OTC grad finds success in app world

Like some students when they first come to Ozarks Technical Community College, Jordan Morgan wasn’t sure what career he was most interested in.

But now, he’s sure he’s made the right choice.

In May, Morgan graduated with a degree in Computer Information Science. And today, he is the proud developer, creator and owner of a mobile device app that’s peaked to No. 18 worldwide in finance apps from the iOS App Store.

The app is called Spend Stack and costs $1.99. It designed to help a person know exactly what he or she is spending by calculating local tax rates and keeping a running total of the sales price and the exact taxes owed as items are added to a shopping list.

“My wife and I tried to budget out money and we were always a little over or under of what we budgeted because of all the different tax rates that were applied depending on where you shopped,” Morgan said.

As part of developing the app, Morgan started his own business called Dreaming In Binary, online at dreaminginbinary.co.

Morgan was able to retrieve all the various sales tax rates from tax offices around the country and compiled them into his app. Last week, it peaked at No. 18.

“It was awesome. I was out with my wife and I looked at the category and I was shocked,” he said. “The best part is to see people use it. Folks email me with how they like it.”

The app took about a year to develop and create. He credits OTC’s CIS program for giving him the know-how on developing such devices.

“I’ve always been a big fan of the CIS department. When we graduate, we are battle tested. At OTC, we get in and do it. OTC equipped me with the know-how.”

Tiffany Ford, chair of the CIS department, said Morgan was the kind of student the program wanted.

“He was really motivated and driven to succeed,” she said. “He not only really applied himself in his classes but he started putting his new skills he was learning to outside projects immediately.”

Morgan, who attended Trinity Christian School in Hollister before coming to OTC, is working at what he calls his dream job as a program and developer for HealthMEDX in Ozark.

Now that he’s tasted success in the app development world, he’s not about to slow down.

“I’ve got thousands of ideas for apps,” he said.