Skip to content

I make things happen.

Merav Knafo hi, I'm Merav based in Bali

I've started six companies and sold five of them. Now I'm building Makyo: you describe the software your business needs, and it gets built.

Build your first app free Connect on LinkedIn

Now building

Makyo.

Describe the app you need in plain English. In under 5 minutes you have a production-ready app, for less than $1.

Other AI builders write new code every time, including the parts that must never break. In Makyo the AI never writes code. It decides what the app needs, and tested, deterministic building blocks do the work: data tables, logins, permissions, workflows and connectors. So the app is secure from day one, and there is no code for you to maintain.

  • A full app in under 5 minutes
  • Less than $1 to build
  • Production-ready from day one
  • AI plus deterministic script
  • AI never writes code
  • No code to maintain
  • Secure and safe by design
Build your first app free
new app

A client portal for my agency. Each client logs in, sees only their invoices, and approves changes. Sync contacts with HubSpot.

Press Build it to see what Makyo makes.

  • Clients table
  • Invoices table
  • Each client sees only their rows
  • Approval workflow
  • HubSpot connector

InvoicesAcme Ltd

InvoiceDateAmountStatus
INV-1042Oct 30$4,200Paid
INV-1043Nov 6$1,850Waiting
INV-1044Nov 12$960Approve

Six companies. Five sold.

Usually as founder, CEO and project manager at once, leading teams of up to 25 designers, developers and support staff.

LookBetterOnline

sold 2018

Co-founder and CTO, 2003

Photos for online daters with Match.com and JDate. 12,000+ people photographed. Covered by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and Good Morning America.

lookbetteronline.com

iJoomla

sold 2017

Founder and CEO, 2006

Online magazines for small businesses. Famous for complex products that stayed easy to use. Three Joomla! awards in a row.

ijoomla.com

PeepSo

sold 2017

Founder and CEO

A social network plugin for WordPress, built from scratch to take on BuddyPress. It became the leading social app on the platform.

peepso.com

JomSocial

sold 2017

Owner and CEO, bought in 2013

Rebuilt its operations, features and support. Its test automation was the first in the Joomla world.

jomsocial.com

Bali Secrets

sold 2019

Co-founder, investor and PM, 2015

A natural deodorant that soon became the best seller in its category on Amazon.

Face-cropping AI

still running

Creator

AI before it was cool: it crops about 90% of face photos, blurry ones too. One of the biggest dating networks runs it on 20M+ photos a year.

Plus Urban Springs, the one that got away: refill stations turning city tap water into fresh spring water, to cut plastic bottles. It never launched, and I still love the idea.

Award-winning, three years running.

  1. 2010Best App Developer for Joomla!
  2. 2011Best Joomla! Commerce App
  3. 2012Best Joomla! LMS

Along the way I’ve created many software products and applications.

Messy project? Give it to me.

Software or natural deodorant, the rules are the same: clear communication, the right tools, and specs that are neat and precise.

I've turned very messy projects around fast by putting good habits and systems in place, and by putting each person in the job they're great at.

UX is at the center of everything I build. If a product needs a manual, it isn't finished.

  • UX design
  • Product management
  • Remote teams
  • Systems and automation
  • Usability testing
  • Outsourcing
  • QA
  • SEO
  • Branding

Lord

My Wealth Dynamics profile

Lords are detail people. They work best behind the scenes with numbers, data and systems, keep control of cash flow and risk, and grow value step by step instead of by gambling.

INTJ

Myers-Briggs: the Architect

Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging. A strategist who sees the whole system, makes long-range plans, holds high standards and turns ideas into a concrete plan.

Operator

User experience is my north star

Every decision starts with the person using the product. Then I turn the plan into a system, execute it step by step, and make sure it keeps running.

Taglines I wrote

  • Build Something Useful.®

    Makyo. Registered trademark, at the bottom of every page on makyo.ai.

  • Your Community. Your Way.™

    PeepSo. Trademarked. Facebook sets its rules; with PeepSo you set yours.

  • Better Photos. Better Dates.

    LookBetterOnline. Profiles got five times more views, per JDate's executives.

  • Water The Way Nature Intended.

    Urban Springs. Tap water brought back to its natural state.

Let's build something useful.

Partnerships, agencies and investors: message me on LinkedIn.

Message me on LinkedIn