Founding Full-Stack Mobile Engineer / Potential Technical Co-Founder

Heartchive (heart•kive) is an app I built after caring for my dad and losing him. During that time, I needed a place for the practical things I was trying to keep track of, but also for my memories, thoughts, and everything I didn’t quite know what to do with. I couldn’t find one, so I created Heartchive for other people caring for or grieving someone they love.
The app is live on iOS today. People can save memories, write letters, respond to guided prompts, organize tasks, and keep important information in one private place. An external development team based in Pakistan built the current version, and I’ve since designed v2 and mapped out its new features. I’m looking for someone who can take ownership of the engineering to build and launch it, then bring their own ideas to where Heartchive goes next.
What you’d work on:
Work with the current development team to understand the existing React Native app and AWS backend, then take ownership of the codebase.
Build and launch the v2 designs and features I’ve already mapped out, working across both the front end and back end.
Bring Heartchive to Android.
Implement Apple in-app payments.
Maintain the app after launch: investigate bugs, troubleshoot issues across the app and backend, and ship fixes and updates.
Help improve the app’s design and user experience while making thoughtful decisions about privacy, security, and reliability.
Connect the app with the Heartchive website so people can move between them smoothly and their information stays in sync where needed.
What you’d bring:
Deep, hands-on experience with React Native and AWS. You’ve used both to build and maintain production apps.
Experience shipping mobile apps end to end, from development and testing through App Store release and ongoing updates.
Experience taking over an existing codebase, understanding how it works, and building on it.
The ability to own front-end and back-end development yourself.
Experience working in Figma and translating designs into a polished mobile app.
The emotional landscape of Heartchive matters deeply to me. Someone might open the app while caring for a parent, shortly after a death, or years later when they want to remember a small detail about someone they love. The words, design, and way each feature works need to feel right in those moments. I’m looking for someone who cares about that as much as the technology.
Most of all, I want this work to mean something to you. Maybe you’ve lost someone yourself. Maybe you’ve cared for someone, or watched a person close to you go through it. You don’t need to share a personal story to be considered, but I do want to build with someone who understands that the people using Heartchive are often carrying a lot.
I’m based in San Diego and would love to work with someone local, though finding the right person matters most. If this resonates, please tell me a little about what you’ve built and why Heartchive interests you.

Work arrangement
Yes