Scaling an Open Source mobile app with an ex-Googler Tim Cheadle

Tim, Director of Engineering at Resolve to Save Lives, is leading the development of the Simple mobile app, an open-source project aimed at improving cardiovascular health by tracking and managing patients' blood pressure to prevent heart disease. The app, designed to be lightweight and user-friendly, allows healthcare workers to record patient data on Android devices, even in offline settings, with a focus on scalability and ease of use for busy medical professionals. Currently operating with nearly 100,000 registered patients in India, the project emphasizes user research and quick deployment cycles, supported by a Rails backend and automated testing. Tim, who has transitioned from roles at major companies like Google and AOL to more community-focused initiatives, underscores the importance of creating software that addresses human problems and advocates for ethical responsibility in software engineering. He highlights the challenges of continuous delivery in mobile app development, particularly regarding testing across diverse devices and meeting app store requirements, while also expressing appreciation for open-source projects like Let's Encrypt and the Ruby on Rails community.