Joe Masilotti

Co-Founder

Portland, Oregon, United States9 yrs 6 mos experience

Highly Stable

Key Highlights

Shipped 25+ Hotwire Native apps.
Authored a book on mobile apps with Rails.
Keynote speaker at Rails World 2025.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Mobile Application Development expert specializing in Ruby on Rails and Hotwire Native.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Mobile Application DevelopmentRuby On RailsHotwire NativeIos Development

Other Skills

Strategy SprintArchitectureRisk AssessmentSwiftKotlinTurbolinksObjective-CiOS SDKTest-Driven DevelopmentAndroid DevelopmentJavaScriptOpen XML

About

I help Rails businesses ship iOS and Android apps. I've shipped 25+ Hotwire Native apps, wrote the book on it, and trained hundreds of developers. I've seen what works, what fails, and what Apple and Google reject. My clients include 37signals, The StoryGraph, and Context Travel. I gave the keynote at Rails World 2025, introducing thousands of developers to Hotwire Native. How I help: • Strategy Sprint: Framework decision, architecture, risk assessment, and a build plan. For teams deciding if mobile is right for them. • Build: Hands-on development. I build your app or work alongside your team. • Maintenance: Ongoing updates, bug fixes, App Store communication, and monthly releases. What I've built: • Hotwire Native for Rails Developers: The Pragmatic Programmers book on building mobile apps with Rails. • Bridge Components: Native components for Hotwire Native apps. Add features like native navigation, forms, and menus without writing Swift or Kotlin. • PurchaseKit: In-app purchase infrastructure for Hotwire Native apps powered by Rails. Background:I've been building mobile apps with Rails since 2015, back when Hotwire Native was still called Turbolinks. Before going independent in 2020, I spent five years as a lead developer at a startup. And before that, I learned Rails, TDD, and pair programming at Pivotal Labs. Let's talk if your Rails business needs a mobile app.

Experience

Railsdevs

Founder

Oct 2021 – Aug 2025 · 3 yrs 10 mos · Portland, Oregon, United States

I'm building railsdevs to make it easier for Ruby on Rails developers to find their next gig.
railsdevs is being built around three core values:
1. Empowering the independent developer
2. Doing everything in public
3. Creating a safe, inclusive environment
Empowering the developer
I've been an independent developer for the past two years. And leads are rarely consistent. Sometimes I can't keep up with the work and other times I struggle to find my next gig.
And job boards are rarely helpful for freelance and contract work. They're focused on full-time roles.
railsdevs strives to give power back to the independent developer. Instead of companies posting their jobs, developers post their profiles. That way, the power dynamic is reversed as companies have to reach out to developers first.

Masilotti.com

Independent Mobile Consultant

Feb 2020 – Present · 6 yrs 1 mo · Portland, Oregon, United States

I help Rails businesses ship iOS and Android apps. From deciding whether you need one to getting it live in the stores.
I've shipped 25+ mobile apps, wrote the Pragmatic Programmers book on it, and trained hundreds of developers. Here's how I work with teams:
Strategy - My Mobile Playbook engagement helps teams figure out what to build before writing code. Framework recommendation, architecture, risk register, and a phased build plan.
Building - Hands-on execution. I bridge the gap between your Rails app and the app stores by implementing the necessary Ruby, Swift, and Kotlin code.
Teaching - I level up your team's mobile app skills through my book, Bridge Components PRO library, newsletter, and pairing sessions.
Whether you hire me or learn to do it yourself, I'll get you there faster.

Ruby on RailsiOS developmentMobile Application Development

Beermenus

Lead Developer

Mar 2015 – Feb 2020 · 4 yrs 11 mos · New York, NY

Solely build, test, and deploy iOS app in Swift powered by Turbolinks
Lead Android development team
Evaluate and integrate all infrastructure changes and performance improvements
Assess and implement automated testing processes in Swift, Objective-C, and Ruby on Rails
Head consumer-facing product ideas and implementation
Manage hiring of full-time and consultant developers for Rails and Android projects
Run weekly talks on lean product development with company based on The Lean Startup

Pivotal labs

Mobile Software Engineer

Apr 2013 – Mar 2015 · 1 yr 11 mos · New York, NY

Developed full-stack client iOS applications via test-driven development
Acted as technical lead for client’s WatchKit app
Acted as technical lead for client’s location-based iOS app
Consulted with clients daily to prioritize goals and technical limitations
Contributed to open source BDD Objective-C testing framework, Cedar

Morgan stanley smith barney

2 roles

IT Associate

Promoted

Dec 2011 – Apr 2013 · 1 yr 4 mos · New York, NY

Managed workflow of 30+ developers and delivered web app upgrade from IE to Chrome
Performed bug fixes and enchantments using JavaScript and jQuery to HTML5 reporting tool
Lead first round interviews for C# developer candidates
Headed research and development project on database queries using Hadoop

IT Analyst

Aug 2010 – Jan 2012 · 1 yr 5 mos · New York, NY

Initiated optimization of application onboarding process between six departments
Supported iPad app development and became proficient in Objective-C and the iOS SDK
Set up server infrastructure for CAST AIP, a static source code analysis tool
Managed a team of three in ongoing implementation of CAST at firm
Designed and built Web front end using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Coordinated business feature requests with development constraints
Solely built VBA macro that automated Mainframe updates for operations team