Hi, I’m Nikita.
I’m 17 and a senior at Louis D. Brandeis High School in San Antonio, Texas. You might have already read the story of Calyqen, the app I built for my mom’s job search. This is the other app I built this past summer — and this one started on our kitchen floor.
School
Louis D. Brandeis High School
Based in
San Antonio, Texas
Built over
Nights & weekends
This summer
Two apps built
The night of the dishwasher
Late one night I found my dad half inside the dishwasher with a flashlight. He wasn’t stuck because he couldn’t fix it. My dad can fix things. He was stuck because he couldn’t find anything — the model number, the manual, the right video, the part. And then he said the thing that stuck with me:
He had fixed it before. The knowledge existed — in his head, a year ago, and in a photo of a sticker buried somewhere in his camera roll. That’s when it clicked for me: the hard part of fixing things at home isn’t the fixing. It’s that nothing gets remembered.
And it kept happening. A different appliance, the same scramble. Manuals that vanish the day you need them. YouTube videos for a model that’s almost, but not quite, ours.
Can I just say — being a homeowner looks exhausting. Every machine in the house is quietly waiting to break, the information for fixing each one is scattered across forums from 2011, and everyone is just expected to figure it out alone. That felt wrong to me.
I fixed this last year, and I can’t remember how.”
So I studied the problem before building anything
- 1
Watched
I followed my dad around with questions — probably annoyingly many.
- 2
Researched
I looked at what already exists: manuals, parts listings, repair videos, and prices.
- 3
Documented
I wrote down every step, decision, and friction point.
Tested
I mapped what would actually help — and what just complicated things.
This was my second app of the summer, so I already knew the drill: don’t build first, understand first. I followed my dad around with questions — probably annoyingly many. How do you know which part to order? Why do you photograph the sticker every single time? How do you decide whether to fix it yourself or call someone?
I also looked at what already exists. Some of it was fine. A lot of it was expensive or wanted a subscription just to store a manual. And the repair economics made my dad’s point for him — his exact words: “The part is $40 and they want $300 to put it in.” That’s the whole reason people fix things themselves, and somehow the tools for doing it are scattered or cost money too. Why? (I ask “why” a lot. About everything. My parents can confirm.) That’s a big part of the reason Bremi-qen is free.
Turning it into Bremi-qen
- I built a tool that knows your appliances, manuals, parts, and repair history so the right info is always easy to find.
- It saves model stickers and key details so you don't have to search or guess.
- It sends simple reminders before problems become weekend emergencies.
And one rule I never budged on: Bremi tells you when NOT to do it yourself. Gas, refrigerant, real electrical work — she’ll say “this one is a call-someone job.”
An app that helps you fix things has to be just as honest about the things you shouldn’t.
I should be upfront about how a 17-year-old builds something like this: I didn’t write the code. AI development tools did that part — same as with Calyqen. What I did was figure out what the app should actually do, sketch the screens, decide what got cut, and test everything on our actual house. (My parents handled the grown-up stuff like the company paperwork. The app itself came from our kitchen.)
This took days, nights, and weekends — including a lot of days that were technically my summer vacation. I’m not complaining. Okay, I complained a little.
My dad was Bremi-qen’s first user and my most honest tester. We had a rhythm: I’d change something in the evening, he’d try it on a real appliance, and I’d get the review at dinner. If something was confusing, he said so. If it took too many steps, we cut steps. Nothing is in the app because I thought it was cool — it’s there because he needed it or complained about it until it got better.
What Bremi does
Point your camera at the model sticker and Bremi knows exactly which machine you own. She keeps every appliance, manual, part, and repair in one place — so “I fixed this last year and I can’t remember how” never happens again. She reminds you about the boring maintenance before it becomes a weekend emergency, and walks you through fixes for your exact model.
Scan & save
Point your camera at the model sticker to save exactly what you own.
Keep it together
Store manuals, parts, receipts, and notes all in one place.
Stay ahead
Smart reminders for maintenance, filters, and seasonal checks.
Find answers
Clear guides and trusted info to help you fix with confidence.
Safety first
Bremi helps you know when to DIY — and when to call a pro.
Why a beaver?
Beavers don’t wait for the dam to break. They patrol it, notice the small leaks, and fix things constantly — that’s the whole secret of how their homes survive.
That’s what good home maintenance looks like too. Bremi wears a tool belt because she takes your house seriously, and she’s a beaver because the best repair is the small one you did early.
I’m still learning too
Bremi-qen is in beta, which is a nice way of saying it’s still growing and I’m still fixing things — fitting, for a repair app. I’m learning from my dad, from homeowners, and from everyone who tries it. If something’s confusing or missing, tell me. That’s literally how both of my apps got built.
– Nikita
Your house is full of machines that will eventually need you.
Bremi already knows how to help. Start with one appliance — it’s free.