Overview
Footsynk is a football coordination system that eliminates the chaos of organizing pickup games. The platform handles match planning, squad syncing, and team management — turning the endless WhatsApp back-and-forth into a streamlined experience.
Built for the weekly football player who just wants to show up and play without managing spreadsheets or chasing responses.
My Role
As founder, full-stack developer, and product owner, I built Footsynk completely:
- Product Design — Designed features based on real player frustrations
- Mobile Development — Built React Native app with seamless experience
- Backend Engineering — Created Node.js API with real-time capabilities
- Real-time Architecture — Implemented Socket.IO for instant updates
- User Testing — Ran beta with local football communities
Architecture
Real-time-first architecture for instant coordination:
Mobile App
React Native with optimistic UI updates. Socket.IO client for real-time sync. Local state management with Zustand.
Backend
Node.js with Express. PostgreSQL for persistent data. Prisma for type-safe queries.
Real-time Layer
Socket.IO for bidirectional communication. Room-based architecture (one room per match). Connection recovery for mobile reliability.
Coordination Engine
Player availability aggregation. Automatic team balancing based on skill. Waitlist management for full matches.
Hard Problems
1. Real-time Sync Reliability
Mobile networks are flaky. Built robust reconnection logic with message queuing and state reconciliation.
2. Fair Team Balancing
Random teams often create unbalanced matches. Implemented skill-based algorithm that considers player positions and history.
3. Commitment Problem
Players confirm but don't show up. Created reputation system and waitlist that incentivizes reliable behavior.
4. Time Zone Complexity
Players in different time zones organizing together. All times displayed in local context with clear indication.
What I'd Improve Today
- Add venue booking integration
- Implement match statistics tracking
- Create league/season organization features
- Add payment splitting for venue costs
- Build chat system for team communication
- Integrate with fitness tracking apps for performance insights