Index 01 / Mobile — independent engineer & technical partner
I turn ambiguous product ideas into customer-facing software that holds up in the real world. 10+ years building new apps from the first sketch, and making established ones like Nanoleaf's dependable at scale.
Years shipping
10+
Apps shipped
9
Downloads across apps
750K+
Engineers led at Nanoleaf
5
Worked with
NanoleafSOHO HouseLCBOBalconySnibbleACTO (now Series B)
Nine apps shipped, for startups, agencies and brands. Seven in public app stores; two delivered straight to clients.
01 / 07 — Team lead · 2021–22
Led the Android team of 5 for Nanoleaf's smart-lighting app: 500K+ downloads and 100K monthly active users controlling real hardware in their homes. Cut the crash rate by 75%, and worked with hardware and product teams to overhaul the device communication layer, cutting disconnects per user by 84%, from 2.5 to 0.4.
02 / 07 — Consultant (Astrev), founding Android engineer · 2019–25
Built the Android app from the ground up and carried it for six years: a geo-communication safety tool used by large NGOs and Fortune 500 companies. Delivered ARCore 3D waypoints, live media streaming, and a background location service that holds up in the field.
03 / 07 — Independent consultant (Astrev), technical PM · 2019
Hired and led the team that built a short-form video app and its backend. First release passed 100,000 App Store downloads with a library of 500,000+ videos.
04 / 07 — Independent consultant (Astrev) · 2019–20
Private and shared jet booking for StarJets, taken from the client's sketches to a shippable app in just 6 sprints: 2 for design, 4 for development.
05
Embedded contractor (Astrev) · 2018–19
Embedded at Symbility Intersect. Traced SOHO House's bad reviews to performance bottlenecks and cut load times by 70%; built the first version of LCBO's Android store experience, e-commerce included.
06
Freelance consultant (Astrev) · 2017–18
One of Astrev's first clients. Designed and built a voice-activated music app, integrating complex media streaming with speech-recognition SDKs and APIs. Delivered to the client; not publicly released.
07
Founding mobile engineer · 2014–16
Built the mobile apps for an enterprise training platform from day one. ACTO is now a Series B company with 100+ employees.
It starts with a conversation. Tell me what you're facing, and we'll work out whether it's a quick fix or something longer.
From an unclear brief to a shippable app: product definition, UX, build and launch.
Crashes, flaky connectivity, slow load times, an architecture nobody wants to touch. I find the root causes and fix them without stopping the roadmap.
Hiring, scoping and running delivery, so founders can stay focused on the business.
How I work
You get one person accountable for your product, end to end. Behind me is a network built over 10 years: designers and engineers I trust with design and smaller tasks, so the work gets done well without you managing a team.
6 weeks,
or 6 years.
Sometimes a quick fix. Often a long relationship. Balcony started as a contract and lasted six years.
Sameer Jiwani
Founder · Astrev
I started shipping Android apps in 2014, and I've worked as a founder, embedded contractor, founding engineer and team lead. That range makes it easier to see what your product needs now, and what can wait. These days I build AI products too.
A decade of both. Independent since 2016 through Astrev, with full-time stints leading teams at Nanoleaf and building AI products at Vansh.care and Flint.
Contact
Tell me what you're facing, and let's work out how I can help.
jiwani.sameer@gmail.com