// op_006 — case study Live
VibeMaps
// the problem
Event discovery apps optimize for sponsored placements and algorithmic feeds — the dive bar trivia night and the underground show never surface because nobody paid to be there. Independent venues needed a discovery surface that ranks on proximity and community trust, not ad spend, with no platform interest graph harvesting attention in the background.
// architecture decisions
Geospatial Queries
PostgreSQL with the PostGIS extension backs proximity search. ST_DWithin against GIST-indexed geography columns keeps radius queries sub-millisecond even as the event table grows — no app-side distance math, no full scans.
Moderation Model
Event data is community-submitted with moderator review instead of algorithmic curation or scraped corporate APIs. Trust is a human review step, not a ranking model — deliberately slower, deliberately more honest.
Push Notifications
Expo push notifications deliver proximity-based alerts without requiring opt-in to any platform interest graph — the only signal is "you are near something happening," not an ad-targeting profile.
Deep Linking
A custom
vibemaps://event/:id scheme routes directly to event detail screens from any external surface — share links, notifications, or QR codes all land on the exact event, not the app's home screen.// key outcomes
Built on React Native with Expo Router and a Node 22/TypeScript backend, VibeMaps proves a discovery feed can run on radius and community trust alone — no sponsored placements, no engagement-optimized ranking. Now live with a public marketing site, an open-source backend, and an App Store release.
// related builds