn and grow their skills without being tied to the rigid hours of a grooming salon.
Why not build a platform that connects both? A place where groomers can offer their services flexibly, and pet owners can find trusted care at their convenience?
That idea became Petify—a shared economy app for pet grooming, where users can either groom or get their pets groomed. A kind of “Grab for pet grooming,” but with community, trust, and flexibility at its core.
Amanda built Petify using modern full-stack technologies. Here's a peek under the hood:
The app offers two different experiences depending on the user type:
One of Amanda’s favorite features? Groomers can define their own available time slots, and pet owners can book based on those times. It’s all about flexibility—for both sides.
Building an entire platform from scratch wasn’t a walk in the park.
Amanda faced her biggest challenge early on: learning to use new UI libraries and frameworks she had never touched before. She initially tried to build everything with Vuetify, but it felt like a constant uphill battle. Components were complicated, and development was painfully slow.
Instead of giving up or sticking with something that didn’t work, Amanda sought help from her mentors. They encouraged her to explore other options like Flowbite and Vue Table. That advice turned out to be a game-changer.
“I went from spending two days building one screen to finishing entire tables in a day,” she said. “It taught me that as a developer, you don’t have to do everything the hard way—you just need to know what tools are available, and how to adapt.”
This flexibility in problem-solving became one of Amanda’s proudest growth moments during the capstone journey.
Amanda didn’t just build an app—she built a platform with purpose. Petify isn’t just about pets; it’s about empowering people. Whether you're a pet owner looking for convenient care or an aspiring groomer eager to practice and earn on your own schedule, Petify opens the door.
For Amanda, this project was more than a school assignment. It was a reflection of her journey: discovering new passions, embracing challenges, and proving that with the right guidance and a little grit, anyone can turn an idea into a working product.
She’s now confident not just in her ability to code, but in her ability to solve problems that matter—with empathy, logic, and creativity.