Freelance Developer

We are a funded consumer mobile app startup (spirits/whiskey social platform, think Untappd for whiskey) seeking a senior React Native / Expo contractor to become our primary engineer. The app is live in production on iOS and Android with approximately 1,200 monthly active users. We are transitioning away from a dev shop and need someone who can own the codebase directly, not just execute tickets.

Stack: React Native with Expo managed workflow (EAS Build, Expo Router), TypeScript, AWS Amplify, AWS AppSync (GraphQL), DynamoDB, AWS Cognito, AWS Lambda, S3. Lifecycle messaging via Customer.io. Analytics via PostHog (needs instrumentation — SDK not yet installed). Deep linking via Branch.io (planned). Social infrastructure via Stream SDK (planned, not yet implemented).

Immediate work (first 60 days): PostHog SDK instrumentation across the app (spec exists, approximately 35 hours of work), Branch.io smart link integration replacing current Linktree setup, Customer.io SDK integration replacing AWS Pinpoint (free Startup plan already activated), root cause investigation and fix for an iPhone 17 map crash currently flagged by Apple at the 97th crash-free session percentile, Cognito last-authentication bug fix, and React Native to React conversion of a venue-facing web app with an April 2026 hard deadline.

Longer horizon work: Next.js programmatic SEO surface (thousands of bottle, brand, and venue pages), Stream SDK migration away from custom-built social infrastructure, Expo SDK upgrade, and a DynamoDB to PostgreSQL migration.

What we need in a person: Someone who defaults to SDK integration over custom builds, has strong opinions about mobile architecture, can serve as a genuine technical thought partner to non-technical founders, and is comfortable owning decisions without a senior engineer above them. AI tooling fluency is expected and welcomed. The ability to explain technical trade-offs in plain language to business stakeholders is important.

Engagement structure: 25–35 hours per week, fully remote, US or Canada strongly preferred, $125–150 per hour, contract 1099. Potential to grow into a longer-term fractional CTO role as the company scales toward revenue.

Not a fit: Developers who need heavy project management overhead, who prefer greenfield builds over working in an existing production codebase, or who lack genuine Expo managed workflow experience (the distinction between managed workflow, bare workflow, and prebuild matters here — we need someone who knows it cold).