Tech Chatting: What Does a Mobile Developer Do?

We use apps for literally everything these days, from checking the weather to saving money or finding out if our bus is late. But what does it take to build all those mini miracles in your pocket? We caught up with one of our Mobile Developers, Vanderson Vauruk, to find out what his job really looks like.

In a few words, our Mobile Developer describes his role as a “dream-maker and helper of others”, creating tools that are just a tap away and designed to improve people’s lives. Pretty cool, right?

So how did the journey begin? “Almost 10 years ago, I was closely following the market and noticed a growing need to develop tools that simplified daily life. That, combined with my curiosity for all things IT, pushed me to start self-learning mobile dev.”. Starting with Android, he eventually transitioned to cross-platform development and found a new favourite in React Native.

Forget routine. According to our dev, “no two days are alike”. From building new screens to connecting data sources (think REST APIs or GraphQL), to occasionally breaking the app and having to backtrack, every day is a lesson. But that’s part of the fun!

“Technology changes fast. What worked yesterday might not work today, which makes it nearly impossible to create a one-size-fits-all recipe for building an app.”

Having worked on nearly 20 apps , each one with its own quirks and framework versions, Vanderson knows this struggle all too well. The challenge? Adapting to ever-evolving tech while ensuring stability and functionality.

With experience in JavaScript, Java, Kotlin, TypeScript, Swift, and even Objective-C, our developer prefers hybrid frameworks — they offer more flexibility and less duplicated effort between platforms.

Ever built an app from zero? Vanderson has - many times. “Around 80% of the apps I’ve worked on started from scratch”.

Some favourites include:

- Adam Robo: A mobile app for a device that helps identify vision problems. “The social impact was incredible.”

- Oinc: A digital piggy bank that encouraged people to save money, effortlessly.

- HealthYou Brasil: A health screening app developed during the COVID-19 era, helping users identify potential symptoms.

And currently, he’s working on an app that helps identify fraud on Lisbon’s public transport, assisting inspectors in spotting unpaid fares. Now that’s civic tech!

While augmented reality has been quietly lurking (and might finally boom with Apple Vision Pro), the real star right now is AI-powered apps. “It’s the crown jewel of mobile trends,” Vanderson says. Our developer is even pursuing a master’s degree in AI, determined to keep up with what he describes as the biggest tech wave since the internet.

The dream: building businesses powered by AI, straight from mobile devices. Because why not?

“I love creating apps and thinking about business ideas around them. I’ve mentored quite a few people and even created career change guides and meetups.”

His top tips for beginners:

- Study tech broadly: not just code, but trends and emerging tools.

- Learn algorithms: they’re the brain behind the app.

- Start ASAP: and start right, preferably with macOS. “I started on Windows and trust me... it was painful. My first Mac was ancient, but still 10x better.”

And when you’re ready to build for clients? Make sure you’re set up properly - it’ll save you from a lot of stress later.

iOS or Android? iOS

Flutter or React Native? React Native

Light Mode or Dark Mode? Dark Mode (obviously)

Favourite type of app? Daily life helpers (fuel, groceries, finance…)

Push notifications? Hate.