UPMC Enterprises

- Landed #4 top medical app in Google Play
- Led Android app architecture growth from 0 to 350K+ active users
- Delivered a telemedicine app at the height of COVID-19 on time and on budget

Lead Android Architect

Inspirata

- Designated as the engineering spokesman to executive leadership
- Created a testing strategy that led to a 3x decrease in product delivery time

Research Software Engineer

Bentley Systems

Software Engineering Intern

Smith Micro Software, Inc.

Quality Assurance Engineering Intern

Teaching 150k+ how to build chart-topping Android apps

Here is my track record:

- Trusted by 1M+ users, with 90M monthly visitations
- Built a $25M production-ready Android app development roadmap

I know what it takes to build a top 1% app.
That's why my work is trusted by people at top companies such as Google, Tesla, Shopify, and Fastly.

What you can get from me:

- 7+ years of vetted, hardened experience
- An acceleration toolkit to ship your app up to 6-12 months sooner
- Long-range insights that keep your investment in apps fresh and current

Are you building a new Android app or struggling to maintain an old one?

I'll help you build stable, modern apps that both users and engineers love ahead of time and under budget.

Learn this and you'll be the smartest engineer in the room:

"You are not paid to code.
You are paid to solve problems."

All engineers are problem-solvers.
Not all engineers are coders.

I've seen too many people that code first
without knowing the problem they're solving.

They think their paid to code,
and they completely miss the problem.

What's the result?

🟥 8 hours of waste.
🟥 100% throw away code.
🟥 More back-and-forth churn.
🟥 Multiple engineers reworking the code.
🟥 A confused team asking "what happened?"

It's a mindset shift.
It doesn't take genius.

Solve the problem first.
Then see apply it to code.

People who problem-solve first:

🟩 Done in 15 mins.
🟩 100% of the code is kept.
🟩 Problem is solved without churn.
🟩 One engineer can get the job done.
🟩 A team which wasn't interrupted with a crisis.

Literally 8 hours vs 15 minutes.
All because one engineer took time to understand the problem.

Oliver Spryn

Build software like the top 1%. Save $25M and 7 years and build right the first time.

"I'm ready to waste time on my career"
~ No one ever.

But yet...

Engineers waste their careers grinding Leetcode.
But they miss out on what actually makes a great engineer.

All engineers need to problem-solve.
And many companies use Leetcode as the benchmark.

But...
I've never hired someone based on their Leetcode.
Or their GitHub commits.
Or their portfolio.
Or their clients.

Those are all hard skills.
Hard skills are teachable.
Hard skills are learned early.
Hard skills only take you so far.
Hard skills tend to create arrogance.

You will never master hard skills if you don't...

Have humility.
Have a teachable mindset.
Have a friendly, workable character.

Those are all soft skills.
And I WILL hire you based on these.

Because if you have these,
you can learn every hard skill you need.
Because every hard skill is teachable as 
long as you pair them with the correct soft skills.

Leetcode still doesn't have a soft skill practice section.
I'm still waiting for that to show up...

Most people don't know that I'm partially colorblind.
But my ability to see yellow saved a doomed project.

Here is my story:

Most IDEs indicate warnings in yellow.
We often overlook them because they aren't errors.

That almost derailed our project like a train wreck.

I was leading a team of engineers.
We were building a messaging app.
For each message, you could add attachments.

To do that, we had to declare a file read permission.
In our app's permissions list, that permission request had a yellow line.

That was in the days of Android 12.
Android 13 was right around the corner.

Android 13 removed the ability for apps to read files.
And the only way I saw that was a little yellow line.

It told us that Android introduced a new way of reading files.
And that we only had a short time to pivot.

But 100% of our efforts went into building out the old way.

When Android 13 shipped,
we would have been up a creek.

I saw the yellow line.
I hit the brakes on the project.
I shared what it meant and why it was so important.

Everyone got on the same page.
The project adjusted and was saved.
And we found the new way was MUCH easier.

So, what's the moral?

If you are going to ignore a warning,
make sure you fully understand the consequences.

For us, that would have sunk the project.

Oh... and colorblind developers are still helpful. :)

All software engineers must speak 4 languages.
Yes, 4 languages.

Which 4?
Should you download Duolingo?

No.
Let me explain.

1️⃣ Your primary language. 
English, Spanish, Hindi, etc. 
For daily human interactions.

Exercise this soft skill.
It will never let you down.

2️⃣ A programming language. 
Kotlin, Java, C#, JavaScript, etc. 
For communicating with computers.

This is the idea that gets all of the attention.
Often too much attention.
At the expense of 1️⃣.

3️⃣ A mix of code and language. 
Your code should read like a book. 
Use descriptive variables and functions. 
This is often called self-documenting code.

Read books.
Read fine literature.
Learn the fine art of communication.
Code should speak to both machines and humans.

4️⃣ Explain code to humans. 
Not everyone understands code. 
Avoid jargon and condescension.
Translate it clearly for your entire team.

QA.
Engineers.
Product owners.
Executives and stakeholders.

If you can't translate it,
you don't understand it.

In short:
No technical jargon. 
No "I'm smarter than you." 
No assuming everyone knows what you mean. 
 
Well done. You're quadrilingual now.

Do you know how it feels to give CPR?
Or to get 1-star reviews for following the rules?

I did both.

We had to do CPR on software
that was getting flooded by 1-star reviews.

It had quite honestly turned into a life-and-death
situation for the future of our app.

And we weren't even at fault.
This is our journey...

Are you ready to save $20M and 7 years on your next Android app?
Book a free Engineering Strategy Call to build your app right the first time.
https://lnkd.in/e_YH79qY

How we rescued ourselves from 1-star reviews.

On Monday, I'll be throwing you a lifeline.
Without it, you'll be sinking on August 31st.

It's not intended to sound ominous.
It's just the state of the Android world.

So, if you're familiar with Google Play's infamous Aug 31st deadlines,
I highly recommend you tune in on Monday, Feb 17th at 12pm ET.

Are you ready to save $20M and 7 years on your next Android app?
Book a free Engineering Strategy Call to build your app right the first time.
https://lnkd.in/e_YH79qY

Build Android apps like the top 1%. Save $25M and 7 years and build right the first time.

Give me 30 seconds and I'll save you 100 hours of time in 2025.

Stop being a spreadsheet jockey.
They say "you need 100% unit test coverage."

Rubbish.

You need effective unit test coverage.
That might only be 60%.

Why?

Not everything makes sense to test.

Bad examples:
➡️ UIs => use UI tests.
➡️ Factories => no value.
➡️ Model classes => no value.
➡️ Pass-through functions => no value.

We get so caught up in the 100%.
Asking ourselves if we could
but never if we should.

Good examples:
➡️ Repositories
➡️ View models
➡️ Data mappers
➡️ Business logic
➡️ API interactions

Again, that might only be 60% of your code.
But you need to test that 60% to 100%.
Because that is where unit tests shine.
Because that is the brains of your app.
That is where you need to spend time.
That is where tests offer value.

The other 40% is a vanity metric.
The other 40% is a waste of time.
It will be obvious if something's wrong.

Don't be a slave to ceremony.
Don't be a slave to the 100%.
Work smarter.
Not harder.

I will never promote a busy developer.
No matter how good. They're incapable.

Busy developers are coders.
Busy developers have one focus.
Busy developers miss the bigger picture.
And that focus destroys their key advantage.

🟥 They take on a ton of
work to try to prove their worth.

🟥 They might be able to write
better code than their colleagues.

🟥 They might be the fastest and
most flawless engineer on the team.

Still.
No promotion.

Still.
Their output is 1x.
They are replaceable.

They've shown mastery of the small things.
But they haven't mastered the bigger picture itself.

I'm going to keep them in the role they're good at.
It serves the team best. It serves them best.
No hard feelings.

♻️ Now, what about a delegating developer? ♻️

🟩 They've shown they
can grow the minds of their colleagues.

🟩 They've shown they've
identified the strengths of their teammates.

🟩 They've shown they know
how to keep a team busy, not just themselves.

Promotion.

Their output is 10x.
Their value goes up.
They know how to add
more impact than one person.

They've mastered the big picture.
They belong in the role they're already doing.
It serves them best. It serves the entire team best.

You can do it, too.
Keep your team's plates spinning.
Not just yours.

Yesterday, my contact fell out of my eye.
And that got me thinking.

I can remember the first time I wore contacts.
It took me 10 minutes to get them into my eyes.

Putting my finger near my eye felt like I might as
well just put my entire fist in and be done with it.
And once I was done, it felt like wearing sandpaper.

That was 12 years ago.

Yesterday, when my contact fell out,
I just rinsed my hands and the contact,
and popped it back in. No mirror. No drama.

What a difference.
That made me ask.

What else would I consider hard today?
What else might I master if I put my mind to it?

For me that was software engineering.
And it changed my life.
What about yours?

I’ve just started the Founder OS 90-day content challenge with Matt Gray.

If you’re a software engineer that is interested in building software like the world's top 1%, make sure you give me a follow, because in the days to come, I’ll be sharing a ton of valuable insight from my experience as an expert Android engineer who has built chart-topping apps.

And if there’s any particular topics you’d like to hear me talk about, let me know in the comments below!

My 6-step process to that beats low motivation every time:

- take a short walk to refresh yourself
- talk with someone else
- put on headphones
- make a focus goal
- set a time block
- work

Motivation can't be your caffeine.
Sometimes, processes need to take over.

I've watched countless careers die during their first job.

"Most men die at 27, we just bury them at 72."
~ Mark Twain.

27 is late.
For most, it happens earlier.
Your decision will determine the outcome.

It happens like this.

People get let down easy.
Get a promotion.
Get a pay bump.
All good things.

People become content with status quo.
A step up the ladder once every few years.

"Just keep going."
"We like you the way you are."
"Just keep doing what you're doing."

Calming words.
Positive feedback.
Sleeping pills for your career.

Soon you will nod off.
And wonder what happened.

How did you fall behind?
It doesn't happen overnight.

It takes years of:
- No drive.
- No change.
- No improvement.

0% goes to your benefit.
100% goes to the company's benefit.

Comfort is your enemy.
It devours you slowly.

Fight against it.
Fight to remain sharp.
Fight to improve yourself.
Fight to devour knowledge.

You are in a fight,
whether you relax,
or whether you press on.

Your decision will determine the outcome.

Everyone argues that native app development is dead and that cross-platform is the way to go. Or vice versa.

Here's why I think they're both wrong.

🔘 Team histories are so diverse.

Native tools can require more time to learn.
Native tools often lean into desktop-based practices.
Cross-platform often leans into web-based practices.

Who will thrive on one vs another
depends on their background.

🔘 Not all apps need to "feel native."

Native iOS.
Native Android.
It's the gold standard.
Cross-platform tools are always catching up.

But that gives your app a cookie-cutter feeling.
Does that match the intent of your brand?
Would a different style look better?

🔘 Apple will never embrace cross-platform.

Google built Flutter.
Meta built React Native.
Microsoft built Xamarin/MAUI.

All have the same goal.
All took a different approach.
But problems with iOS are on you.
Apple will never recommend that you do this.

🔘 Native is always first-class.

Google's evolutions always land on native first.
Flutter is always playing catch-up.
So are the others.

If you need to live on the cutting edge, go native.
Otherwise, wait for the community to build a bridge.

🔘 Native is often better maintained by the vendor.
The community usually fills gaps in cross-platform.

In general, native has the largest community.
It's the defacto choice.
So it has the best:

- online Q&A
- library catalog
- support resources

🔘 UIs are challenging in both cases.

Complex UIs are always hard.
No one has the magic solution for it.
Native and cross-platform can both be tricky.
They'll just be a different flavor of complexity.

🔘 Upgrades are hard.

Library changes.
Toolchain changes.
Operating system changes. 

It's a challenge no matter what.
However, companies like Meta and Airbnb have stepped away from cross-platform since it was an additional layer of complexity on top of OS and native upgrades.

There is no silver bullet.
There is no magic right-or-wrong.
Like everything else in engineering, it's just tradeoffs.

195 Days Left: Android 15’s Edge-to-Edge in 2 Minutes 

On August 31st, 2025, Google will require your Android app to target API 35 or Android 15. One of the biggest difficulties developers are having with this change is Android's new edge-to-edge requirement. The clock is ticking and there is plenty of work to get done.

I'm going to show you my secret framework that I use to make even the most complex screens not only be compliant with edge-to-edge functionality, but also looking beautiful in as little as 2 minutes.

If you're not two years ahead, then you are behind.
Here is the date that you need to know: Aug 31st, 2027.

What's the significance?

All Android apps must target
Android 17 or API 37 by that date
to submit updates to the Play Store.

Google has started sounding the warnings.

Your app must support:
- tablets
- phones
- foldables
- all orientations
- must full the entire screen

For some apps this is a TALL order.
It means significantly reworking EVERY screen.
If you want to keep your Android app alive, start now.

You can't wait for 2027.
You need to start in 2025.

Are you ready to save $20M and 7 years on your next Android app?
Book a free Engineering Strategy Call to build your app right the first time.
https://lnkd.in/e_YH79qY

The 10 best websites of all time to get your creative juices flowing and inspire your next beautiful app.

1️⃣ Tailwind CSS
Their color palette was generated by design experts.
Use it to breathe life into your next project.

2️⃣ LottieFiles
Add a touch of reality to your apps with 1000s of free and premium animations.

3️⃣ Dribbble
The one place for all designers to show off their work.
Photography. Websites. Logos. Apps.

4️⃣ v0 by Vercel 
Share & clone great ideas or ask AI to help you build something you found on the web.

5️⃣ Design Vault
A curated collection world-class design from real projects.

6️⃣ Atlassian Design System
A full-course meal on the design principles behind Atlassian and their product suite, free to use.
Includes @figma projects and source code.

7️⃣ Awwwards
The Academy Awards of the web.
The best of the web, all in one place.
The authority on trends and software beauty.

8️⃣ SaaS Pages
Everything you need to build a SaaS company.
From companies who already did it.
Components. Sections. Pages.

9️⃣ GitHub Primer
GitHub's open source design system with all components, specs, and @figma designs.

🔟 Nicelydone
Save hours of design headaches with a list of designs for specific problems cataloged and updated each week.

Taplio

Oliver Spryn's Linkedin Analytics

What is Oliver talking about?

Who is engaging with Oliver

's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?