Mobile App Development

As the Product Manager at SimpleCar, I played a pivotal role in the development and successful launch of our mobile app. In this capacity, I wore many hats, acting not only as a Product Manager but also as a Designer, QA Specialist, and Director of Product. This startup environment demanded flexibility and a hands-on approach, allowing me to contribute significantly across various aspects of the project.

Key responsibilities included:

• Project Management: Led the end-to-end development of the mobile app, from initial concept to launch.

• Collaboration: Coordinated with third-party engineers based overseas, ensuring seamless communication and integration.

• Feature Parity: Ensured the mobile app matched the functionality of our existing web app while planning for future scalability.

• System Architecture: Addressed outdated system architecture, implementing solutions that prevented crashes and improved system stability.

• API Development: Oversaw the timely creation and delivery of APIs to our front-end mobile developers, mitigating resource wastage.

• Cross-Functional Coordination: Facilitated intense and frequent collaboration across teams, translating new features and functions effectively.

Through this project, I demonstrated my ability to juggle multiple roles and responsibilities, ensuring that our mobile app met user expectations and positioned SimpleCar for future growth.

• Working with 3rd Party Engineers Overseas: Coordinating with developers in India required effective communication and precise timelines to manage time zone differences and ensure smooth workflow.

• Establishing Parity with Web App: Ensuring the mobile app matched the web app's functionality to provide a seamless user experience. This involved detailed planning and iterative testing to align features across platforms.

• Scaling for Future Growth: Making architectural decisions that would allow the app to scale as the company grew. We focused on building a robust and flexible backend that could handle increasing user loads and feature expansions.

• Outdated System Architecture: Dealing with a legacy system that sometimes crashed or failed to respond correctly. We had to refactor and modernize key components to improve stability and performance.

• Wearing Multiple Hats: Serving as the Designer, Product Manager, QA, and Director of Product in a startup environment. This required a high level of adaptability and the ability to manage multiple responsibilities simultaneously.

• API Development: Simultaneously building APIs and providing them to front-end developers to ensure efficient workflow and resource utilization. This also involved setting up clear documentation and communication channels.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Frequent and intense collaboration across teams to ensure alignment and timely delivery. Regular stand-ups, sprint reviews, and stakeholder meetings were critical in maintaining momentum and addressing issues promptly.

• User-Centric Design: Simplified the application process to reduce user falloff and incomplete applications. We focused on streamlining the user interface and minimizing steps to make it easy for users to get into a SimpleCar.

• Iterative Testing: Conducted extensive user testing and beta launches to gather feedback and refine features before the full-scale launch.

Successfully launched a mobile app that provided a seamless user experience, matched the web app's functionality, and was scalable for future growth. This project demonstrated my ability to manage multiple roles and coordinate complex projects under tight deadlines.