- Client
- Sync My Ride
- Role
- Design & Development
- Timeline
- Ongoing product
- Year
- 2024
- Category
- Mobile App
Overview
Sync My Ride (legacy package syncmymeet) is car-meet coordination: Expo, Mapbox, Firebase, Stripe/IAP. App Store version 1.5.4. Mapping includes live nav and crew following; the website adds merch and Stripe checkout. Contact: hello@syncmyrideapp.com.
Why
Car-meet organizers were coordinating convoys over group texts and three map apps. The pack split the first time someone missed a turn. Sync My Ride exists so the map is the product: live location, follow-the-leader, meets, and crew — not a pin in a chat.
Relevant to any real-world community that moves together. Background location, friends, and block lists are how a meet stays a meet when it is actually on the road.
The challenge
Car-meet organizers were coordinating convoys over texts and separate navigation apps. Wrong turns split the group; the fun became logistics.
What made it hard
- Convoys were coordinated in group texts and three different map apps.
- The group split the first time someone missed a turn.
- Meets needed identity, crew, and payments — not only a pin.
Approach
We put the map in the product: live location, follow-the-leader convoy, meet/friends, subscriptions. Background location modes keep the convoy useful on the road. Merch site supports the brand.
Process
- Convoy: Live map, crew following, meet objects.
- Crew graph: Friends, blocked users, profiles.
- Business: Stripe/IAP plus merch checkout.
What we built
- Live mapping: Mapbox navigation with crew following so the pack stays a pack.
- Meets: Event objects instead of a group-chat address.
- Crew: Friends, profiles, and block lists for real-world groups.
- Merch + billing: Website apparel/checkout and in-app subscriptions.
How it was built
Expo (App Store v1.5.4) with Mapbox, Firebase, Stripe/IAP. Legacy package name syncmymeet. Mapping includes live nav and crew following. Meets are event objects. Crew graph covers friends, profiles, and blocked users.
Background location modes keep the convoy useful on the road. The website adds merch and Stripe checkout. Contact: hello@syncmyrideapp.com. Live: syncmyrideapp.com.
Stack
- Expo: iOS / Android / web
- Mapbox: 3D routing and live location
- Firebase: Auth, Firestore, Functions
- Stripe + IAP: Events and subscriptions
Outcomes
- v1.5.4: App Store version
- Convoy: Follow-the-leader mapping
- Mapbox: Live crew location
- Live: syncmyrideapp.com
Wins
- Live Mapbox navigation with follow-the-leader convoy.
- Meets as first-class events instead of a group-chat address.
- Crew: friends, profiles, block lists.
- Shipped native app (App Store v1.5.4) plus merch/billing site.
Hard parts
- Three map apps: The group already had navigation. The product had to replace the stack, not add a fourth pin.
- Wrong turns: Convoy following and background location are the difference between a product and a meetup listing.
- Identity on the road: Meets needed crew, blocks, and payments — not only a map.
Services
- Expo (iOS/Android/Web)
- Mapbox GL 3D Routing
- Firebase Auth & Firestore
- Real-Time Location & Convoy Mode
- Stripe Payments & Cloud Functions