Overview
Know Yourself is a mobile platform developed for Know Yourself LLC. The application helps users identify their strengths through an intelligence assessment and connect with places, events, and like-minded people across Los Angeles based on their unique thinking styles. SinanSoft was brought on as the technical partner to engineer and develop the end-to-end iOS and Android applications using React Native CLI for cross-platform development, along with the supporting backend infrastructure.
Requirements
Assessment & Discovery: Quiz-driven intelligence profiling paired with an interactive map to find local spots.
Social & Events: Group meetup creation, management, and live chat features.
Safety & Access: AWS Cognito auth (with Apple Sign-In), age (18+) and photo verification, and privacy controls.
Partner Portal: Tools for local businesses to showcase their locations.
Initial Backlog
Analytics & Profiles: Interactive charts and result screens.
Map & Media: Bookmarks, place cards, and media galleries.
Social Engine: Real-time messaging, meetups, and link previews.
Security & Alerts: AWS Cognito auth (Apple Sign-In) and push notifications.
Why Agile?
Adopting an Agile development workflow enabled us to deliver the core self-discovery features iteratively while continuously addressing functional, design, and UX requirements. The flexible development process also allowed the team to incorporate new social features and business requirements as the product evolved.
the Problem
Goal: Build a scalable cross-platform (iOS/Android) mobile app merging self-discovery profiling, map-based discovery, and real-time social networking.
Complexity: Seamlessly integrating verification (18+ age and photo checks), subscriptions, and event management without compromising performance or UX.
Sprint Planning & Iterative Development
Sprint Planning & Iterative Development
Sprint Setup
We executed two-week development sprints focusing on mobile app functionality, API development, map rendering efficiency, user authentication, meetup management, and overall application stability.
Internal Syncs & QA
Engineering and QA teams held regular syncs to identify and resolve functional bugs, UI/UX issues, and cross-platform inconsistencies.
Testing was performed across both iOS and Android to ensure consistent behaviour and reliable user flows.
Iterative Development
Development iterations focused not only on implementing new functionality but also on improving existing designs, resolving functional issues, and refining the overall user experience.
The team continuously reviewed and improved screens and user flows based on identified design and UX issues.
App & UX/UI Design Implementation
Agile Design Process
Worked alongside product stakeholders to turn functional requirements into structured user flows—from onboarding and intelligence assessment to map exploration and meetup participation.
Prototyping
Identified and resolved UI/UX issues throughout development.
Improved existing designs to create a cleaner, more intuitive, and consistent experience across the application.
Refactored place card rendering to display venue details efficiently while media assets load.
UI Design
Built and refined interfaces for intelligence profiling, custom-styled cards, and user profile screens.
Continuously improved the application's visual design and user experience based on usability requirements.
Development (Agile Sprints)
Testing and Quality Assurance (QA)
Cross-Platform Testing: Executed E2E testing for chat, meetups, auth, and verification on iOS and Android.
Bug & UX Refinement: Resolved functional bugs, design inconsistencies, and usability issues across all flows.
Technical Architecture
Cross-Platform Apps: Built iOS and Android mobile apps using React Native CLI.
Core Infrastructure: Developed mobile and backend systems to power maps, auth, profiling, meetups, messaging, and data sync.
Authentication
Authentication Setup: Built secure account management using AWS Cognito.
Apple Sign-In: Integrated Sign in with Apple for fast, streamlined logins.
Development (Agile Sprints)
Meetup Management
Meetup Management
A significant part of the development involved building and refining the complete meetup lifecycle.
Users can:
Create a meetup
View meetup details
Update an existing meetup
Delete a meetup
Join a meetup
Leave a meetup
The meetup functionality was integrated with the application's user, profile, messaging, and privacy requirements to provide a complete social experience.
User Verification & Safety Requirements
Profile Photo Verification
API Integration: Partnered with a backend engineer to connect the profile verification API.
Photo Validation: Automated profile photo checks to block fake or inappropriate images.
Age & Profile Photo Validation
Implemented a requirement that users must have both a profile photo and a valid age entered in their profile before they can plan or join a meetup.
Implemented age validation to ensure users meet the application's minimum age requirement of 18 years old before continuing to use the relevant functionality.
These requirements were incorporated into the user flow to help maintain a safer and more trustworthy environment for community interactions.
User Verification & Safety Requirements
Customer quote
Grant ReynoldsFounder
Saeid and his team have been a pleasure to work with. They delivered results that exceeded expectations and maintain consistent communication. Saeid is a great resource for any company looking to elevate their technology!
