Senior iOS-Leaning Full Stack Engineer

How to apply

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About Validate

Validate is not another dating app. We're building a movement.

We believe dating apps broke dating. They turned people into products, reduced connection to an algorithm, and made us all feel disposable. Swipe culture isn't working. Endless matches that go nowhere aren't working. AI trying to predict who you should love isn't working.

So we're doing something different. Validate is a community-first platform where people actually meet in real life, not just match online. We host real events. Speed dating nights. Social mixers. Workshops on communication and connection. We're bringing back the feeling of meeting someone organically, with the convenience of technology that actually supports human connection instead of replacing it.

We launched October 1, 2025, right here in NYC, because this city deserves better than what dating apps have become. We're starting local, building deep community in neighborhoods across the city, and creating a model that can scale to other cities once we prove it works here.

My team and I built this platform from the ground up. As a software engineer with 6+ years of Android development experience, I lead the technical vision while working with a founding team of 8 people who are just as committed to changing how dating works. This isn't a pitch deck or vaporware. The app is live, people are using it, and we're growing intentionally. We're focused on getting it right in NYC before expanding, because sustainable growth beats explosive growth that burns out.

Right now, we're at that magical early stage where everything you contribute will shape what Validate becomes.

The voice, the culture, the community standards, the way we show up in the world. This is ground floor. This is your chance to build something that actually matters in people's lives.

Role

You will lead our iOS product and ship fast with a high stability bar. You will build core flows in Swift/SwiftUI, own the App Store pipeline, and keep the app crash-free. When features need backend changes, you will work across the API with the team.

This is a senior role. We need someone who owns outcomes without hand-holding.

What you will own (iOS-first)

• Build and ship the iOS app using Swift + SwiftUI.

• Own App Store releases: signing, TestFlight, versioning, rollout, and hotfix flow.

• Drive crash-free stability: crash triage, root-cause fixes, performance issues.

• Implement core product flows:

• Auth + session handling

• Profiles, discovery, matching

• Messaging and notifications (as applicable)

• Verification and safety surfaces (report/block)

• Set and maintain a simple release gate: smoke tests, build checks, and basic QA steps.

• Instrument analytics and logging needed to debug real-user issues.

Cross-functional responsibilities (as needed)

• Coordinate with backend/platform work to unblock iOS features.

• Review API contracts, request changes, and ship client + server updates cleanly.

• Write clear docs for setup, releases, and common incidents.

Required experience

• 5+ years building production software, including native iOS work.

• Shipped at least one app to the App Store (owned release steps, not only commits).

• Strong Swift skills and modern iOS patterns (SwiftUI, async work, state management).

• Strong debugging ability (crashes, memory issues, networking issues).

• Comfort working across the stack when required (API integration, auth, data models).

• Clear written communication and clean code habits.

Bonus (nice to have)

• Experience with CI for iOS (GitHub Actions).

• Crash reporting and analytics ownership (Sentry, etc.).

• Experience in early-stage products where speed and stability both matter.

• Experience designing API contracts with backend teams.

Working style

• You ship in small increments.

• You write down decisions and keep docs current.

• You take ownership of reliability and user impact.

• You prefer facts over guesses: logs, traces, repro steps.

Success metrics (Phase 2)

• iOS app reaches the App Store within two release cycles of your start date.

• Sub-1% crash rate and a steady weekly release rhythm.

• A green smoke test path that catches obvious breakage before release.

Compensation

This role operates on a phased compensation structure tied to company milestones. Phase 1 (current) is equity-first, where you receive 2% founder equity with standard 4-year vesting and 1-year cliff. Phase 2 begins after funding milestones, transitioning to monthly stipends ranging from $2,000 to $3,500. Phase 3 activates during our growth stage, moving to full-time salaries ranging from $90,000 to $115,000 annually. Your specific compensation within each phase is determined by the amount of funding Validate secures.