Nomadly

The invite-only community for nomads to date, find friends, and build rigs.

Comment

Inspiration

We’ve all seen the Instagram version of vanlife: perfect sunsets, cozy campfires, and endless freedom. But the reality is often much lonelier. You arrive at a campsite in the dark, you don't know who is parked next to you, and when your solar system fails in the middle of the desert, you have no one to call.

We realized that for a community defined by movement, the current tools are surprisingly static. Nomads are juggling Instagram for DMs, Tinder for dating, iOverlander for parking, and Facebook Groups for mechanical advice.

We wanted to build something that solves the three biggest friction points of nomadic life: Loneliness, Safety, and Decision Fatigue. We didn't just want another social app; we wanted to build a "Digital Convoy"—a high-trust ecosystem where your rig type matters as much as your profile picture.

What it does

Nomadly is an invite-only social ecosystem designed specifically for digital nomads, vanlifers, and travelers. It replaces the fragmented app stack with one cohesive experience:

  • The Inner Circle (Invite-Only): Safety is our currency. You can’t just sign up; you must be verified or invited. This creates a chain of trust that makes real-world meetups safer.
  • Rig-Aware Matching Engine: Our backend doesn't just match faces. It matches lifestyles. It knows that a "Skoolie" (Bus) owner might want to convoy with other big rigs, while a "Subaru" camper might look for faster-paced hikers. It filters by hobbies, location, and vehicle type.
  • Nomi AI Co-Pilot: Powered by Google Gemini, Nomi is the brain of the app. She is context-aware—she knows your vehicle's length and your pet's name. Ask her "Where can I park tonight?" and she filters out spots with tight turns or "No Dog" policies.
  • The Builder Hub: Breakdowns happen. Nomadly includes a marketplace where users can hire "Verified Builders" for repairs. We handle the connection via a "Service Fee" model.
  • Privacy-First Discovery: We use "Fuzzy Location" logic. You can see who is in your general area (e.g., "5km away") without revealing your exact GPS coordinates until you trust them.

How we built it

We built Nomadly as a robust, scalable mobile-first platform:

  • Frontend: Built with Flutter for a beautiful, native performance on both iOS and Android.
  • Backend: A powerful NodeJS server that handles the complex matching logic and geospatial queries.
  • AI & Intelligence: We integrated Google Gemini 2.5 Flash to power Nomi. We used "Function Calling" to allow the AI to safely query our database for "safe places" without exposing raw user data.
  • Monetization: We used the RevenueCat SDK to implement a hybrid business model. We have Subscription (Vantage Pro) for power users and Consumable Products (One-Time Connection Fees) for the marketplace. This flexibility allowed us to impress the App Store reviewers and build a real business case.
  • Database: We utilized GeoJSON data structures to handle the complex "Points of Interest" and "User Location" queries efficiently.

Challenges we ran into

  • The "Stalking" Risk: Building a location-based social app is dangerous. If we showed real-time pins on a map, we could inadvertently enable stalking. We had to engineer a "Fuzzy Location" system that randomizes the user's visible location within a safe radius, balancing connection with privacy.
  • Google Play Compliance: Getting a "Social & Dating" app approved is notoriously difficult. We had to implement strict moderation, blocking, and reporting features from Day 1 to meet Google's safety guidelines.
  • AI Hallucinations: Early versions of Nomi would happily invent parking spots that didn't exist. We had to implement strict "RAG" (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipelines so Nomi only recommends spots that actually exist in our verified database.
  • RevenueCat Complexity: We wanted to offer both subscriptions AND one-time fees. configuring the entitlements so that a "Pro" user didn't need to pay the "Connection Fee" required some complex logic in the purchase flow, but RevenueCat's documentation saved us.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • The "Rig-Aware" AI: Seeing Nomi correctly warn a Skoolie driver "That road is too narrow for your 40ft bus" was a magic moment. It felt like we built a real co-pilot, not just a chatbot.
  • The Trust System: Implementing the invite-only architecture was technically simple but socially powerful. It completely changes the "vibe" of the app from a public square to a private living room.
  • Seamless Payments: Integrating RevenueCat for a hybrid model (Subscriptions + Consumables) in under a week was a huge win. The flow from "Free User" to "Vantage Pro" is instant and buttery smooth.

What we learned

  • Context is King: A generic AI is useless to a nomad. But an AI that knows what you drive becomes indispensable.
  • Community First, Code Second: The best features (like the "Builder Hub") came from listening to actual vanlifers who said their biggest fear was breaking down and getting scammed by mechanics.
  • Privacy is a Feature: In the outdoor space, privacy isn't just about data; it's about physical safety. Treating location data with extreme caution is what will make this app succeed.

What's next for Nomadly

  • Offline Maps: We want to download the "Discovery" data locally so nomads can find friends even with zero cell service.
  • Group Convoys: Allowing a "Lead Vehicle" to broadcast a route to a group of 5-6 followers for synchronized travel.
  • Starlink Integration: Optimizing the app to detect when a user is on a high-latency satellite connection and adjusting the data sync accordingly.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates