Inspiration
We wanted to make discovering local deals feel social and exciting, rather than another list of discounts. DropBy turns real-world experiences into something you can hunt for with friends.
What it does
DropBy reveals nearby, time-limited deals as users get closer to them, with rarity tiers and squad requirements. Businesses can create and manage Drops through a dashboard, while users explore, form squads, chat, earn XP and unlock account buffs.
How we built it
We built a FastAPI backend with PostgreSQL/PostGIS, Redis and Celery, plus a React business dashboard. The consumer app runs through Expo Go using a shared mobile frontend, live location, Docker-hosted API, and a Cloudflare tunnel for phone access.
Challenges we ran into
Connecting an iPhone running Expo Go to a local Docker API required handling LAN limitations, changing Cloudflare tunnel URLs, CORS, and Expo Go feature restrictions. We also had to make location-based map states understandable even when users were far from a Drop.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We created a complete loop from business-created deal to discovery, squad formation, redemption, XP, badges, chat, and account perks. We are especially proud that the mobile demo and browser demo now share the same experience.
What we learned
We learned how much real-world mobile development depends on networking, permissions, and testing on physical devices. We also learned that progressive information reveal needs clear feedback so users understand why a deal is still hidden.
What's next for DropBy
Next, we want to ship a development build with production push notifications and native QR scanning. We would also add real business onboarding, moderation, richer friend discovery, and deploy the backend to a permanent public domain.
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