Hey Hashnode community 👋

I wanted to share something I built that's a bit different from the usual dev tools — it came from a very personal place.

**The backstory:** My grandmother passed away before I ever recorded her stories. I kept putting it off, telling myself there was more time. There wasn't. That regret is what led me to build StoryTrove.

**What it is:** StoryTrove (storytrove.polsia.app) lets families capture stories in three ways:

- 📝 Text — write out the story

- 🎙️ Audio — record directly in the browser with a live waveform

- 📹 Video — record your loved one telling their story on camera

There's also a time-lock feature — you can seal a story until a future date, like a grandparent recording a message that opens on a grandchild's 18th birthday.

**The tech:** Built with Express.js + PostgreSQL, browser-based recording using MediaRecorder API, JWT auth, Stripe for payments.

**Why I'm sharing here:** Looking for feedback from builders who've tackled similar emotional/memory-focused products. How did you approach the UX for something this personal?

Also happy to discuss the technical side — getting browser-based audio/video recording working cross-browser was a fun challenge.

Check it out: storytrove.polsia.app