About me

I am Tomas Radvansky, a seasoned mobile and hybrid software developer with a distinctive journey from medical studies to a robust career in technology. Born in Kosice, Slovakia, and holding a degree in General Medicine from the University of Pavol Jozef Safarik, I have continuously sought to align my career with my passion for technology and innovation.

Starting as a Junior iOS Mobile Developer during my final year in medical school, I gained invaluable experience that catalyzed my full transition into the tech world. Over the years, I have evolved from mobile development to technical architecture, working extensively with cross-platform technologies like Flutter, and backend solutions such as Firebase and NodeJS. My proficiency also extends to writing robust unit and integration tests, maintaining quality through CI/CD pipelines using Github Actions, and preferring to work within the Google Cloud Platform environment.

I am deeply passionate about engaging with startups, especially in laying down their technological foundations and scaling innovative solutions. My career is complemented by a commitment to work remotely, supporting greenfield projects as a potential CTO, Fractional CTO, or in temporary technical leadership roles. My work ethos is driven by a love for scientific endeavors and creating meaningful technological advancements.

The problem I wanted to solve

Backyard Hunt is designed to solve several challenges related to outdoor family activities and learning through play. It creatively addresses the need for engaging, educational, and enjoyable activities that families can do together, particularly in their own backyards. Here’s a breakdown of the key problems Backyard Hunt aims to solve:

Lack of Engaging Outdoor Activities: In a digital age where screen time often dominates, Backyard Hunt offers a compelling alternative that encourages physical outdoor play. By leveraging the thrill of treasure and scavenger hunts, the app motivates children and families to explore outdoors, providing a healthy balance of physical activity and fun.

Educational Opportunities: The app incorporates educational elements seamlessly into the gameplay. Each hunt can be themed around different learning topics, allowing children to engage with educational content in a playful, interactive manner. This can include basic math, nature exploration, and puzzle solving, enhancing learning through active participation.

Family Bonding: Backyard Hunt facilitates quality family time, promoting family bonding activities. By participating in hunts together, families can collaborate, solve problems, and create lasting memories, all within the comfort of their home environment.

Customizable and Creative Play: The app is designed to be fully customizable, allowing users to create their own hunts. This feature not only fosters creativity but also lets families tailor activities to their specific interests and needs, making each adventure unique and personal.

Accessibility and Convenience: With features like downloadable hunts and QR code integration, the game is accessible and easy to set up. Families can start a hunt anytime, making it a convenient option for weekend activities or special occasions like parties.

Community and Sharing: Looking ahead, Backyard Hunt plans to expand into a platform where users can share their own hunt creations and engage with a broader community. This will introduce new content and ideas, keeping the game fresh and exciting, and fostering a sense of community among users.

By addressing these issues, Backyard Hunt not only enhances the outdoor experience but also enriches the educational landscape, making learning fun and accessible through innovative use of technology and interactive play.

What is Backyard Hunt?

Backyard Hunt is a versatile and dynamic mobile app that combines the excitement of treasure and scavenger hunts with educational and fun outdoor activities, designed for all ages. Here’s what Backyard Hunt offers, incorporating the relevant keywords to outline its features and capabilities:

What is Backyard Hunt?

Backyard Hunt is an adventure app and game for kids that provides interactive play experiences through QR code adventures and treasure hunts. It transforms your backyard or any outdoor setting into a thrilling exploration space where participants can engage in both treasure and scavenger hunts. It’s an ideal platform for family bonding activities, allowing participants to enjoy outdoor games and backyard games through creative and educational games.

Capabilities of Backyard Hunt:

Customizable Games: Users can design their own hunts, tailor questions and answers, or choose from pre-existing templates. This makes each game a unique creative play experience, adaptable to any age group from toddlers to adults.
Educational Content: With modules that can include themes like math scavenger hunt or nature exploration, it serves as a learning tool as well as a game. It’s perfect for educational learning activities outside the traditional classroom setting.
Interactive QR Code Trails: Each game utilizes QR codes that participants scan to receive clues and tasks, leading them to the next stage of the hunt. This integration of technology makes the gameplay engaging and interactive.
Downloadable and DIY Hunts: Offers both downloadable options and DIY setups where you can print out your QR codes and set up a hunt quickly and easily, ideal for weekend activities or party games.
Accessibility and Inclusivity: The app is designed to be inclusive, providing hunts that don’t require reading for younger children, which are based on pictures and sounds instead, making it accessible for family fun across different age groups.
Community Engagement: Future plans include creating a platform for users to share their custom hunts and participate in a community scoreboard with monthly prizes, promoting community interaction and ongoing engagement.
By combining technology, creative scavenger hunts, and outdoor challenges, Backyard Hunt encourages players to explore outdoors, learn, and have fun, making it a comprehensive solution for engaging family and educational activities.

Tech stack

Flutter & Firebase, Github Actions, Fastlane, NodeJS/TS Cloud functions, Riverpod

The process of building Backyard Hunt

Building the Backyard Hunt app involved a strategic and lean approach to development, focusing on creating a robust foundation before incrementally adding more complex features. Here’s a step-by-step overview of how you and your wife developed the app:

1. Laying the Foundation
   You began the development process by focusing on the fundamental aspects of the app, such as authentication (auth), user management, and simple data models. This step ensured that the basic framework was solid, secure, and capable of supporting the more complex functionalities planned for later stages.

2. Developing the Web Admin Panel
   After establishing the foundational elements, you shifted your focus to creating a web admin panel. This panel was designed to manage every entity within the app, allowing for efficient control and modification of content, which is essential for managing an interactive app like Backyard Hunt.

3. Creating Mobile Counterparts
   For each entity managed through the web admin panel, you developed corresponding components on the mobile version of the app. This ensured that the backend changes were reflected in the user experience and that both aspects of the app worked in synchrony.

4. Iterative Development of Use Cases
   With a robust framework and admin capabilities in place, you began to flesh out specific use cases:

Creating a Simple Hunt: This initial use case allowed you to test basic functionalities like creating a new hunt, assigning it to users, and managing it through both the admin panel and the mobile app.
Adding Clues to Hunts: You integrated the ability to add clues to the hunts, enhancing the interactivity and engagement of the games.
Expanding Clue Types: Over time, you expanded the types of clues available, allowing for a variety of puzzle and clue formats, which made the hunts more versatile and appealing to a broader audience.

5. Testing and Refinement
   Throughout the development process, you continuously tested the app to identify and fix issues, refine user interfaces, and improve overall functionality. This iterative testing was crucial for ensuring the app was user-friendly and met the desired standards of quality.

6. Launch and Iteration
   After thorough testing and refinement, Backyard Hunt was launched. However, development didn't stop there; you continued to iterate on the app, adding new features and making adjustments based on user feedback and analytics. This ongoing development cycle helps keep the app relevant and engaging for its users.

By adhering to a lean development methodology, you were able to efficiently manage resources, quickly adapt to changes, and focus on building a product that aligns closely with user needs and expectations. This approach not only facilitated a smooth development process but also ensured the creation of a high-quality, engaging app that families could enjoy together.

Challenges I faced

Developing and launching a mobile app like Backyard Hunt comes with a series of challenges that are not only technical but also administrative and strategic. Here’s an overview of the key obstacles faced during the development and release phases:

1. Review Process Challenges
   The review process for both Apple’s App Store and Google Play can be unexpectedly lengthy and less transparent than desired. This can significantly delay the availability of the app to potential users. Navigating the intricacies of app approval can be complex, especially when feedback isn't as clear or forthcoming as developers might hope for.

2. Time Zone and Staffing Limitations
   Operating from New Zealand poses unique challenges due to the significant time difference with key markets like the US and Europe. Additionally, not having a dedicated person to handle specific tasks such as dealing with app store bureaucracies or customer service can stretch resources thin and lead to delays and stress.

3. Analytics Integration Issues
   Despite using a suite of interconnected Google products like Flutter for app development, Firebase for backend services, and Google Play Store for app distribution, the analytics can be chaotic. Properly linking apps and websites to gather coherent data across platforms remains a complex and often frustrating endeavor. The disarray in analytics hampers effective decision-making and optimization strategies for app performance and user engagement.

4. Navigating Legal Requirements
   Understanding and implementing the necessary legal requirements such as GDPR, privacy policies, and terms and conditions are overwhelming, especially for smaller developers or startups without dedicated legal teams. These requirements are crucial for operating legally and ethically but can be a significant barrier due to their complexity and the potential for serious consequences if not handled correctly.

5. Pain Points in Product Release
   While the development of the app might proceed smoothly, the actual release and distribution phase can be fraught with challenges. The administrative, legal, and procedural hurdles can transform what should be a celebratory moment into a painful process, highlighting the difference between creating a product and bringing it to market.

6. Visibility Issues on App Stores
   Even after overcoming the hurdles of development and launch, visibility issues on platforms like the Google Play Store can arise. For instance, even two weeks post-release, the app might not appear in search results when the exact name is typed in. This problem can severely impact the app’s ability to attract new users, despite having cleared all other hurdles.

These challenges illustrate that developing a successful mobile app involves much more than just technical skills. It requires navigating a maze of bureaucratic, legal, and operational obstacles, each of which can significantly impact the overall success of the project.

Key learnings

The development of the Backyard Hunt app by a couple with different perspectives and backgrounds offers valuable insights into the collaborative process of app creation. Here are some key learnings from your experience that can serve as useful advice for others working on similar projects:

1. Importance of Common Language
   Developing a common language within a project is crucial, especially when team members come from different professional backgrounds or have different approaches to problem-solving. You learned firsthand how differing terminologies can lead to miscommunications and even the development of features that don't align with the intended design. Agreeing on a specific set of terms to describe features, processes, and requirements is essential for maintaining clarity and ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

2. Collaborative Decision-Making
   It's important not to rush decisions based on a predefined list of requirements alone. Your personal key learning highlights the need for thorough discussions to ensure mutual understanding of what each requirement entails and how it should be implemented. This approach helps prevent the development of features that may be contrary to what was actually needed or intended.

3. Building a Shared Understanding
   Given your different perspectives—your background in programming and your wife's creative ideation—it was crucial to develop a shared understanding not just of the project's goals but also of the details of its execution. Spending time to align on what different terms and actions mean within the context of your project can help bridge the gap between different viewpoints and enhance collaboration.

4. Iterative Feedback and Adjustments
   Adopting an iterative approach to both communication and development can be beneficial. This involves regularly revisiting discussions and decisions to refine and adjust them as needed. Such an approach allows for continual improvement and helps accommodate evolving understandings and requirements.

5. Documenting Agreements
   To avoid confusion and ensure consistency throughout the project, it's helpful to document agreed-upon terminologies and decisions. This written record can serve as a reference point for both current and future discussions, helping to keep everyone aligned and facilitating onboarding for any new team members.

These learnings underscore the importance of clear communication, thorough mutual understanding, and flexible yet structured decision-making in collaborative projects, particularly when team members have diverse perspectives. This not only aids in the smoother execution of the project but also enhances the overall quality and effectiveness of the end product.

Tips and advice

Releasing a successful mobile app involves more than just development. It's about careful planning, strategy, and preparation. Here are some practical tips and advice for others embarking on this journey, drawing on the experiences faced during the development of Backyard Hunt:

1. Plan for a Lengthy Release Process
   Always plan ahead and be prepared for the release process to take weeks, if not longer. App store reviews, especially with Apple and Google, can be lengthy and require additional revisions. Budget this time into your project timeline to avoid rushed decisions or unexpected delays.

2. Focus on SEO/ASO and Brand Building
   Developing the app is just the beginning. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and ASO (App Store Optimization) along with building a recognizable brand are crucial and can take much longer than the development itself. Start these processes early, and keep refining them. Building a strong online presence and visibility is crucial for the long-term success of the app.

3. Establish Solid Processes
   Before launching your app, ensure that all your logging, analytics, and reporting systems are in place. Have a solid support process ready to handle customer inquiries and issues. These frameworks are crucial for monitoring app performance and user engagement, helping you make informed decisions and quickly address any issues users may encounter.

4. Limit App Scope Initially
   It might be tempting to launch with every feature you've envisioned, but a more focused, streamlined initial release is advantageous. This approach allows you to manage resources better, maintain quality, and ensure that all operational aspects of the app are functioning well. Limiting the scope initially can help avoid overwhelming both the users and your support team.

5. Gradually Introduce New Features
   You can always add more features after the initial release. Starting with a more manageable scope allows you to focus on quality and stability, which creates a strong foundation. Adding features gradually helps in dealing with complexities more effectively and avoids the pitfalls of trying to untangle poorly integrated data and processes later, which can sometimes be a daunting or impossible task.

By adhering to these guidelines, you can mitigate some of the common challenges faced in the app development lifecycle and improve the chances of your app’s success in the competitive market.

Final thoughts and next steps

Your journey with Backyard Hunt is a prime example of dedication and forward-thinking in the app development landscape. Here are some concluding thoughts and forward plans for the project:

Continued Development and Improvement

Your commitment to ongoing work on Backyard Hunt ensures that the app will continue to evolve and improve. This dedication to refinement and expansion is crucial, particularly in the early stages of an app’s life cycle where user feedback and iterative development can significantly enhance the product.

Constant SEO/ASO Optimization

Acknowledging the need for continuous SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and ASO (App Store Optimization) efforts is wise. These strategies are essential for improving the app’s visibility and attracting new users. By continuously optimizing your SEO and ASO strategies, you'll be better positioned to achieve the traction needed for long-term success.

Building Traction

The focus on building proper traction is an important one. This involves not just enhancing visibility but also ensuring that the user experience is engaging enough to retain users. As you gather more users and receive feedback, the insights gained can be used to further refine and tailor the app to meet the desires and needs of your target audience.

Expanding into Physical Game Items

The plan to introduce physical components like a boxed game version, physical QR codes, booklets, and printables is an exciting development. This will not only diversify the product offering but also enrich the user experience by blending digital interaction with tangible elements. Such a combination can enhance the educational and entertainment value of the game, making it more appealing to a broader audience.

Summary

With these plans in place, Backyard Hunt is on a promising path toward becoming a more influential player in the educational and recreational app market. Your approach of blending continuous digital improvement with the introduction of physical game elements sets a dynamic course for the future, likely to captivate and engage families and educational groups alike. Keep focusing on user engagement, adapt to feedback, and continue innovating—success in this venture seems well within reach.

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