MVP with Custom-engineered Film Filters | SilverStack

Project Type

MVP Development & Mobile Engineering

Industry

E Commerce

Tech Stack

About the Client

SilverStack is a Canadian company offering users digital photography tools that emulate the experience of film. Users purchase virtual film rolls, capture images via the app, and receive physical prints delivered to their doorstep. The platform manages the end-to-end journey from registration to physical fulfillment.

*All names and logos have been changed to respect the NDA*

Overview

The engagement focused on rapid experimentation and technical problem-solving to transform a concept into a market-ready product. GeekyAnts addressed complex camera and image-processing challenges while maintaining a lean development cycle suited for an MVP.

BUSINESS REQUIREMENT

The client required a cross-platform mobile application (Android & iOS) for international customers

Key Constraints:

Limited initial budget and small team size.

No existing product, system, or defined workflow.

Requirement for rapid experimentation and frequent iteration.

OUR SOLUTION

GeekyAnts adopted a highly adaptive development approach to accommodate evolving priorities. The team built the core architecture as a cross-platform app using React Native and Expo to ensure fast delivery. For the more specialized requirements, they utilized custom engineering to develop native patches and modules that support Look-Up Table (LUT) processing within the camera.

The solution included third-party integration of a robust stack for payments through Stripe, promotions via Vouchery, and taxes with Quadreno. To support the application, they established a scalable backend using AWS and managed all deployments via Expo EAS.

CHALLENGES IN EXECUTION & SOLUTIONS

To address the challenge of escalating operational expenses, we conducted an audit of inherited infrastructure assumptions, realigning them with actual usage patterns to eliminate waste. This process targeted over-provisioned non-production environments, which were right-sized and converted to on-demand models, ensuring resources remain active only when necessary.

A systematic cleanup was initiated to identify and remove legacy and orphaned resources, utilizing a shared audit and approval tracking system to maintain transparency. To mitigate the risk of breaking production during these transitions, all modifications were executed through Terraform-backed rollouts, ensuring every change was evidence-based and reversible.

Unclear Requirements

Budget Constraints

Camera Performance

LUT Limitations

OUR APPROACH

We followed a phased, low-risk approach with clear milestones to ensure cost reduction without compromising system stability.

Requirements & Design Custom Camera Development Financial And Localization Suite Lean QA & Deployment

Requirements & Design

GeekyAnts provided usability feedback and technical feasibility advice on client-led designs. Requirements were refined through regular meetings and frequent context switching to align with business goals.

Custom Camera Development

To achieve the "film look," the team implemented a custom camera with manual controls. When standard libraries faced limitations, the team developed custom native patches and collaborated directly with library maintainers to enable LUT support.

Financial And Localization Suite

The team integrated complex workflows for order management, including international tax handling, promotional codes, and localized content for a global user base.

Lean QA & Deployment

Quality assurance utilized manual testing tracked via Slack and Google Sheets to maintain high velocity. Releases followed a structured staging-to-production workflow.

RESULTS

The project resulted in a fully functional, scalable app prototype ready for market launch. The product matured sufficiently to secure future investment and phases, with the iOS app submitted for App Store review and the Android release pending final stabilization. The client awarded a 5-star Clutch rating and continues the partnership, expressing satisfaction with the project’s outcome and appreciating the team’s adaptability, proactive communication, and ability to deliver complex features with precision.

The collaboration continues with plans for SilverStack 2.0, including the introduction of new features and improved workflows. Future steps involve launching a managed beta phase post-Android release and dashboard development to expand the ecosystem with administrative tools.

Case Studies.