I build software for founders and small teams.
You've got an idea for software that should exist, or a product that needs someone who can own the whole thing.
I'm Ivan Tse. Nerd Tower is my independent software studio in Petaluma, California. I'll get to know your business, help decide what to build, design how it should work, and write the code. Then I get it out the door.
I've been building and shipping since 2005. Along the way I built for Twitch, charity: water, Hipmunk, and Bebo, and from 2022 to 2026 I designed and built the iOS app that Sonato's private club members use every day, including the Apple Wallet pass they tap at the door. I also ship my own apps: Little Memory has been running since 2011 and Apple has featured it three times.
What I take on
- iOS apps
Native apps for iPhone and iPad, from an early prototype all the way to the App Store.
- Web apps
Software people use in the browser, plus the API and infrastructure behind it.
- An existing product
Something stalled, or past what the first developer could carry? I can take it on and get it moving again.
- Fractional work
A few hours a week on a monthly retainer, owning your mobile side or building alongside your team.
Work I can show you
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$500,000raised in two months
For charity: water, I built mycharity: water, the platform that made social fundraising work at scale. Within two years it powered 70% of all their fundraising.
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250+five-star ratings
I designed and built the Sonato iOS app from 2022 to 2026: everything private club members use today, including the Apple Wallet pass they tap at the door.
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4 milliondaily users
As Head of Mobile at Bebo, I grew the mobile site from zero to 4 million daily users and built its SMS platform.
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since2011on the App Store
Little Memory, my own diary app, has saved over a million entries. Apple has featured it three times.
featured3×by Apple
How I work
- I look at your product like a new user, and I'll say so when a flow doesn't make sense.
- I want it to hold up when real customers arrive. That means testing, and enough tracking that you can decide from what actually happened.
- I use AI tools carefully. I review and test the work myself before it reaches your customers, and I can run that tooling on my own machines when something needs to stay private.
People I've built with
Ivan is a fantastic product developer who can take wireframe ideas and build an entire product. Not only will the engineering be solid but you will find that the UI/UX is thoughtful, effective, and visually pleasing. People that take pride in their work build better things and that's Ivan.
Ivan is super smart, personable, and great to work with. He's thoughtful and always out to learn new things while staying pragmatic at heart. I'll work with him any chance I can get and you should too.
Ivan's contributions to Magic streamlined our engineering processes and increased the reliability of our mobile and backend software. An excellent engineer. Ivan is able to communicate and implement solutions that directly support business, user, and team needs.
Ivan is an asset to any team building innovative product on the web or mobile. He can learn and apply new technology quickly and work independently to complete complex projects.
Tell me what you're working on
I've got room for a few new projects. Write to me and I'll reply with how I'd approach it. I read every message myself.
hello@nerdtower.comTeams I've built for
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