Back to Product Decisions
Technical Strategy

Choosing Native Over Cross-Platform

Had to choose between React Native (faster development) and native iOS/Android (better performance) for healthcare app.

THE DECISION

Built native iOS first, Android later.

Reasoning

Healthcare app needed reliable performance for symptom checker – couldn't afford crashes

70% of target users on iOS based on existing user analytics

Native allowed better integration with health data APIs

Team had stronger native iOS experience

Trade-offs

What I Gained

Better performance

Access to native health APIs

Higher quality

What I Lost

Android users (30% of market)

Longer development time

Two codebases to maintain

Outcome

iOS launch successful with 4.7 star rating. Android launched 4 months later with feature parity. Native decision proved right when we needed custom health integrations.

Lessons Learned

Choose technology based on product needs, not developer convenience. Quality over speed for healthcare.