Monetiq: from GitHub projects to a finance app real students use
By Thakur Prashanth · October 15, 2026 · 6 min read
Ch Srikar (BTF-006) and Paarthu Bandi (BTF-007) had built projects before, but never a product with real users. They built Monetiq, a finance app with bill scanning (OCR), now used by at least 10 students.
At a glance
Product: Monetiq
Built by: Ch Srikar (BTF-006), Paarthu Bandi (BTF-007)
Background: Ch Srikar: 3rd year engineering, KLH University; Paarthu Bandi: 3rd year engineering, GITAM University
Cohort: Build Theory Fellowship, Cohort 01 (BT-01)
Status: Live; used by at least 10 students.
Try it: monetiq-app.netlify.app
Who built Monetiq?
Ch Srikar (BTF-006, KLH University) and Paarthu Bandi (BTF-007, GITAM University) are third-year students from different colleges. They were referred to Build Theory by Sreemayee's mother after she saw the change in her daughter, and they came in wanting to work in finance.
Choosing the problem
They explored several finance problem statements before focusing on one: helping students understand their spending and cut unnecessary expenses. They validated it by talking to fellow students who admitted to spending carelessly.
The hardest feature: scanning a bill
They had to learn how to prototype, scope features and make technical decisions. The big technical challenge was optical character recognition (OCR): they wanted a student to scan a bill and have the expense logged instantly. They built it, and it works.
Project versus product
Seeing Monetiq come together showed them the difference between a project that sits in a GitHub repository and a product that people use to solve a real problem. That shift is the core of what Build Theory teaches.
Where it is now
Monetiq is live and used by at least 10 students. Both fellows plan to keep building more products on their own.
What this story shows
Moving from projects to products takes customer discovery, deliberate scope and a clear reason for every feature. Bill scanning earned its place because it removed friction from the core workflow.
Frequently asked questions
What is Monetiq?
Monetiq is a personal finance app for students that explains spending, with OCR bill scanning that logs an expense from a photo of the bill. It was built by Ch Srikar (BTF-006) and Paarthu Bandi (BTF-007).
How many people use Monetiq?
At least 10 students use it.
What is the difference between a project and a product?
A project proves you can build something; a product solves a real problem for real users. Monetiq's team learned this by validating with students before building.
Build your own product in Cohort 02
This story is part of Build Theory Cohort 01: what 24 fellows built. Build Theory is a 30-day online fellowship, based in Hyderabad, where students and early professionals go from a real problem to a live product with 1:1 mentorship and AI tools. Any year, any branch. Check your readiness score or apply for Cohort 02.
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