A Production Mobile App in Twelve Days
The owner needed to run the restaurant from his phone. I had ten days and had never written React Native.
Role
Solo Developer
Duration
12 days
Year
2024
Status
In Production
12
Days to delivery
4
Practice apps first
Overview
The admin dashboard solved the problem for someone sitting at a desk. The owner is rarely at a desk. This is the app that put order management, notifications and the open/closed switch in his pocket.
The problem
The owner needed to know an order had arrived without watching a screen, and to act on it — or close the restaurant entirely — while away from the premises. A web dashboard could not deliver reliable push notifications to a phone that is in a pocket.
Constraints
- Ten days available, against a stack I had not used before
- The app had to be production quality, not a demonstration
- It had to integrate with the existing server without changes to the other applications
What I built
I spent the first eight days learning React Native properly rather than skimming it — building four practice applications, including one with authentication, CRUD, and real-time notifications, so the production code would not be the place where I discovered the framework's edges. Production work started on day nine and was delivered on day twelve, reviewed and approved. The app connects to the same server as everything else, so it needed no changes elsewhere in the system.
How it fits together
- React Native client against the existing Express API — no server changes required
- Firebase Cloud Messaging for push notifications on new orders
- Order search, filtering and status updates matching the dashboard's capabilities
- One-tap sharing of order details to WhatsApp with a Google Maps delivery link
Running in production
Distributed directly to the owner's device rather than through an app store, which suits a single-operator internal tool and avoids review cycles for every change.
My role
- Learning React Native to a standard where production code was appropriate
- Designing and building the entire application
- Integrating push notifications end to end
- Delivery and revision against the owner's feedback
Outcome
- Delivered in twelve days, reviewed and approved
- The owner can accept, track and act on orders without being on site
- Still in production use
Last updated
What I Delivered
Learned React Native and shipped production software in twelve days
Four practice applications built first, so production was not the learning ground
Push notifications for new orders via FCM
Integrated with the existing server without changes elsewhere