Working independently has taught me to move between different parts of making a product: understanding the problem, designing an interface, connecting data, debugging, deploying and explaining the result. I've moved from small experiments toward projects that involve authentication, databases, planning logic and documented system limits.
I don't think a live link automatically proves that a project has changed people's lives. Some of my work is still early-stage, and some demos use simulated data. I try to label those boundaries clearly, and I want to get better at testing with real people and learning from their feedback.