Mobile App Development & Graph Database (Neo4j) Modeling
Overview
PIF Advisory focused on engineering excellence and building culturally resonant technology products, proudly incubated Needle Music, a social music discovery platform. Operating in a venture studio model, PIF Advisory helped Needle Music reach over 80,000 users organically in under two years—showcasing the strong demand for a more immersive and authentic music-sharing experience.
The Opportunity
The music discovery landscape has long been dominated by algorithmic recommendations, passive listening, and AI. After meeting Mikhael, the CEO of Needle, PIF Advisory identified a significant opportunity to connect music lovers through shared taste, conversation, and community. Needle Music bridges the gap between streaming and social by creating a space where people engage with the music they love—sharing, curating, and bonding over tracks.
Rebuilding the Foundation
Before PIF Advisory joined as a co-founder, Needle Music had worked with external development agencies to build its initial product. While functional, the early versions of the app suffered from significant technical debt, lack of long-term vision, and poor partnership alignment. These third-party teams weren't invested in the company's future or aligned with its mission. Recognizing both the potential and cultural value of the product,PIF Advisory stepped in to rebuild the app from the ground up—laying a new foundation focused on scalability, performance, and user experience.
The Solution
Needle Music relaunched as a mobile-first platform using React Native for cross-platform performance and NestJS for backend flexibility. The application centers on users, posts, playlists, and tracks—all modeled in a graph database (Neo4j) to mirror the interconnectedness of musical tastes and social behavior.
Business Impact
- User Growth: Organically reached 80,000+ users with minimal paid acquisition.
- Engagement: Users spend an average of 14 minutes per session, with high playlist interaction and social sharing.
- Retention Driver: Following other users is the strongest predictor of user retention—demonstrating the critical role of community connections in the app experience and highlighting a key gap in existing streaming platforms.
Strategic Expansion
As users displayed increasingly complex patterns in music sharing and influence, PIF Advisory developed new technology to enhance personalization and discovery
Key Metrics and Roadmap
- Growth Goal: Reach 1 million users
- Product-Market Fit Indicator: Weekly active users (WAU)
- Future Features: While long-term plans include music curator tools and monetization paths for tastemakers, the current focus remains strengthening core community experiences.
Funding and Vision
Needle Music has secured early-stage funding. Following the success of its product relaunch, investors have doubled down, validating both the platform’s cultural relevance and business potential. This support is fueling continued growth and infrastructure investments.
Looking Forward Future roadmap initiatives include:
- Brand activations with artists and labels
- Premium tier for tastemakers
- Embedding-powered discovery feed
- Integration with live events and community groups
Conclusion
PIF Advisory's incubation of Needle Music exemplifies how thoughtful product design, community-centric growth, and strategic technical investment can coalesce into a high-potential digital platform. The success of this partnership demonstrates how having a committed, aligned technical co-founder can accelerate growth and create lasting value beyond simple contract development. With scalable infrastructure, strong partnership alignment, and a clear cultural niche, Needle Music is poised to redefine how people connect through music.
