Overview
Padelista is a community app for padel players — the fastest-growing sport in the world. The platform connects players, enables court booking, and makes organizing matches effortless.
Built to solve the real pain points of padel players: finding partners at your level, booking courts without phone calls, and keeping track of your playing community.
My Role
As lead software engineer and project manager, I built everything solo:
- Product Design — Designed user flows for maximum player engagement
- Mobile Development — Built the React Native app for iOS and Android
- Backend Engineering — Created the Node.js API with Prisma and PostgreSQL
- Real-time Features — Implemented Firebase for notifications and chat
- Architecture — Designed system for local communities with global scale
Every feature built by me.
Architecture
Mobile-first architecture optimized for community engagement:
Mobile App
React Native with TypeScript. Native navigation for smooth UX. Offline support for viewing booked matches.
Backend
Node.js with Express. Prisma ORM for PostgreSQL. RESTful API with consistent response patterns.
Real-time Layer
Firebase Cloud Messaging for push notifications. In-app messaging for player communication. Real-time availability updates for courts.
Location Services
Geospatial queries for nearby players and courts. Local community groupings. Travel time estimation for court recommendations.
Hard Problems
1. Player Matching
Finding players at your skill level is hard. Built skill rating system with ELO-style calculations based on match results.
2. Court Availability Sync
Courts use different booking systems. Created integration layer that syncs with partner venues in real-time.
3. Last-Minute Player Finding
Matches get cancelled when someone drops out. Built "substitute player" feature with urgent notifications to available players.
4. Community Moderation
Player communities need trust. Implemented reputation system based on match participation and player reviews.
What I'd Improve Today
- Add video analysis feature for skill improvement
- Implement AI-powered partner recommendations
- Create tournament organization tools
- Add integration with wearables for performance tracking
- Build social features (challenges, achievements)
- Expand to other racket sports with shared infrastructure