SoberMap is a Yelp-like application that helps members of the recovering community find meetings and resources on a global basis. Based in Miami, FL, the platform serves people in addiction recovery by connecting them with AA meetings, support groups, and community resources wherever they are.
The founder envisioned a mobile-first tool that would make it effortless for anyone in recovery to locate meetings within 100 miles of their current location, sort by meeting type, and connect with other members of the recovery community through built-in messaging.
Building a mobile app for addiction recovery required more than standard app development. The product needed to reliably locate AA meetings within a 100-mile radius, sort results by meeting type, and include messenger features — all while serving a community where reliability and accessibility are critical.
The technical scope demanded a geographically scaled database capable of serving meeting data globally, real-time messaging infrastructure, and a user experience simple enough for anyone to navigate during a moment of need.
Core product requirements included:
Active Logic assembled a team of three — a project manager, an iOS developer, and an Android developer — to build SoberMap from the ground up. The team built iOS first, then expanded to Android in version 3. The total budget was approximately $120K, delivering significant value for the scope of the platform.
By launching on iOS first, Active Logic helped the founder validate the product with a focused audience before expanding. This approach reduced initial investment risk while establishing a proven feature set that could be faithfully replicated on Android.
The meeting finder required a database architecture capable of serving location-based queries at global scale. Active Logic built a geographically aware data layer that could surface relevant meetings within any radius — from a single neighborhood to 100 miles.
Beyond meeting discovery, Active Logic built one-to-one and group messaging features that transformed SoberMap from a directory into a community platform. These features helped users stay connected between meetings and build the support networks critical to recovery.
SoberMap launched in June 2016 and the engagement remains ongoing. The app became so successful that competitors attempted to duplicate it — a testament to the quality of the product Active Logic built. Despite the competition, SoberMap remains ahead of everyone else in the space. The founder praised Active Logic's excellent project management, clarity from the beginning, and flexibility with a sporadic schedule.
Founder SoberMap, Miami FL"Other companies are trying to duplicate our app because it's so successful. Still ahead of everyone else."
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