I'm a college senior who built a vintage clothing marketplace with Claude. It took me 5 days to build the pilot.

Hana Elster, a 22-year-old business law senior at Boston University, has turned her passion for vintage fashion into a thriving online marketplace named VYA. Inspired by the vibrant entrepreneurial community around her, Hana embarked on this journey during her winter break, utilizing Claude, an AI tool, to build the platform in a mere five days. Hana's love for thrifting began at age 14, where she discovered the joys of unique fashion at affordable prices. This experience sparked her interest in secondhand shopping, leading her to realize the potential for a centralized vintage clothing platform. After discussing vintage stores with friends, she identified a significant gap in the market: many brick-and-mortar shops had websites but struggled to attract online customers. To understand the needs of sellers, Hana reached out to various vintage store owners. She learned that many were overwhelmed with their side hustles and lacked the time to effectively market their products, often resorting to extensive social media efforts to promote their items. Utilizing her coding skills and the capabilities of Claude, Hana dove into building VYA. With help from friends in tech, she managed to create a mock website in just five days. Since launching, VYA has onboarded 38 stores and boasts around 900 registered users, with 50% engaging daily. To generate revenue, Hana implemented a 7% commission on sales, alongside a unique sourcing model that allows customers to request specific items for a flat fee. This innovative approach has enabled her to cater to niche demands while providing a platform for vintage shops to thrive. Looking ahead, Hana aims to grow VYA further while balancing her upcoming consulting role post-graduation. Her experience as a young entrepreneur has instilled in her a sense of confidence and ambition, demonstrating that with the right tools and community support, barriers to starting a business can be significantly lowered.