iOS and web · idea to launch
Your idea, built and shipped
You've got an idea for software that should exist. I'm Ivan Tse. I'll get to know your business, help decide what to build, design how it should work, and write the code. Then I get it out the door.
Teams I've built for
What I build
iOS apps
Native apps for iPhone and iPad, from an early prototype all the way to the App Store.
Web apps
Software people use in the browser, plus the API and infrastructure behind it, built to hold up when customers actually show up.
An existing product
Something stalled, or past what the first developer could carry? I can take it on and get it moving again.
Fractional work
A few hours a week on a monthly retainer, owning your mobile side or building alongside your team.
How I work
I look at it like a new user
When you've lived inside a product for months, it's hard to see it the way someone brand new would. I try to stay on that outside view, and I'll say so when a flow doesn't make sense.
I care that it holds up
I want the software to work when real customers arrive. That means testing, and enough tracking that you can decide from what actually happened, not guesswork.
I use AI tools, carefully
They help me move faster. I still review and test the work myself before it reaches your customers. And if something needs to stay private, I can run that tooling on my own machines.
What I’ve delivered
Sonato iOS app
From 2022 to 2026 I designed and built the iOS app for this hospitality platform for private member clubs: everything members use today, including the Apple Wallet pass they tap to get into their club. It has a 5-star App Store rating across 250+ ratings.
mycharity: water
For charity: water, I built the platform that made social fundraising work at scale. In its first two months it raised $500,000 and brought clean water to 25,000 people. Within two years it powered 70% of all charity: water fundraising.
My own apps
I've also shipped my own products: Little Memory, a diary app Apple featured as a Staff Favorite, and Ready Time, a planning app. Idea to App Store.
Also: Bebo's mobile site, grown to 4 million daily users; the system that feeds live streams into Twitch's search; web and iOS consulting for the LOOKBOOK fashion community; and the Hipmunk travel app. I've been building and shipping software since 2005.
Testimonials
Ivan is a fantastic product developer who can take wireframe ideas and build an entire product. Not only will the engineering be solid but you will find that the UI/UX is thoughtful, effective, and visually pleasing. People that take pride in their work build better things and that's Ivan.
Ivan is super smart, personable, and great to work with. He's thoughtful and always out to learn new things while staying pragmatic at heart. I'll work with him any chance I can get and you should too.
As head of mobile at Bebo, he was a key player in the rapid construction of a startup that would sell for nearly a billion. I would gladly welcome the opportunity to work with Ivan in the future and highly recommend him for the most demanding roles in the industry.
Ivan's contributions to Magic streamlined our engineering processes and increased the reliability of our mobile and backend software. An excellent engineer. Ivan is able to communicate and implement solutions that directly support business, user, and team needs.
Let's build it
I've got room for a few new projects. Tell me what you're working on and I'll write back with how I'd approach it.
Get in touchI read every message myself.
In the North Bay? I'm in Petaluma.
Sponsorships
Nerd Tower is a proud sponsor of LUMA Ice.
