Why I’m Building GetCartly

Turn any recipe into a ready-to-shop cart.

Ever catch yourself thinking, "Why does planning, shopping, and cooking take longer than enjoying dinner with your family?" — this post is for you.

Between parenting, work, and trying to live well, food should give us energy — not drain it.

That frustration became the spark for GetCartly:

maybe cooking isn’t the problem… 

maybe everything before it is.

Never thought I’d build a startup in grocery shopping.

But after becoming a father (now of two), I slowly realised that one of the hardest parts of modern life is not just finding time. It’s protecting the balance so that nothing truly important gets sacrificed:

time with kids, your relationship, staying competitive in your work — and still somehow remembering to eat something decent.

Grocery shopping seems like a small item on that list, but it quietly eats hours every week. Planning what to cook, searching for recipes, checking what ingredients you already have, comparing stores, adding things to cart, forgetting something… then starting again.

It adds friction to life in a way that doesn’t feel dramatic in the moment, but slowly accumulates. And when life gets busy, we default to shortcuts — ordering random things, repeating the same meals, or grabbing whatever is fastest.

Over time, this shapes how we feel, how much we overspend on convenience food, how much energy we have, and ultimately our quality of life.

When life gets hectic, it becomes surprisingly easy to overlook the importance of healthy, nutritious food. Not because we don’t care, but because there are simply too many other things competing for our attention.

You are what you eat.

And like most people, I often get bored eating the same meals, so I’m always looking for new and exciting recipes. But that again demands energy and time.

For me, the hard part isn’t cooking. It’s choosing what to make — and then spending time shopping for the ingredients.

the part I’ve always loved

Cooking Wasn’t the Problem

I love cooking.

It’s almost meditative — a way to slow down and be present. I’m a big foodie; I enjoy new flavours, new cuisines, new techniques.

But cooking for a family is a different game. I can’t cook only when I feel like it or have inspiration. It becomes a routine. And it’s not only about what I want — it’s also about helping my kids develop healthy eating habits, try new tastes, and keep eating well even on busy days.

At some point, I started wondering if there might be a better way to keep eating well

without spending hours planning and shopping…

without overpaying for restaurant food…

and without being stuck with the same recipes week after week.

Poker Changed How I Think About Food

Poker taught me discipline, focus, and that performance starts long before you sit at the table.

One of the unexpected influences behind GetCartly was poker.

For the past few years, I’ve been playing high-stakes poker professionally.

In that world, every decision matters — and you get instant feedback: win or lose. You learn to stay sharp for long hours, manage your energy, and protect your focus.

Very quickly, you realise that

food is part of your performance. 

Most serious players work with mindset coaches and nutrition specialists who teach that what you eat directly affects how clearly you think and how long you can play your best game.

Eat well → think well.

Outside of poker, life rewards good decisions the same way… just more quietly. When you eat better, you feel better.

The irony is that people want to eat well — but the effort required (planning meals, finding recipes, buying ingredients) often gets in the way.

It became clear to me that the challenge wasn’t cooking.

It was everything that happens before you start cooking.

A Simple Thought

I asked myself:

If we could remove the time and energy wasted on finding recipes, planning meals, and shopping, would people cook more and eat healthier?

It felt obvious.

That idea slowly turned into GetCartly.

The Vision of GetCartly

At its core, GetCartly is built around a simple idea:

eating well shouldn’t be hard.

Today, if you see a recipe you like — on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube or anywhere —you save it…

and then you still have to hunt down every ingredient, compare prices, add them one by one, check your fridge, remember substitutes…

It’s too much.

The first step of GetCartly is removing all of that friction.

You click a recipe → we build your grocery cart → done. 

No extra thinking, no extra time.

And because we compare prices across supermarkets, you don’t just save time — you save money too.

That alone makes cooking easier and more fun again.

But that’s only the beginning.

The near future

Because time with family matters more than time spent planning and shopping.

When food gets simpler, something powerful happens:

people cook more, eat better, and stress less.

GetCartly will help you:

• keep the recipes you love in one place

• eat more balanced meals without “trying”

• reduce leftover waste by suggesting what to do with what’s already at home

No pressure, no lecture — just gentle guidance.

Like a friend who knows what’s in your kitchen and what you enjoy.

Healthy eating shouldn’t feel like a project.

It should just… happen.

Because the best moments are shared together — not spent at the store.

Where we’re headed

One day, GetCartly will feel like having your own personal food assistant —a mix of a private chef, nutrition coach, and smart shopper.

You’ll simply say:

“I want to make a pasta dish with chicken for a romantic dinner.”

And Cartly will:

• suggest a few options

• build the cart

• pick the cheapest store

• check what you already have

• and ask:

“Ready to order?”

Imagine ChatGPT —

but instead of just giving you ideas,

it actually helps you get things done.

That’s the future of grocery shopping.

Simple. Smart. Personal.

And we’re building it — one small step at a time.

Follow along as it unfolds!