The engineer behind JVC
John Ugonabo.
I build mobile products.
Senior iOS engineer operating through JVC. I take on mobile builds end to end, from concept and architecture to App Store, for startups, teams, and founders who need it done right.
About Me
I'm an iOS engineer who's fascinated by turning complex ideas into polished apps that people actually enjoy using. Over the past five-plus years, I've built and shipped production mobile applications across enterprise platforms and startup products, working with teams at Microsoft, HSBC, and several high-growth companies.
I think about engineering the way I think about everything else, from both a technical and strategic lens. I care about whether code is structured well, and I care just as much about whether the product communicates clearly and creates the right experience for the people using it.
Recently, I've been deep in AI-native development workflows, building custom agents and tools that multiply engineering velocity without sacrificing quality. Mobile product development powered by intelligent tooling is the intersection I'm most excited about right now.
Off the laptop, you'll catch me trail-walking, on the court, or digging into something I'm reading. I bring that same energy to my work by iterating fast, learning continuously, and leaving every codebase better than I found it.
Beyond the code
My Work
Apps I've architected and shipped to the App Store. Tap any icon to learn more.
BarkOS
Sole iOS Developer
Daily dog diary app that helps pet owners track their dog's activities, health, and milestones through an intuitive, beautifully designed interface.
Sole iOS Developer: built the entire app from the ground up.
Tap the app icon on the phone to open its native-style preview.
Where I've Worked
From first lines of Swift to leading projects solo. The journey so far.
DB8 Labs
Senior iOS Developer
Aug 2024 - Present
- ›Lead architectural design and modularization of a SwiftUI-based iOS app using Clean Architecture & MVVM
- ›Own end-to-end feature delivery, integrating Auth0, Superwall, Mixpanel, and AI-driven API services
- ›Design experimentation pipelines enabling A/B testing and telemetry-driven iteration
- ›Leverage AI-assisted tools (Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot) to accelerate development
Sprig Learning
Senior iOS Developer
Jan 2024 - Jul 2025
- ›Architected and shipped production iOS features using SwiftUI, MVVM, Clean Architecture, and SwiftData
- ›Led implementation of secure authentication flows and session management using Auth0
- ›Integrated Mixpanel & A/B testing for data-driven product decisions
- ›Mentored junior developers and led adoption of Clean Architecture patterns
Empowered Futures
Lead iOS Engineer
Aug 2023 - Jan 2024
- ›Led greenfield iOS app from concept to App Store release (youth mental-health platform)
- ›Defined initial architecture, project structure, and development standards
- ›Managed contributors and coordinated delivery across design, backend, and product
HSBC
iOS Engineer
May 2022 - May 2023
- ›Shipped 6 WealthTab features for a global banking app serving 5M+ users
- ›Led implementation of feature toggles and remote kill switches, cutting post-release incidents by 20%
- ›Expanded test coverage (unit, snapshot, integration) and improved CI checks
Microsoft
iOS Engineer (LEAP)
Aug 2021 - Mar 2022
- ›Built real-time chat and calling components for Azure Communication Services UI SDK
- ›Authored onboarding docs that boosted SDK adoption by 25%
- ›Collaborated with 15+ global team members across design, product, and engineering
VIS Technology
iOS Developer
Jan 2021 - Jun 2021
- ›Directed end-to-end design and development of a suite of iOS apps
- ›Implemented face tracking with ARKit, improving user engagement by 30%
- ›Built secure authentication using Firebase & CoreData offline flow