Meet Beam – a start-up which raised $6.4m investment from Sequoia Capital (Investors in Apple, Google, Oracle, WhatsApp and more)
Beam is a company of scooter-sharing enthusiasts who want to change the way people moving around the city. How? By creating a varied range of vehicles to rent. In this way, they are improving air quality, making people happier and reducing traffic jams in cities. For the Beam guys, electric scooters are just the beginning. As Brainhub, we are proud of working on enhancing the existing ecosystem of apps and adding new features.
What was the goal?
We have been hired to support the crew of Beam with our React Native and Node.js developers.
The main goals presented by the client were:
- Increasing security of logging and payments
- Speeding up the functioning of the application
- Improving the stability of the system
- Preparing applications for expansion (for adding new features)
As JavaScript experts, we proposed auditing the existing code according to best practices. Then, based on what we found out, implementing the relevant changes to prepare the application for development.
Why Brainhub?
- We are experts: The main reason was our expertise in React/Node.js/React Native. Based on long-standing experience in JS, we delivered to Beam the best practices and the knowledge on the highest global level in this area.
- We build scalable products: Beam hired us on the stage of scaling the company. The key value was our to verify and prepare the technology behind the application to be robust while scaling around the globe.
- We are entrepreneurs: Their decision was also influenced by our experience as serial entrepreneurs. We've built many digital products ourselves.
How we helped CTO and Product Managers to build a high-quality app by merging our proactive approach while paying close attention to their needs
Process
At the start, we cooperated with the Beam team based on small and specific tasks. When we finished the first, they asked us to work on the next one. At each stage we had to prove our quality and fulfill their expectations. After this, they decided on long-term cooperation with us. The methodology we used in this project was Kanban. We received prioritized to-do lists from Product Managers, reviewed them, and subsequently proposed relevant solutions. Then we implemented fixes and features in the right order. In this way, we fulfilled the business needs of the client and continued to satisfy throughout the project.
They’ve had a significant impact on how we build our applications by suggesting proactive changes, which we consider valuable. Product-wise, they’ve improved our software for sure. On top of that, they have excellent React knowledge. I strongly recommend Brainhub as trusted remote experts for the companies who want to scale their product.Deb GangopadhyayCTO of Beam
Solution
- Code review: The first stage was the code audit, which contained improvements in security, stability, and troubleshooting areas.
- Estimate key improvements/Estimate improvements with Beam: We elaborated on our suggestions with PMs, CTO, and Director of Engineering, and after that, they asked us to realize these changes.
- Write automatic tests: We started from the critical issue – writing automated tests to make the app testable.
- Refactoring of features: When we wrote automated tests, we spent time on refactoring a few features to improve the quality of the app.
- Add key features: After that, we focused on building the next features, which were key to the scale of the product.
Smart features for people who care about the health of cities
The app is easy-to-use but has some smart features which make a difference. Check it out below.
Park right and get a bonus!
Thanks to the feature that shows the best place to park the scooters, there can increase the rotation of vehicles. Additionally, if the next rider rents the e-scooter immediately after the previous one, he receives free Beam ride credits. They can use it as a form of payment.
Charger mode
We implemented smart fixes in Charger Mode. As a result, Beam employees can easily facilitate the work of chargers and make sure that e-scooters are always properly charged depending on the time of day and the intensity of users.
Feature for cities governments
The client asked us to create a useful feature so that city governments could track the data, so we build an API which allows Beam to provide data fast to them. As a result, they can assist them in building and improving transport infrastructure.
Technology Stack
The mobile app was built using React and React Native framework, so we harnessed our background to fix bugs and implement new features. We also used Typescript framework to build the API which provides data to city governments and to improve the desktop version of the admin panel.
