Yesterday marked the end of an incredible 7-year journey at EPAM Systems. I’ll miss my colleagues, the challenges we solved together, and, of course, our Berlin office at Kurfürstendamm.
The last three months have been nothing short of a rollercoaster. Instead of slowing down and reflecting, I dove headfirst back into something that has always fascinated me: iOS native app development.
This isn’t new territory for me. Back when the App Store first launched, I built and sold several apps, even one called iBiertje, a student-focused app to find the cheapest beer deals. Those were the early days, when even a small app could reach thousands of downloads.
But this time, I wanted to tackle something bigger. A project that combined my passion for mobility, technology, and real-life usability. The result? Urban Rider, the first dedicated navigation app for scooters, mopeds, and brommers.
🌍 Why Build a Scooter Navigation App?
If you’ve ever tried using Google Maps or Apple Maps on a scooter, you know the struggle. Standard navigation apps push riders onto highways or major roads, places where scooters simply don’t belong. Setting routes to “bike mode” or “avoid highways” isn’t enough, because avoid still isn’t the same as never.
On top of that, cities like Berlin and Nürnberg are filled with cobblestone streets, which are frustrating on two wheels. Riders want to avoid them, but existing navigation apps don’t give that level of control.
For years, I saw people on Reddit asking for a true scooter navigation app, but no one built it. This summer, after buying my own scooter, I decided to step up and make it happen.
💻 From Idea to App Store
What started as a simple experiment quickly grew into the biggest project of my career. I handled everything:
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Design & UX – clean, rider-focused, safe navigation.
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Routing engine – initially tested on Apple Maps but later replaced with a much more accurate solution after 100+ test rides across Berlin.
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Production release – launched on the App Store at €4.99 to validate the market.
Yes, the first versions had rough edges and some negative reviews—but every single issue taught me something valuable. I worked nights and weekends, debugging live on the road with my laptop connected via hotspot. That grind paid off: routing is now rock-solid, rerouting works seamlessly, and version 4.0.0 is almost ready for release.
📱 Urban Rider Today
Urban Rider is now a fully-featured scooter and moped navigation app, designed for real riders in real cities:
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🚦 Scooter-only routes (no highways, no unsafe detours).
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🛵 Moped-friendly road types, avoiding cobblestones and tricky surfaces.
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🔄 Fast rerouting that respects your actual driving direction.
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📍 Multi-stop planning and round-trip support.
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🌍 Tested on the road by early users across multiple countries.
You can check it out at www.urbanrider.app or download it directly from the App Store with a free 8-day trial.
🧑💻 A Note on AI & Development
Did I use AI? Yes, but not in the “AI built my app in 2 days” way you sometimes hear about. With 20+ years in development, I use AI for:
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Summarizing API documentation.
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Suggesting alternative approaches.
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Speeding up research.
But complex projects like navigation still require deep architectural thinking, relentless debugging, and hands-on problem solving. AI is a tool, not a co-pilot.
🌱 What’s Next?
Building Urban Rider from zero to production in just three months has been the most rewarding challenge of my career. It reminded me how much I love building products that solve real problems.
And now? I’m open to new opportunities—whether as an Engineering Manager, Senior iOS Developer, or something entirely different. Maybe even starting a coffee shop (I make a mean espresso ☕).
If you’re looking for someone who blends technical depth, leadership, and entrepreneurial spirit, let’s connect.
👉 Check out Urban Rider – the first navigation app made for scooters and mopeds.
👉 Open to collaborations, leadership roles, or innovative new ventures.