Building 1520: A Fast-Paced Flutter Food Delivery App
Building a Food Delivery App Under Pressure
In 2020, the on-demand food delivery market was exploding. We had a short window to launch before major players like Getir entered New York City. I was the sole developer responsible for building the entire mobile app from scratch—and we had 2 months to ship.
This wasn’t just about writing code. It meant making architectural decisions, solving complex technical problems (Stripe integration, polygonal geofencing, scroll synchronization), and taking full ownership of the product’s success.
📌 The Challenge: Shipping an MVP in 2 Months
The goal was ambitious:
- Develop a standalone food delivery app (not just an aggregator).
- Provide a seamless user journey from ordering to delivery.
- Implement a location-based warehouse detection system for optimized logistics.
- Integrate Firebase for backend connectivity to move fast.
- Support web & desktop versions for a wider reach.
- Build and launch within 2 months to stay ahead of the competition.
🛠 The Tech Stack: Flutter + Firebase
To maximize development speed, we chose Flutter for its cross-platform support and fast UI iteration.
- Frontend: Flutter
- Backend: Firebase (Firestore, Authentication, Messaging, Crashlytics, Analytics)
- Payments: Stripe (multiple plugin solutions)
- Geolocation & Mapping: Custom polygonal geofencing system
- Web/Desktop: Flutter Web
Firebase enabled agile backend development without needing a dedicated backend team, allowing me to focus on building the app experience.
💡 Solving Key Engineering Challenges
1️⃣ Stripe Integration in Flutter (2020)
Back in 2020, Stripe support for Flutter was far from perfect. I had to combine two of the most popular Stripe plugins and pick the best features from both to achieve a reliable payment flow.
Solution:
- Researched Flutter Stripe plugin alternatives.
- Integrated and tested multiple approaches.
- Merged the most stable features from two libraries.
2️⃣ Scroll Synchronization for Category Navigation
One of the hardest UI challenges was syncing a vertically scrollable product list with a horizontally scrolling category selector—something no existing Flutter library handled well.
Solution:
- Used two scroll controllers to track user interactions.
- Listened for scroll events and adjusted animations accordingly.
- Ensured smooth performance while maintaining pixel-perfect UI.
3️⃣ Optimized Warehouse & Delivery Area Detection
Since 1520 operated using local micro-warehouses, it was critical to ensure that users were matched with the nearest warehouse while staying within a defined coverage area.
To achieve this, I developed a custom geolocation-based address input and location picker with polygonal geofencing. The goal was to determine whether a user’s selected location fell within a delivery zone polygon.
Solution:
- Implemented an address input field with location auto-completion.
- Developed an interactive location picker, allowing users to manually adjust their pin.
- Used a point-in-polygon (PIP) algorithm to determine whether the selected pin was inside a warehouse coverage zone.
- Used Google Maps webservices for auto-completion and validation.
💡 This approach ensured precise warehouse assignment, reducing delivery errors and optimizing logistics.
4️⃣ Adapting the App for Web & Desktop
While Flutter Web was still maturing in 2020, I adapted the app to work on tablets, desktops, and browsers. This required fixing multiple plugin compatibility issues and implementing a responsive UI.
Solution:
- Used Flutter Web directly for rapid adaptation.
- Debugged and patched multiple plugins that weren’t web-compatible.
- Designed responsive layouts for desktop & mobile.
🎯 The Outcome: Launch, Growth & Acquisition
The MVP was completed in just 2 months, with continuous improvements over the next 2 months while the business team prepared warehouse logistics and delivery operations.
After launch, 1520 operated successfully in NYC for a full year, gaining traction in a hyper-competitive market before eventually being acquired by Getir.
In 2021, I continued to support and maintain the app, including direct hotfixes to product data on the server, ensuring smooth operations post-launch.
🔥 Lessons Learned
- Speed is key in startups, but technical debt must be balanced wisely.
- Some technically difficult problems (like scroll sync) may not be necessary for MVP. Knowing when to cut complexity is crucial.
- Geolocation & delivery logic are just as critical as UX. The polygonal geofencing system significantly reduced failed deliveries.
- Product ownership goes beyond coding. I had to make decisions fast, solve problems beyond development, and take full responsibility for the product’s success.
What This Project Taught Me About Delivery
Building 1520 taught me that speed matters, but smart engineering decisions matter more. The app launched on time, operated successfully for a year, and was eventually acquired by Getir—a major player in the industry.
This wasn’t just a technical challenge. It required product ownership, rapid decision-making, and the ability to ship working software under tight deadlines. These are the same skills I bring to my corporate work today, where release schedules and business impact are non-negotiable.
Need to build a complex mobile app fast? Whether it’s a delivery platform, marketplace, or any app requiring geolocation, payments, and real-time updates, I can help. Contact me for a free consultation and project quote.
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