Building a rideshare platform from zero to first deploy

A transportation startup had developers ready to build but nothing to build on. I set up one codebase for every app and the cloud servers to run it, then broke the product into 42 planned items so the team could start building ride booking.

Transportation technology startup · Oct 11, 2026 · 4 min read

Context

A transportation startup building a ride platform for independent drivers and fleet companies. Its model is driver subscriptions and fleet management fees instead of a commission on each ride.

The founder had a clear vision and an outside development team ready to build, but no code base and no cloud setup. Every feature was blocked until the foundation existed, and that was the reason to bring me in.

What I did

Architecture and roadmap. Broke the whole product into 42 items of work, ordered so each one unblocks the next. Sign-in came first, then payments and business rules, then rides, and each item had a written plan the developers built from.
Sign-in for three apps. One sign-in system serves all three apps, two mobile apps for riders and drivers and a web app for companies. Each user only sees what their role allows.
Payments. Drivers and companies can add and manage their payment methods in the app.
AI service. One AI service that can switch between AI providers, ready for riders to request a ride in plain language.
Cloud infrastructure. Set up the servers and database as code, then moved the code into the company's own account so they own it outright.

Results

Before
No code base.
After
One code base shared by every app and the server.
Before
No way to sign in across three apps.
After
One sign-in system shared by all three apps.
Before
No way to take payments.
After
Drivers and companies manage their payment methods in the app.
Before
No AI service.
After
An AI service that can switch between providers.
Before
Nothing to deploy to.
After
Cloud servers set up as code, ready to deploy to.
Before
No roadmap.
After
42 planned items, each with a written plan.

What comes next

This engagement is ongoing. The team is building the rest of the product on this foundation, starting with ride booking and payouts to drivers and companies.

Your developers are busy and the product is stuck?

Book a free 25-minute call to see whether working together makes sense.

Prefer writing? Email me at hello@nicolascava.com. I'll reply within one business day.