Experienced React Native Engineer for Skill-Gaming Platform
Summary
I'm building Artcade, a patent-pending peer-judged creative skill-gaming platform where people compete in drawing, photo, and writing contests, in 31-player cohorts, for real-money prizes. The mission is simple: incentivize imagination.
The whole experience is generally built with AI prototyping. React/TypeScript, every screen from game selection through voting, results, wallet, and compliance. It was built fast and AI-native, and it's production-ish quality.
Now I need a founding-level frontend/mobile engineer to help us on the last mile: convert it to a React Native iOS app and get a real build into TestFlight. That's the one thing that matters first. If you've shipped real mobile apps, you obsess over how a touch interface feels, and you're comfortable blending AI dev tools with strong engineering fundamentals, this role is for you.
What You'll Do
- Convert our React/TypeScript prototype into a React Native iOS app and get it live on TestFlight (the #1 priority. It unblocks everything downstream)
- Stand up and manage TestFlight builds through a paced, compliance-gated cadence (build → cert gate → adjust → continue)
- Own the drawing canvas end-to-end — multi-tool, touch optimization, responsiveness, performance. It's our signature surface and it has to feel great
- Build the core game and voting flows (cohort fill, submission, the gated 5×6 → 5 → 1 voting flow, results) plus wallet, profile, progression, and responsible-gaming screens
- Bring a real point of view on animation, transitions, and game feel — not just ship tickets
- Use AI dev tools (Claude Code, Codex, similar) to move fast, and help systematize what works
- Collaborate directly on product direction — this is a founding seat, not a ticket queue
Ideal Candidate Experience
- React Native Engineer (5+ years) with shipped mobile apps.
- Real apps live on TestFlight / the App Store — React Native and/or native iOS (Swift/SwiftUI), not web-with-a-responsive-layout.
- Strong React / TypeScript experience helpful.
- UX craft on interactive, canvas, or touch-heavy surfaces.
Mobile Expertise
- React Native (Expo / bare workflow) and the iOS build + TestFlight pipeline
- Touch handling, gesture systems, and 60fps performance on device
- Animation depth — Framer Motion, Reanimated, or SwiftUI animation
Craft & Canvas
- Canvas / graphics / drawing-tool experience (Canvas API, WebGL, custom rendering)
- A portfolio piece that's interactive and feels good to use — show us something you made
- An eye for game feel, transitions, and micro-interactions
AI-Native Builder Profile (Must-Have Mindset)
- You've recently vibe-coded and are comfortable with AI dev tools like Claude Code, Codex, Droid
- You blend AI output with your own logic and refactors — fluent, not dependent
- You think of AI as a collaborator that lets a small team ship like a big one
- You love testing new workflows and systematizing what actually works
Highly Valuable
- Mobile game experience — especially drawing / creative tools / rich touch interaction
- Skill gaming, iGaming, or real-money gaming background (Skillz, Big Run, PrizePicks, etc.)
- Real-time UX (WebSocket waiting rooms, live game state)
- Design-fluent enough to pair tightly with a brand designer
Soft Skills & Mindset
- Operates like a founder — autonomous, pragmatic, fast
- Runs from a prototype and a POV, doesn't wait for pixel-perfect specs
- Communicates clearly and async-friendly
- Comfortable with a paced, gated start-stop rhythm (the cert cadence is part of the job)
- Cares how things feel, not just whether they work
What You'll Get
- A founding frontend seat on a product that's already built and ready to ship
- Direct collaboration with the CTO on architecture and the CEO on product
- 1099 contract-to-hire to start, converting to a full-time early-employee seat with equity on mutual fit
- Real ownership of the surface users touch most — the draw tool is yours
- The chance to define how an entire creative-gaming product feels on mobile
Our Mission
- We're building creative skill gaming that rewards imagination with real prizes.
- The product is built. The job is to make it real on mobile, and make it feel incredible.
- If you've shipped mobile apps you're proud of, you sweat the details of touch and motion, and you want to own a signature surface from day one, you'll fit right in.
Note - This is U.S.-based and work-authorized (1099 → W-2 path). Rate is $50-70/hr depending on experience, negotiable up for strong mobile-game or drawing-tool backgrounds. We'll start with a short paid sprint on the actual codebase to align on pace and quality, then scale from there.
Looking forward to building together.