Ethan Harrell

Artificial Intelligence

I used AI extensively while building Star Task, a multilingual productivity app supporting 76 languages and used by over 40,000 people. I integrated GPT-4 to power natural language processing for smart reminders, list generation, and voice-to-task conversion. I designed custom prompts, managed API logic, and optimized workflows for multilingual accuracy and smooth UX. AI is central to Star Task’s core functionality which is automating complex tasks and delivering personalized, context-aware assistance at scale.

Project Management

I’ve led project management efforts in both public health operations and global app deployment. At Harris County Public Health, I collaborated with the U.S. Air Force at NRG Stadium to support and manage IT infrastructure for vaccination sites serving up to 10,000 people daily. I coordinated cross-functional teams, ensured operational uptime, and helped automate workflows that boosted throughput by 40%. As the founder and product manager of Star Task, I oversaw the full development lifecycle of an AI-powered productivity app now used by 40,000+ people in 76 countries. I built roadmaps, prioritized features from user feedback, and managed releases to scale the app globally, all while solo-managing design, development, and user growth strategy.

Resource Allocation

I’ve applied resource allocation both in high-stakes public health operations and solo product development. At Harris County Public Health, I coordinated with the U.S. Air Force, nursing teams, and IT to ensure proper distribution of technical equipment and support across multiple mobile vaccination sites, serving over 10,000 people daily. I helped prioritize where IT resources were needed most to reduce downtime and streamline operations. As the sole developer of Star Task, I had to allocate my own time and effort strategically, balancing development, testing, AI integration, bug fixing, and user experience design to ship a global app used by over 40,000 people. In both cases, I focused on maximizing impact with limited resources.

Teamwork

I've applied teamwork in both public sector operations and solo product leadership roles. At Harris County Public Health, I collaborated daily with nursing staff, military personnel, logistics teams, and external partners to coordinate vaccination sites serving over 10,000 people per day. I played a key role in aligning IT systems with frontline needs to ensure smooth, safe, and efficient service delivery. In contrast, as the solo developer behind Star Task, I used teamwork in a different way, through user collaboration. I gathered feedback, turned it into actionable features, and treated my user base like an extension of the product team. Whether on the ground or through digital touchpoints, I believe teamwork is about listening, adapting, and aligning efforts toward a shared goal.

Product Management

At Mouser Electronics, I worked closely with the pricing department to maintain competitive pricing for over 10 million electronic components available online. I collaborated directly with product managers, supplier managers, and the IT department to ensure accurate, dynamic pricing updates across systems. This required continuous coordination, data integrity checks, and cross-functional communication to align technical implementation with product and business goals, ensuring a seamless experience for both internal teams and end customers. In Star Task, I served as the sole product manager, overseeing the entire lifecycle of an AI-powered productivity app now used by over 40,000 people globally. I handled feature prioritization, user research, analytics, roadmap planning, release management, and real-time iteration. Every feature, from AI reminders to multilingual UX, was the result of continuous testing, user feedback, and strategic tradeoffs balancing value, complexity, and scalability.

Product Development

I led all product development efforts for Star Task, an AI-powered productivity app currently used by over 40,000 people across 76 languages. I managed every phase of the product lifecycle—ideation, design, feature prioritization, implementation, QA, release, and iteration. I created user-first features like smart reminders, voice-to-task AI, multilingual UX, and engagement systems like login streaks and animated themes. I used analytics, feedback, and direct user communication to continuously improve the product.

Kotlin

I used Kotlin extensively to develop Star Task, a fully featured AI-powered productivity app currently used by over 40,000 people worldwide. I built the app from the ground up using modern Android development practices, including Jetpack Compose, Room, WorkManager, and Firebase. Kotlin was central to implementing complex features like persistent alarms, voice-to-task transcription, and multilingual AI reminders. I handled architecture, state management, API integration, and UI logic, leveraging Kotlin to write clean, scalable, and maintainable code across the entire application.

AI Integration

I integrated OpenAI’s GPT-4 API into Star Task to power natural language reminders, multilingual task generation, and voice-to-action workflows. I designed custom prompts, handled API logic, and optimized for accuracy and clarity across 76 languages—making AI feel personal and frictionless for a global user base.

Process Improvement

At HCPH, I streamlined vaccine site operations by automating appointment scheduling, IT equipment tracking, and workflow coordination, boosting throughput by 40%. In Star Task, I used AI to eliminate manual task entry and built custom alarm/reminder systems that automate daily routines across languages and devices.

Product Thinking

Every major feature in Star Task was guided by real user behavior, feedback, and usage data. I prioritized AI features that solved real pain points, such as natural language input and voice transcription, and expanded support to 76 languages based on user demand to create a truly inclusive experience.

Data-Driven Decision Making

I regularly used Firebase Analytics to track feature usage, drop-offs, and retention in Star Task, adjusting the roadmap based on real behavior. At QT Solutions and HCPH, I used Excel and VBA to create reports, automate calculations, and support process decisions using structured data.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

At HCPH, I coordinated daily with nursing staff, the U.S. Air Force, logistics teams, and IT to maintain mobile vaccination sites serving over 10,000 people per day. I was responsible for aligning tech readiness with frontline healthcare operations, often acting as the bridge between systems and real-world outcomes.

Firebase & Firebase Analytics

I used Firebase extensively in Star Task for authentication, Firestore cloud database syncing, analytics tracking, and push notifications. I built real-time syncing logic to ensure tasks, alarms, and user settings persisted across devices and sessions, delivering a seamless experience for 40,000+ global users. I used Firebase Analytics in Star Task to track user engagement, feature adoption, and retention trends. These insights directly influenced feature updates and UX changes. At QT Solutions, I used Excel-based analytics tools to provide internal reporting and optimize pricing and inventory decisions.

Business Requirement Analysis

I’ve translated user needs, technical limitations, and stakeholder goals into functional specs for Star Task. At HCPH, I worked across departments to clarify workflows and define IT and infrastructure requirements that supported mass-scale public health operations.

REST API Integration

I integrated OpenAI’s GPT-4o API into Star Task using REST to support natural language task creation, voice transcription, and multilingual reminders. I also implemented RESTful endpoints for Firebase functions such as auth and database syncing. I handled request formatting, authentication (OAuth), response parsing, and error handling to ensure a smooth, scalable integration across all supported features.

UX/UI Design

I designed the entire user experience and interface for Star Task using Jetpack Compose, with a focus on accessibility, clarity, and multilingual inclusivity. I created and iterated on task cards, list views, voice input flows, alarm screens, and animation-based themes based on real user feedback, analytics, and behavior tracking.

Agile

While working solo, I naturally applied agile principles, building in small iterations, responding to feedback, and shipping quickly. My roadmap was shaped by real user behavior and analytics.

Voice Applications

I implemented voice-to-task functionality with natural language parsing across 76 languages, optimizing transcription quality and flow through real-world user testing and analytics.

Feature Prioritization

I used data, direct user feedback, and impact evaluation to prioritize AI-powered features in Star Task, balancing technical feasibility with user value.

Android Studio

I used Android Studio daily to develop, debug, and optimize Star Task, a global AI-powered productivity app with 40,000+ users. I built the app using Jetpack Compose, integrated Firebase, and managed full end-to-end development, from initial setup to Play Store deployment. I relied on Android Studio’s profiling tools, emulators, and build system to ensure performance and stability across devices and OS versions.

Android Jetpack

I used Android Jetpack extensively while developing Star Task, including Jetpack Compose for UI, WorkManager for background task scheduling, Room for offline persistence (planned), and Navigation components for smooth in-app flow. I structured the app using MVVM architecture, leveraging lifecycle-aware components to create a modern, maintainable, and scalable codebase for 40,000+ global users.

Google API & Play Console

I integrated Google Sign-In to support secure user authentication and used the Google Play Billing Library to handle subscription upgrades for Star Task. I managed token handling, account linking, purchase validation, and in-app upgrade flows, ensuring smooth, secure access across devices and a reliable monetization model for premium users. I used Google Play Console to manage the full release lifecycle of Star Task. This included app publishing, testing track management, user analytics, crash reporting, staged rollouts, subscription setup, localization, and policy compliance. I regularly monitored performance metrics, managed updates, and used the console as a core part of scaling the app to 40,000+ global users.

Multilingual UI

I designed and implemented a multilingual interface in Star Task, supporting 76+ languages across both the user interface and AI interactions. Users can select their preferred language at login or in settings, and the app UI, including all labels, buttons, and AI-generated responses, dynamically adapts. I managed translation strings, layout adjustments, language-specific prompts, and right-to-left considerations to make the experience seamless worldwide.

Security & Privacy Awareness

I handled user authentication, secure API usage, and GDPR-aware language preference systems in Star Task. At HCPH, I managed PHI-sensitive systems under compliance constraints.

Initiative

I took initiative to build Star Task from the ground up, an AI-powered productivity app with over 40,000 users across 76 languages, without a team, budget, or prior mobile app experience. I identified real user problems, learned new frameworks (Jetpack Compose, GPT API, Firebase), and created a product that solves them in a uniquely accessible and intelligent way. At Harris County Public Health, I stepped up during the COVID-19 crisis to lead IT logistics at high-volume vaccination sites, working cross-functionally with military and medical personnel to improve service delivery under pressure. I’ve consistently shown initiative by not waiting for permission to solve problems, I go build the solution.

Resilience

Resilience has defined my entire journey. I built Star Task, a solo-developed, AI-powered productivity app now used by 40,000+ people worldwide, while navigating full-time work, personal challenges, and zero outside funding. I worked through burnout, self-doubt, and massive technical obstacles, teaching myself everything from Kotlin to GPT integration, simply because I refused to quit. At Harris County Public Health, I helped lead tech operations during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, supporting vaccination sites under extreme pressure, adapting to constant change, and showing up every single day to make sure people were safe and served. I don’t just bounce back. I build forward, no matter how hard things get.

Empathy in Product Design

Empathy was the foundation for Star Task. I built the app to help people like me who are overwhelmed, or anxious and to be able to organize life without being punished by rigid productivity systems. I focused on simplicity, clarity, and flexibility: features like voice-to-task input, AI-generated reminders, and multilingual support weren’t just nice-to-haves. They were lifelines. I designed with emotion and accessibility in mind: animations that don’t overwhelm, reminders that feel like support instead of commands, and an interface that speaks your language. Literally. Every detail was shaped by how real people actually feel when trying to stay on top of life.

Collaborative Communication

I’ve learned to communicate clearly and calmly in high-pressure environments. At Harris County Public Health, I worked across teams like nurses, military personnel, logistics, and IT during COVID-19 vaccine site operations. I adapted my tone and approach depending on the situation to de-escalate tension, relay critical technical info, and keep operations running smoothly. With Star Task, I used in-app communication, tooltips, AI prompts, layout choices, to speak clearly to users without overwhelming them. I believe good communication is about clarity, tone, and timing, whether you're writing interface copy, handling a rollout, or talking to someone on their worst day.