Nihaal Manaf
Builder & Entrepreneur
Studying Computer Science at NUS
Current Role: Software Engineer @ Podpitch
Building: Rubberduck AI
Hi there! 👋
I'm a Computer Science student at the National University of Singapore and an entrepreneur who's been building products (some successful, some not so much lol) since 2015 and I'll be heading to NOC Silicon Valley in 2026 (something I'm super excited about!).
Over the first year and a half at NUS, I've spent a significant amount of time working on TicketIT - a conversational ticketing platform using Agentic AI on messaging apps. We've facilitated $25,000+ in sales across 11 events for clients including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and we're backed by NUS Enterprise with a $10,000 grant. It's actually crazy how much I've learnt over that period of time. I've touched base on everything from learning how to build reliable and clean code that can be extended easily and worked on by multiple people to managing people and remaining consistent with progress.
One of the most important things I learnt is just how critical momentum is and burnout is simply a phenomenon when you have too much effort and not enough momentum and I felt this strongly during this period. You can read more about everything I learnt here. [blog post in progress]
Before university, I completed my National Service with the Singapore Civil Defence Force as a 2nd Lieutenant (2LT), where I led my own platoon and created SCDF MyWellness which has served over 500+ civil servants with 2,500+ interactions. It was honestly really fun building this and watching my recruits use this product gave me my first taste into building helpful and impactful solutions. And before this I was a firefighter at Yishun firestation for a couple of months - ig that was quite cool :)
Projects
TicketITJun 2024 - Dec 2025
Co-founded a conversational ticketing platform using Agentic AI. Awarded the NUS Enterprise VIP@SoC $10,000 grant and incubated at Furnace. Facilitated $25,000+ in sales across 11 events, serving 9 clients including Make-A-Wish Foundation and 1,500+ customers.
Special shoutout to Ojas Surana, an amazing entrepreneur and an even better friend.
Tech: LangChain, LangGraph, FastAPI, Next.js, React, MongoDB, AWS, Stripe
SCDF MyWellnessOct 2023 - Present
Created a platform to help SCDF recruits with acculturation and mental health resources. Now serving 500+ active civil servant users with 2,500+ questions answered. Built a CRM for management analytics and developing a RAG system with locally-hosted Mistral 7B LLM for data security. Currently in testing phase with SCDF.
The platform was built with intention to help SCDF recruits with acculturation and mental health resources. It's a sergeant in your pocket! The idea behind this platform was to reduce the friction between recruits and any information they need to know. During the first few weeks, Seargents and Lieutenants can be quite scary and overwhelming and these are the same people who these new recruits are to turn to for help - and that might be tricky. I'd know because I was on both sides of the coin - as a recruit and as a Lieutenant.
Tech: React, FastAPI, MongoDB, Chart.js, Mistral 7B, RAG
Shoot Your ShotOct 2023 - Feb 2025
Co-founded an anonymous Valentine's Day flower and letter delivery service. Our Telegram bot attracted 4,000+ leads, converted 243 paying customers, and generated $2,000+ in revenue. Handled the full stack: bot development, payments, marketing campaigns, and logistics (logistics is a complete pain in the ass when you don't know how much volume you're going to have and you don't have a car :o)
Tech: Python, Telegram Bot API, MongoDB, FastAPI, Stripe, Tally.so
FindPatients.inAug 2021 - Oct 2021
A social impact initiative during India's 2021 medicine shortage crisis. Built a website and Telegram bot to connect medicine donors with patients in need. Developed search functionality for patients to find donors with required medicines in their area.
We got absolutely no users for this one. But looking back, it was the intention that mattered. I vaguely remember cold texting celebrities through facebook asking them to endorse our product so that more people could use it. This project gave me a glimpse into the logistical issues with a 2 sided marketplace and realised just how difficult it would be to get the ball rolling. We built this to try and help people get medicine in desperate times and so it kinda sucked that we were not able to do so.
KuluFitMar 2020 - Jun 2020
A dropshipping company selling fitness products during COVID-19 lockdowns. Designed the e-commerce website and ran targeted marketing campaigns through fitness niche Instagram pages. Defintely lost money here. yolo.
ManjiSep 2015 - Nov 2015
My first business venture at age ~13. A retail business selling fidget spinners sourced from suppliers in China. Created product videos, sold on Carousel, and negotiated with international suppliers for better rates.
More about this in my blog post!.
What I Work With
- Languages — Python, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript
- Frontend — React, Next.js, Tailwind CSS
- Backend — FastAPI, MongoDB, SQL, Redis
- AI/ML — LangChain, LangGraph, RAG, OpenAI, Local LLMs
- Infrastructure — AWS (Lambda, S3, EB), Vercel, Docker, GitHub Actions
- APIs — Stripe, Telegram Bot, Google Apps Script
Press
- Embracing NS: 2LT Nihaal Manaf's personal odyssey from recruit to leader — HomeTeamNS Frontline
- 服役军官养成记 (The Making of a Service Officer) — SFCCA
Bio (from LinkedIn)
I am a dedicated entrepreneur and technologist with a passion for creating impactful solutions that bridge the gap between technology and business needs. With a strong foundation in software development and a growing expertise in web development, I specialize in crafting innovative tools and applications that enhance operational efficiency and customer engagement.
My journey has been marked by continuous learning and adaptation to emerging technologies, enabling me to deliver state-of-the-art solutions. I am particularly skilled in backend frameworks like FastAPI, with a keen interest in secure payment processing and business automation.
Committed to making a difference, I strive to drive growth and success for my ventures and those I collaborate with.
*Created with ChatGPT based on past projects and this page.
Get in Touch
I'm always excited to connect with fellow builders, discuss ideas, or explore collaborations. The best way to reach me is via email.