The Shift from Web to Mobile: Transforming App Development

On the podcast we talk with Charlie about why React Native has become the default for VC-funded apps, how AI is accelerating development cycles, and why speed of iteration matters more than programming language.

Top Takeaways:

⚡ Instant iteration cycles unlock agility
 React Native and Expo supercharge development by collapsing long build times into mere seconds. With tools like Expo Go enabling live updates, teams can experiment, test, and improve their apps in real time. This instant feedback loop fuels innovation, cuts dev time, and helps startups move faster than ever.

🧱 React Native unifies teams and code
 By choosing a cross-platform stack like React Native, companies can maintain a single codebase for iOS, Android, and web. This unified approach reduces silos, simplifies hiring, and streamlines development. The result is faster feature delivery, consistent UX, and the agility that startups need to scale.

📈 Iteration speed drives growth
 Shipping faster beats obsessing over tech stacks. Companies that iterate quickly can test ideas, learn from real users, and ship improvements faster than competitors. This leads to better products, higher retention, and stronger monetization, giving them a competitive edge in crowded markets.

🔍 Consistency across platforms builds trust
 Users expect apps to work seamlessly, whether they’re on iOS, Android, or the web. React Native helps deliver that uniform experience, aligning with modern product expectations. Consistency reduces friction, boosts trust, and enhances user satisfaction—key drivers of long-term growth.

🤝 AI is the co-pilot, humans set the course
 AI tools like Claude and Copilot are transforming app development, making it faster to scaffold code and build features. But the real breakthroughs come from human oversight—making smart UX decisions, handling platform quirks, and bringing creative problem-solving. Pairing AI speed with human insight unlocks the best of both worlds.

About Charlie Cheever:

🚀 Co-Founder and CEO of Expo, a platform that simplifies the development of native apps using React Native, empowering developers to build apps for iOS, Android, and the web with ease.

📱 Charlie is dedicated to empowering developers to create seamless, cross-platform apps with less friction. He’s focused on improving the developer experience by reducing complexity and enabling rapid iteration.

💡 “One of the biggest advantages of Expo and React Native is the ability to move fast and iterate quickly without worrying about maintaining separate codebases for each platform.

👋  LinkedIn

Resources: 

• State of Subscription Apps 2025 — RevenueCat Report

Follow us on X: 

• David Barnard - @drbarnard
• Jacob Eiting - @jeiting
• RevenueCat - @RevenueCat
• SubClub - @SubClubHQ

Episode Highlights: 

[1:12] Chain reaction: What React is and how Expo enables developers to use it.

[6:30] Positive feedback loop: How Expo dramatically shortens the product development and iteration cycle.

[12:08] React vs. native: Why React has become the default development framework for modern apps and websites — enabling seamless product iteration across platforms with fewer engineering resources.

[23:13] 1+3+4: How Bluesky was built for three platforms by one developer in just four months.

[28:07] All-in: Why it’s better to build with React from the start instead of developing a native app first and implementing React later.

[35:20] Cause/effect: Do React Native subscription apps monetize better than native apps?

[39:37] Coding smarter: How AI is speeding up development times and pushing developers towards rapid-iteration tools like Expo.

[58:52] Mobile shift: More and more people are consuming software on mobile devices instead of PCs… shouldn’t the app development process align with that shift?