Junior developer for unusual app prototype — possible ongoing work

I’m looking for a curious junior developer or technical student for a small paid prototype trial, ideally leading to a longer-term working relationship. This is more of a “help me out with my hobbyist programming” ask than a “work on serious professional projects” role. I’m hoping we can have fun building weird little things together, so please don’t feel like you need to write a formal job application—just answer honestly and let some personality through. Pitch me a tiny app that you personally wish existed and would actually use. Before pitching, spend a few minutes searching the web to check whether the obvious version already exists. Related products are fine—tell me what you found and why they don’t quite solve your problem. Keep the pitch short. I’m not looking for a business plan, market-size estimates, or a polished mockup. I want to see whether you notice interesting problems, think independently, and can keep an idea small. I expect to begin reviewing proposals approximately 24 hours after posting. I’ll choose one freelancer whose idea, technical background, communication, and working style seem like a good fit. Before sending the offer, we’ll chat through Upwork and agree on the smallest reasonable prototype scope for the fixed $20 trial. You may use LLM coding tools. I can provide capped access after the contract begins. - Prototype expectations This is a tiny proof of concept—not a production-ready commercial app. The selected freelancer will deliver: - source code through Git or an agreed source archive; - a working prototype of the agreed central interaction; - Linux or web run instructions; - screenshots or a short demonstration; - and a concise note explaining: - what works, - what remains incomplete, - how it was tested, - and what you would try next. The exact scope and delivery schedule will be agreed before work begins. Payment is for honestly delivering the agreed prototype—not for proving the idea will sell or pretending unfinished parts work. Please spend no more than about 10–15 minutes preparing your proposal. I will not use or develop an unselected applicant’s idea without contacting and paying them. - Longer-term context This trial is also an experiment to find someone I genuinely enjoy working with over time. If we work well together, I have an ongoing stream of unusual technical tasks, including: - prototyping small apps; - contributing features and fixes to open-source projects; - downloading, testing, and improving my software; - automating workflows; - experimenting with games, LLM agents, and human-feedback systems; - and researching ideas that may or may not work. Potential ongoing work would be: - fully remote and asynchronous; - mostly discussed through written chat; - performed using Linux, Git, and LLM-assisted development; - capped by agreed paid hours; - and initially limited to approximately $100 per month, depending on rate and fit. I’m happy to teach and provide context, but I’m looking for someone who can also teach themselves, ask useful questions, investigate unfamiliar problems, and verify what an LLM produces. Students and early-career developers are welcome. I care more about curiosity, kindness, honesty, independent learning, and an open-minded, informal working style than an impressive résumé. You’ll be welcome to pitch your own ideas, but we’ll agree before spending paid time pursuing them. The $20 prototype is a standalone paid trial. Recurring work is possible, but not guaranteed.