How Coinbase Rewrote the App in React Native - Siriwong Ching, React Advanced 2021

Coinbase's successful rewrite of their app in React Native, increasing revenue and metrics, featuring key takeaways on re-platformization, performance metrics, and leadership support.

Key takeaways
  • Coinbase rewrote their app in React Native, increasing revenue and metrics across the board.
  • The CDS (Corporate Design System) is a foundation for improvement and progress.
  • Show small wins and progress to gain support and alignment from leadership.
  • Re-platformize existing native engineers to reduce the learning curve and leverage their expertise.
  • Set clear expectations and communicate regularly to ensure a successful transition.
  • Focus on performance metrics from the beginning and measure progress regularly.
  • Leadership support is crucial for a successful rewrite project.
  • The Android app was chosen for the rewrite due to its complexity and lack of feature parity with iOS.
  • The project was successful, with a rating increase from 3.8 to 4.4 and no regressions in performance.
  • The rewrite took less than a year to complete, with a team of 20 native engineers growing to over 100.
  • The project involved creating a data layer using Reshook, reducing re-rendering, and optimizing client-side performance.
  • The company’s mobile native technology is not bad, but the complexity of the app architecture made it difficult to make changes without fear of regressions.
  • The rewrite project was a success, with no attrition during the transition and a high-quality app rating.
  • The company’s experience with rewriting their app in React Native can be used as a guide for other companies considering a similar project.