As I worked for Colorfy, my first employer, I had the chance to build the Solis App from the ground up using React Native, witnessed the go live of the app and maintained it for over two years. The device was already usable using a web app but was limited in features and UX. This new mobile app was supposed to be the "remote" to the device.
Challenges
- Working in IoT means you're always dependent on another system for the app to function, making testing much harder.
- This device was precisely about connecting to a Wi-Fi network and activating data to go online. That required the app to fully handle an offline mode, despite needing some network to log in/sign up and buy data packages. Since most of our users use the app while traveling, they can't be left without any internet in the middle of nowhere.
- We had no control over the backend, and it being built and hosted in China made it particularly unreliable and slow (we are talking 1-5s to resolve simple REST API calls from europe)
Key Achievements
- Built the app from the ground up with React Native that helps set up and control the Solis device. Handling ~10-20k MAU.
- Handling of online/offline state.
- Implemented an in-app store with Braintree, bringing a new revenue stream to the company, handling thousands to tens of thousands of $ a day.
- Firebase Analytics integration.
- Managed releases in the App Store and Play Store.
- Onboarding of interns and other engineers in the project.