Powering the digital platform behind a YC-backed behavioral health product.
Shimmer delivers personalized, “bite-sized” ADHD coaching through a modern mobile and web experience. Built by clinicians, psychiatrists, and behavioral experts, Shimmer needed an engineering partner who could transform their methodology into a stable, scalable, and secure platform that users and coaches could rely on.
Industry
Healthcare / Behavioral Health
Engagement
UI/UX, Middleware, API & Mobile Development, Infra, QA
Team Size
4 dedicated engineers & designers
Overview
Shimmer helps individuals with ADHD or executive functioning challenges by pairing them with trained coaches who offer structured weekly check-ins, accountability, and tailored skill-building plans.
They needed a product and engineering team capable of turning their clinical methodology into a cohesive digital health experience, combining coaching tools, personalized content delivery, mobile engagement, and secure data handling.
We partnered with Shimmer as their product engineering extension, helping them move from concept to a functioning platform used by real members and coaches.
The Challenge
Behavioral health platforms are complex and high-stakes.
They must support:
- clinical safety
- personalized care plans
- real-time communication
- structured weekly coaching
- progress tracking
- data privacy
- emotional clarity for neurodivergent users
And they must do all of this without overwhelming users who already struggle with routines, focus, and organization.
Shimmer also needed:
- rapid iteration (startup pace)
- secure infrastructure
- middleware to unify mobile, web, and backend logic
- a system that could evolve as their coaching model matured
This required a thoughtful balance between clinical rigor, product intuition, and reliable engineering.
Our Approach
We embedded a cross-functional engineering team that worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Shimmer’s founders, coaches, and clinical advisors.
Our approach focused on:
1. Product Clarity
Understanding how ADHD coaches work, how members interact with tasks, and what emotional state users are in when they open the app.
2. Structured System Architecture
Creating middleware that kept the experience consistent across mobile, web, and coach tools.
3. Intentional UX for Neurodivergent Users
Clear flows, calm interfaces, predictable patterns — making the platform feel safe and approachable.
4. Secure and Scalable Infrastructure
Using Firebase + Google Cloud to support rapid iteration with strong data integrity and authentication.
5. Agile Partnership
Weekly cycles where product, coaching insights, and engineering decisions moved together — enabling fast learning and refinement.
What We Built
A Personalized Coaching Experience
Weekly 1:1 check-in flows, accountability messaging, and progress summaries designed around how ADHD users build habits.
Dynamic Routine & Skills Engine
Members receive tailored routines, strategies, and action items each week — surfaced through a clean, supportive UI.
Bite-Sized Learning Modules
Short educational lessons designed for quick consumption, improving understanding of ADHD and executive function challenges.
Coach Tools & Middleware
We built middleware and backend systems enabling coaches to manage member sessions, send check-ins, and monitor progress across multiple touchpoints.
Mobile App (iOS + Android)
A seamless, fast mobile experience where members complete tasks, review plans, view modules, and stay connected with their coach.
Infrastructure & Security Layer
Firebase authentication, secure data handling, cloud functions, and a scalable backend foundation ensuring reliability as Shimmer grows.
The Impact
Our work helped Shimmer transform a clinically informed methodology into a functioning digital health product used by real members seeking clarity, structure, and behavioral change.
Key outcomes:
- A fully operational coaching platform across mobile, web, and coach tools
- Modern UI/UX optimized for neurodivergent users
- Scalable middleware connecting all user roles
- Reliable infrastructure using Firebase + Google Cloud
- Faster iteration cycles supporting rapid startup growth
- A stable engineering foundation for future expansion
Shimmer now delivers care at scale, helping users build habits, routines, and skills that support their goals.
Long-Term Partnership
Our role expanded as Shimmer matured, helping refine features, evolve the coaching model, integrate new content, and optimize flows based on real member and coach feedback.
Behavioral health products succeed through consistency and clarity, and we’ve helped keep Shimmer’s platform evolving with both.
Technologies
Industry Relevance
Digital health requires systems designed around trust, clarity, and care.
Our work with Shimmer demonstrates how we build platforms that:
- support clinicians and coaches
- reduce cognitive load for users
- maintain safety and privacy
- scale with usage
- evolve with real-world behavioral data
It’s a model for how we approach all healthcare and wellness products.
Building a digital health product that needs to be safe, supportive, and scalable? Let’s talk.
We help healthcare teams turn complex workflows into clean, reliable, and human-centered digital experiences.