Writing the first code to platform scale on a consumer mobile product used by more than a million people a month.
Hired to guide the way, stayed to build a platform
Hired as Ad Hoc’s first mobile developer. I wrote the first line of code in September 2020, got the app launch-ready by March 2021, and stayed through architecture, team growth, and post-launch expansion as founding engineer, principal architect, and engineering manager. Oversaw the team’s move to a mobile platform as a Director.
The problem to solve
Veterans needed reliable mobile access to health and benefits across many backend systems that were never designed to power a single consumer app. Cold start had to feel fast even when the home screen needed personalized data from several upstream sources at once.
What I did
Designed a backend-for-frontend facade over 30+ source systems
Solved cold-start load for a home screen pulling from 5+ upstream systems
Shipped biometric auth (Face ID / fingerprint) at launch
Built the VA Mobile Design System so feature teams stayed consistent
Partnered on a push notification service with granular in-app controls
Hardened delivery: release trains with Fastlane and EAS, feature flags, automated QA, analytics
Grew a blended engineering team from 6 to 14 while shipping continuously
Launching the app
Initial Launch included claims status, appointments, direct deposit, profile updates, military history, secure messaging, crisis-line access, and benefit letters. Post-launch work expanded into prescriptions, payments, vaccine records with Apple/Google Wallet cards, digital Veteran ID, medical records, and an IA overhaul for long-term navigation.
Outcomes
3M+ downloads
1.4M+ monthly active users
4.8 App Store / 4.7 Google Play
App team transitioned to an open platform team for other VA teams to deliver on the app